He lost interest in drones after he flew a cheap toy drone back in 2016, but later realized that “real drones” are totally different. Inspired by the point of view a drone is capable of capturing, Dennard of Destination Unknown Travels got the Mavic Air 1.
His first flight was also his first crash while he was traveling in Ireland, but it wasn’t his scariest flight. His crash in the woods required sending his drone to get fixed.
Fast forward, he now flies the Mavic Mini 1 and I’ve had the opportunity to fly with him in Sarasota Florida and the Bahamas.
Key Learnings
- Too often new pilots will fly their drone and record an ENTIRE flight. This is one of the most painful things to have to edit later. DO NOT just press record. Start with the story you’re trying to tell, then back into the shots. Have “really cool shots” won’t necessarily help you tell a story
- “Look at the butt” if you’re still trying to figure out how to maneuver your drone. In other words, face the drone AWAY from you so that when you tell it “to go right” it will “go right” instead of mirroring you (which confuses many new pilots)
- There are many apps that can help you to research whether or not you are allowed to fly. Some that we named are AirMap, DJI Flysafe database, Aloft, B4UFly
- Dennard’s first drone was a cheap one back in 2016. If you’re not familiar with cheap drones, they’re more like “getting a remote controlled car”. They’re meant to be “fun to fly around as a toy”, but if you want photos and videos, these aren’t going to hep you. Dennard describes it as being like “a motorized kite” (and I added – “but kites are more fun to fly than a toy drone”)
- Sometimes obstacle avoidance works for you, but sometimes it works against you. If you are flying in tight spaces, turn OFF obstacle avoidance. It’s common for the drone to jump away and avoid something (only to crash into something else that’s nearby)
Free drone resources
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Connect with Dennard Jackson
See the content we referenced in this episode:
- His drone crash in the woods
- Traveling in Sarasota, Florida
- Traveling on Virgin Voyages in the Bahamas
Connect with other drone pilots in The Drone Party community on Facebook!
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About The Drone Party Podcast
Drones are FUN and everyone is invited to join The Drone Party!
A weekly video show by Christine Lozada interviewing drone pilots about HELPFUL drone tips and their BEST and WORST drone flights.