Newbie looking for wise advise...

[bigcows]

Hi All, I bought a Leisure Travel Van RV and there are great opportunities to share incredible aerial photography. Looking for advise on drones... I am wondering how much i need to invest in learning to use a Mavic Pro 2, and how involved and what is the license I need. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Tony McDrone]

Welcome to the forum. Greetings from San Diego.

To take the exam for your license the cost is $160. I wouldn’t recommend spending money on flight lessons, it is a waste IMHO. Watch a few YouTube videos, research some forum threads and above all, read the manual.

For your first flight, find a large open area with no trees or power lines and as few people as possible.

 

[old man mavic]

the price of the equipment ,would be the same as far as the drone and the device you use for your screen ,then there are some basic things like a landing mat and or leg extenders and maybe some ND filters ,after that it depends what you intend to do with the images you get, if you want to edit them them you will need a fairly powerful computer with a good video card in it
if you intend to do it commercially then a part 107 license will be needed ,and a $5 registration fee to the FAA, could be anywhere from around $2000 upwards depending on what you get new or used

if your question was more related to your personal investment ,in terms of time and effort ,then the more time you give to the hobby, then the better you will become at it ,maybe i miss read your post, i thought you meant cost as in money

 

[Camino Ken]

Welcome to the forum. I used to live in the Bay Area for quite a while. Nice place except for the traffic and few other things. Unfortunately, you will be a bit limited in flying near your residence due to all the controlled airspace around you. I suggest you get AirMap and check out your location. Outside the Bay Area things are much more wide open.

If you plan to do only recreational flying the requirements are minimal, no classes, minimal test, and a few bucks for registration.

Like others have said, start out close, low, and easy until you build up your skills and confidence.

 

[bigcows]

Welcome to the forum. Greetings from San Diego.

To take the exam for your license the cost is $160. I wouldn’t recommend spending money on flight lessons, it is a waste IMHO. Watch a few YouTube videos, research some forum threads and above all, read the manual.

For your first flight, find a large open area with no trees or power lines and as few people as possible.

Thank you. So do I need a license the fly the MP2 if not for commercial use. Just shooting wilderness shots in my RV?

 

[Camino Ken]

Thank you. So do I need a license the fly the MP2 if not for commercial use. Just shooting wilderness shots in my RV?

No license, just FAA registration.

 

[Tony McDrone]

Thank you. So do I need a license the fly the MP2 if not for commercial use. Just shooting wilderness shots in my RV?

No license needed. Just pay the $5 registration fee at FAA.gov.

 

[Mavikhan]

We are glad you are here. Welcome.

 

[Steel63]

Greetings from ? Florida

 

[wjkrysak]

Welcome to the forum. We look forward to your participation and your RV view of the world.

 

[MA2 317]

Hello from the Hoosier Heartland bigcows.

Welcome to the Forum.

 

[Thomas B]

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

 

[msinger]

Welcome to the forum!

I am wondering how much i need to invest in learning to use a Mavic Pro 2

This should be enough to get you started:

• The current Mavic 2 Pro manual can be downloaded here (it doesn't come in the box). Other important documents can be found on the Mavic 2 downloads page.
  
  
• Check out this getting started guide for some tips not found in the Mavic 2 Pro manual.
  
  
• This video covers all the basics of the Mavic 2.
  
  
• Your drone batteries will last longer if you use and maintain them like this.
  
  
• Practice flying outdoors in a wide open location that's free of all obstacles. Don't attempt to fly inside your house or in other confined locations.
  
  
• The drone records flight data each time you fly. You can decrypt and view those flight logs with these tools.
  
  
• Check out MavicHelp.com for commonly used accessories you might need.

 

[RadioFlyerMan]

If you start small (don't buy a lot of stuff), learn the rules, learn to fly and see what it's all about, you can keep the costs down. Look at @old man mavic post.

Later, if you get hooked like me, and choose to get real deep into it making lots of videos, you could spend over $10,000. Besides, it's only money, and it keeps the Alzheimer's away.

 

[bigcows]

Welcome to the forum. I used to live in the Bay Area for quite a while. Nice place except for the traffic and few other things. Unfortunately, you will be a bit limited in flying near your residence due to all the controlled airspace around you. I suggest you get AirMap and check out your location. Outside the Bay Area things are much more wide open.

If you plan to do only recreational flying the requirements are minimal, no classes, minimal test, and a few bucks for registration.

Like others have said, start out close, low, and easy until you build up your skills and confidence.

Thank you. Yeah, SF has turned into a horrible place. I live only 20 miles away and have not been to SF in years. Too much poop, homeless, needles, taxes (even for dinner) and violence..

 

[bigcows]

the price of the equipment ,would be the same as far as the drone and the device you use for your screen ,then there are some basic things like a landing mat and or leg extenders and maybe some ND filters ,after that it depends what you intend to do with the images you get, if you want to edit them them you will need a fairly powerful computer with a good video card in it
if you intend to do it commercially then a part 107 license will be needed ,and a $5 registration fee to the FAA, could be anywhere from around $2000 upwards depending on what you get new or used

if your question was more related to your personal investment ,in terms of time and effort ,then the more time you give to the hobby, then the better you will become at it ,maybe i miss read your post, i thought you meant cost as in money

Old Man Mavic, so if I am using this for only non commercial personal use, besides registering it with the FAA, do I need any licence?

 

[dirkclod]

Welcome to the forum.
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 .

 

[bigcows]

Guys, Will I be OK for a Mavic 2 pro as my first drone? Look, I like high quality, and I don't mind doing video processing afterwards. I hate learning details and need something user friendly. I don't mind paying for quality. Is this the right drone?

 

[old man mavic]

@bigcows ,no you dont need a licence just the FAA registration,a couple of points i would advise some sort of third party cover, just in case your drone falls from the sky and injures or causes damage ,to persons or property,and get some apps installed on your device to check on the airspace you intend to fly in
and finally when you do decide to register your drone make sure you use the real FAA website as there are sites that charge you more than the $5 fee ,and you think they are the genuine site

 

[old man mavic]

Guys, Will I be OK for a Mavic 2 pro as my first drone? Look, I like high quality, and I don't mind doing video processing afterwards. I hate learning details and need something user friendly. I don't mind paying for quality. Is this the right drone?

it really depends on what you want to achieve with your drone ,the M2pro is a very capable and brilliant drone ,both for videos and pics ,it is an expensive ,drone and is the top of the range Mavic in terms of what it can achieve
the batteries are quite expensive to replace and it has a lot of features
personally if i was just starting out in the hobby of drone flying then i would buy a Mini 2 ,now it has Occusync and a good flight time you could almost get three batteries for the price of one M2Pro battery it is very light and easy to transport ,of course this is just my opinion,at the end of the day only you know what your expectations are ,hope you find the drone of your dreams ,happy flying OMM