Hi everyone. I am a drone novice. Actually, way below novice!
In preparation for purchasing a drone and have already decided it will be +250g, I have taken the CAA test and have my user ID.
Now. What drone? Oh my, it’s a minefield out there. So I have narrowed my choice to Dji. I have certain criteria. This drone will add so much to my professional stills photography, so a good camera/video function is essential. It must have GPS tracking and smart controller.
I would be so grateful for any advice, recommendations, hints and tips and advice on any courses to help me learn how to fly. (I have a light pilots licence, but drone flying scares the errr. Well you know!)
Anyway, thank you for welcoming me into your club
Paul.
Hi @Canon1960 and welcome to Grey Arrows 
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 & Answers category.
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Welcome once again!
It’s a Mini 3 Pro then 
So limiting nowadays.
Do you intend to to take any further ‘qualifications’ ?
Hi @Canon1960 and welcome to the club, you’ve picked the right place to join. Did you really mean your choice of drone is going to be above 250g? Not a problem if thats what you meant, there are plenty out there to choose from and a lot will come down to your budget. I don’t know much about +250g drones so I’ll not comment and leave it for the experts. If it was a typo and you meant sub 250g then dji mini 3 immediately springs to mind. You can fly it pretty much anywhere and the video/photo quality is superb. There are other brands out there too, like Autel, but I know nothing about them, again you’ll get others coming along soon with more info.
One last thing, you said you’ve got your operator ID? You’d be as well doing the flyer ID too. It’s free and takes 10 minutes. It doesn’t give you anything extra other than knowing you passed a test though.
Hi Paul - welcome to GADC 
As already recommended by @Sparkyws & @milkmanchris - a sub 250 gram drone is your best bet and if you want a smart controller then that makes it a Mini 3 Pro - its a great little drone you can fly almost anywhere 
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Hi. No, I am looking for a lot of stability in flight and from what I have read, heavier drones seem to deal with windier conditions better than sub 250 grams. I could be wrong.
I completed both.
Any qualifications that are available. I am open to ideas.
As far as the camera/video stability is concerned, this is provided by the gimbal … and you probably won’t notice any difference unless flying in limiting wind conditions.
The flexibility as to where you can fly, is substantial, and for that take a look at our Good-2-Go where you can specify your drone and location scenario to see the differences.
In general I think they are, but in saying that the mini2 and mini3 are surprisingly stable in the wind, especially for their size. I’ve had mine out in 40mph winds and managed to get clear photos. Admittedly I almost lost the mini2 and had to ditch in a field, then walk through a boggy mess to retrieve it 
If you’re planning on flying regularly in winds over 20mph then I suppose a bigger drone would be of benefit. For me personally, the benefits of being able to fly just about anywhere outweigh the benefit of being able to fly in the wind
Welcome Paul to GADC 
Personally I would go for the Mini 3 pro with rc controller (with screen).
This rarely has any wind issues from my experience. Plus you can fly it in many more locations.
If you go over 250g then you will need to perhaps look at doing the A2 CofC test or fly under Article 16 (both of which you can find topics for via the search above).
Whatever you decide, welcome to the wonderful world of drone flying.
Hi Paul, welcome from the Black Country.
Where are you based mate, you’re bound to be close to somebody who’ll help?
How much do you want to spend (time and money)?
Do you want new or “pre-loved”?
I think there’s a full selection of DJI drones owned by members on here, so all you’ve got to do is ask and there’ll be somebody that will let you have a try. If you’re by the West Mids, you can try my Mini 3 Pro, or Air 2 S, or Mavic 2, but we’re nice guys, so just ask.
John