Eastern Railroad Discussion > Drones for taking railroad Pics

Im looking to pick up a drone with my income tax return money,I only have a $1000 to spend,Any ideas on something this Old Dog can fly with Ease and still take decent pics and Videos,Im NOT looking for Speed or something that flys upside down or do tricks,Thanks in Adavance   Scoobydoobydoo



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/20 17:08 by scoobydoobydoo.

Magic Mini by DJI. Love mine. 

I'm guessing that you will need a FAA Part 107 certification, cost of which is $150 and requires passing aeronautical tests. Google "Become a drone pilot" to see what's all involved, and I found the FAA.gov web site to be very thorough. 

Roger Durfee
Akron, OH

One of the other things I'll add to go along with Rogers comment is take a look at FAA airspace maps and see if you can even LEGALLY fly a drone where you're thinking of using it. May need a Part 107 and waivers depending on where you want to fly. Lots of rules and regulations on when and where you can fly, and always a push for stricter laws because of the amount of people that don't follow the rules. Be surprised at how many spots you can't fly without having the proper FAA credentials.

I see lots of pictures from my area (Cleveland area) that were taken in restricted areas by people that don't have the proper credentials...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/28/20 02:00 by nssd70m.

I use a DJI Spark, and it fits the bill for what I was wanting. 
Very easy to fly, and delievers good performance (13-16 min flight time and great range) and image quality considering the sensor size and price. 

Here's a couple examples of mine taken around home. 
1.  CSX Alleghany Subdivision at Lowell, West Virginia
2.  CSX Alleghany Subdivision Big / Great Bend Tunnels at Talcott, West Virginia



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/28/20 04:27 by MPCA349.

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rustys6004 Wrote:
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> Magic Mini by DJI. Love mine. 

Perhaps a better option is the Mavic Air.  Smaller, easy to fly, no special licenses needed. You do have to register but it's cheap. 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/28/20 05:21 by rustys6004.

EL833 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm guessing that you will need a FAA Part 107
> certification, cost of which is $150 and requires
> passing aeronautical tests. Google "Become a drone
> pilot" to see what's all involved, and I found the
> FAA.gov web site to be very thorough. 

You won't need a 107 to fly in unrestricted air space if you're not planning on any remunerative use of the photos/videos. But remunerative use potentially includes posting photos to web sites like Trainorders (if you get an "Image of the Day" selection, which is rewarded with a 30-day membership extension) or videos to a YouTube channel popular enough that it pays.

As for legal places to fly, meanwhile, be aware that the geofencing systems on pro-sumer drones do not prevent flight into all places for which ATC approval is required. So yes, it's possible to fly one into a place you shouldn't go without a license and clearance -- although in some cases the geofencing system can also block a licensed pilot from flying in an area where authorization has been obtained from the FAA, but for which an unlock also is required from the drone manufacturer, which can take longer to get than FAA authorization.

The other way around. The mini is smaller and is under the weight limit set by the FAA for requiring a licence. The air requires the licence as it is heavier and over the weight limit.
RWJ

rustys6004 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> rustys6004 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Magic Mini by DJI. Love mine. 
>
> Perhaps a better option is the Mavic Air.
>  Smaller, easy to fly, no special licenses
> needed. You do have to register but it's cheap. 

LV95032 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The other way around. The mini is smaller and is
> under the weight limit set by the FAA for
> requiring a licence. The air requires the licence
> as it is heavier and over the weight limit.
> RWJ
>
> rustys6004 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > rustys6004 Wrote:
> >
> --------------------------------------------------
>
> > -----
> > > Magic Mini by DJI. Love mine. 
> >
> > Perhaps a better option is the Mavic Air.
> >  Smaller, easy to fly, no special licenses
> > needed. You do have to register but it's
> cheap. 

Yeah I should just give up on contributing to this thread.  I have a Mavic Air, not a mini, and mis-stated it at the beginning.  Oh well, not enough coffee... :)