Any drone experts here?

[GaMudd]

My son (22) and I were talking yesterday about getting a drone. I personally think of them as a novelty, but I would like some advice on what to get. I'd like to take video and fool around with it. I have no idea what a budget should be, but I don't want to buy crap. I also have the attention span of a humming bird on crack lately, so not top of the line investment grade either. What do I need to consider in shopping? Things to look for or avoid?
Thanks.

 

[Wile E. Coyote 5.0]

Nobody beat me to it.

No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night

 

[above_all]

Not an expert by any means, but I've owned two DJI drones. One a Mavic and one a Mini II (I think). They're fun to fly and take great videos and pictures.

That being said, for me the novelty wore off quickly. Wound up giving the Mini to my son-in-law for Christmas. Don't think I've flown in over a year.

Not going to get rid of the one I have left, but I honestly don't need it or use it much. You can survey your property, check your roof, get videos of you kids or grandchildren in activities. But never really panned out for me.

Drones over a certain weight have to be registered (like aircraft). You can't fly near airports. If you're in the city or the burbs, you'll want to check local guidelines for drones. You can't fly over sporting events or public gatherings. If you use it for business, you'll need to get a commercial drone license and take a class for certification.

 

[fslc94]

js415

 

[wozeyjales]

I found a drone in my backyard against the chain link fence.
After a few months trying to locate the owner/neighbor I gave
it to a person I saw flying their drone in a parking lot.
From this, only advice I can offer is don't spend more on the
drone than you don't mind losing if/when it doesn't come back.
Those remote control racing cars look like a lotta fun

 

[hozjo]

I've got a dji mavic pro I sort of "acquired" I found it in canyonlands national park, and when I went to turn it into the ranger station he told me that it was illegal to fly drones in the park, nobody would claim it and it would likely be destroyed. I still tried to find the owner on a DJI forum, but I doubt they ever looked, the videos on the SD card (before them flying it up to the main road from a canyon trail a few hundred yards but hours away) were actually filmed in Cali Colombia.

I did register it with the FAA, and it is fun to fly, and it has had some functional uses (chasing vultures out of the tree in my back yard, checking the roof, gutters, other trees, property line) but most of the places you want to fly it, you aren't supposed to. Now that doesn't stop everyone (someone was flying one at clingman's dome father's day weekend), and I'm not sure what the penalties are, but I try not to be an asshole.

I will say that the infrastructure is getting better, like I live within a airport zone where you can't fly the drone without permission, but you just go into the app, state when you are flying, where, and how high, and you get pretty much instant approval for your flight plans. Now I'm sure if I made a request to fly higher than 400 feet it would likely be denied. Also not all airports are part of the program that approves your flight plans.

I have also learned that calling places and talking to them the right way you can often get permission to do things that you otherwise can't. UGA will let you fly drones on campus, but they can't be near living quarters (no spying on sorority slumber parties), athletic events, and they wont let you use them for commercial purposes. You aren't supposed to record either without permission, but that isn't exactly something they can tell.

 

[GAK9]

I’ve had two DJI drones. The mini two and the mini three pro. The mini three is leaps and bounds ahead of the two in technology. One of the best things about it is it has sensors going forward above and below it, which will help significantly in keeping you from crashing. DJI makes the best drones. And they have the best wind resistance technology, they have the best flying technology, and they have the best warranty. Speaking of warranty, if you go the DJI route make sure you get the insurance that they call care refresh. If you get the two-year plan, you get three replacements within those two years. For example, I flew my mini two into a tree whole flying it over the Natahala river. I immediately made a report with DJI and they sent me a refurbished, although like new, drone within a couple days. It is well worth the extra money. If I had the ability to upload video here, I would show a couple videos made with my drones.

 

[Lionheart]

I've got a dji mavic pro I sort of "acquired" I found it in canyonlands national park, and when I went to turn it into the ranger station he told me that it was illegal to fly drones in the park, nobody would claim it and it would likely be destroyed. I still tried to find the owner on a DJI forum, but I doubt they ever looked, the videos on the SD card (before them flying it up to the main road from a canyon trail a few hundred yards but hours away) were actually filmed in Cali Colombia.

I did register it with the FAA, and it is fun to fly, and it has had some functional uses (chasing vultures out of the tree in my back yard, checking the roof, gutters, other trees, property line) but most of the places you want to fly it, you aren't supposed to. Now that doesn't stop everyone (someone was flying one at clingman's dome father's day weekend), and I'm not sure what the penalties are, but I try not to be an asshole.

I will say that the infrastructure is getting better, like I live within a airport zone where you can't fly the drone without permission, but you just go into the app, state when you are flying, where, and how high, and you get pretty much instant approval for your flight plans. Now I'm sure if I made a request to fly higher than 400 feet it would likely be denied. Also not all airports are part of the program that approves your flight plans.

I have also learned that calling places and talking to them the right way you can often get permission to do things that you otherwise can't. UGA will let you fly drones on campus, but they can't be near living quarters (no spying on sorority slumber parties), athletic events, and they wont let you use them for commercial purposes. You aren't supposed to record either without permission, but that isn't exactly something they can tell.

You found the drone and the remote?

 

[GAK9]

You found the drone and the remote?

You can buy remotes separately on ebay and DJI forums.

 

[StuP]

I'm wondering if a FPV setup would be fun, my nephew races them, a different exeprience.