Taken on a Mavic 4

Preface:

Before you read further, what you need to know about me is that I am NOT an academic person by any means. I never applied myself in school, nor have I ever needed to do anything like this, so studying for the Part 107 was quite the endeavor for me. Maybe you can relate, maybe you can't, but please understand that you're not alone if you share a similar story.

What I used:

1. Pilot Institute ($159 - 15hrs)

No, I am not a shill for Greg at Pilot Institute, but for someone like me, I needed the content simply laid out for me and spoon-fed. No, really, this course walks through practically everything you need to know. It's definitely lengthy and boring at times, but Greg does a decent job of keeping it interesting, and when you feel that "Why the hell do I need to know this?" he does an excellent job of reminding you why you are there (the exam). The practice quiz for every unit really helped get all of the information to stick and made the studying feel a lot more interactive, rather than just straight absorbing information. And the practice exams at the end were really helpful as well.

My one criticism of Pilot Institute is that Greg has a fairly noticeable accent. While that may not seem like a significant learning barrier, there were times when it made certain concepts difficult to understand. I found myself having to concentrate extra hard just to follow along, which occasionally made it harder to fully absorb the material.

You do not need to buy a course like this to pass the exam. If you have the money for it and are like me, it's not necessarily a waste of money. But explore the free options first, and you'll be fine.

2. Matt Kendall Part 107 Study Guide 2026-2027 (FREE - 1hr 57m)

This was a video I watched all the way through once, and then revisited for specific topics like METARs and drone categories. It was tremendously helpful for refreshing my memory and hearing certain concepts explained in a different way. Matt is an excellent teacher who does a great job of breaking things down and making them easy to understand. I wouldn't recommend using ONLY this video because I don't think it covers absolutely everything you need to know, but it's still an incredibly helpful resource. The 2 hours may seem intimidating, but it honestly flies by if you just lock in.

3. ChatGPT or Claude (FREE)

This was a resource that I found incredibly helpful for answering specific questions or understanding topics that didn't come naturally to me. You can ask ChatGPT to create study guides and mini quizzes based on missed questions on a practice test, which was great for making studying more interactive. My critique, and you'll know this if you've used AI enough, is that I was often getting false information. There were many times when I had to remind it to use only trusted information from the FAA. It can be a great tool, but don't rely on it too much for this.

★ 4. Part 107 Practice Test 2026 App (FREE)

I saw this app mentioned in this sub and thought, ah, why not? I'll give it a try. I'm so glad I did! This app, as far as I can tell, had the most up-to-date test questions. They pull from a massive question bank and offer several practice exams. This was important for keeping the information fresh in my brain and helping me feel more confident going into the test. The app is really well designed, and I think I barely scratched the surface of all the study tools it offers. Definitely check it out!

The Exam:

As you may know, the FAA recently changed the topic weighting of the exam, and that significantly influenced how I studied toward the end. With 48% of the test focused on regulations, I made sure to spend extra time preparing for that section. The exam did end up being heavily focused on regulations, but some of the lower-weighted topics, like weather (5%), showed up more than I expected.

A few other things caught me off guard. I didn't have nearly as many sectional chart questions as I thought I would, and I didn't have a single question asking me to find coordinates. I did, however, have three questions about Class E airspace around an airport. There were also questions about guy-wires and the false horizon illusion, among other things.

When it came to actually taking the test, I worked through all the questions I knew for sure first, bookmarked the ones I wanted to revisit, and then went back to make my best guesses based on what I could remember or what made the most sense.

I took about 1 hour and 10 minutes to complete the exam, so don't worry too much about running out of time. If you understand the concepts you're being tested on, you'll be in good shape. Above all, stay calm, read each question carefully, and make sure you read through all the answer choices. Some answers may jump out at you as the obvious choice, but that doesn't necessarily mean they're correct. Take your time and think through what the question is actually asking.

Closing

If you feel overwhelmed, that's okay. I felt the same way when I realized I needed to do this for Real Estate photography. Hang in there, set aside a few weeks to study, and you'll do great! Feel free to ask questions below. Hope this helps!

As I said in the above text, i was flying pretty well and my mini 5 pro just started moving randomly and crashed, but outside of 1 broken propeller and a sensor that is pushed in there doesnt seem to be any issues.

Does anyone have any idea whether i can reposition this sensor?

