Hello.........and Goodbye.

[Duds]

While you abandoning a hobby you haven't really explored yet simply because you fear it is becoming overly regulated, mind selling me your car cheaply

 

[cgmaxed]

I can see a ton of positive to drone flying, it's the reason I decided to jump in finally. But if I can't take off from a beach or land in a park (generalising here but that's essentially what the recreational rules mean) then I am relegated to travelling unknown distances just to find somewhere to fly. And even then you have limitations.

I live in an area that is stunningly beautiful but if you take away the recreational areas and throw in the distance limitations they are all but eliminated.

I'm not taking away the positives from drone flying, the ever increasing rules are. I don't disagree with them, but you would have to be pretty ignorant to not see the noose is getting tighter and tighter.

In the USA I'm always flying over beaches, the sand and surf. Flying out to look at dolphins or follow jet skies, yachts and other things that make great videos. Drone assited fishing is really fun. The beaches in the U.S., most at least, don't have landing and take off ordinances. If they do, I just find a public sidewalk nearby, then fly over to the beach and take my shots. You may not be able to land or take off in certain parks where you live, but you can stand just outside of it and fly over the park and take video and pics. The only parks in the USA we can't take off and land in are federal and state parks. We can fly over them all we want. I don't know how strict the the rules are where you live, i'm assuming the U.K. But pounds are used in a lot of countries in Europe.

 

[Donali_Orkney]

As a new Air 2 owner living in the UK I would add that while there are many restrictions, there are also many opportunities. For example, I get up early to capture that 'magic' shot with no people around. Where there is a will there is always a way

 

[tlswift58]

@BigAl07
Post #10 has zero relevance to anything I have said and doesn't answer a single question or point. But I see where this is going so good day to you sir.

Just to muddy the water further Amazon has in the last hour or so just knocked off £170 from the Air 2S

(Mod Removed Inappropriate Remark)My way or the highway.

Yet, many Brits fly and are part of this community. You are finding a NEGATIVE in everything - so please don't buy a drone. Save the UK from your condescending babble.

Not sure how ALL the other UK flyers on this forum and others do it if so strict now.

The USA is not way different than the UK. Yes, we have many state and local governments "trying" to restrict us; but you know what - a good drone pilot finds a way. You don't seem to have that ability. Sorry to be so crass, but that is how you are acting.

Had you actually had conversations with fellow UK pilots in person, which obviously would make you do something; then you'd find out more on where and how to fly close to home.

Our sport / profession does not need people like you who find the negative in most everything. Thanks for bowing out.

 

[Tolly]

@BigAl07 with all respect, you claimed my original post is "90% overly dramatic"

Exactly how? I thought I was merely stating the current rules. I would argue that sentence is overly dramatic in regards to my post.


Rather than condescendingly making this about me personally maybe you could explain how it is possible to legally fly a drone now in the UK anywhere other than remote places? If there is some loophole or unspoken "common sense" rule I don't know about please enlighten me. I see you are from the USA so with all respect it seems that one thing people could do a little more if here is understand that every person has their own limitations based on geography and laws. Having someone from another country with different rules and regulations tell you you are being dramatic is a little condescending with respect.

I see you are from Rye. Other than the restrictions around Lydd Airport the skies are open to you up to Tonbridge, over to Brighton and so many other great places in Kent and Sussex. I can see you bought an Air 2s so you need A2 CofC and I get that. The restrictions are perfectly valid because a heavier faster drone can seriously hurt someone. If you fly a sub 250g Mini2 you can even fly close to people except large crowds. With a 4k camera you can get amazing footage, though I appreciate not as good as the bigger sensor will give you. However you say yourself you are new to drones so why not start with a Mini2 have fun and learn to fly then move on? You're talking yourself out of it before you've even begun.

