Perhaps you’ve been here too?..

[Aikidoamigo]

I’ve never owned a drone before and seriously considering my first purchase.

I live in the UK and read extensively the changes in the legislation nationwide and the requirements that are now made on owners.

The whole process of using a drone sounds extremely complex and preplannibg sounds very onerous if the rules are followed as should be.

Could you perhaps share with me the justification and comments on the enjoyment you get from flying your drones?... it may sound simplistic but I’m just wondering if I should go to all this trouble. As has been said before, there is great footage in YouTube that was my motivation, but I have to believe much of it has been shot without VLOS for example and most likely therefore without rules and guidelines being followed.

Has the fun now gone under the new legislation and if not then is it just ‘a great photo’ or ‘nice video footage’ that makes this hobby worthwhile?

Could you please try and explain for me so I can in some way understand what I would get from this new hobby.

Any guidance would be helpful.

Thanks

 

[Kneebeard]

Great questions! I got a toy drone for myself for Christmas out of curiosity. Learning to fly it (as unstable as it was) in the garage got me hooked! I started looking at You Tube channels and great forums (like we have here!) for more information and advice.
I saw potential applications both personally and professionally. I love photography and being able to take images from vantage points I could only dream about is really exciting for me. Being in the Midwest there are no mountain vistas or long windswept beaches, but there are plenty of beautiful lakes and woods to explore that have their own magic. Professionally, I see applications for site documentation and 3D modeling of our projects that is now within our reach. I am looking to take my 107 test in the next couple weeks. Learning to fly takes time, practice and patience. It's not as easy as you might think. Careful study of the rules and laws to stay compliant keep our skies safe. The benefits are well worth the effort to me. Try it - you'll like it!

 

[Johnmcl7]

Personally I fly my drone within the rules including flying within VLOS and I find the rules are quite sensible, I prefer being able to see the drone in case it has any problems and it's so small it's easy to pack it up, walk/cycle on and fly it up in the next area.

I thought the main appeal of flying the Mavic would be the aerial photography and videos which is certainly a big part of it but I love flying the Mavic as well, I know it's doing most of the work for me but it's just fun to be able to make it do what I want without having to practice for hours and hours. There are times I take the Mavic out just to fly it as it's so satisfying.

The worst parts of Mavic ownership are the weather as it means I often can't get out when I want or I take the mavic out with me but it's just too windy or wet and worrying about other people harassing me. It's only happened once but I'm always concerned someone walking up is going to take me to task about the drone even though it's been flown legally.

 

[Thomas B]

It lets me explore places and/or take video/pics from a point of view that is hard/ impossible to obtain otherwise. Also, after years of droning, started out with an inexpensive one 3 years ago, I still get a thrill maneuvering my drones.

I love my M2P, but if your unsure then shop for good used one.

 

[old man mavic]

there is a lot of enjoyment to be had from UAV ownership,it it a very absorbing hobby yes there are rules to follow ,but that is true of most things in life.it would be a good idea to start off with a cheaper DJI or other make of UAV to see if the hobby really is for you,you need to understand how the UAV flies, how it works, and have an understanding,of the limits and rules of ownership but if you are really interested then it will give you many happy hours of fun

 

[FormerMember07122019_2]

Many people at some point in their life have dreamed of what it is like to fly like an eagle (shameless ripoff of a Steve Miller song). This hobby, especially with high resolution cameras and potentially goggles, comes as close as anything to achieve this dream. This is why I fly.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

You really won't know until you try it.
If you have a like / love of photography, it is somewhat more appealing, as too if you like such hands on hobbies.
As with the first flights, I love to simply fly it too, but more often than not now seek out video opportunities, going to places especially to film.

My wife has absolutely no interest in trying my drone, but I'm sure there are MANY females that love theirs.
Males are probably more likely to like flying drones (my gut instinct says to me at least), but I'm sure there would be a lot of males that try it and simply find they have no interest too.

Find a good 2nd hand Spark as an entry point to try the hobby, it's a handy little back up bird to keep in the car.

Or, find a local flyer here and ask if you can meet up and try theirs ?

 

[Bigbird48]

I to just love to fly it, watch it go high and low , maneuver it around obstacles , land and take off from different places in my yard. I also like to take pictures and videos , but just flying is fun, its relaxing and enjoyable.

