Me and My Drone: A Modern Day Love Story
The year is 1998 and I run down the stairs on Christmas morning full of excitement at what awaits. To my surprise Santa has done it again and there sits a box with the word “Scalextric” emblazoned across it with a lightning bolt. It’s everything I’d ever wanted and within minutes I have the cars whizzing on the tracks and my parents can’t believe how a little piece of technology can bring me so much joy. Everyone has a fond memory of a classic toy or popular gadget that brought us joy when we were children. Whether it was a Tamagotchi or a Gameboy, the excitement of getting it followed by the thrill of endlessly playing with it sticks with us long after we’ve grown up.
Exactly 20 years on and I felt that same giddy excitement when I came down the stairs to a delivery of my DJI Mavic Air Drone. For anyone who hasn’t watched a documentary, seen a promo video online or read the headlines about flight disruptions, drones for photography and video have become massively popular in the last two years. As I work in social media and love producing videos, I was able to convince myself that shelling out the guts of a grand for one would be a worthwhile “investment”. The real reason I bought it however was because much like that Scalextric ad from the 90s, DJI and online content creators were publishing ads and other videos that got me hook, line and sinker.
The idea of flying one of these things from your phone 100 feet in the air capturing mountains, rivers and wherever else I could think of (bar the airport) in HD was just too good to ignore. I deserved it and I was going to get one. In the interim years though I had in many ways grown up. I was no longer that carefree child so when I opened the box this time the fear of sending it into the canal on it’s maiden flight was too much for me. Imagine the shame of telling people that you’d just taken 800 blips for a drink and all that slick footage you’d promised would never come to be.
Maybe like my Dad, who at 60 bought a motorbike only for it now to lie idle in the garden ever since, the gratifying feeling of just finally having it was all I really wanted. Maybe a toy helicopter that takes pictures isn’t really compatible with the life of a 26 year old? So there it sat in my wardrobe gathering dust for over two months before I watched enough Youtube tutorials to get the courage to take it out and properly set it up. If you’ve been following my social media pages recently, then you’re probably aware that I’ve been making up for it ever since.
So was it worth the investment? For me one hundred percent yes! It’s the coolest thing I’ve ever owned and I don’t know if that makes me sad or not but it genuinely is. I can only speak for my particular drone but it’s also incredibly easy to fly. The joystick connects to your phone and gives you a live feed of what the camera on the drone sees as well as a map of your surroundings. Within minutes of using it you’re able to navigate your way around without any real issues. The propellers are so strong that even in light winds the footage you get from it is smooth and sharp.
The best part about the drone is that it’s packed with magic little tech features that work brilliantly and I have no idea how. When you’re in-flight it has features that ensure nothing goes horribly wrong. It has automatic obstacle avoidance if you get too close to trees, walls or fly into restricted airspace. If it’s running low on battery the display on your phone will alert you but if this gets lower than 10% the drone disconnects from the controller and flies itself back to the point where you set it off from. The same occurs if it loses signal with your phone for any reason or encounters bad interference from weather or birds etc. It’s like flying your own personal UFO!
My life now consists of planning half days, weekends, holidays, drives and sunsets around what kind of drone shots I could get. This year was the first year where I actually took part in the “isn’t that a grand stretch in the evenings” conversation with enthusiasm because it was an excuse to mention that it would enable my new found drone addiction. I’m finding that having a drone is a bit like being a Vegan, you just have to tell everyone about it. There’s no conversation that can’t be in some way brought back to me having a drone. “Any plans for the weekend?”, “eh yeah I think I’m gonna take my drone to…”
You know those people who push their “adorable” pictures of their kids, nieces or nephews on you during your lunch break, a night out or any chance they can get? I do that with drone stuff now. My girlfriend is also acutely aware that she plays second fiddle to a gadget that is really just a metaphor for me flying away from the responsibilities that come with adulthood. Whenever I’m out with the drone, I get that same feeling of magic I got watching those cars whip by as a 6 year old. Unlike Scalextric though, the novelty didn’t wear off after two weeks. The future is bright for me and my drone as we will no doubt take our relationship to...new heights!
If you’re looking to “elevate” your own brand’s marketing efforts, then get in touch and we can have a chat. You can also follow me on my Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to keep up with all of my drone based activities.