How do you keep it spicy and interesting?

erkme73 · Jan 15, 2017

I'll admit it... from the moment I ordered my unit in early October until it finally arrived in mid-Nov, I was SOOO excited. It was often the last thing I thought about when going to sleep, and the first when I got up. I'd envisioned all the neat things I could do with it. Then it arrived.

I've flown about 40 flights since then, nearly all of them either at my home in Florida (in an 1100 gated community where the houses are so close to one another, if you need flour, you just open your kitchen window and knock on your neighbor's window), or my vacation property in middle Tennessee (20+ acres and 1000' cliffs). That was fun - In Florida testing out how far I can track a neighbor's car through the hood... Circling the clubhouse... Spying on the police as they conduct a murder investigation a block away... In Tennessee, flying along the river in the valley 1000' below... zooming across fog-covered tree tops... Getting right up on cave openings...

But, now that I've done all that, the newness and awe has begun to leave. I have 2-3 day stretches where I don't fly (or even think about) the MP.

I have yet to go to a park, beach, or other POI. Between stifling regs/rules/bans and the like, I have just lost motivation to go explore. Maybe it's the fear of losing the MP in a new place, or being told to pound sand by some government goon...

Anyone else feel the same sense of apathy? Or am I missing an essential ingredient to spice up my drone life?

Achilles · Jan 15, 2017

Stay curious - always. There is an endless amount of skills to learn with any drone. The learning never stops and you need to abandon your fear of crashing your MP. If it happens, it happens.

Mavic - North Bay, CA

Motley · Jan 15, 2017

Sounds like it is time to start thinking of more places to go and film or just have fun flying, maybe even join up with a local group of people and fly. I think there are lots of places to see in the US and if you have the time why not go and visit them and get good aerial shots to share with others that are not able to for one reason or another. There are lots of people getting their Mavics now and there are plenty of other drones out there so there must be some others looking for people to fly with.

If you go the route of traveling to cool places and getting aerial shots you could start a YouTube channel to share those videos, maybe even be able to pull in some money from that on the side from advertising.

Syphon · Jan 16, 2017

I live just North of Orlando. Today, I too, the drone out to Port Orange, drove onto the beach and flew in a 2.5 mile stretch that is out of the 5 mile cone of Daytona and New Symrna airport. There was a cool pier I filmed as well as just the ocean in general. I then edited a cool video which I posted to Facebook tonight and will post to YouTube tomorrow.

Now, flying every day, I have not pulled my Mavic out in 10 days. Same reasons as you, I have enough video of my neighborhood and have explored everything I can. But that is not a bad thing. You don't have to fly it daily.

To keep things spicy, as a Floridian, here are some ideas I have come up with or have planned:
- Lighthouses! So many awesome lighthouses to film. Here is one of mine: - The Beach
- Parks with Sports Fields
- Rivers
- Lakes
- Bridges (normally over the lakes and rivers)
- Plan a video idea. The parks of X County or abandoned buildings of X County.

Use AirMap.io and set it to recreational to find out where you can fly freely. Call the airports, they normally are cool with it. I flew only a mile off a runways in New Symrna for Ponce Inlet Lighthouse (the video above) and cleared it with ATC. They were SUPER cool and had no issues.

Most parks, beaches, etc don't have major issues with drones. State Parks in Florida are off limits though, but only launching or landing in them, not flying over them

BD0G · Jan 16, 2017

Explore things like Panorama's, HDR photography using AEB, Long Exposures , Night shots,new ways to edit and cut together footage, tripod mode in places to explore slowly, plan out and document a shot list to get the very best angles.

Anyone (well virtually anyone) with the Mavic Pro can fly up in the air around their neighborhood and press a video record button.

Check out flying autonomously using Lichti , Autopilot, or DJI's Ground Control app. Fly FPV with Lichti and some goggles or google cardboard style googles and your phone.

Talk to neighbors about your hobby and ask if you can photograph or film something for them for free to help out. Contact local real estate agents and ask if they would like some free shots of the homes they are trying to sell. You will make lots of friends that way.

Push the boundaries of what is possible with a high definition aerial camera and experienced operator.

I could go on and on with new an exciting ideas...

Syphon · Jan 16, 2017

I like what @BD0G said about asking around to help others.

I did this with my wife's church media team. They gave me permission to fly on the grounds of the church and are putting together shot lists of cool stock footage they want of the 5 different buildings they have, plus a Sunday morning shot list. They gave me permission to fly whenever I want on church grounds when church is not in session and just ask that I provide them the raw video files for them to use in future videos they make. Keeps it interesting.

BD0G · Jan 16, 2017

Thanks @Syphon

I find that sharing is caring. LOL. Not everyone is going to turn into a drone nazi when you tell them about your passion for flying an aerial camera. Some will and I find its about a 1/10 ratio thus far.

