I don't. But drones sure as hell killed that RC helicopter fad that was so hot a while back, didn't they? I think you can get "starter" drones for under $200 now, with cameras. Not good drones, and not good cameras, but the equivalent of the single-shot bolt .22, maybe.
If I was going into the Air Force. I’d want my MOS to be a Drone Pilot.
Sitting in a comfortable, high backed chair, with an array of screens showing me the battlefield full of bad guys. All them beards and sandal wearing camel fûckers waiting for me to vaporize them with a quick toggle, then button press.
If I was going into the Air Force. I’d want my MOS to be a Drone Pilot.
Sitting in a comfortable, high backed chair, with an array of screens showing me the battlefield full of bad guys. All them beards and sandal wearing camel fûckers waiting for me to vaporize them with a quick toggle, then button press.
Whew ! Long day at work...Beers anyone?
😬🦫
That sure is safer but not nowhere near as much fun.
Middle daughter did it in MI via satellite uplink outta bragg and then outta the UAE deployed for 6 months. 4 yrs for a 3 letter agency basically. The 3 letter types can't take the shot per posse comatatus. Supposedly... but we know how that really works when push comes to shove in back water channels and matters Active duty can take the shot....
She did her 4 yrs. Got out as a O3 in July 2020. Now flies for a 3 letter agency. And someone else hits the prompt button when their screen goes black, while she has the bird on her screen for the 4 or 5 min run to tgt and bda.
She is making bank. GS 11 pay to start with local area pay supplement. Desert southwest area... Says now that Afghanistan is done her job is boring. Well I can be bored all day long long for what she is making as a 27yr old.. 🙄🙄🙄🥴🥴🥴🤔🤔🤔🤦♂️🤦♂️🤦♂️🥴🥴🥴
If I was going into the Air Force. I’d want my MOS to be a Drone Pilot.
Sitting in a comfortable, high backed chair, with an array of screens showing me the battlefield full of bad guys. All them beards and sandal wearing camel fûckers waiting for me to vaporize them with a quick toggle, then button press.
Whew ! Long day at work...Beers anyone?
😬🦫
Do they have a Top Gun school for drone pilots? You know. Danger zone and everything…
Back in January of 2020 long time Campfire member "johnw" posted about his experience and info on drones along with some videos taken with his. Might try shooting him a PM...
Back in January of 2020 long time Campfire member "johnw" posted about his experience and info on drones along with some videos taken with his. Might try shooting him a PM...
Back in January of 2020 long time Campfire member "johnw" posted about his experience and info on drones along with some videos taken with his. Might try shooting him a PM...
If I was going into the Air Force. I’d want my MOS to be a Drone Pilot.
Sitting in a comfortable, high backed chair, with an array of screens showing me the battlefield full of bad guys. All them beards and sandal wearing camel fûckers waiting for me to vaporize them with a quick toggle, then button press.
Whew ! Long day at work...Beers anyone?
😬🦫
That would be cool but flying back in the day a 105 down Thud Ridge or an F4 with Robin Olds is my choice.
….. brother just got one so we could fly baits out from the beach.
How do you drop the baits? How much weight is your drone capable of lifting while taking line from freespool?
Seems like a great idea. 👍
It has a remote release, is waterproof, can take off from the water. think about ten lbs but I'd have to ask him to be sure. they are really popular with the shark fishermen down here. sure beats trying to get out in a kayak in rough surf.
Christmas 2019, my kids got together and bought me a Mavic 2 Pro
I immediately acquired the “Flymore Combo” subsequent to receiving their gift. Another item that really helps in bright sun when recording video is a set of neutral density filters.
Should you end up purchasing a DJI drone, I highly recommend investing in the Flymore Combo for the DJI model you purchase.
At the time my drone was new prices were running +/- $2K for the Mavic 2 pro with the Flymore Combo.
Evidently current prices are similar.
I’m fortunate that I have a great relationship with my three children and speak with or see them almost daily. Usually in my old age, it’s needing help or info from them rather than the other way around.
