Should I buy a Mavic Pro drone?

[SHOOK_Linus]

I am looking into getting the $1,200 version of the drone (it comes with 3 batteries and more stuff) and I’m not sure if I’ll be able to fly it as much or where I want to. 1st. How would I deal with air ports, should I just notify them every time I want to fly. 2nd. How do I notify airports I am going to fly. 3rd. How would police even catch someone flying a drone? If they see the drone the can follow it but then it could just out pace them or fly places they couldn’t. I’m just confused  about drones in general, I’m also really excited to maybe get my hands on one.

[Ganz]

So, in the US you are required to register yourself which gives you a unique number.  This unique number is required to be somewhere on the drone.  You must maintain line of sight with the drone.  As far as the airport situation give this a read:

https://www.aopa.org/go-fly/aircraft-and-ownership/drones/best-practices-for-flying-your-drone-near-an-airport

 

Drones are an amazing time, just be sure to follow the laws.  And yes the Mavic Pro is a solid choice and you already seemed to have done research to buy extra batteries!

[Oshino Shinobu]

1. Depends how close you are to them. If you're in their airspace, it's not a matter of notifying them, you'll need their express permission to fly there, which you almost certainly won't get. 

 

2. Again, if you're in their airspace, you don't just notify them, you basically just don't fly there. If you're not in their airspace, you shouldn't need to notify them, but you'll want to check your local laws regarding that. 

 

3. Depends what you're doing. If you're in the airspace of an airport without permission, chances are all flights in that airport will be grounded, the drone shot down and recovered, linking it back to you, resulting in a lot of trouble for you. Check the laws in your area and abide by them and you'll be fine and won't need to worry about police. 

 

EDIT: According to @Ganz, you have to register your drone in the US, so that's how they'd track you back if they got your drone, or if the identifier is big enough, they could get a photo of it. I don't believe you have to register drones in the UK (where I am), so I wasn't aware of that. 

[Ganz]

2 minutes ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

EDIT: According to @Ganz, you have to register your drone in the US, so that's how they'd track you back if they got your drone, or if the identifier is big enough, they could get a photo of it. I don't believe you have to register drones in the UK (where I am), so I wasn't aware of that. 

Yes, you actually register yourself and stamp your ID on all drones you fly. You don't go and register each drone individually, rather you stamp your ID you get from the FAA on all drones you fly.  It's actually a quite simple and easy process.

[SHOOK_Linus]

2 hours ago, Oshino Shinobu said:

1. Depends how close you are to them. If you're in their airspace, it's not a matter of notifying them, you'll need their express permission to fly there, which you almost certainly won't get. 

 

2. Again, if you're in their airspace, you don't just notify them, you basically just don't fly there. If you're not in their airspace, you shouldn't need to notify them, but you'll want to check your local laws regarding that. 

 

3. Depends what you're doing. If you're in the airspace of an airport without permission, chances are all flights in that airport will be grounded, the drone shot down and recovered, linking it back to you, resulting in a lot of trouble for you. Check the laws in your area and abide by them and you'll be fine and won't need to worry about police. 

 

EDIT: According to @Ganz, you have to register your drone in the US, so that's how they'd track you back if they got your drone, or if the identifier is big enough, they could get a photo of it. I don't believe you have to register drones in the UK (where I am), so I wasn't aware of that. 

 

2 hours ago, Ganz said:

Yes, you actually register yourself and stamp your ID on all drones you fly. You don't go and register each drone individually, rather you stamp your ID you get from the FAA on all drones you fly.  It's actually a quite simple and easy process.

Thank you all for your help, I have another question still, I live within about a mile of a hospital with a life flight heli-landing pad. I never notice the helicopter taking off or landing from where I live, only if I am at the hospital for some reason. Would I have to notify them or what would I do, they show up on the “Before you fly” app’s map and I’m not sure what to do

[Oshino Shinobu]

1 minute ago, SHOOK_Linus said:

 

Thank you all for your help, I have another question still, I live within about a mile of a hospital with a life flight heli-landing pad. I never notice the helicopter taking off or landing from where I live, only if I am at the hospital for some reason. Would I have to notify them or what would I do, they show up on the “Before you fly” app’s map and I’m not sure what to do

Best thing to do is call your local authority and check with them rather than going off what we tell you. If we turn out to be wrong, saying you only did what people on the internet told you isn't going to fly (haha) if you get in trouble. 

 

I'd assume it's fine if you're a mile out and where you're flying isn't restricted air space. 

 

It's worth noting that even if there's flight paths over where you're flying, they can start at certain altitudes as well.

 

Basically though, it's always best to call the local authorities and check with them to be certain. I plan on getting a drone at some point as well, but I'm going to have to do some checking. Even though I live in what is mostly farm land where flying drones is fine, it's also directly under a common flightpath for Eurofighters and military cargo/transport planes (which tend to fly really damn low over my house) from several RAF bases. I'll likely have to check RAF training flight plans and sorties before flying the drone. 

 

These are fairly common sights directly above where I am:

 

Eurofighter Typhoon (probably a group of them every other week)

 

Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules (only a couple this year, but they're massive)

 

There's also more activity of the US Air Force from Lakenheath and Marham is supposedly getting some F35B Lightning IIs next year (The SVTOL variants) so may see some of them. If you like drones, perhaps you like aircraft, so you may have found that interesting.