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MavicMustang

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Joined
Apr 21, 2022
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Age
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Location
Dover, Delaware
Hello... I have just bought a DJI Mavic Mini. I am glad to be here as I will need some feedback from those who know their way around all the ins and outs of flying. Located in Dover, Delaware, I am a Real Estate agent and thought I could take it up a notch by getting beautiful overhead shots on my listings. Of course, I want to be legal and to be aware on no fly zones and Delaware laws. My concern is issues I may encounter with neighbors, etcetera. My guess is that I will need a pilot license to fly my mini? But I was told that typically for this particular drone, I'll only need to look up the fly zones? With being brand new to this, it's a little daunting and wondering if it's work the risks that may be involved. ie: will I need insurance? How long to get licensed and costs involved? Should I have paperwork, if any, showing that I am legally able to use my drone? Thanks!
 
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@MavicMustang ,i could be wrong but i think you will need to obtain your Part 107, to fly your drone as you described ,as you will be using it for your work
 
Hello... I have just bought a DJI Mavic Mini. I am glad to be here as I will need some feedback from those who know their way around all the ins and outs of flying. Located in Dover, Delaware, I am a Real Estate agent and thought I could take it up a notch by getting beautiful overhead shots on my listings. Of course, I want to be legal and to be aware on no fly zones and Delaware laws. My concern is issues I may encounter with neighbors, etcetera. My guess is that I will need a pilot license to fly my mini? But I was told that typically for this particular drone, I'll only need to look up the fly zones? With being brand new to this, it's a little daunting and wondering if it's work the risks that may be involved. ie: will I need insurance? How long to get licensed and costs involved? Should I have paperwork, if any, showing that I am legally able to use my drone? Thanks!


WELCOME to the forum

Whoever told you that about "only look up zones" could not be MORE WRONG!! Every non licensed (Called Part 107) is liable up to $1,100 fine and whoever hires you is additionally liable up to $11,000 per flight.

You'll need the FAA Part 107 and you'll need to register the aircraft under the Part 107/Commercial portal (not Recreational).

Check out the @pilotinstitute for help getting your Part 107 and getting LEGAL all the way around.
 
As others have said, you will need to test for and apply for your FAA Part 107 certification. It is illegal to fly commercially, even if you don't intend to use the footage now, but down the road. So yes, you will need licensure which requires taking a test which probably will mean some serious study. Once you get your Part 107 you are then permitted to fly and use commercial footage..

As far as "look-up", everywhere you fly it is a good idea to know where you are permitted to fly, not permitted and airspace where you will need pre-authorization. Apps like B4UFly and Aloft will help you determine where authorization is needed and provide a vehicle to get ATC authorization. But in addition to that, you should familiarize yourself with DJI's flysafe website. DJI has something called "geofencing" where they brick your drone unless they have unlocked the area in which you want to fly (ahead of time). Often you have to get ATC authorization first to apply for geofence unlocking. You might find geofencing a big deal because DJI tends to be over-aggressive with it in places and you'll need to know how to deal with it. I have lots of personal anecdotes about geofencing.

While I personally studied for my Part 107 independently (and free), I think the fast track, if you're serious about being able to fly commercially, is to do the Pilot Institute course. If you're new to the hobby, leading to professional use I believe Pilot Institute will give you extra information that might come in handy.

Good luck.
 
Welcome to the forum. I'm in Wilmington. If you would like to get together to fly or talk about getting your FAA Part 107 and useful apps, please reach out.
You will need your Part 107 to do what you want.
 
Thanks for all the sound advice. I have decided to return my drone and will probably do that today. You know, all I wanted to do is maybe go up 20 to 30 ft to do above video of my listings to take pictures from.. That's all. Geesh!
 
Yeah - it all comes down to how the FAA defines recreational flying. The moment you start focusing on a specific purpose related to real estate, you cross the line. You might still consider it if you think it would help your listings. You'll learn some useful information.

The costs are not huge, but it will cost you some time to study. A resource to consider is pilotinstitute.com. Great training site for 107 pilots, but you could also do it on your own with FAA resources.
 
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