I want a drone. I have one my wife bought for me a few years ago. It's a bit hard to fly though and you can see what I mean by this short video of one of my flights. Better strap on your air sickness bag!
Today's drones have auto-gyro systems to keep them steady. The leading company of drones is DJI and their new "Mavic Pro" is perfect. It offers first person view, fantastic flying capabilities and an incredible 4k video camera. It has a 10km range! You could literally sit in your living room and fly! Other features are obstacle avoidance, return to home feature, and object tracking. They are so stable you can hover and set a 40 second shutter speed! They sell for about $1300 and have been hard to get due to demand. I'll wait a year or so and wait for the prices to come down. I want it to film the incredible scenery here in PEI and may hire out my services for filming properties for sale etc. There's talk of licensing coming out this year for drones which is a good idea.
Very, very strict rules here in the old country. All drones sold officially are limited (internally) to no more than 400 feet above ground and must be outside of all controlled airspace. This includes airspace around many of our small aerodromes. Other rules prevent their use near people and they must be kept in sight at all times. Licences are required for many operations. Unfortunately, too many users are not aware of the rules, or just ignore them, and conflict with helicopters is also a big danger. (Helicopters are allowed to land pretty much anywhere with the landowners permission within their own rules)
It's only a matter of time before somebody dies...............
I want it to film the incredible scenery here in PEI and may hire out my services for filming properties for sale etc. There's talk of licensing coming out this year for drones which is a good idea.
My brother brought his high-end drone to PEI and filmed our house/property. He also filmed my Mother-in-law's birthplace (New London Lighthouse). I think it makes sense for every real estate agent to own a drone.
(I tried attaching a few videos, but I can't)
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Prince Edward Island
'64 Parisienne CS "barn find" - last on the road in '86 ... Owner Protection Plan booklet, original paint, original near-mint aqua interior, original aqua GM floor mats, original 283, factory posi, and original rust.
I bought a Phantom 4 late September for work. The quality of the pictures/videos is amazing. I took a daily picture from the same spot at 90M elevation. Then put a Power Point together so the boss's could see the daily progress from start to finish. With roughly 35 minute flight time on 1 battery charge, I could make 3 flights a day, morning, after lunch and late afternoon. Fly around the work fronts without walking around the heavy equipment and putting myself at risk. Within a few flights I caught right on and it's actually pretty simple to fly. If your having a blonde moment you can always hit the come home button. I caught it on sale at Staples.
The flight rules I have copy/pasted below. Looks like there will be more rules coming in 2018. With all the idiots out there, they need these rules. I set my drone at a maximum height of 90M. But you still have to watch out for low flying aircraft flying the pipelines, bird etc.
Flying your drone safely and legally
If you plan to fly a drone for fun you must learn and follow the laws that apply to recreational drone use. If you are using your drone for work or research, you will need special permission to fly your drone.
Review these rules before flying a drone for fun, if the drone weighs over 250 g and under 35 kg. If your drone is 250 g or less, read our tips for flying safe.
Following the safety rules helps keep people, aircraft and property safe. If you fly where you are not allowed or you break the rules below, you could be fined up to $3,000.
Fly your drone:
below 90 m above the ground
at least 30 m away from vehicles, vessels and the public (if your drone weighs over 250 g and up to 1 kg)
at least 75 m away from vehicles, vessels and the public (if your drone weighs over 1 kg and up to 35 kg)
at least 5.5 km away from aerodromes (any airport, seaplane base or area where aircraft take off and land)
at least 1.8 km away from heliports or aerodromes used by helicopters only
outside of controlled or restricted airspace
at least 9 km away from a natural hazard or disaster area
away from areas where its use could interfere with police or first responders
during the day and not in clouds
within your sight at all times
within 500 m of yourself
only if clearly marked with your name, address and telephone number
Fly your drone during daylight and in good weather
Keep your drone where you can see it with your own eyes not through an on-board camera, monitor or smartphone
Make sure your drone is safe for flight before takeoff
Ask yourself, for example: Are the batteries fully charged? Is it too cold to fly?
Respect the privacy of others - do not fly over private property or take photos or videos without permission
When you need permission to fly drones
If you fly your drone for fun and it weighs 35 kg or less, you do not need special permission from Transport Canada.
If you fly your drone for work or research, or if it weighs over 35 kg, you must get a Special Flight Operations Certificate. The certificate tells you how and where you are allowed to use your drone. Although most operators will need a certificate, you may be able to qualify for one of two exemptions.
respect the Criminal Code, your provincial Trespass Act, and all municipal, provincial and territorial laws that apply
Transport Canada inspectors investigate reports of unsafe and illegal drone use and may involve local police if other laws (for example, the Criminal Code and privacy laws) have been broken.
You could face serious penalties, including up to $25,000 in fines and/or jail time, if you:
No. These days you need almost the same amount of training needed to fly a real plane to get a drone! It's expensive as well. Closest training center is in Moncton I believe.
