Happy Dronniversary

One year ago today, December 27, I flew my Mavic Mini for the first time. Happy dronniversary to me!

My Mavic Mini was a major upgrade that launched an incredible year droning. The Mini was my first real “drone.” I had previously purchased a cheap drone on Amazon for $70, but it was a terrible experience. I could barely keep that drone in the air. But the Mini gave me a much more satisfying experience.

When I watch that first video, I am amazed at how far I have come. I am pleased with the advances in the quality of my videos. The improvement can be attributed to owning a better drone, practiced flying, and developing better editing skills.

Just some of the highlights from the year include:

• Starting a new YouTube Channel. I am currently at 99 subscribers after having posted 77 videos.
• Starting this website. I have posted 29 times. I have not been incredibly active, but one of my resolutions for the new year is to make more of the website.
• Receiving my Part 107 license from the FAA after studying with the Pilot Institute.
• Having one of my videos to be shown in feature length film. I will post more about that later.
• Capturing pics and videos in five different states (NJ, NY, PA, IL, and FL).

This last year, I have owned four different drones. I have owned the DJI Mavic Mini, the DJI Mavic 2 Pro, and the DJI Air 2s. I have now sold my original Mavic Mini and the Mavic 2 Pro. So my fleet is now my beloved Air 2s and my newest drone, the Nazgul 5 HD. The Nazgul is an FPV drone that is very different from any previous drone I have owned. I will look forward to writing about my experience of entering the FPV world.

Another highlight of the year has been participating in events with the Jersey Droners. This group has helped me find new areas to explore with my drone. I also find it more fun to fly with other people. They also have an active Facebook group that has been fun to follow.

This year I am watching other people post videos of the new drone they got for Christmas. It brings back fond memories of the fascination I had those first few days and weeks with my new drone. I am also excited to see where the next year will take me. Happy Dronniversary!