More Confused Than Ever..Help

[MS Coast]

than explore the B4UFLY app to investigate the restricted air spaces in your area

The B4UFly is no longer functional. Four alternative apps are available, each with the FAA's support.

https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/b4ufly

Note that "restricted" airspace is very different from controlled airspace. LAANC approval is required to fly in controlled airspace around airports. Most restricted airspace is used by the military, and each has specific limitations for operations.

 

[boatdoc]

Around here AMA is anti drone....you can't fly at their fields

I have found a mixed bag amongst their member fields

 

[boatdoc]

The B4UFly is no longer functional. Four alternative apps are available, each with the FAA's support.

https://www.faa.gov/uas/getting_started/b4ufly

Note that "restricted" airspace is very different from controlled airspace. LAANC approval is required to fly in controlled airspace around airports. Most restricted airspace is used by the military, and each has specific limitations for operations.

I stand corrected. I go to the b4u fly app to view the 4 sites that offer info about fly zones--types, limit s on altitude.....

 

[Hermey]

My suggestion is go for the DJI Mini 4. In my view, if you really feel drawn to the drone hobby, and as long as you believe you have the requisite skills to proceed slowly, not flying beyond your skills as you begin, you're not as likely to crash as if you charge out the door faster than your skills grow. Knock on wood, but I've never crashed a drone. I started out very timidly, with flights just to 10 or 30 feet altitude, and no further than 50 feet from myself. I moved on from such limitations as I felt I had the skills to do so.

I think if you were to get a Mini 2 or Mini 3 just to save money, you'd be hitting yourself on the head in a short while, saying why didn't I get the better drone when I could see I had a strong interest in this hobby.

 

[Droning on and on...]

The drone I would recommend, if ~$1,000 is within your price range is one no one here has mentioned, and many of the reasons why this is such a good choice were reinforced with a friend who flew for the very first time with me yesterday:

Avata 2.

It beats all the "camera drones" on toughness, ability to crash pretty hard without damage, and the Motion Controller is so intuitive within minutes you'll be flying quite skillfully and in control.

The camera on the Avata 2 rivals the Mini 3 Pro, and if your imaging needs are not professional, but casual, the still and video quality are excellent. Video can be electronically stabilized to the same quality as a 3-axis gimbal.

Then there's FPV. Some love it, some hate it, so that's a bit of a risk. Trying FPV first to see if you like it, and can accommodate to the visual "motion" without getting nauseated can be an issue for a small percentage of people. And you will not have a traditional RC with sticks and a screen. You'll be wearing goggles.

I think you should consider it. You'll be able to successfully fly and perform the missions you'd like within a dozen flights to get used to flying it, if you crash (you will) it's far more likely to survive with only cosmetic damage, and unlike the camera drones if it's upside-down where you crash you can flip it over with "turtle mode" and take off again and come home.

Give it a look... it may be exactly what you need.

 

[Robert Prior]

can accommodate to the visual "motion" without getting nauseated can be an issue for a small percentage of people

My sister can't handle IMAX because of that. She'd mountain rescue qualified (even though she hates heights) as a paramedic, but seeing motion without feeling motion throws her for a loop.

It's apparently not that uncommon with VR — this article says between 22 and 80 percent of people may experience it (which is a bit more than a small percentage). It might be wise for WNYBill to try FPV out before buying, lest he end up with a toy he can't play with.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/kitchener-waterloo/university-waterloo-virtual-reality-vr-cybersickness-why-study-1.6840293

Interesting study here. Age tends to make you more vulnerable to getting sick. Apparently smoking has a negative correlation with getting sick. I'd really like to know the mechanism for that (if it isn't coincidence — it was a pretty small study).

Clinical predictors of cybersickness in virtual reality (VR) among highly stressed people - Scientific Reports

The use of virtual reality (VR) in the treatment of psychiatric disorders is increasing, and cybersickness has emerged as an important obstacle to overcome. However, the clinical factors affecting cybersickness are still not well understood. In this study, we investigated clinical predictors and...

www.nature.com

 

[Starz]

flying while drinking alcohol,

An assumption. The OP did not say he would be drinking alcohol.

undoubtedly going to crash it

Another assumption.