I had had conversations with my youngest son who is very wired in to technology. I had mentioned that I was thinking about purchasing the Mavic 2 Pro vs. the Mavic Zoom. The Hasselblad lens on the “2 Pro” tripped my trigger.
Since you asked, If I knew then what I know now, I’d have probably asked my kids to take it back and get either optics, camera equipment or a firearm. But then again, maybe not.
So here goes, and this caveat. I’ve not owned any other drone rather than my DJI Mavic 2 Pro. One of my hunting bud’s son and my youngest son have the Mavic “Mini” which they thoroughly enjoy, and are a snap to fly as they do not have to comply with the FAA and the controller/flying is much more simple and easy.
It takes them about two minutes to get their Mini’s in the air. It may take me 10 minutes to get my Mavic 2 Pro aloft and check ISO and aperture settings.
Spend a bit of time deciding what to purchase. Unless regulations have changed,( and I’ve not been keeping up near as much lately) any drone that weighs over 250 Grams is subject to FAA regulations. Drones such as the Mavic Mini weigh under 250 Grams are not subject to these regulations.
So, if you have a drone that weighs over 250 Grams, it has to be registered with the FAA. Once you’ve registered you will need to re-register every three years.
You are required to keep a copy of your registration certificate in your wallet and a copy inside your drone. Also, the registration number must be visible on the outside of the drone.
Last time I checked it was illegal to fly a drone in National, State, County and City Parks. I called a number of entities to check and they said, no drones. Most resorts and time share properties do not allow drones. If one flies on private land he is required to get the permission of the land owner.
You have to understand the different classes of Air Space.
If you live close to an airport, whether the tower is manned or unmanned, depending on your location, the DJI Go Fly software will not let you take off.
It is illegal to fly over groups of people, sporting events and many other types of facilities.
I’ve read of folks being fined $250K for violation of FAA regulations. That’s above my pay-grade.
Before I could fly, the software required that I pass a test in regarding FAA regulations. Only after passing this could I fly.
There is a steep learning curve, no matter how many videos you watch. I probably had 30 man hours invested before I made my first flight.
I found it very frustrating at the time that I could not figure out how to turn the controller and drone on. I finally discovered that one must press the power button, immediately release it and then press and hold to get the controller and drone to power up and connect.
Most of the time where I fly my drone, I do not have access to the internet via wi-fi. Consequently, I always check for updates to the software and the drone before I arrive at a place where there is no cellular signal. IIRC, if that is not done and an update is required, you don’t fly.
Now if that has not totally put you off, the Mavic Pro 2 is an amazing “toy”with which to play!
Currently, I do not use my drone for scouting, but it does give one a completely different perspective of the surrounding terrain.
BTW,
I do not claim to be a videographer, and if I can do it, then I figure anyone can if they have the desire.
A few short clips......
I've been perforating hoglets at this location for close to 16 years. Usually let it cool off for a month before I go back.
South Texas brush country
One of the features of the Mavic Pro is there are several patterns programmed, such as a circle or an ellipse, focused on an object. In this case, the canopies.
Try one! It will add a whole new dimension to your photography.
Maybe I should start with a budget entry one at $400 or so ??
Skip all of that and go for the Air 2s with fly more package. I’ve seen your photos - yes, you need one.
However, first you should download Aloft and explore areas you might like to fly in. You’ll be shocked when you see how much controlled air space is out there. I’d recommend getting your 107. Not that difficult and it’ll give you some appreciation for rules and regs.
PM me any time. Don’t know a lot, but there are a few nuggets I could share.
I have a DJI Mavic Mini 2. I think it's the biggest one you can fly without an FAA license. It can't carry any weight so it's strictly for photography. The camera on the Mini 2 is a big improvement over the original Mini. Flight time is greatly affected by altitude. They say it will get 30 min. from a battery. I'm at 4000' and the maximum I can get is 22 min. If you have a clear line of sight, range is controlled by battery life, not so much by reception. I've had it out to a bit over 2 miles with a clear line of site. It made it back on the last 5% of battery and the low battery warning screaming. I barely got it back before it landed itself...somewhere. To determine maximum battery life, I launched it in the yard, took it up to 3', and let it hover until it landed itself. That took 22 min. It takes more power to fly at high altitudes. I've used it at 9000' and battery life was down to about 15 min. Cold weather and wind will greatly shorten battery life, too. When it's cold, keep the batteries in an inside pocket.
