Does anyone here ever fly drones for fun?

**Nokra** · July 15

I recently bought a photography (i.e. not an FPV) drone, namely the DJI Mini 4 Pro. I haven't even taken it out for my first flight yet but today I took the FAA's "The Recreational UAS Safety Test" (TRUST), I've got all of the necessary apps (B4UFly, for LAANC authorization, etc.) downloaded, etc. so I should be good to fly once my controller gets here tomorrow. :dancing:

Just curious if anyone here has done much flying and whether you have your FAA Part 107 certification (for commercial flying), any suggestions you might have for accessories (I already have spare props and an extra battery), etc. I'm really excited to get into this! :dancing:

Biggie · July 15

No but if you can please post some pics or video when you get it up and going!

**Mr.Vic20** · July 15

I got my 107 as a requirement for flying drones at work. We use them to survey job sites and to take project presentation photos.that test was ridiculous when I took it for years ago. Essentially nothing in that test pertains to actually operating a drone. But I did become fairly knowledgeable about the operating procedures of a fixed wing aircraft… :daydream:

**Nokra** · July 15

50 minutes ago, Mr.Vic20 said:

I got my 107 as a requirement for flying drones at work. We use them to survey job sites and to take project presentation photos.that test was ridiculous when I took it for years ago. Essentially nothing in that test pertains to actually operating a drone. But I did become fairly knowledgeable about the operating procedures of a fixed wing aircraft…

Do you remember if you did the self-study route to pass, or did you enroll in some course online somewhere? From what I've seen, the courses are about $100-$200 and many of them have guarantees that you'll pass or else you get your $175 fee back for taking the test.

What you said about the material only mildly being connected to flying drones leads me to believe that maybe a course isn't the worst idea.

**Mr.Vic20** · July 15

13 minutes ago, Nokra said:

Do you remember if you did the self-study route to pass, or did you enroll in some course online somewhere? From what I've seen, the courses are about $100-$200 and many of them have guarantees that you'll pass or else you get your $175 fee back for taking the test.

What you said about the material only mildly being connected to flying drones leads me to believe that maybe a course isn't the worst idea.

I did self study and frankly, if there is a proper course, I highly recommend it. Example, you will need to be able to decode METAR weather data as part of the test. This was VERY briefly covered in the materials I found online but you need more than that. In general it’s very clear that no one bother to create a test specific for drones, as the 107 is clearly for small fixed wing aircraft. Fortunately for me, my father was an aviation mechanic and I grew up around loads of aircraft flight manuals, which as a kid I somehow found interesting. Thanks to that curiously, I was already mostly comfortable with the majority of the terms. 😋

Littleronin · July 15

I got my 107, and have a few drones (2 Phantoms and an Inspire). But haven't flown them in ages as I got a bit pissed when Sierra Nevada Corp moved their experimental drone arm to my town and pretty much turned all but a couple of small corridors into no fly zones.

TheBladeRoden · July 15

I have a Hubsan X4 H107C which is like a Jr's First Drone.

Slug · July 15

No, only out of spite.

TwinIon · July 15

I've done some done flying here and there. I have a mini-pro 2, which I love. It's small enough to bring anywhere, and it's so easy to fly. I want to upgrade to a mini 4, but I just don't use it enough to justify the upgrade.

The one accessory that I really recommends is a tablet mount for the controller, assuming you have a tablet. I've flown using my phone, but it's so much nicer to fly with my iPad. It's a little awkward to hold, but the extra screen size really pays off. I also have a hood for the tablet to block the sun that helps with visibility. A set of filters is also worthwhile.

The biggest problem for me is that it can be so hard to find places to fly. My home is in restricted airspace and drones are banned in all national parks and many other public parks. I've traveled quite a lot with mine, but more often than not it ends up staying in the bag because of rules I wasn't aware of or a general lack of opportunity. My other issue is that I primarily shoot stills, and the mini 2 is a pretty underwhelming stills camera. Video is also so much more fun with drones, so I end up taking videos and don't really do anything with them.

One of the few times I have touched the footage was from a hunting trip in Mexico. We spent a lot of time in our trucks scouting our next stop, so I'd fly my drone from inside the truck. (Video is just boring shots of SUVs driving in baja desert, no shooting or anything)

When I do get the chance to fly, it is really cool. You get perspectives that just can't be gotten any other way. We were on the coast and saw some dolphins, so I just grabbed the drone and followed them for a while. I have a lot of similar random footage that I've never touched. Enjoy your time flying!