I was one of those who kept looking at the cheaper / middle end of the market, ie, HolyStone, Snaptain, etc. However, the more i reserched, the more YouTube videos I watched, one name kept coming up - DJI. But they cost big bucks dont they?
Eventually I came across one that pointed out that you literaly get what you pay for and often, youre better off buying a second hand quality product than a new cheap one. So I took the plunge and bought a second hand DJI Mavic Air and havent looked back.
I know nothings perfect and DJI get some stick sometimes but wow, the tech you can buy nowadays is amazing. This thing is increadible, its been so impressive that i’m already considering using it comercially as I’ve already had a couple of requests from people in the property industry.
To anyone in a similar position I would highly reccomend looking at second hand. Sure, it may have a scratch or five on it and the batteries won’t be 100% but my setup cost 1/4 of the new price and it work perfectly, I’ve got some change to get another battery or two if I want!
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
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.
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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
Interested to read your post. I’m also Swansea-based and fly a bunch of DJI drones,. including Phantom 4 Pro, Mavic Mini and Mini 2. Where do you fly? I mostly use Singleton Park (officially approved site) and various scenic spots along the Swansea Bay seafront plus various of the bays further West and spots on the Gower. Best wishes, Chris
Well right now i’m flying nowhere with the storms weve been having! Swansea bay is great if not many people around and singleton park is close to me but i was under the impression that over 250g cant fly in public parks? Usually i just like to go up to the valleys, Glynneath, Afan, etc.
My old drone (sg 906) was great for that kind of flying but now i’m in the DJI Legue, i’m looking forward to getting some more acurate flying and better visuals.
There was a drone club - mostly people from Swansea university - whose members flew there until a couple of years ago. They had permission and I assume it still applies though I haven’t yet checked. Their website is still up on Facebook though not much activity of late.
Sorry about this delayed response. I gathered from the website of a drones club that used to be based at Swansea Uni that they’d obtained permission for racing there - and I seem to remember seeing a race in progress a couple of years back - but I haven’t checked the situation. Might be worth doing just to make sure.