 

[Prop Wash]

@Legendoforin - If I may - Yes, rules / regulations can be frustrating. And, yes, it seems drones get 'bucketized' (meaning if one drone pilot screws up - ALL drone pilots will screw up). It does seem to be the prevelant view in the world right now. Trust me, the U.S. has plenty of rules / regs / 'Don't fly here' things going on.
I would encourage you to drop down into the "Photos and Video" section. There are many pilots from the UK who post some great pics/videos of things they've captured. You can see who posted a pic/vid. Reply to their post or PM them regarding their flights. Yes, getting to fly places may not be as convenient as a local park or beach, you may have to 'get of out of town' to get some, but the results may well be worth the effort.
Just some insight from an old(er) guy who didn't 'get off the ground' until I was 64.

 

[Ty Pilot]

It seems I missed the boat and the carefree days of flying with only respectable rules are over.

Perhaps you never joined an RC club. Well back in the care free days, one would pay an organization like the AMA a yearly fee so that we could then ask to join a local club, so that we could pay another yearly fee for the privilege's of being a member, in the hopes that we could fly. Ah but first you would have to learn the rules and regulations of not only the AMA but the club had it's rules and regulations on top of those. Ever heard of a transmitter impound? If not there was surely a member that would remind you what you were doing wrong. . . .

I could go on an on but my point is; there was and always will be a cost; both in terms of outright money and in operational compliance, that flyers will have to consider if they want to fly UAVs. If that cost is too high? Okay pass. But for most, I think the trade off is more than a welcome one. I find the challenge of locating a secluded spot away from people with a good subject or area to fly very satisfying. And even when I am flying as a commercial operator there is a certain satisfaction I get from being in compliance and providing a service, oh and getting paid to boot.

This hobby/activity is what you make of it.

 

[tlyons]

Well after a grand total of five posts in a single thread, three days after joining and not having owned a single drone it seems my flying days are over ?.

I created this thread purely just to give a perspective from someone who is completely new and wanting to get involved in drone flight and photography. Let me tell you, it is a very depressing view right now. Maybe the future is brighter for those more established in the hobby or who live in Arizona possibly but not for me or I guess most people new to this.

After wanting to get into drones for a long time I decided now was the time to look into it sincerely and what I have been met with the last few days is a pretty bleak outlook regarding this hobby. Esentially it seems the curtain is beginning to come down pretty hard.

I watched a ton of YouTube videos, pretty much every single one of them starting with incredible shots from all over, rotating around buildings, flying over harbours and beaches. Beautiful images, enticing the viewer into this wonderful world.


None of which is now possible.

I can't get nice family shots on the beach. I can't fly over my local lake. I can't fly safely around the beautiful historic town I live in. Recreational areas are no longer possible. I never wanted to be THAT guy who broke the rules and knew if I ever took up the hobby I would abide by the rules and fly as safely as I possibly could. More importantly and some what ironically I also understand the need for such structure. There is I assume few here that would disagree we need rules in place for safety and common sense. However the fun has been sucked out of the hobby for me with such regulations. Yes I know I could grab a mini 2 and have some fun but as a professional photographer that drone was never going to be enough for me. Throw in the fact that my potential £1200 Air 2S would be void come Jan 2023 it lead me to a sour conclusion.

It seems I missed the boat and the carefree days of flying with only respectable rules are over. It's only going to become more Draconian and for me and many other out there (those that have done their research at least) thinking about this hobby it seems like it would be nothing other than a waste of time and money right now. Hopefully in a couple of years things may have ironed themselves out more, maybe there will be a 249g mini 4 with the specs of a 2s. But right now it feels like the technology is going at such a rapid pace that the authorities are struggling to catch up and in doing so are throwing out pretty severe measures just to keep some sort or order. There are very few people who actually want drones flying around.

I'm sorry for the waffle but it comes from a place of immense disappointment. I'm too late to the party, I know that and I appreciate the thread has little value other than to give an idea of the harsh reality facing new flyers. There is currently very little to entice people toward the hobby.

Thank you very much for the advice I have been given here and I'm sure you pilots will adapt, adjust and have many more years of happy flying ahead of you and hopefully the authorities will also adapt and make it more accessible for others to join in the fun.

Take care

Rich

I think some of the responses may be USA centric; the US rules can be inconvenient but generally there is still plenty of latitude. But perusing the UK rules, ( Current UK Drone Laws 2021 - Updated May 2021 ) wow! that's kind of awful. Just the list of required permissions is daunting; you have to call the police before every flight? Aren't they busy enough?

