Hello from Beckenham (SE London / NW Kent)

Good day to you. Not sure if I’m a Kentish Man, or a Man from Kent.

Been dabbling for a couple of weeks now with a very basic Holystone drone, getting to grips with the basics and crashing that into trees / the ground /myself rather than destroying a more expensive model.

Great site you all have here, been really handy to see what you’ve all been able to do, learn some of the pitfalls and issues faced. Just been flying around local open spaces early in the morning to get a feel for the flying. So far the family and being a bit scared means I haven’t ventured any further.

Looking forward to getting better and maybe a new DJI next year!

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Hi @starman and welcome to Grey Arrows :wave:t2:

Have you seen our members map? (Click the burger-menu in the top right) You may find some pilots living near you. Feel free to add yourself to the members map too :+1:t2:

We’re a well established club with many knowledgeable members so it’s very likely that any issues you come across will have been discussed here before. Our discussion forum has very powerful search features which should help you find what you need but if you get stuck you can post a new question in the #questions-and-answers category.

Looking for recommendations of places to fly? Check out our interactive map on Drone Scene - be sure to log in to gain access to the full suite of features and map layers:

And please feel free to add locations of your own too.

Please also take a moment to look at the Membership Levels section on our FAQ as we’re quite different to other clubs and you’ll be eligible for some rather exclusive club discounts as your membership level increases :blush:

Welcome once again!

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Hi David and welcome to GADC.
I too started flying only recently and started with a cheap Holystone drone, flew that nervously for a while trying to get used to controls, I realised that I really enjoyed it and not long after bought a DJI Air 2s. The difference in flying is staggering and the stability and ease of control gives you a tremendous confidence boost. Do be warned though it can get addictive :smiley:

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Hi David - welcome to GADC :+1: :+1: :+1:

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Hi, welcome!

I’m not too far away from you.

I fly a DJI Mavic Air 2 usually from the coast or banks of the Thames, and a Mini 2 often more inland (allowed to be closer to people).

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Hi Andy,

Thanks for replying. Yeah, it’s quite something those first few flights, then was getting somewhere until I got my first attempted flyaway. Damn thing was returning to home then took off away from me, straight into a tree. Ha! But that’s why I started cheap.

Watching the videos it’s clear there’s a hell of a step up with the better drones. The way they just hold their position in the wind when mine is darting about in next to nothing. Few more months of patience and practice I think!

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@BadManners Cool, yep not far from me. Yep, getting fed up with parks/ open spaces, the coast is definitely calling. I did fly down in Dorset coast few weeks ago, by far the best flight yet.

Don’t think the misses will buy that an Air 2 is suitable for my ‘hobby’ but definitely looking at the mini DJIs. Perhaps Christmas will come early this year, I assume Black Friday extends to drive drones. By then I’ll have a bit more experience.

I’ll be keeping an eye on everything going on here, great place for inspiration / tips.

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@Jhdee thanks, exciting times we live in!

The Mini 2 is a brilliant little thing, mine copes well with strong winds, I just have to watch the battery because it gets depleted quicker when very windy. It seems it may become cheaper with the Mini 3 just being released.

I bought my Mini 2 as a refurb unit, eBay Black Friday diacount. DJI honoured the warranty when I made a subsequent claim.

Don’t let me spend your money for you though!

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Welcome to the group. I started the same way recently, Holy Stone HS440 (no GPS) to get the hang of the controls & orientation, then a Holy Stone HS175D (brushless & GPS), much more fun & more controllable. I now have the DJI Mini SE combo, a great option if you can’t quite stretch to the Mini 2. Have fun & the confidence will come, just don’t tell the Mrs how much you are spending! (“What happens in Drone Club, stays in Drone Club”) Lol

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Allways fly anoove the trees untill your use to it and get mote confident with it happy flying

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@GrahamF - Ha, yes, she won’t know it’s double the price I tell her. It’s the HS175D I have, went for it because it has the GPS, which I imagine makes it more stable than without, but still someway off being able to maintain its position in even the slightest wind, unlike your Mini SE!

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@BadManners , Black Friday and / or Ebay it’ll be then, as long as I put in the hours before hand, and can be sure I’m confident I can cope with any emergencies. Thanks for the warm welcome and advise!

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Hi David, I now live in Co. Antrim and fly an Air2, but having grown up in Kent (Canterbury and Isle of Thanet) I can tell you that anyone born to the East side of the Medway is a Man of Kent and those born to the west side is a Kentish Man.

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@Graham ah, well I guess I’m technically neither being born in Hampshire. But as I reside west of the Medway, I guess I’m perporting to be a Kentish Man!

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Yes, like you, I wasn’t born in Kent, so I’m only technically a man of Kent. I was born in Cheam, Surrey.

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Welcome @starman

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