WARNING: I had a Mini before but I lost it. It was my own fault for not paying attention to settings. When it loses reception, it will stop in place and wait about 10 seconds trying to regain a signal. Then in will do an RTH, or return to home. It will go straight up to whatever altitude you've pre-set, then come home. That's where I made my mistake. I was flying it up a narrow canyon and lost reception around a bend in the canyon. Then it did an RTH. When it does the climb, it's so many feet up from the launch site altitude. If you're in a low spot, you must estimate how high it has to go to clear any surrounding objects. That's where I screwed up. I underestimated the depth of the canyon and it crashed somewhere in the rocks. I never found it.
DJI probably makes the most real drones, ones that will really do something. Most of the cheaper ones will have a range of only a few hundred yards. The Mini 2 has a practical range of 1 to 1.5 miles. If you want to do something like wildlife photography where you need to look over the next mountain or something, you need a bigger one with longer range and the price goes up in a hurry.
Hunting: Idaho has them listed under aircraft, both manned and unmanned. You can use an aircraft to spot game but if you locate an animal, you can't hunt it until the next day. That's a good compromise between wholesale use and an outright ban.
CELL PHONES: Some of DJI's drones, including the Mini 2, use your smart phone connected to the controller. You have to download an app from Goggle Play. Not all phones are compatible. Go to Play and search for 'DJI FLY' or whatever app is required by the drone you're considering. If it will download to your phone and you can start it, it will work. They have a very limited list of compatible phones on their website.
You can use an old phone that has no cell service as long as it will connect to the internet from WIFI. You don't need mobile data service. Download the FLY app at home with the WIF and you're good to go. If you need a compatible phone, you can select one from their list and search Ebay or Amazon for a refurbished one at a low price. You don't need to connect it to service so just keep it for flying. In this case, the bigger the screen the better for seeing the ground better as it flies. There are phones that are compatible that aren't on their list. I had a Motorola G7 Power that worked and isn't on the list. It doesn't use much battery power to run it so you can do a lot of flying without recharging.
Maybe I should start with a budget entry one at $400 or so ??
Skip all of that and go for the Air 2s with fly more package. I’ve seen your photos - yes, you need one.
However, first you should download Aloft and explore areas you might like to fly in. You’ll be shocked when you see how much controlled air space is out there. I’d recommend getting your 107. Not that difficult and it’ll give you some appreciation for rules and regs.
PM me any time. Don’t know a lot, but there are a few nuggets I could share.
A lot of that controlled air space can be used but it's limited to about 400' in altitude. Most drone flying will be under that. I live in one of those zones and have no problems flying under 400'.
Last year, we were camped about 5 miles from an active forest fire. They had flight restrictions in affect. Apparently, the restrictions went well away from the fire because even at 5 miles, the drone wouldn't even start, let alone fly. The software connects with the FAA or something to control where you use it.
I've had a 3 or 4 cheap ones - sub $100 thinking I would learn to fly them and then move up to the better ones with cameras and whatever, but it was always a frustrating experience. (The new pup at the time chewed up the first 2)
What price point do you have to get to for one to essentially fly itself - stable, level, hovering in one spot without having to constantly work the controls? I would enjoy it if it had the ability to be very precise - it goes up when I select up and when I stop it hovers in place, goes left and when I stop it hovers, down and hovers , you get the idea
I see these guys out camping or whatever on youtube with these shots of them driving their car down a road. Its a drone shot and it seems like they are alone while they are doing this.I'd like one on par to doing something like that but I wouldn't want to spend crazy money on something I'd use 15 times and put it away.
When we were kids a friend of mine got one of those cox airplanes for Xmas, the kind with string controls for the flaps, He tells me to meet him at the local parking lot. I'm holding the strings and he fires it up, doesn't even make its first loop before I crash it into the ground and it breaks into 20 pieces. He just gathers its all up and goes home, blaming me for ruining his Xmas.
