Flying Camera Drones: Rewriting the History of Flight part 1

Drones. Drones. Drones are everywhere.

Oh well, It's not those deadly military spy drones that I'm talking about but those intelligent flying machines that you can fit in your own pocket. These tiny drones did change the game play of cinematography and, well, the history of flight per se. 

Getting ready to fly the DJI Spark at the Sagay Marine Reserve (Carbin Reef)

What I will feature are some of my behind the scenes drone photos and videos I posted in YouTube but I will talk more about how the history of flight impacted our lives and give some tips with drone piloting specially those with DJI tech. I'm not an expert but I will share to you some experiences I've had while flying two kinds of DJI drones. You name it there's the DJI Spark (my first drone) and DJi Mavic Air (my second unit)  and now, I'm just salivating over two new models: there's the DJI Mavic 2 Pro with the Hasselblad camera and Mavic 2 Zoom.

Watch some of my Drone YouTube videos 
shot using a DJI Spark:

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DRONE OVER MANAPLA BALULAN BEACH
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL PHILIPPINES

Getting ready to fly the DJI Mavic Air drone at Don Salvador Benedicto town

(An hour away from Bacolod, the capital city of  Negros Occidental )

1. Icarus and his infamous "Human Error" and today's drone crashes

Being a lover of cinematography and film, it's hard not to fall in love with these aerial tools that helped bring movie magic to the masses.

Eversince man was in awe with the mystery of flying, no one can stop his flirting with ways of how to fly. And of course, because of this, the history of flight is so very rich. Records of Italian polymath Da Vinci's renaissance drawings of early weird flying machines are proof to this.

There's even the Greek myth of Icarus who disobeyed his father's warnings when he flew too high close to the sun, ignoring his father's instructions along the way. His father Daedalus, the designer of the labyrinth, is the craftsman to the artificial wings made of wax which worn and flown closer to the sun will melt and if too low the sea's dampness will clog their wings. The two wanted to escape the island of Crete. Alas, Icarus foolishness and arrogance caused his crash.

REALITY CHECK and TIPS:

This could happen also if you fly a drone without testing it using beginner mode. It would be foolish to fly a DJI  Mavic Air without much experience as "human error" can cost you property damage or injury to the public. Though most drone devices nowadays have already been researched well and built to be safer, stable or can fly on its own sensing obstacles, still you need to learn the basic tricks of controlling it. First, check out your firmware if it works or if you experience disconnections. Check out and learn UMI and Compass calibrations. Tame the wind. Practice in an empty field with or without wind.  Study how your drone reacts with different environments. Sometimes, you will not know if you'll encounter an abrupt windy situation, a signal interference or a battery problem. Flying over lots of people could be cinematic but is dangerous and dreadful specially without propeller guards. As drones tend to camouflage themselves with the surroundings, just try to fly away from trees, buildings and crowd if you want your flight time a safer one. Sometimes, it's hard to find your drone on air unless you have somebody to help you guide where it flew. To earn more experience while you are building up your confidence as a pilot, a vast field is the best place to fly. So, be safe guys.       

Buy a Mavic Air Drone Combo at Amazon

2. The Ancient Chinese and DJI, a Chinese brand, likes to conquer the skies 

Meanwhile, an English proverbs (and my flatmate in Saudi Arabia) say: Necessity is a mother of all inventions. Truly, we have those paper planes, kites, sky lanterns (early hot air balloons) and even rockets invented in ancient China--products of imaginative Chinese minds who wanted to conquer the air for a reason. Chinese usage of unmanned airborne balloons to send signals is a military practice that predates the modern passenger hot air balloons. Oh, by the way, DJI, the popular drone maker's roots is Chinese. No wonder. :) However, nature itself is an obvious inspiration to all of these innovations and discoveries. The impressive wing movements of birds, bees and dragonflies may put man's flying machines to shame but after all, these creatures are the source of man's romance to take flight.

REALITY CHECK and TIPS:

After many errors from earlier drones, DJI's R&D department did listen to consumers. Well, drones are impressive inventions but not without serious failures. It's technology. Prone to bugs. What the heck is Main Controller Data Error and Barometer Error? Thanks to today's technology, one can wait for firmware upgrades, download and update phone controls to avoid crashes and other connection issues.  There's the DJI forum too to discuss the issues with the support and engineers. One can get a ticket for additional warranty or ship back his drone if the problem points to manufacturing error.  With series of investigations like checking the last flight path or crash area via a recorded GPS location, DJI can replace it with new one if the error points to their side. This damaged craft  will be refurbished and be sold again at a lower price. Replacement takes time and it's a hassle specially the waiting part of the investigation and contacting DJI support for updates but it's better than crying some wasted tears over spilled milk.

DRONE OVER EDGE OF THE WORLD 

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA

To be Continued.