Experiencing Drones for the First Time

[Geo engineer]

Hello pilots,

I've never flown a drone but i'd really like to experience it before going down the path of getting formal training and obtaining a commercial license. Where can I experience flying a drone in Toronto?

 

[MotorCycle-Man]

Your wont be hands ON the Drone........But U-tube is full of drone flights and helps...watch several and see how you like them.
Hope that some brave person UP their in your Province will allow you take the RC and fly it and you will be hooked !

Why not buy a $100.00 drone and see for your self....many of us members here started that way.


Good Luck.

 

[Meta4]

Why not buy a $100.00 drone and see for your self....many of us members here started that way.

A $100 drone would give a very false idea of what DJI drones are like.
A $100 drone lacks all the sensors and programming and will be much harder to fly .

DJI drones pretty well fly themselves.
Take your hands off the sticks and they just sit there in space waiting for your command.
A $100 drone isn't going to do that.

 

[MotorCycle-Man]

TRUE : it takes more skills to fly one too ! and IF you crash it.....pick it up and fire UP the motors and fly it again.....Thats what i loved about my first drone a $54.00 investment it took many hard crashes and was always able to "keep flyn" i had nine batteries ....Your so right meta four .

Like i said above...many here started with a El Cheep Oh low cost drones and now we have the best that Dji has to offer.

A "Tello" is a fun one for a starter.....walmart or Best buy for $99.00.

Good Luck on whatever you decide on a $99.00 one or a over $1000.00 one...The choice is yours.

 

[xspwhite]

Hello pilots,

I've never flown a drone but i'd really like to experience it before going down the path of getting formal training and obtaining a commercial license. Where can I experience flying a drone in Toronto?

I dont think you need a commercial license to buy and fly a drone in Toronto.

 

[MotorCycle-Man]

I THINK he means a lots later.....he wants to get a like part 107 in Canada and make a job / business out of the drone ...guess he don't know the terms to use here as a new prospective person.

 

[dreddman]

I started with a Syma X5 it was too crazy for me with my disability and I nearly gave up I then bought a Syma X25 it has Alt Hold and GPS all for a $120 great flyer but a small camera but it is like a mini Phantom a great learner and practice drone I fly it all the time inside outside great practice for when I get the Phantom out

 

[xspwhite]

I have a syma x21, and I really like it.

 

[sarniac]

Hello Toronto - I’m in Windsor. I would suggest that you check out Radio Control clubs located in the Toronto area. I belong to the Sun Parlor Radio Control club in Windsor. We have an airfield with two runways, separate area for drones, monthly meetings, flyins and a lot of ‘old goats’ that have been flying for years. A great place to ask questions and learn from other people.
Also, check out MAAC (Model Aeronautics Association of Canada). Sun Parlor requires membership in MAAC before becoming a Sun Parlor member. MAAC will provide info on flying clubs in your area, changes to the Canadian law in June, etc.
You Tube is your friend – so much information. Check out Painless360, Drone Camps, 51 drones, etc.
Finally, check out Kijiji for used DJI products in Toronto. I bought non-flying Phantom2 for $50 and got it in the air after correcting calibration errors. Currently flying it in Florida and it works great. There is some risk in purchasing a used drone so make sure seller can demonstrate everything works.
I currently have 4 drones – watch out for getting ‘bit by the bug’.

 

[Geo engineer]

I THINK he means a lots later.....he wants to get a like part 107 in Canada and make a job / business out of the drone ...guess he don't know the terms to use here as a new prospective person.

yeah a lot later...im in civil engineering and so i think this will be a useful skill to have to extend myself out further.

 

[officialdrdrone]

If you wanted to just try out a drone - the DJI Tello is an affordable option. Its mainly for indoor use but because its a DJI Drone it does have similar controls to the higher end DJI drones so you can experience how the drone flies. Ryze Tello

 

[Geo engineer]

Hello Toronto - I’m in Windsor. I would suggest that you check out Radio Control clubs located in the Toronto area. I belong to the Sun Parlor Radio Control club in Windsor. We have an airfield with two runways, separate area for drones, monthly meetings, flyins and a lot of ‘old goats’ that have been flying for years. A great place to ask questions and learn from other people.
Also, check out MAAC (Model Aeronautics Association of Canada). Sun Parlor requires membership in MAAC before becoming a Sun Parlor member. MAAC will provide info on flying clubs in your area, changes to the Canadian law in June, etc.
You Tube is your friend – so much information. Check out Painless360, Drone Camps, 51 drones, etc.
Finally, check out Kijiji for used DJI products in Toronto. I bought non-flying Phantom2 for $50 and got it in the air after correcting calibration errors. Currently flying it in Florida and it works great. There is some risk in purchasing a used drone so make sure seller can demonstrate everything works.
I currently have 4 drones – watch out for getting ‘bit by the bug’.

would i be able to fly other people's drones at the radio clubs. I really dont want to have to invest in a drone (even if it's only $90) just to get a taste of what it feels like. I'm looking for an educational class of some sort where i can have a go at flying for a bit and then decide if i want to get one. not sure if such an option exists.