Another interesting thing that will happen is you will just naturally network with other people as a result when the videos or photos that you do provide garner attention. People will say "Wow that looks amazing ! Who took those wonderful shots and how" Next thing you know you will pursue a new aspect of flying the Mavic Pro and thats your Part 107 . So that you can legally make some duccets for the hard work that you provide.

I just built you an extended hobby and business in 6 lines of text!

Dont limit yourself. Oh, surfers love to strut their stuff and have demo rolls of their wave carving techniques if you are near a beach. Here is how I approach them " Hey Doood is that grar swell harshing your buzz?" "Just joking ! Hey want me to film you shredding some waves?"

So many people say "Cool drone" when I fly and they see my Mavic. So many that I have to find remote locations as it can be a challenge to concentrate on actually flying. Lots if interest in something that you have begun to find lackluster is a shame.

ManicMavic · Apr 14, 2017

Download Stringr, an app for your iPhone (they may have it on other platforms). I get text messages asking me to take pictures of events/police activity/et al. and you load all the footage onto the app and they pay you money for it. It's excellent, especially if there is no one else competing for the footage. News agencies contract the app admin to get media from stringers (freelancers), and this app is a conduit of that sourcing. Pretty cool and I've made a fair amount doing it...even in just free-time.

Dragonfly1 · Apr 14, 2017

erkme73 said:
I'll admit it... from the moment I ordered my unit in early October until it finally arrived in mid-Nov, I was SOOO excited. It was often the last thing I thought about when going to sleep, and the first when I got up. I'd envisioned all the neat things I could do with it. Then it arrived.

I've flown about 40 flights since then, nearly all of them either at my home in Florida (in an 1100 gated community where the houses are so close to one another, if you need flour, you just open your kitchen window and knock on your neighbor's window), or my vacation property in middle Tennessee (20+ acres and 1000' cliffs). That was fun - In Florida testing out how far I can track a neighbor's car through the hood... Circling the clubhouse... Spying on the police as they conduct a murder investigation a block away... In Tennessee, flying along the river in the valley 1000' below... zooming across fog-covered tree tops... Getting right up on cave openings...

But, now that I've done all that, the newness and awe has begun to leave. I have 2-3 day stretches where I don't fly (or even think about) the MP.

I have yet to go to a park, beach, or other POI. Between stifling regs/rules/bans and the like, I have just lost motivation to go explore. Maybe it's the fear of losing the MP in a new place, or being told to pound sand by some government goon...

Anyone else feel the same sense of apathy? Or am I missing an essential ingredient to spice up my drone life?

I know what you mean. I'm pretty lucky to be retired and a real lover of travel, so I don't do much flying in between trips. Travel is the key for me. Next one is to Norway, where I hope to find enough dry days to film one of the most beautiful places on earth.

PA_Bluejay · Apr 14, 2017

A few months ago, I saw that someone was doing a series of pornos using a drone. So there's always that.

Kilrah · Apr 14, 2017

Yup some of us are like that. We pick on something, go all out on it, and after 3 months feel we've gone full circle around it and lose interest.
It sucks, but I'm used to it as my whole life has been that way. Gotta wait to find the next thing to be interested in...

ManicMavic · Apr 14, 2017

PA_Bluejay said:
A few months ago, I saw that someone was doing a series of pornos using a drone. So there's always that.

......there is that, yes.

Gerry65 · Apr 14, 2017

Lots of good ideas here. I live at the beach too and just across the street from the Gulf. I'm getting some footage to put together a vid for our HOA and am intrigued with learning how to edit clips and make movies like some of the great drone movies out there. I don't think it all has to be novel shoots but it's also a challenge to put clips together in a way that jumps out at folks. I also saw a cool fountain in downtown Pensacola and asked the folks if I could video it with my drone and they had no problem at all and just requested I put it on their Facebook page. There's a couple of old churches I'd like to get permission to video also. I guy at my condo windsurfs and he can't wait to get out there and video him putting some moves on and analyzing his technique. I can then make a cool movie of the footage I get. I have lots of learning In regard to both editing and flying. Then i hang out here and learn something new everyday and head back to practice. And, I started a YouTube channel so that keeps me interested and makes me feel like I need to add movies to it so that I don't let my 8 subscribers down ahhahaha. Oh, did I mention I'm retired so that's some impetus to keep involved in challenging activities. Anyway, hope you can rekindle the fire again.

PA_Bluejay · Apr 14, 2017

Gerry65 said:
...guy at my condo windsurfs...

You had me at "windsurfs."

sdharris · Apr 14, 2017

Interesting topic. I use these things to make videos or take pictures of something I am interested in and I don't really go looking for reasons to fly, I look for the things I am interested in. Which means I can go weeks or a month between flights and to be honest it does not worry me.

On a different subject, nice video @Syphon, I have something similar from a trip to MA last November which I should dust off and post. But I did think in the orbit your horizon was tilted slightly and on the straight 52 seconds in. I was wondering if your gimbal suffered from the tilt problem. Mine has suffered from the same off and on since I got it in November and its failed completely now, sending it in for repair next week.