That memory haunts me thinking about buying a $500 drone
The DJI Mini is probably the lowest price you'll pay for a decent one that will take good photos, hover by itself, etc. It costs about $500. The Mini 2 has a better camera with a zoom and is worth the extra $100 if you plan to take many photos or video. The price goes up dramatically with more capabilities. The Minis won't dodge trees or buildings and won't 'follow me'. You have to do that yourself. More expensive ones will. It's going to cost a lot to get one that will deliver a 6 pack of beer to your tree stand. The Minis have very good hand controls, though, and are easy to fly. They just don't have some of the automatic settings like the more expensive ones. I flew my 1st one through a woven wire fence but it didn't hurt it. You need to learn how to release the controls NOW whenever you lose track of where it is. It'll stop in place immediately.
Rock Chuck giving some good advice. Get the fly more combo on one of the DJI’s. I went opposite of most people—I bought the Mavic Air combo fo $1700 Canadian—then I bought the Mini ( No 1)—$750 Canadian. I fly the mini most often but the Air is easier to fly and takes better pics. Couple of years prior to buying someone gave me a Holystone HS-100– cheap $100 drone that I crashed first 3 times I flew it and it really didn’t help me learn how to fly. I’m not that into photography but it’s great for searching out new hunting and fishing spots. It also impresses young people. I overheard one young fellow remark to his friend that he just had to get one cause if that old fart can fly one anybody can.
….. brother just got one so we could fly baits out from the beach.
How do you drop the baits? How much weight is your drone capable of lifting while taking line from freespool?
Seems like a great idea. 👍
It has a remote release, is waterproof, can take off from the water. think about ten lbs but I'd have to ask him to be sure. they are really popular with the shark fishermen down here. sure beats trying to get out in a kayak in rough surf.
The DJI Mini is probably the lowest price you'll pay for a decent one that will take good photos, hover by itself, etc. It costs about $500. The Mini 2 has a better camera with a zoom and is worth the extra $100 if you plan to take many photos or video. The price goes up dramatically with more capabilities. The Minis won't dodge trees or buildings and won't 'follow me'. You have to do that yourself. More expensive ones will. It's going to cost a lot to get one that will deliver a 6 pack of beer to your tree stand. The Minis have very good hand controls, though, and are easy to fly. They just don't have some of the automatic settings like the more expensive ones. I flew my 1st one through a woven wire fence but it didn't hurt it. You need to learn how to release the controls NOW whenever you lose track of where it is. It'll stop in place immediately.
Take a peek through here.....I consider Crutchfield the LL Bean in the electronics world
Although Amazon may have similar availability & pricing...
Lots of great info from all the responses....thanx !
I understand NP & State Park restrictions...but I have 1000's of square miles of BLM land to fly
Along with canyons 1/2 mile deep or more...crash it & it's history.....
geedubya......very impressive...clearing the cover for better/easier pig shootin' ?
If I was going into the Air Force. I’d want my MOS to be a Drone Pilot.
Sitting in a comfortable, high backed chair, with an array of screens showing me the battlefield full of bad guys. All them beards and sandal wearing camel fûckers waiting for me to vaporize them with a quick toggle, then button press.
Whew ! Long day at work...Beers anyone?
😬🦫
That sure is safer but not nowhere near as much fun.
Most hated job for Air Force pilots. Retention is terrible. Boring as hell
I just bought a refurbished Mavic Mini for $199 through their ebay store. It comes with a 2 year warranty. I did not get the fly more combo but I did buy propeller guards, a spare battery and a hub charger for an additional $60
so I'm excited to see how it goes in a few days when I get it. Maybe I'll regret not ponying up extra money for a Mavic 2, but I'm not sure I will be demanding enough to appreciate the difference
the big difference between the Mini and Mini 2 is the camera. The 2 can zoom so you can get closer in without having to fly closer. In tricky conditions, that can really help. OTOH, when the camera is zoomed, you can loose your feel for where the drone is. It's deceptive and can make a difference in trees or close conditions. The Mini 2 also has slightly larger batteries but not enough to make all that much difference. You can use Mini batteries in a 2 but not the other way around.
the propeller guards help while learning but you'll be taking them off after a couple flights. When they're on, the Mini's limited to something like 50' high and a hundred yards range. I can't remember the exact distances but they're very small.
