David

Yes, you can fly a drone near an airport with authorization, but only if you receive airspace approval through the FAA’s Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) system or by submitting a manual request through the FAA DroneZone. The old 5-mile notification rule was abolished in 2019, and the current system relies on airspace … Read more

Few things frustrate a drone pilot faster than pressing the takeoff button and watching the aircraft refuse to lift. You checked the map, confirmed you are not in a no-fly zone, and still nothing happens. I have run into this exact situation during field tests, and I can tell you it almost always traces back … Read more

If your drone battery looks puffy, bulged, or no longer sits flat, stop using it. Drone battery swelling is a clear warning sign that the lithium polymer cells inside are chemically breaking down, and a swollen battery can catch fire or even explode if you keep charging or flying with it. I’ve helped dozens of … Read more

Seeing a gimbal overload warning pop up on your drone app can stop your heart mid-flight. I have been there, watching a client shoot turn into a stressful diagnostic session because the DJI app flashed that dreaded message. The good news is that a gimbal overload warning is your drone telling you it caught a … Read more

Last weekend I lost 40 minutes on a launch field because my drone’s WiFi refused to show up on my phone. The controller was bound, the props spun, but the network just would not appear. After working through it (and chatting with our team about similar cases), I realized most drone WiFi pairing problems follow … Read more

If your DJI drone suddenly refuses to fly and shows DJI error 30064 “Unable to Take Off”, you’re not alone. I ran into this exact code last month while prepping a Mini 3 for a sunrise shoot, and it grounded me for almost an hour. The good news: this error is almost always a software … Read more

You set up in an open field, no power lines, no cars, no metal anywhere. Your DJI drone powers on, the app warms up, and then a compass error pops up anyway. I have been there more times than I can count, and I get the frustration. The good news is that the cause is … Read more

Last summer I packed my drone for a backcountry trip in the Colorado Rockies. Within ten minutes of launching at 11,200 feet, I learned more about mountain drone flying than any YouTube tutorial had ever taught me. The battery indicator dropped faster, the wind came from nowhere, and my GPS struggled to lock onto enough … Read more

When your drone connects to the controller but not the app, you still have a working RC-to-aircraft link, but no live video feed, telemetry, or camera control on your phone. I have run into this exact problem on my own DJI Mini 2 and on several Mavic units belonging to friends, and the good news … Read more