On the other hand, the list is less onerous for the <250g. Have you taken a hard look at the Mini 2? There's a lot to like. Soon, the Hubsan Zino Mini Pro will be out and that (theoretically) has even more to like. Good liuck!

 

[Cymruflyer]

@BigAl07
Post #10 has zero relevance to anything I have said and doesn't answer a single question or point. But I see where this is going so good day to you sir.

Just to muddy the water further Amazon has in the last hour or so just knocked off £170 from the Air 2S

Then buy it and start to look for the positive. That 170 quid off is God's way of telling you that you need to buy it now and start flying!

 

[old man mavic]

in the other thread where you asked about the drone flying rules in the UK ,in replying to you i only told you the facts, and the decision you have chosen to make, and not pursue drone flying as a hobby is entirely,your choice
there have always been rules in place governing the safe flying of UAVs ,including what some would call model aircraft,which are just another form of UAV , but in the past this pastime was mostly conducted in a very controlled and regulated manner at designated sites
now with the advent of what we now call drones ,which can be purchased and flown with very little training and knowledge of how they fly ,and the fact that they are able to cause damage to property and people ,if they fall from the sky ,or indeed to other aircraft ,has led to the tighter regulations ,that have been imposed by Government ,on the other side of the coin sub 250g drones now actually enjoy less restrictions ,it seems to me ,that maybe you wanted someone to justify the expense of owning a drone ,so perhaps this hobby is not really for you

 

[DARKSeifer]

As a photographer a drone is the best landscape/architecture camera you'll ever get, being able to put the camera in any point of the three-dimensional space just feels like cheating compared to any hand held camera.

And that ability overcomes absolutely everything else.

Air2S camera is far from any FF DSLR on the image quality side, but you'll never see me doing landscapes with tripods and DSLRs again... even though I tried a few weeks ago and was just... lol, no way I'm wasting these clouds with this limited bidimensional point of view, I'm doing it with the drone.

On the practical side of things, droning is just like drivng. You pass the tests, you pick up you drone, have all the paperwork done and try to be within the rules... for the most part, and that's all. Unlike driving, you'll never get anyone killed with a sub 900g drone, flying camera casualties worldwide are still 0.

There's plenty of room to play, drones are limited but not forbidden, just use your brain and decide by yourself if the risk is worth the cost, like Norwegian philosopher Kierkegaard said, a life based on following the rules is a life lacking in authenticity.

If we stick 100% to the drone regulation active in my country (a mix of the new EASA one and the old drone regulation from 2017)... Of the 800 flights that I've done till now... only 4 or 5 have been 100% legal, and in two of those 100% legal flights I had problems with some random people (Karens) just freaking out... while on the other 795 "90% legal" flights I didn't had any problem at all... so yep, legal doesn't mean safer or better, just be smart and adapt every to the situation.

Just buy a Mini 2 and learn to fly, this **** is quite addictive so I assure you in less than a year you'll be doing photos on a Mavic 3.

 

[vindibona1]

I don't know where "Rye" is. Wish you had been more specific on that as we have pilots from all over the world here. But regardless, as a "professional photographer" I would encourage you to think about what you'd be walking away from before throwing in the towel.

I'm a professional photographer of 37 years and suffered largely from "been there/done that" syndrome. As my business mostly drew to a close over the last 10 years I really had no passion left to do any photographic projects. When I bought my first drone it was just about flying. i just thought it would be the cool thing to do. But the moment I got my Mini1 I realized that what I had was a flying camera. My interest in photography got a shot in the arm as I was learning the joy of flying drones. I realized that if I ever wanted to make money with it I would have to jump through the bureaucratic hurdles, study, pay fees, get tested, etc. Let me tell you, it was well worth it. And I don't think things are quite as bleak as you make them out to be. And BTW... The Mini 2 is a pretty formidable little drone. I have a Mavic 2 Pro as my main drone and my Mini 2 impresses me every time I fly it.