I have the DJI Mavic Air 2 S Fly More. It is easy to fly. My home borders a forest, so I fly over that. Auto take off and landing, RTH on low battery or lost signal, 5 or so mile range, set the RTH flight level at 400 feet to miss any obstacles. Set to auto fly around obstacles. Left controller up/down, rotate L/R. Right stick F/B, slide L/R. So easy. $1,200.00 w/three batteries.
Drone has sensors that beep if it gets too low or close to an obstacle. The birds and my cat are terrified of it.
When air borne use the on board camera to "see" where you are going. Hoover and rotate the camera to send the video back to the I phone in your hands so you can fly out of the line of sight. Just use the camera.
ordered a DJI Mini 2 with 2 yr DJI care bundle...$528 from Crutchfield
Cool....looking forward to your photos! Remember your flight time starts ticking as soon as you power the drone on. It goes quick so get your farting around done ahead of time
I don't keep up, but it seems like some of the newer small DJI drones have a controller with built in video screen and use no separate phone or tablet as the central processor for flight. I would vastly prefer this.
I started flying mine using a cheap motorola phone as a processor and video screen. Quickly transitioned to a higher end IPad, which worked beautifully. But... In a years time Apple deleted the app I was using for video editing and storage. All of my saved video went with it. Unrecoverable...
The IPad still worked great for another year in flying the drone. Then it wouldn't update. Tried to get Apple to help me and they told me the best they could do was to sell me a new IPad. Thanks, but no...
Tried a Lenovo Tablet in place of the IPad. It worked but video editing was crude compared to the IPad. My interest waned. And my wife killed the Lenovo tablet.
Had the drone out on the den table the other day. Tempted to fly it, but would need yet another tablet or phone to do so. Think I'm done with that.
If I can find the right drone that needs no separate computer to fly, and can use a desktop editing program to do video, I may be back in business.
I spent $800 for the mavic air drone and fly-more pack. Maybe $500 or so for the IPad. I don't regret any of the cost, and think I got my money's worth from the experience. But I'll never own another Apple device.
And likely never another drone that requires a separate processor unit, or video screen to fly.
I have a mavic mini that I bought from costco. its fun to play with out in the wilds, like where you live. I have mine setup to run off my tablet rather than my iphone. its a lot better to fly with the larger screen to see the view through. They can be great for arial photos, looking at roofs, you might need to inspect one for real estate purposes. for my purposes I don't really need anything higher end
I don't keep up, but it seems like some of the newer small DJI drones have a controller with built in video screen and use no separate phone or tablet as the central processor for flight. I would vastly prefer this.
I started flying mine using a cheap motorola phone as a processor and video screen. Quickly transitioned to a higher end IPad, which worked beautifully. But... In a years time Apple deleted the app I was using for video editing and storage. All of my saved video went with it. Unrecoverable...
The IPad still worked great for another year in flying the drone. Then it wouldn't update. Tried to get Apple to help me and they told me the best they could do was to sell me a new IPad. Thanks, but no...
Tried a Lenovo Tablet in place of the IPad. It worked but video editing was crude compared to the IPad. My interest waned. And my wife killed the Lenovo tablet.
Had the drone out on the den table the other day. Tempted to fly it, but would need yet another tablet or phone to do so. Think I'm done with that.
If I can find the right drone that needs no separate computer to fly, and can use a desktop editing program to do video, I may be back in business.
I spent $800 for the mavic air drone and fly-more pack. Maybe $500 or so for the IPad. I don't regret any of the cost, and think I got my money's worth from the experience. But I'll never own another Apple device.
And likely never another drone that requires a separate processor unit, or video screen to fly.
It takes a lot of practice to learn to fly smooth while using the camera. It's easy to swing wildly back and forth and end up with a video that looks like you're running with a camera.
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