Thread: What Drones do you own?

Nothing as flash as some of the models mentioned here but the wife got me this little Zero-X Sabre for Christmas.
Still learning to fly it but took it to my parents on Christmas day to fly in their backyard (5 acres) and impressed how well it flies, no GPS, WiFi or phone app but does have a HD camera.

Originally Posted by Homestar

Nice. Play with it as much as you can, you’ll soon get the hang of it.

I’ve said it before but the biggest trap new flyers fall into is flying too low and crashing into trees. Put it up 50 or 60 metres so you’re clear of everything, that way if you fly it in the wrong direction, you won’t wreck it. 👍

I couldn't fly it too high where I was at Kununurra because the airport was too close But when I got home I sent it up 400m, Wow I almost got vertigo looking at the screen.
I also flew it in 20kts of wind and it handled that pretty well.
I have absolutely No justification for buying the drone other than I simply wanted one and they are a heap of fun to fly, I may even give sports mode a go one day

Originally Posted by trout1105

I couldn't fly it too high where I was at Kununurra because the airport was too close But when I got home I sent it up 400m, Wow I almost got vertigo looking at the screen.
I also flew it in 20kts of wind and it handled that pretty well.
I have absolutely No justification for buying the drone other than I simply wanted one and they are a heap of fun to fly, I may even give sports mode a go one day

Same reason I wanted one, good rc toys were expensive when I was a kid .

Originally Posted by loanrangie

Same reason I wanted one, good rc toys were expensive when I was a kid .

I tried a few RC choppers a few years ago and they all ended up badly because they were bloody hard to fly, This Mavic Air pretty much flies itself and all you have to do is tell it where to go and it dodges all the bullets by itself

Originally Posted by trout1105

I couldn't fly it too high where I was at Kununurra because the airport was too close But when I got home I sent it up 400m, Wow I almost got vertigo looking at the screen.
I also flew it in 20kts of wind and it handled that pretty well.
I have absolutely No justification for buying the drone other than I simply wanted one and they are a heap of fun to fly, I may even give sports mode a go one day

Hope you mean 400 feet? . I wouldn't go telling the world about things like this if it was meters personally as the law makers have their attention focused on drone users at the moment - we all need to play within the rules or they'll tighten everything up even more.

Originally Posted by Homestar

Hope you mean 400 feet? . I wouldn't go telling the world about things like this if it was meters personally as the law makers have their attention focused on drone users at the moment - we all need to play within the rules or they'll tighten everything up even more.

I got NO info regarding Australian drone rules when I bought the drone and just looked up "What is the max height you can fly a drone in rural wa? " on Google.

Yes I did mean 400 foot not 400m

Australian Drone Laws: What You Need To Know Before Taking To The Skies | Gizmodo Australia

How is the 120m rule applied? Is it 120m above sea level or is it 120m above the area you are flying the drone.
Also the "flying a drone out of visual line of sight" rule how is that defined?, If I fly the Mavic Air more than 100m away I am buggered if I can see it as it is very small but my line of sight is to the horizon and on top of a hill that can be several kilometres away.

120 metres higher than the ground level where you are. Line of sight is you must be able to see it unaided at all time - not behind trees, over a hill or so far away you can't see it - small drones get away from you within a couple hundred metres even though they can fly KM. My big hex I can out to around 500 metres and I can just see it, but the Mavic Pro is around 200 metres. The Mavic air would be slightly less again as you've said.

Do you have the 'Can I fly here?' App? It is really essential to have this as it is updated live and tells you where you can - and more importantly- where you can't fly. You should always check this before sending the drone up as there may be restrictions you aren't aware of in the area - heli pads, fires etc. In Suburbia almost all of it is covered by some restrictions - doesn't mean you can't fly there, but it may mean you need to be more observant to low flying aircraft, etc.

This site is probably a better guide - Droneflyer | Recreational drone rules and regulation

They may seem restrictive but I've had no issues complying with them and I've found almost all people I ask if I can fly near, etc are happy to oblige - even though I don't technically have to ask in most situations I have, letting others know what your up to sure helps I've found. I've flown over and around building sites (afterhours with the site Managers approval) etc - all while staying 30 meters away from anyone etc.

If we all fly within the rules, then they won't get tighter even more - looks like England is about to tighten their laws even further since those dicks at Gatwick caused all those problems - those are the sorts of people that will ruin it for the rest of us.

I just downloaded the CASA app and it shows me I can fly in an area of about a 10k-15k radius of where I am, Which is much more than my line of sight and certainly much more than the range of my drone.
I have No interest in flying the drone in suburbia or where other people are But I do want to use it next time I venture into an unknown (to Me) river system or reefs to explore them without putting my boat at risk by spotting rockbars or other hazards before I head into an unknown area.

I can fully understand the 120m and the line of sight rules being applicable in the City or suburbia But in the middle of nowhere or miles out at sea they don't make much sense to me.