Ten years ago, a £20 toy drone almost grounded my pilot aspirations forever. It was impossible to control, and it quickly found its way into the bin. I figured drones just weren’t for me.
Fast forward to age seventy-two: I spotted a DJI Mini 4 Pro at Costco. I spent a year debating the purchase, haunted by the cliché that you “can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” Looking back, that year of hesitation was my only real mistake. I eventually bit the bullet and bought the Mini 4 Pro with an RC 2 controller. I thought I’d found a bargain, only to realise I’d missed the “Fly More” memo. One battery just doesn’t cut it!
Today, my “hangar” has grown significantly. I’ve added an RC Pro 2 controller, a Neo, and the thrilling Avata 2 to the fleet. This has become the most expensive hobby I’ve ever had, but easily the most rewarding. When the weather plays ball, I’m out there flying daily—and even at night. I’m officially hooked.
3 Likes
Pretty much the same as me.I bought a cheapo drone from a shop called mensworld (or something like that) which was virtually impossible to control and has been hanging in my shed for quite a few years.I then bought a fairly sensible drone from amazon without really knowing any regulations,I certainly didn’t know you needed flyer or operator ID until I heard by chance an item on BBC news about changing drone regs as of Jan 1st.I have to admit being slightly surprised at how in depth the regs are,and when you think about it,rightly so.I now have the I.D’s,am comfortable with my competency with the regs.The Plegbe drone from amazon seems to be a bit of a DJI knock off and I have to say for the price is pretty good but it is a legacy and I won’t be able to fly it in the future unless I add bits and pieces to it (which I might still do) so I invested in a mini 5 pro which I have to say is excellent.I’ve been getting out as much as I can learning to fly properly on some open green space near me and looking forward to some decent weather to get out and about
2 Likes