Thinking about getting first drone but nervous about a few things

[philly115]

Sorry if this type of question gets asked all the time or I am in the wrong sub forum. Feel free to delete or let me know if so!

I am thinking about getting a DJI mini 2 after randomly stumbling on some drone videos and becoming interested. I am a bit intimidated about several things though and was wondering if you guys could answer some questions to help me make my decision!

1. Where to fly. I live in the Philadelphia suburbs and can think of a few areas around be I could fly (my back yard, my parents back yard, some other remote places). But overall I am worried I wont be able to find enough cool places to go and may end up not using it.

2. Annoying people. I have read a lot of negative opinions about drones online and I have to say I do get it, if you are chilling on the beach and a bunch of people are flying drones I can see how that can get annoying. How do you guys handle that and have you had any run ins with people getting pissed off or annoyed with you while you are flying?

It seems like this could be a fun hobby to do on weekends and when I go on trips but like I said I am also a bit intimidated by it. Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks!

 

[African wildlife]

Hi Philly115: Two answers to your questions in one: Find somewhere remote, well away from anyone - at least until you become a confident flyer. If you fly at sunrise for the first "golden hour", you'll see fewer people and get much better video and photos because of the soft natural lighting. The perspectives from the air, looking down, are good - so your imagination is the main limiting factor. I'm based in the UK - although I know the southwestern USA very well (but not your side of your great country) - and you can always find somewhere quiet.

Here's what I think of the Mini 2:
Great drone

When you're up in the air and feeling a bit nervous take your hands off the control sticks, take a few deep breaths then start again. Your drone will stay where it is, hovering, because of GPS.

Happy New Year.

 

[philly115]

Hi Philly115: Two answers to your questions in one: Find somewhere remote, well away from anyone - at least until you become a confident flyer. If you fly at sunrise for the first "golden hour", you'll see fewer people and get much better video and photos because of the soft natural lighting. The perspectives from the air, looking down, are good - so your imagination is the main limiting factor. I'm based in the UK - although I know the southwestern USA very well (but not your side of your great country) - and you can always find somewhere quiet.

Here's what I think of the Mini 2:
Great drone

When you're up in the air and feeling a bit nervous take your hands off the control sticks, take a few deep breaths then start again. Your drone will stay where it is, hovering, because of GPS.

Happy New Year.

Awesome, thanks for the great answer! Would you suggest going with the fly more package?

 

[African wildlife]

Definitely. With the Fly More Combo you get two extra batteries, a recharger, a nice carry bag, etc. And it's still a low price for such a good drone (and it's cheaper in the US than here in the UK).

 

[Mavikhan]

Welcome aboard!

 

[Skywatcher2001]

Welcome to the community philly115 . . .

There are several pilots here in the philly area. There are probably flight groups there too! You can find them here "Philly Groups" . . .

Lastly, YouTube will become your 2nd best friend (with MavicPilots being 1st).

You'll find the fears becoming less and less as you learn.

 

[philly115]

Cool thanks guys! I'm leaning towards going for it!

 

[Skerrabrae]

I was in your position a little over a month ago and decided to go ahead and get the DJI Mini 2. This is my first and only drone so I have no basis of comparison but I agree with every review that calls this a perfect starter drone. Much easier to fly than anticipated, excellent video and photo abilities, and at a great price point. Most definitely go for the Fly More combo. The batteries and carry case alone made it worth it to me.

I'm in SE FL and yes, finding spots is the largest challenge. I found a few parks in my county and the neighboring county (2 of which I had never even been to before) and have been using them for practice.

I would also recommend getting your part 107 certificate even if only flying recreationally since the preparation teaches soooo much about US sUAS regulations and how to read charts and understand Kittyhawk/Airmap and LAANC requests.

So far, I have not had anyone approach me about flying. I do think the Mini 2 gives an advantage to remaining fairly inconspicuous since it is so small and relatively quiet.

 

[philly115]

I was in your position a little over a month ago and decided to go ahead and get the DJI Mini 2. This is my first and only drone so I have no basis of comparison but I agree with every review that calls this a perfect starter drone. Much easier to fly than anticipated, excellent video and photo abilities, and at a great price point. Most definitely go for the Fly More combo. The batteries and carry case alone made it worth it to me.

I'm in SE FL and yes, finding spots is the largest challenge. I found a few parks in my county and the neighboring county (2 of which I had never even been to before) and have been using them for practice.

I would also recommend getting your part 107 certificate even if only flying recreationally since the preparation teaches soooo much about US sUAS regulations and how to read charts and understand Kittyhawk/Airmap and LAANC requests.

So far, I have not had anyone approach me about flying. I do think the Mini 2 gives an advantage to remaining fairly inconspicuous since it is so small and relatively quiet.

Yeah I can't seem to find any parks around here that allow it unfortunately. So yeah finding spots is my biggest worry. Nice to know you are enjoying it so far!

 

[B52-D]

Yeah I can't seem to find any parks around here that allow it unfortunately. So yeah finding spots is my biggest worry. Nice to know you are enjoying it so far!