 

[grendeljaeger]

I wanted a new hobby that would encourage me to go out and enjoy nature again. And since I'm getting older(62 soon) I was also attracted to having to learn something new and that would help keep my mind active. So now I'm doing my best to learn to pilot my drone safely and at the same time to take video and pictures that I would like to watch. I have no problem following the VLOS rules as I'm so afraid of crashing or losing my "new baby" that I can't let it out of my sight.

 

[John Kyte]

I have always loved the excitement of flying but because of the way life presents it's self did not have a chance to experience this joy until my 70's. Only been flying for a couple of years now and I still get so excited every time I start to launch my bird. Flying gets my palms to sweat my heart pump a little faster, it just stimulates my whole being, and for this old guy all of this is a good thing. Add to all of this I also get a fantastic camera that takes great video and pictures that i can share with family and friends. Do yourself a favor and get that bird.

 

[BrucenYvette]

I'm an "older" kid- looking at 70 this year. Got into this hobby last May (2018). I blame my 40 year-old drone-flying son! Long ago, I remember my grandparents talking about thinking and staying young (they all lived into their 80s and 90s). They said think young, stay active, and keep learning. My Mavic Pro keeps me active and young-thinking. And it has been an incredible catalyst for learning. I'm practicing flying learning to fly better, smoother, and more confidently. I'm learning multiple software programs- DJI Go, Litchi, and basic video editing software. I'm learning to solve problems- and there is no lack challenges since flying Mavic since May 2018. Disconnects, occasions of dropping into ATTI-mode, a couple of occasions of TBE (toilet-bowl effect), signal loss- all interesting situations that prompted me to dig in and find out my own pilot error and DJI idiosyncrasies. I've had to re-learn basic photography skills. I'm having fun, thinking young, and in the middle of study for my Part 107- not because of the money possibility, but just to stay young by learning. Not to mention that I've always enjoyed helping others, and I've recently engaged with a number of other "flyers" on this forum helping them navigate some of the same "troubled waters" that I've been through.

Took me a little time to realize that, considering the MILLIONS of drone-pilots around the world, it is really wrong to judge the "good" stuff and/or the "bad" stuff based upon what you read in these forums. For example, "fly-away" problems: I need to remember that not too many people write on a forum, "Hey I flew my drone today and my drone did NOT fly away." If one person writes about the disaster of a fly-away, in order to have fun flying mine, I'm going to be thinking about the 100,000 or others who might have flown today without a problem.

I love the forum because it is a GREAT place while I'm learning to fly AND it's a great place to find great people to help when it's my turn in the barrel to have a problem. And I agree with those who say that 99% of fly-aways and crashes is pilot error...some "dumb", some "ignorant", and even some "stupid". I've had my share of "ignorant" and "stupid", ignorant because I did something not knowing any better and stupid when I knew better but did the wrong thing anyway! And not too many "dumb" folks (i.e. dumb meaning completely unable to learn)...who are running around with $1500 to buy a flying camera.

 

[Aikidoamigo]

Thanks for taking the time to write such a great response.

We have an RV motorhome and travel extensively each year.... 2019 our plan is to go into Scandinavia and travel up through Denmark, the rugged coast of Norway and then cross into Sweden where our son is living. If we still have energy we will then drive the Austwich to see the horror camps in Poland.

My thought are what a great trip to film some ace scenery along those coastlines, lakes and forests.

Certainly all these posts are making me feel it worthwhile!

 

[Aikidoamigo]

Sorry for the obvious spelling error! Auschwitz

 

[Gorm]

If you want to fly your drone in Denmark you must get a DK drone certificate and also third party insurance. You can apply on line for the hobby certificate which is basically a run through of all the standard rules and regulations and should be easy to acquire. I hope you have a lovely trip through our beautiful country.

 

[Scubadiver1944]

I’ve never owned a drone before and seriously considering my first purchase.

I live in the UK and read extensively the changes in the legislation nationwide and the requirements that are now made on owners.

The whole process of using a drone sounds extremely complex and preplannibg sounds very onerous if the rules are followed as should be.

