Greetings from San Rafael, about 15 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge near San Francisco, California.
My wife got me a Mavic Mini (original first generation) for Christmas, and I've been having quite a bit of fun with it during the past few weeks, in my back yard, indoors, and in a large open field near my home. We have ordered a camper van, to be delivered in a couple of months, and we are looking forward to documenting some of our travels with aerial photos and videos.
Over the past few years, I've flown my son's toy quadcopters quite a bit, but the Mavic Mini is the biggest drone I've flown, and the only one with a camera or GPS. Its GPS stabilization makes it a lot easier to control than the smaller toys. (Unsolicited advice: If you want to learn to fly, spend $20 on something like a SkyViper DASH nano drone at Target. You can practice indoors at home, you won't cry too much if you destroy it, and when you can fly it well, a "real" drone will be a piece of cake to control.)
I also have an aviation background, having worked for a couple of aircraft companies, and I have taken flying lessons to the point of flying a Cessna 152 solo. Circumstances made me quit before I finished my private pilot certificate, but nevertheless, I know about the airspace system, can read a sectional, and can (mostly) decode METARS. I tried a Part 107 practice exam for fun and passed it easily. I'm not wanting to make a lot of money flying a drone, but I might get the Part 107 license anyway.
I've had a fairly serious photography hobby for many decades. This adds a new dimension -- it's not that great of a camera, but it's capable of getting some great perspectives.
My wife got me a Mavic Mini (original first generation) for Christmas, and I've been having quite a bit of fun with it during the past few weeks, in my back yard, indoors, and in a large open field near my home. We have ordered a camper van, to be delivered in a couple of months, and we are looking forward to documenting some of our travels with aerial photos and videos.
Over the past few years, I've flown my son's toy quadcopters quite a bit, but the Mavic Mini is the biggest drone I've flown, and the only one with a camera or GPS. Its GPS stabilization makes it a lot easier to control than the smaller toys. (Unsolicited advice: If you want to learn to fly, spend $20 on something like a SkyViper DASH nano drone at Target. You can practice indoors at home, you won't cry too much if you destroy it, and when you can fly it well, a "real" drone will be a piece of cake to control.)
I also have an aviation background, having worked for a couple of aircraft companies, and I have taken flying lessons to the point of flying a Cessna 152 solo. Circumstances made me quit before I finished my private pilot certificate, but nevertheless, I know about the airspace system, can read a sectional, and can (mostly) decode METARS. I tried a Part 107 practice exam for fun and passed it easily. I'm not wanting to make a lot of money flying a drone, but I might get the Part 107 license anyway.
I've had a fairly serious photography hobby for many decades. This adds a new dimension -- it's not that great of a camera, but it's capable of getting some great perspectives.
