I took my replacement drone for its first real flight today (April 20, 2024). Replacement you say? Yeah I crashed the original last Sunday. I’ll write a post about the fantastic DJI Care Refresh and the quick service turnaround a little later, so keep an eye out for that.
I originally thought I’d take a trip to the Bedford waterfront and DeWolf Park, but the wind there felt a little stronger than I’d like. Though it was probably fine, and I’m sure I’ll get more confident over time, today wasn’t that day!
So as a second option, I took a drive up to Hemlock Ravine Park (map below). This is famous for its heart shaped pond, which was the target of my flight.
The pond was built by Prince Edward, Duke of Kent who resided in Halifax from 1794 to 1800. He was accompanied by his French mistress Madame de Saint-Laurent. The pond, also named Julie’s Pond was built (and I assume named) in her honour.
I flew first through the parking lot, trying to give a view of the signage, but there was a car parked somewhat close and I wasn’t confident in my controls to get to close. I then flew in and over the pond, and took an aerial video. Two in fact, as the first for some reason told me max altitude reached when I wasn’t all that high.
I merged the two together to show you as high as I felt comfortable, or perhaps even higher. Not sure if its my fear of heights, or just nervousness about using this expensive toy, or both, but 60 meters was as high as my butterfly in the stomach, heart in my mouth reaction would let me go.
I am learning, and sure I’ll get better, but you’ll notice I had to stop to reposition the gimbal rather than continuing to ascend and do both at the same time. I need a big open field to practice moves!
But I’ve only had it for 11 days, and 4 of those it was broken and sent off for coverage replacement! I’m happy with how its going and will travel further afield as weather improves.
Just got my hands on a drone, and let me tell you, it's awesome (and way trickier than it looks!). I'm here to document my adventures in the sky, share epic aerial photos and videos (hopefully!), and learn alongside all you other drone newbies. We'll explore the coolest accessories, tackle those inevitable challenges (read: crash landings!), and figure out all the pitfalls together. Buckle up for some wobbly flights, stunning scenery, and maybe a few laughs along the way!