Could you perhaps share with me the justification and comments on the enjoyment you get from flying your drones?... it may sound simplistic but I’m just wondering if I should go to all this trouble. As has been said before, there is great footage in YouTube that was my motivation, but I have to believe much of it has been shot without VLOS for example and most likely therefore without rules and guidelines being followed.

Has the fun now gone under the new legislation and if not then is it just ‘a great photo’ or ‘nice video footage’ that makes this hobby worthwhile?

Could you please try and explain for me so I can in some way understand what I would get from this new hobby.

Any guidance would be helpful.

Thanks

For myself, being a qualified scuba-diver for the past 40 years, I was researching several years ago a destination in the western half of the island of New Guinea known as Raja Ampat (ruled by Indonesia) that has the greatest variety of corals and coral fish in the world which I was intending to visit, when I came across a video on YouTube which intrigued me. It was obviously aerial footage but I was at a loss to explain how it was taken since it was shot too low and flying too slow above the sea's surface to have been a helicopter, otherwise I'd have seen considerable prop-wash, besides which it flew under a small bridge linking parts of the particular eco-resort I was interested in, Misool Eco-Resort! Further research found the culprit - an early version of the DJI Phantom! Unfortunately too cumbersome for me to include in my hold luggage or carry-on, as all available space was taken up with diving and underwater video gear. The problem was resolved when the Mavic Pro was announced and its small size and fold-away arms was just what I needed! Since then I've carried it with 3 batteries and additional accessories in its compact FlyMore bag as carry-on to Ethiopia, the Philippines, Dubai, Zimbabwe, Botswana and Indonesia with no issues from security or customs and in two months my Mavic and I'll be off to South Africa as well!
As for the UK, you're not far wrong. Still too many restrictions as to where one is allowed to fly but as I shoot underwater and land video mainly overseas, the ability to add aerial shots of the locations I visit is just the ticket. Imagine video taken 50 or a 100 meters up showing a jungle covered mountain-side, sweeping down to a beautiful, coral sand beach, edged by a crystal clear shallow reef and you get the picture. Aerial + land + underwater = why I do it!

 

[basophil]

Thanks for taking the time to write such a great response.

We have an RV motorhome and travel extensively each year.... 2019 our plan is to go into Scandinavia and travel up through Denmark, the rugged coast of Norway and then cross into Sweden where our son is living. If we still have energy we will then drive the Austwich to see the horror camps in Poland.

My thought are what a great trip to film some ace scenery along those coastlines, lakes and forests.

Certainly all these posts are making me feel it worthwhile!

Sounds like a great plan. Don't know about the rest of Scandinavia, but Norway has reasonably relaxed drone regs - jus the usual stuff about being away from airports, below GA altitude and away from people and property. I'm just back from there and I can assure that some of the scenery is spectacular. The attached pic was taken in the Lofoten region.

 

[Aikidoamigo]

Wow! That’s impressive ?

 

[Gorm]

Here is a link which explains DK drone rules in English.

Drone Laws in Denmark | UAV Coach (2023)

Want to learn more about drone laws in Denmark? Check out our list of links and regulations for people flying drones in Denmark.

uavcoach.com

 

[BrucenYvette]

Sounds like a great plan. Don't know about the rest of Scandinavia, but Norway has reasonably relaxed drone regs - jus the usual stuff about being away from airports, below GA altitude and away from people and property. I'm just back from there and I can assure that some of the scenery is spectacular. The attached pic was taken in the Lofoten region.

View attachment 67576

Spectacular is an UNDERSTATEMENT!!

 

[BrucenYvette]

Thanks for taking the time to write such a great response.

We have an RV motorhome and travel extensively each year.... 2019 our plan is to go into Scandinavia and travel up through Denmark, the rugged coast of Norway and then cross into Sweden where our son is living. If we still have energy we will then drive the Austwich to see the horror camps in Poland.

My thought are what a great trip to film some ace scenery along those coastlines, lakes and forests.

Certainly all these posts are making me feel it worthwhile!

I'd love to follow that journey!! We are very close friends with a Jewish family in Jacksonville Florida. They had opportunity to personal interview Holocaust survivors an authored an incredibly moving Passover memorial that they've made a part of their annual observance.