 

[MARK (LI)]

An assumption. The OP did not say he would be drinking alcohol.

Another assumption.

When the OP stated that he intended to fly during "cocktail hour" he did imply that he was going to be drinking alcohol....
Definition of a cocktail:

 

[Droning on and on...]

My sister can't handle IMAX because of that. She'd mountain rescue qualified (even though she hates heights) as a paramedic, but seeing motion without feeling motion throws her for a loop.

I have a friend or two that can't "get used to" FPV flying.

It's apparently not that uncommon with VR — this article says between 22 and 80 percent of people

Read the article, thanks for the link. Was rather unimpressed with the research, in large part because any research outcome that yields a range of 22 – 80% is basically meaningless when logically there is a single percentage.

It's like this study I just did while writing this, and discovered that between 22 and 80% of the population has a Y chromosome. See the meaningless value in my "statistic"?

Also, I've found that between 0 and 100% of people brush their teeth before bed, and I'm absolutely certain of that stat. Between 0 and 100% certain

 

[Starz]

he did imply

Your opinion. No facts.

 

[MARK (LI)]

It is a fact that he implied they would be drinking......let me ask you...what do you do at a cocktail hour?

 

[msinger]

let me ask you...what do you do at a cocktail hour?

It doesn't really matter what we and/or most people do at "cocktail hour". The OP clarified what he meant in this post above. Take a look if you missed it.

 

[MARK (LI)]

The comments were made prior to his clarifying himself..in posts 4 and 14 to be specific...take a look if you missed both of them

 

[msinger]

The comments were made prior to his clarifying himself

That's fine. And now you're making a mountain out of a molehill.

Let's give the OP the benefit of the doubt and try to answer his actual question.

 

[Starz]

he implied

Nope. You did.
(I’m done)

 

[Droning on and on...]

Against my better judgement, I feel compelled to offer a compromise interpretation while acknowledging the completely reasonable interpretations both sides of this minor argument have taken...

The phrase used was, "during cocktail hour", not "while having a cocktail". So, while it is entirely reasonable to interpret the former as meaning the latter, it is by no means definitive. It is also entirely reasonable to interpret the statement as referring to a time of day using a common colloquialism.

 

[Dbez1]

If you live in a windy area, the mini drones may not be your best option. Back when I first started to fly, I bought a Mini1 and found that there were more days I couldn’t fly than I could. Mini’s have come a long way since then but they still are somewhat limiting, around here at least. If one of my adult kids were in your position, I’d tell them to get a refurbished Air2S and use an N1 controller with a dedicated iPad. I leave my 10” iPad connected all the time so it’s ready to go. Just my thoughts.

 

[Hermey]

If you live in a windy area, the mini drones may not be your best option. Back when I first started to fly, I bought a Mini1 and found that there were more days I couldn’t fly than I could. Mini’s have come a long way since then but they still are somewhat limiting, around here at least. If one of my adult kids were in your position, I’d tell them to get a refurbished Air2S and use an N1 controller with a dedicated iPad. I leave my 10” iPad connected all the time so it’s ready to go. Just my thoughts.

Good point. I have found this too. There are some areas that tend to be much windier than others, and in those the Minis are not a good option. Unless you just aim to fly on the rarer less windy days. A good reminder that all factors need to be considered when deciding what drone to buy....

 

[Robert Prior]

Good point. I have found this too. There are some areas that tend to be much windier than others, and in those the Minis are not a good option. Unless you just aim to fly on the rarer less windy days. A good reminder that all factors need to be considered when deciding what drone to buy....

I have a Mavic Mini and a Mini 3 Pro, as well as a Mavic 2 Pro.

I hardly use the original Mini now because it gets pushed around by relatively light winds, but I'm very happy with the Mini 3.

The Mini 3 is slightly less steady than the Mavic 2 in gusty wind, but handles steady winds well.

 

[moldorf]

I read the thread title "more confused than ever"....and was thinking that was me after the latest conversation with my wife