My Mavic's first confirmed kill

[Brojon]

There's an emplacement just above me on the mountain, a well known about town 'prepper' with more conspiracy theories than late night on the internet...
He's also well armed, to the point of being scarily armed. The day he caught on I was flying a drone above the place was occasion to fire off a clip.
These days I fly up the canyon a hundred yards or so before gaining any altitude if I know he's around. I doubt he's foolish enough to actually shoot up into the air, but the staccato tone of his shooting was a clear enough message.

You should introduce yourself - not kidding.
If he's a prepper tell him you're practicing in case SHTF and you need to scout the terrain.
Preppers mostly aren't crazy - they just take comfort in being prepared for the worst. Hey, there's worse hobbies than that.
Anyway - just let him know you aren't spying on him and put a face to the buzz he hears. After all - the government has been using drones to spy on pot farmers and militia encampments for years.

 

[Brojon]

I nailed a big fat dragonfly while landing once. I felt bad knowing they're on my side eating 'skeeters.

 

[Cuervo]

I'd love to see that!

It was a split second pass, barely caught on the video. I'd have to create a video account to put it up and I'm not into it that much. If I ever get a really decent encounter on video you can be assured I'll go to the effort putting it up, and thanks!

 

[Cuervo]

You should introduce yourself - not kidding.
If he's a prepper tell him you're practicing in case SHTF and you need to scout the terrain.
Preppers mostly aren't crazy - they just take comfort in being prepared for the worst. Hey, there's worse hobbies than that.
Anyway - just let him know you aren't spying on him and put a face to the buzz he hears. After all - the government has been using drones to spy on pot farmers and militia encampments for years.

We know each other well enough, sharing the same water source (a spring at my place which he pumps water uphill from). He thought I was just a dumb hippy when I first got here and is a little unnerved to realize I've got it on the ball and am far more accomplished with trade and technical skills than he is.
He's quite aloof and cagey, claiming he's from Philadelphia when in fact he's from southern California. Besides not having an East Coast accent, he slipped up once in his charade and realizing I saw through it has become even more distant.
If the subject of my drone ever comes up I'll explain what I'm up to, namely scouting for wildfire smoke, a very real and present concern here and he'll be fine.

 

[BanditsRoost]

Robins and sparrows always seem to go after mine. I have had plenty of birds make runs at my drone, but none have ever made contact.

The buzzards will swoop my MP, the crows will come check it out. But the most fun is putting my H501s up in a hover, the bugs (unknown type) fly all around it and i watch the the little swifts have a smorgasbord! They dive and dart all around it catching those bugs. Only happens in the spring.

 

[IrvineCAGuy]

This is what it is like to fly in a swarm!

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I think what you are witnessing is, in bee terminology, a "drone congretation zone." 'Drone' as in male bees looking for virgin queens to mate with. During mating season new queen bees will fly to this drone congregation zone to mate. Hundreds of males from all over the area show up looking for some action. After they mate, they die. Very nice footage.

 

[W2EJ]

This is what it is like to fly in a swarm!

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I enjoyed that video and the very appropriate choice of music.

 

[Aerial West]

Tello - Swarm of gnats
Spark - Swarm of mosquitoes
Mavic Air = Swarm of big mosquitoes
MPP - Swarm of flies
Mavic Pro - Swarm of bees
Phantom - Swarm of hornets
Inspire - UH1B (ok its not a bug)

Starlings and seagulls for the inspire 2. A few hawks in my life as well.