- Joined
- Dec 4, 2016
- Messages
- 125
- Reaction score
- 51
- Age
- 52
Hello everyone!
It's my first time here in this forum, and, it is my first time venturing into the world of drones, so, I am looking forward to talking with enthusiasts, experienced and hobbyists. I will just say that I still do not yet have my drone: it is on order, but DJI seem to be taking their time with the "new batches". I am hoping this does not signify any gremlins in the pipeline! I had been seduced by the Mavic Pro because of its portability, but, as soon as the P4 Pro came out, well, two things: 1) far more sensors so it made sense from both a safety first and as a beginning, more protection/ fail safes; 2) as a long term photographer, the mechanical adjustable shutter and better 1 inch sensor really appealed to me off the bat, as well as the improved dynamic range, etc.
So, naturally I am excited about this, but nervous at the same time. The thing that is making me the MOST nervous is spending such a large amount of money on a drone in uncertain times: my research appears to indicate that drone usage is under the magnifying glass by not only the UK but also a European Union task group (EASA, I think they are called if I remember right?) so I am worried about all the rules they are mulling over... i have seen lots of YouTube videos where too many people seem to be gettong silly with their drones, and I even saw one drone (looked like a Phantom) hit the wing on a passenger aircraft in New York. It damaged the plane's wing - luckily it didn't go into the engine, but it destroyed the bit that curves up on the wing. People who do this sort of thing concern me a great deal as I do not want to spend £1800 only to find the hobby is suddenly made illegal or very difficult to do due to some irresponsible behaviour.
So I am interested please in any advice when starting out as a hobbyist please. Should I get insurance of some description, for instance even as just being a hobbyist? Should I attach a GPS tracker to the drone when it is in use (I've seen some videos on these)? Is it advisable to get those range extenders even if not flying too far away, just to ensure the strongest of signals at all times? I realise I might be going overboard here, but, it is a not insignificant investment, and I want to both protect that investment and ensure I don't do anything to risk others, my own future doing this, etc. Even though it is not apparently law yet, do people put some form of identification tags on their drones just in case it gets lost or you lose control for some unexplained reason? Are there any other safety techniques that are advisable to apply in your experience I may not have considered (I have ordered prop guards as a back up, for instance)? I am fully aware of the CAA guidelines of 122m max height and 500m horizontally, and the 50 metre rules from people and buildings so, of course, I want to do this as responsibly and at low a risk as I possibly can, especially while learning, and I do not want to be a statistic that adds to jeopardising the fun for all in what is clearly a very exciting new media.
Also, if there are any drone flyers in the Sussex region of the UK or even some clubs I don't know about, I'd be really grateful to hear of those
Thanks for your attention and I wish DJI would hurry up !
It's my first time here in this forum, and, it is my first time venturing into the world of drones, so, I am looking forward to talking with enthusiasts, experienced and hobbyists. I will just say that I still do not yet have my drone: it is on order, but DJI seem to be taking their time with the "new batches". I am hoping this does not signify any gremlins in the pipeline! I had been seduced by the Mavic Pro because of its portability, but, as soon as the P4 Pro came out, well, two things: 1) far more sensors so it made sense from both a safety first and as a beginning, more protection/ fail safes; 2) as a long term photographer, the mechanical adjustable shutter and better 1 inch sensor really appealed to me off the bat, as well as the improved dynamic range, etc.
So, naturally I am excited about this, but nervous at the same time. The thing that is making me the MOST nervous is spending such a large amount of money on a drone in uncertain times: my research appears to indicate that drone usage is under the magnifying glass by not only the UK but also a European Union task group (EASA, I think they are called if I remember right?) so I am worried about all the rules they are mulling over... i have seen lots of YouTube videos where too many people seem to be gettong silly with their drones, and I even saw one drone (looked like a Phantom) hit the wing on a passenger aircraft in New York. It damaged the plane's wing - luckily it didn't go into the engine, but it destroyed the bit that curves up on the wing. People who do this sort of thing concern me a great deal as I do not want to spend £1800 only to find the hobby is suddenly made illegal or very difficult to do due to some irresponsible behaviour.
So I am interested please in any advice when starting out as a hobbyist please. Should I get insurance of some description, for instance even as just being a hobbyist? Should I attach a GPS tracker to the drone when it is in use (I've seen some videos on these)? Is it advisable to get those range extenders even if not flying too far away, just to ensure the strongest of signals at all times? I realise I might be going overboard here, but, it is a not insignificant investment, and I want to both protect that investment and ensure I don't do anything to risk others, my own future doing this, etc. Even though it is not apparently law yet, do people put some form of identification tags on their drones just in case it gets lost or you lose control for some unexplained reason? Are there any other safety techniques that are advisable to apply in your experience I may not have considered (I have ordered prop guards as a back up, for instance)? I am fully aware of the CAA guidelines of 122m max height and 500m horizontally, and the 50 metre rules from people and buildings so, of course, I want to do this as responsibly and at low a risk as I possibly can, especially while learning, and I do not want to be a statistic that adds to jeopardising the fun for all in what is clearly a very exciting new media.
Also, if there are any drone flyers in the Sussex region of the UK or even some clubs I don't know about, I'd be really grateful to hear of those
Thanks for your attention and I wish DJI would hurry up !
