I bought my first drone last summer. I was last in the cockpit of an airplane more than two years ago, and this seemed like the perfect hobby for me. Not only that, but I use my technical skills to proficiently operate the Small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS). Although I’m not up in the air, I get all the joy of maneuvering an aircraft.

I thought that I’d fly more often, but I haven’t. I went up to take pictures after the big snowfalls and even just goofing around in the backyard with the kids. There is a bit of effort required to get the right weather and the equipment pulled out, preflighted, and launched.

Flying for sport is fun, but the real magic happens when recording video and taking photos. There’s something about the shift in perspective that comes from a picture taken even at just 50’ above the surface.

I was sure to pack the drone on our trip to Lake Michigan this week. It was my first time flying out over the water, but my flight experience gave me confidence. On the first night at the beach, I stood on the deck of the beach house and flew the drone down the bluff and out over the lake to capture the sunset. That was cool.

The next day, we had the kayaks out. I went down to the beach, took precautions to avoid incursions with sand, and launched from the shore. I flew 12-18 inches above the surface, close enough to see the prop wash making ripples on the surface. I even managed to avoid controlled flight into terrain while getting some great action shots on the water.

Drone technology is really cool, enabling pilots of all proficiencies to capture dramatic footage worthy of a motion picture. I’m glad that I made the investment. My summer film reels are spectacular!

The only problem is now I’m ready for a bigger drone with a better camera.