Morning Achievements: 4th consecutive sea dip! 🎉
Afternoon Drama: One missing drone 🚁
The Morning Start 🌅
Hmm… maybe I should have stayed in bed after all. But let me explain how my day went from a triumphant morning dip to a drone-hunting adventure.
After eventually crawling out of bed for my fourth consecutive sea dip (yes, still keeping up the streak! 🎉), I was eager to complete filming for my HOVERAir X1 PROMAX vs. DJI Neo review. Armed with my drones and extra batteries, I hopped on my Specialized Mountain bike and headed out.
Quick aside about bikes: I have quite the collection – one for every occasion! Though I could really use a dedicated gravel bike… but that’s a story for another day! 😆
The Test Setup 📋
I chose the perfect beach for drone testing – one of the many gorgeous spots practically on my doorstep. Almost as numerous as my bike collection, but not quite! 😊
The conditions:
- Wind speed: 20 mph
- Gusts: Over 30 mph 😬
- Beach status: Gloriously empty
The Drama Unfolds 🎭
The real test came during one of the trickier maneuvers – the wide orbit test. This involves programming the drones to fly in a circular path around you. I launched both:
- The HOVERAir X1 PROMAX (quite a mouthful, isn’t it? 😆)
- The DJI Neo
I could see the Neo struggling against the powerful gusts (I do these extreme tests so you don’t have to! 😊). I looked away for just a few seconds to check on the PROMAX’s progress, and then… silence. The dreaded silence of a missing Neo.
The Hunt for Lost in October 🔍
What followed was a two hour-long search mission. The white Neo could easily blend in with the beach rocks and pebbles, but surely it couldn’t have gone far?
I searched:
- Far and wide
- High and low
- Between rocks
- Among pebbles
Note to self: Always film studio shots BEFORE field testing 🤦🏾♂️
The Silver Lining ✨
On the bright side:
- DJI’s excellent insurance policy (thank goodness I opted in!)
- I can submit a “Flyaway Application”
- A heavily discounted replacement is possible
The Moral of the Story 📝
Well… perhaps there are several:
- Don’t fly multiple drones simultaneously
- Keep your eyes on your drone at all times
- Always opt for drone insurance
- Maybe sometimes staying in bed isn’t such a bad idea after all? 😜
Now it’s back to work – this review won’t write itself! Stay tuned for the full drone comparison review (minus some Neo footage, for obvious reasons 😅) and updates on the replacement process.
P.S. Did I mention I have lots of bikes? 🚴🏾♂️
Share Your Adventure! 🗣️
Have you ever pushed something to its limits, knowing that disaster might strike? Maybe you’ve lost something that you swear was in a place where it should have been easily found?
Or am I alone in these “it seemed like a good idea at the time” moments? 😁
Drop a comment below – misery loves company, and I could use some reassurance that I’m not the only one who occasionally loses expensive flying objects! 🚁