 

[DARKSeifer]

I also started with a Mini 2 thinking It would be a nice hobby, but ended up obtaining all the certifications (A1/A2, A2 and STS), doing all the paperwork, paying an insurance, buying an Air2S (can't wait for the Mavic 3 or whatever my next drone is)... and would do it again, is not that hard.

But I must say I live in the country, far away from controlled airspace... so I can fly right from my garden if I want. This hobby/work is not that easy when you live in any city and the closest flying areas are dozens of Km away.

 

[Cymruflyer]

As a photographer a drone is the best landscape/architecture camera you'll ever get, being able to put the camera in any point of the three-dimensional space just feels like cheating compared to any hand held camera.

And that ability overcomes absolutely everything else.

Air2S camera is far from any FF DSLR on the image quality side, but you'll never see me doing landscapes with tripods and DSLRs again... even though I tried a few weeks ago and was just... lol, no way I'm wasting these clouds with this limited bidimensional point of view, I'm doing it with the drone.

On the practical side of things, droning is just like drivng. You pass the tests, you pick up you drone, have all the paperwork done and try to be within the rules... for the most part, and that's all. Unlike driving, you'll never get anyone killed with a sub 900g drone, flying camera casualties worldwide are still 0.

There's plenty of room to play, drones are limited but not forbidden, just use your brain and decide by yourself if the risk is worth the cost, like Norwegian philosopher Kierkegaard said, a life based on following the rules is a life lacking in authenticity.

If we stick 100% to the drone regulation active in my country (a mix of the new EASA one and the old drone regulation from 2017)... Of the 800 flights that I've done till now... only 4 or 5 have been 100% legal, and in two of those 100% legal flights I had problems with some random people (Karens) just freaking out... while on the other 795 "90% legal" flights I didn't had any problem at all... so yep, legal doesn't mean safer or better, just be smart and adapt every to the situation.

Just buy a Mini 2 and learn to fly, this **** is quite addictive so I assure you in less than a year you'll be doing photos on a Mavic 3.

When you stated ..."while on the other 795 "90% legal" flights I didn't had any problem at all... so yep, legal doesn't mean safer or better,."...
I think you meant to say "Illegal" flight and not what you have, saying Legal flights. You might want to edit that word.

 

[AZDave]

I'm having a difficult time understanding the point of your post. You clearly have already made your decision so what did you expect to gain from it? Did you just want to vent your frustrations as you slammed the door behind you? If that's the case it seems rather childish. If instead you wanted to have forum members to convince you otherwise you could have done so in a much more positive and useful manner. Even so, you've mostly just argued with the folks who tried to encourage you with their responses.

 

[Greekislandlover]

I think you may be being a tad negative here.

The impression you have is that there are hordes of real, and drone police lurking behind trees to nab anyone daring to take off. That just isn't the case.

I fly frequently near the sea and over the local park. The main interaction I get is with people that are interested. Some had model aircraft, some are thinking of buying and want to pick your brains, and some are just interested. The thing is, if you go early morning or late afternoon that's the "Golden hour" where the sun is at it's best for photography and very often you see nobody. But if there are people around, show them courtesy and keep far away from them and if people are walking dogs show them extra courtesy by not taking off and landing until they have passed (making it obvious of course!)

Drones have not been able to circle public buildings without appropriate qualifications anyway. Most of what you see on youtube has probably been filmed illegally. The laws exist because of people in the past crashing drones into buildings and being a general nuisance. Fair point IMHO.

Yes, you need to be careful of any air restrictions in place - just use the app. Yes, you have to be mindful of where you take off but you are not prohibited from taking off absolutely everywhere without 2 weeks written notice. Having done the A2 C of C course is a positive plus as you can then have a better understanding than pretty much anyone you might meet as to if you can / can't fly. But as I said earlier, my experiences have all been good!

The only comment I had was I was flying over heathland, and a guy pointed out that drones were not allowed because of ground nesting birds breeding. I hadn't seen any signs, he realised that and was very tactful. I landed immediately and we had a nice chat!