 

[sarniac]

would i be able to fly other people's drones at the radio clubs. I really dont want to have to invest in a drone (even if it's only $90) just to get a taste of what it feels like. I'm looking for an educational class of some sort where i can have a go at flying for a bit and then decide if i want to get one. not sure if such an option exists.

I think R/C club members would help you fly a drone you own - I don't think anyone would be willing to let you fly their personal drone.

 

[Meta4]

would i be able to fly other people's drones at the radio clubs. I really dont want to have to invest in a drone (even if it's only $90) just to get a taste of what it feels like. I'm looking for an educational class of some sort where i can have a go at flying for a bit and then decide if i want to get one. not sure if such an option exists.

Definitely worth a try (as long as you could find someone with a drone there).
These things are so easy to fly, there's no genuine reason anyone wouldn't allow you to have a few minutes to see what it's like.

 

[2edgesword]

While DJI drones may fly themselves I've seen enough crash videos to be convinced I didn't want to start down the path of learning to fly on a $500+ dollar drone. There are some inexpensive drones for under $100 dollars that are very good fliers and give you a sense of what flying a drone is all about.

One of my first drones was a Holystone H160. I still fly it in the house and my garage on bad weather days, and you can fly it outside if there is just a little wind. The thing is practically indestructible. I've literally crashed it 50 times, never broken a propeller and it still flies as stable as when I first got it. Flying it will give you experience with manipulating the controls, flight characteristics, orientation (how to operate the controls when the drone is flying away from you versus flying toward you) and other aspects of flying a drone.

Once you learn how to fly it you can pretty much fly any gps drones in photo mode since they are very docile and stable. The big hurtle after learning to fly will be learning the software that comes with the more expensive drones to get the most out of their extensive capabilities.

 

[Meta4]

While DJI drones may fly themselves I've seen enough crash videos to be convinced I didn't want to start down the path of learning to fly on a $500+ dollar drone. There are some inexpensive drones for under $100 dollars that are very good fliers and give you a sense of what flying a drone is all about.

And how many of those crash videos were out in a large, open area, well away from trees, buildings or other obstacles to hit?
When there's nothing to hit, it's just about impossible to get into trouble.

 

[2edgesword]

And how many of those crash videos were out in a large, open area, well away from trees, buildings or other obstacles to hit?
When there's nothing to hit, it's just about impossible to get into trouble.

I think you assume too much. I don't know where in Toronto the OP lives but let's not assume he has a "large, open area, well away from trees, building or obstacles" to fly in. Many of us that live in urban/suburban areas don't. If you're standing on planet Earth there is always something to hit.

 

[Meta4]

I think you assume too much. I don't know where in Toronto the OP lives but let's not assume he has a "large, open area, well away from trees, building or obstacles" to fly in. Many of us that live in urban/suburban areas don't. If you're standing on planet Earth there is always something to hit.

I don't assume anything.
Whether someone has a large, open area, well away from trees, building or obstacles close by or not, that's the environment they should be using to learn to fly.
The biggest cause of drone crashes is flying too close to obstacles as would be shown in the majority of those crash videos you referred to.

There are parks all over Toronto and to the south, Lake Ontario fits the description of a large, open area, well away from trees, building or obstacles very well.

 

[2edgesword]

I don't assume anything.
Whether someone has a large, open area, well away from trees, building or obstacles close by or not, that's the environment they should be using to learn to fly.
The biggest cause of drone crashes is flying too close to obstacles as would be shown in the majority of those crash videos you referred to.

There are parks all over Toronto and to the south, Lake Ontario fits the description of a large, open area, well away from trees, building or obstacles very well.

Whether you're learning to fly in an wide open space or an urban area I would never recommend to anyone to start learning on a $500 drone. Flying to close to an obstacles is the biggest cause of accidents. Why? Could be excessive speed and/or developing the sense of perception and judgement regarding distance, speed and proximity. That comes with experience and sometimes that experience comes through failure and learning what doesn't work.

This really isn't a point to belabor. In my opinion until a person gains some experience and develops good perception skills it's better to make the mistakes flying a <$100 drone versus something much more expensive.

 

[Meta4]

Flying to close to an obstacles is the biggest cause of accidents. Why? Could be excessive speed and/or developing the sense of perception and judgement regarding distance, speed and proximity.

It's really very simple .. if there's nothing to hit, it's really difficult to get into trouble.
But if your drone is close to obstacles, a simple mistake has potentially serious consequences.

Whether you're learning to fly in an wide open space or an urban area I would never recommend to anyone to start learning on a $500 drone.
...
In my opinion until a person gains some experience and develops good perception skills it's better to make the mistakes flying a <$100 drone versus something much more expensive.

Your idea is an attractive concept to many flyers but a $100 drone is nothing like a modern Phantom and is much harder to fly.
A beginner's time and effort is much better spent learning how the Phantom is programmed and how it works.
It really only takes 5 minutes to learn how to fly the Phantom but it takes a lot longer to learn all the things that can go wrong and how to ensure they don't.

A modern Phantom is an ideal beginners drone.
The location it's used in is what matters to the safety of the drone when you are learning to fly.