New Pilot, First Drone

[Tee]

Hello everyone, My name is Terry and I'm a new pilot, I went ahead and purchased a Mavic Air, this is my first drone, so this is a new experience for me, the reason I decided to get a drone was for photography, I'm a photographer, I love shooting landscapes, but for the last few years I have been photographing real estate, I've done weddings, portraits, events and more, so here I am with this drone that I am really enjoying, by the way, so far I'm just practicing how to use the controls, but my biggest issue is finding legal places to fly, I live in Oakland Ca, I'm so afraid to fly because of what people might say, the only place that I been is to the Berkeley Marina, I'm just looking for some advice on what to do because I don't want any trouble.
Thanks

 

[msinger]

Welcome to the forum!

 

[dannybgoode]

Just be polite and don’t do anything stupid. My standard response of someone comes up to me and asks me to move on is to be polite and do just that.

I have only been asked on two occasions though - one was by a national park ranger (in the UK) and he let me finish my flight first.

The second time was on holiday with an idiot who took offence but I was pretty much done anyway so smiled and packed up.

Most of the time people are interested in what you’re doing though. I show them what I can see on the display, talk to them about what I am doing, tell them about the drone etc and they go away happy.

 

[Tee]

Thank you, so far I only had one person to tell me that I could not fly in that location, it was a security guard at a park at the Port of Oakland, I had already checked the B4Ufly app and it was good to fly so I just stopped and left the area, even though there were no restrictions,

 

[Mossiback]

Air users have reported quieter operation using the Master Airscrew props. If people are around I just fly higher and slower and my MP is barely noticeable.

 

[dirkclod]

Welcome to Mavic Pilots .
I hope you will find our site helpful and look forward to any input , photo's/video's you might post .
Don't be shy and ask anything if you can't find it by searching .

 

[Tee]

Thanks for your welcome, I know that I will need to take the test to get a certificate for drone pilot, so far I just been searching a lot of info and it's confusing to say the least,

 

[Mossiback]

Thanks for your welcome, I know that I will need to take the test to get a certificate for drone pilot...

No test is required for recreational use but you do need to register yourself with the FAA and put the registration number on the outside of your Air. It is also good to put your phone number on it in case of loss.

 

[Tee]

No test is required for recreational use but you do need to register yourself with the FAA and put the registration number on the outside of your Air. It is also good to put your phone number on it in case of loss.

Thanks, I will do that

 

[CharlieR]

Thank you, so far I only had one person to tell me that I could not fly in that location, it was a security guard at a park at the Port of Oakland, I had already checked the B4Ufly app and it was good to fly so I just stopped and left the area, even though there were no restrictions,

The B4UFly app covers FAA restrictions but not local restrictions. Local parks in my area have local ordinances that prohibit drone flying, but I had to look online to find them. So best not to argue the point and just leave, as you did.

 

[Tee]

The B4UFly app covers FAA restrictions but not local restrictions. Local parks in my area have local ordinances that prohibit drone flying, but I had to look online to find them. So best not to argue the point and just leave, as you did.

Can I take photos of my Sisters house with her permission? even if I"m not getting paid for it just practicing without the pilot certification?

 

[msinger]

Can I take photos of my Sisters house with her permission? even if I"m not getting paid for it just practicing without the pilot certification?

You can if you're not doing anything commercial with the photos (like helping your sister sell her house).

 

[BigAl07]

Welcome to the forum

 

[CharlieR]

Can I take photos of my Sisters house with her permission? even if I"m not getting paid for it just practicing without the pilot certification?

Yes, as long as you are not being compensated. Probably good to go to FAA site to see all their regulations, because it's pretty comprehensive. See Recreational Flyers & Modeler Community-Based Organizations

 

[Thomas B]

Welcome to the forum from the deserts of Arizona! Enjoy.

 

[Mavic Mac]

Thanks for your welcome, I know that I will need to take the test to get a certificate for drone pilot, so far I just been searching a lot of info and it's confusing to say the least,

Welcome to the forums. I am also a newbie to the world of drones. To say some of the info is confusing is an understatement when you first see it. The more you read it and digest it the easier it is to understand it. As stated above do not hesitate to ask questions and take the time to read all of the various post, even if they may not be about your specific model. The knowledge that is shared here is amazing.

 

[Tee]

I'm not going to use the photos, I just wanted to see if I could do it
Thanks for all of the helpful advice, and I am going to study for the part 107 certification, I downloaded the FAA study guide, all can say is, WOW!

 

[Tee]

I'm attaching photo/ video of the house, my first practice photo, it's the one in the middle with the curved driveway.