It also helps to demonstrate you are in total control of the aircraft - even if it's actually flying itself. I tend to perform palm landings - often because the terrain is rough / dusty but that impresses people. I know not everybody here agrees it's a good idea, but it does show control of the aircraft and creates less dust upon landing.

A Mini 2 (my next drone) gives you a lot greater freedom than a bigger drone, but in my experience common sense and courtesy are your biggest asset out there.

 

[Rafter]

+1 for Grey Arrows Club. If you join, they have an app "Good 2 Go" just put in the details of your location, type and model and any qualifications you have and it will tell you whether you can fly in that locations or not. Simples. There is also an app "Drone Scene" which shows you a very detailed map of the UK with NFZ etc.

 

[DARKSeifer]

When you stated ..."while on the other 795 "90% legal" flights I didn't had any problem at all... so yep, legal doesn't mean safer or better,."...
I think you meant to say "Illegal" flight and not what you have, saying Legal flights. You might want to edit that word.

Droning, as everything, is not just black or white, people who show off they are following the rules 100% of time please, feel free to share all your logs from Airdata.

People that think they are 100% legal all the time one of two, or are hypocrites, or just ignorants that don't know the entire rule book.

 

[maelstrom]

People that think they are 100% legal all the time one of two, or are hypocrites, or just ignorants that don't know the entire rule book.

I’m sorry, but that’s simply not true. I have a Mini and it’s easy with a little forethought (and surprisingly few real restrictions) to remain completely within the rules.

 

[Drone Views Media]

Well after a grand total of five posts in a single thread, three days after joining and not having owned a single drone it seems my flying days are over ?.

I created this thread purely just to give a perspective from someone who is completely new and wanting to get involved in drone flight and photography. Let me tell you, it is a very depressing view right now. Maybe the future is brighter for those more established in the hobby or who live in Arizona possibly but not for me or I guess most people new to this.

After wanting to get into drones for a long time I decided now was the time to look into it sincerely and what I have been met with the last few days is a pretty bleak outlook regarding this hobby. Esentially it seems the curtain is beginning to come down pretty hard.

I watched a ton of YouTube videos, pretty much every single one of them starting with incredible shots from all over, rotating around buildings, flying over harbours and beaches. Beautiful images, enticing the viewer into this wonderful world.


None of which is now possible.

I can't get nice family shots on the beach. I can't fly over my local lake. I can't fly safely around the beautiful historic town I live in. Recreational areas are no longer possible. I never wanted to be THAT guy who broke the rules and knew if I ever took up the hobby I would abide by the rules and fly as safely as I possibly could. More importantly and some what ironically I also understand the need for such structure. There is I assume few here that would disagree we need rules in place for safety and common sense. However the fun has been sucked out of the hobby for me with such regulations. Yes I know I could grab a mini 2 and have some fun but as a professional photographer that drone was never going to be enough for me. Throw in the fact that my potential £1200 Air 2S would be void come Jan 2023 it lead me to a sour conclusion.

It seems I missed the boat and the carefree days of flying with only respectable rules are over. It's only going to become more Draconian and for me and many other out there (those that have done their research at least) thinking about this hobby it seems like it would be nothing other than a waste of time and money right now. Hopefully in a couple of years things may have ironed themselves out more, maybe there will be a 249g mini 4 with the specs of a 2s. But right now it feels like the technology is going at such a rapid pace that the authorities are struggling to catch up and in doing so are throwing out pretty severe measures just to keep some sort or order. There are very few people who actually want drones flying around.

I'm sorry for the waffle but it comes from a place of immense disappointment. I'm too late to the party, I know that and I appreciate the thread has little value other than to give an idea of the harsh reality facing new flyers. There is currently very little to entice people toward the hobby.

Thank you very much for the advice I have been given here and I'm sure you pilots will adapt, adjust and have many more years of happy flying ahead of you and hopefully the authorities will also adapt and make it more accessible for others to join in the fun.

Take care

Rich

Well, I can only speak of EU regulations, and the trajectory is definitely going towards freeing up airspace ....but only in the sub 250 category. Drones over that weight are going to face more and more restrictions, the good thing is, drones in that category are only going to get better. Personally, I wouldn't be so pessimistic.