Lee O’Sullivan, Drone Enthusiast
The Best Drone Info wants to provide you insights from drone experts, drone enthusiasts, and other relevant contributors. We hope you will find our interviews helpful in your own personal drone journey.
Q. What kind of drone do you own/pilot?
I am fortunate to own a DJI Phantom Vision 2+ – I bought in November 2014. Unfortunately not the best timing to buy a drone. It took nearly a week for the weather to be suitable for my first flight.
Q. Could you tell our readers a bit about your experience with drones?
I am very new to drones. As I said, I have only been flying since November 2014, but the DJI Phantom 2+ is so simple to fly, it felt like I had been flying for years after a month or so. I have been practicing flying without the aid of the built in GPS assisted flying.
Q. How did you get started in this space?
I decided to buy a DJI Phantom Vision 2+ after seeing a YouTube video. I think it was a video shot with one of the early DJI Phantoms. So by the time I had saved enough cash to buy my own drone, the Phantom Vision 2+ was released so I did not have to buy a separate camera and gimble to go with it. As it happens, the DJI Inspire 1 was launched the very same day that my Phantom arrive at my door. But looking at the price tag on the Inspire, I think I’ll be waiting a while before I upgrade.
Q. How do you see drone technology evolving over the course of the next 5-10 years?
There is a lot of talk about drones being used for deliveries of items, such as Amazon deliveries. I think this is merely a PR stunt. I don’t seriously think Amazon think they could pull that off. Certainly not in the next 10 years. Think how easy it would be for any criminal to just simply pluck a drone and its contents from the sky as it descends. Also GPS is not pinpoint, so the prospect of a drone landing outside your door with your latest copy of 50 Shades of Grey in unlikely.
I think there will be less reliance on the use of mobile devices. I think that the next generation of controllers will have built in monitors rather than hooking up to your mobile phone or tablet.
I don’t see drones getting lighter. I see them getting heavier and more weather proof. Manufacturer’s will realize that it is the weather that grounds most drones, so the company that can build a consumer drone for all weathers will have a winner.
Q. What questions should I have asked you about that you’d like to share your thoughts on?
I think this question should be regarding rules and regulations. I find it really frustrating as an amateur unlicensed drone hobbyist to see people disregarding the CAA rules and regulations about flying drones. We would all love to be able to fly where we want and how high we want, but thats just not safe or practical! There are many venues that I would like to get aerial footage of, which would make amazing videos/photos, but because I respect the rules and regs, I am not able to record them. i.e. I live in Canterbury, Kent. Home of the world heritage Canterbury Cathedral. It would be the dream location for anybody who flies a drome. But the area around the Cathedral is congested with builds and visitors. I get really frustrated when I see YouTube/Facebook videos of unlicensed people flying their drones over populated areas with no consideration for others.
I think the CAA have been quite liberal with the rules. They are not to constricting, but I fear that will change over time.
My web site : www.leeosullivan.com
Twitter #