One year ago I purchased my Mini. Excellent machine, and if I was making a choice today I would go for Mini 2 or Mavic Air 2. Wherever you choose to fly make absolutely sure you know what Airspace class you will be flying in, stay as legal as you can, and respect your machine. I
Put together a letter (attached) which I can hand to a person who may walk up to me while I’m flying. May help to de fuse an anti drone person.
Good Luck

 

[philly115]

One year ago I purchased my Mini. Excellent machine, and if I was making a choice today I would go for Mini 2 or Mavic Air 2. Wherever you choose to fly make absolutely sure you know what Airspace class you will be flying in, stay as legal as you can, and respect your machine. I
Put together a letter (attached) which I can hand to a person who may walk up to me while I’m flying. May help to de fuse an anti drone person.
Good Luck

Thanks! Are apps like kitty hawk pretty reliable? If it says I'm good to fly on there can I trust it or do I need to do more research?

 

[Skerrabrae]

Thanks! Are apps like kitty hawk pretty reliable? If it says I'm good to fly on there can I trust it or do I need to do more research?

Kitty Hawk would be a good place to start finding places to fly. You can just click on the spot and it will tell you if you are clear to fly or if it is controlled airspace. I find it fairly accurate and it is kept up to date with Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs).

I typically cross reference with the sectional charts you can download for free from the FAA. These charts look daunting at first but any 107 prep course will make these straightforward and beneficial.

 

[philly115]

Awesome! Another question (sorry I have so many. Would it be safe/reasonable to fly it around in my back yard at around 15 feet or so? I live in a neighborhood and have a half acre so I do have the space to do it. I just don't want my neighbors to think I'm spying on them or anything so I'd like to keep it low.

 

[Skerrabrae]

Awesome! Another question (sorry I have so many. Would it be safe/reasonable to fly it around in my back yard at around 15 feet or so? I live in a neighborhood and have a half acre so I do have the space to do it. I just don't want my neighbors to think I'm spying on them or anything so I'd like to keep it low.

Whether you can fly in your yard depends on what type of airspace is over your property.

If you are in uncontrolled (class G) airspace, you are free to fly up to 400 feet. If you are in controlled airspace it gets more complicated but not impossible, but that is another discussion.

The best way to determine what airspace you are in is to download Kittyhawk or similar app then select Airspace Authorization and click on your yard in the map. It will tell you whether you are clear to fly or in controlled airspace.

 

[philly115]

Whether you can fly in your yard depends on what type of airspace is over your property.

If you are in uncontrolled (class G) airspace, you are free to fly up to 400 feet. If you are in controlled airspace it gets more complicated but not impossible, but that is another discussion.

The best way to determine what airspace you are in is to download Kittyhawk or similar app then select Airspace Authorization and click on your yard in the map. It will tell you whether you are clear to fly or in controlled airspace.

Having trouble telling in the kitty hawk app but b4ufly says I'm clear for takeoff does that mean it's okay?

 

[DanMan32]

FAA contracted Kittyhawk for the current version of B4UFly so sure.
You'll have to resort to Kittyhawk if you ever need to obtain LAANC authorization.

You could also check out Airmap.

 

[icecoldgin]

Cool thanks guys! I'm leaning towards going for it!

Go for it.

If you feel like Superman flying through the skies and looking down on mother earth while your feet are firmly planted on the ground, then this is the hobby for you.

 

[lturner241]

The Mini 2 is a great option. Contrary to some opinions, the lack of obstacle avoidance sensors, apart from underneath, is a help for a first time flyer like me - a bit like learning to drive in a manual gearbox car rather than an auto, or setting your camera to manual. It certainly has made me pay more attention to my surroundings for obstacles rather than just staring at the phone screen, plus pre-planning flying in areas with fewer obstacles.

Backing up what other people have said, I would find an open area to practice in. Less obstacles, no properties to potentially cause conflict with, and if you do have a mishap then there is less chance of causing damage to your drone or other things/people. I'm fortunate to have a lot of moorland very close to the house which is not restricted (i.e. parkland or National Trust etc.).

Finally, I have found that taking an online course - in the UK it's the A2 Certificate of Competency Course - has been a big help in understanding the laws and regulations in addition to providing sound knowledge in areas such as flight planning, operational principles and meteorology.

Drone flying is certainly the most fun I've had in a long time.

 

[philly115]

Cool great advice everyone thank you for answering all my dumb questions! With the way the dji mini works if I was flying it in my back yard low and it lost signal for whatever reason would it automatically try to return to home? I'm worried it'd start going up into a tree in that case. Is there a mode that would make it just land instead of go up first? Kind of confused how that works.

 

[ScheisseKopf]

You are doing the right thing by asking questions before you fly and remember there are experience pilots here to help you with whatever comes up. Watch all the YouTube videos you can and someday you will be answering questions too. One bit of advice. If you are scared your not alone. I have may flights under my belt and own 2 drones and still feel nervous. But once you’re in the air you’ll learn to relax. Make sure you go to the bathroom before?. Welcome to a great hobby. Be safe.