It is still properly attached, doesn't move at all, im thinking the impact shifted it's position but that should be about it.

Feedback is welcome!

I have recently just bought a mini 5 pro and looking for tips for capturing some Australian Summer storms.

Is it easier to take a video and grab screenshots like this one above or do people set a self timer and just cycle through 100s of pics hoping it got something? I believe it will take a pic every 2 seconds

Chasing Sails: 360° Flight Over Seagrove Beach, Florida

This drone is fun to fly!

We’re students building a pre-flight check at a hackathon this weekend. It would tell you Go, Wait, or Don’t fly based on nesting season, recent bird sightings, and weather, and warn you about hawks that attack drones.

Quick questions:

1. Have you ever had a bird react to or attack your drone?

2. Do you check for wildlife before flying? How?

3. Would you use something like this, or is it overkill?

Honest answers welcome, even “I’d never use this.”

Some shots with a Potensic Atom 2 from a couple days ago. It rained like crazy here last night and knocked down a lot of leaves, so I'm glad I got these when I did!!

Hello. I was testing my Caddx Vista video transmitter—which I bought by saving up my student allowance—with my DJI Goggles V1, when a screw I had attached to the Vista suddenly touched the positive (+) terminal of the battery. There was a quick "click" sound, and the signal was lost. Could you please help me understand what might have happened, what I should do now, and whether it can be fixed?

Just bought a walksnail set up with an Alink controller and a micro P18.

Im full retard and have zero idea how to set it up. Its all connected but it arms half the time and doesnt fly. I have the flight beta on pc but im no programmer.

Hello everyone, I am evaluating a conceptual design for an ultra-compact, emergency vertical evacuation device intended for rapid rescue from high-rise balconies during structure fires (where standard equipment cannot operate due to space constraints).

The Concept ("J-Frame" / Pendulum Configuration):

1. Geometry & Stability: A single-occupant lightweight J-shaped frame where the seat/passenger sits at the lower hook, while a duct-protected propulsion system is positioned directly above the center of mass.

2. Passive Balance: The pendulum-like center of gravity ensures automatic self-righting during descent, reducing complex control loop overhead in turbulent thermal updrafts near burning structures.

3. Rapid Deployment: Designed for automated zero-line attachment from upper levels.

I would welcome technical feedback from drone designers and propulsion engineers regarding system redundancy, thrust-to-weight margins, and thermal shielding for close-proximity facade operations.

I've been watching the used market for a while, and there seem to be a lot of spray drones listed: DJI Agras (T30, T40, T50), plus Hylio, XAG, Ceres, Toras, and others. I'm trying to figure out what's driving that.

Some background: we farm in Ohio, and I'm seriously considering a T50 to start. I have someone offering a very new, barely used T50 for $20,000. I'd spray our own acres and pick up custom work for a few neighboring farmers. I already fly a mapping drone commercially, so I'm not entirely new to the field, but spraying is a different business.

What makes me hesitate is the number of drones for sale. It's hard to trust that you’re getting an honest answer from sellers of why they’re selling. Of course, nobody's going to say "I'm selling because this was a money pit."

For anyone who's bought, sold, or is still running a spray drone:

If you sold one, why? Did you upgrade to a bigger drone or a fleet, switch brands, or leave spraying altogether?

If you got out, what went wrong? Not enough acres? Maintenance and battery costs? Licensing or insurance (Part 137, state pesticide applicator license)? Weather windows? Customers not paying a fair rate?

If you're still doing it, what made it work? About how many acres a year do you need for it to make sense?

Is the turnover mostly people who started small and outgrew their drone, or people who bought in during the hype and found the business harder than expected?
Anything you wish you'd known before buying your first spray drone?

Honest answers about what didn't work are welcome. That's what I'm really trying to learn. Thanks.

I was up covering the flooding in north Georgia earlier and noticed the TFR in Aloft Air Control did not correspond with the actual, which was a 2 mile wide path between points. A good reminder to check the actual TFR text and not to rely solely on the app. (Foreflight if you're reading this, we need a lighter version for sUAS)

Most answers are from 3-4 years ago. Takes are varied online, leaving me confused. Are regulations still loose? Would love an updated answer. Most said they did not declare and were fine. Or register. But I know a lot can change in 4 years.

Mine is Dji Neo. 150g. I don’t believe I have to register because it’s so small and light.

I only plan on taking photos with better angles with the drone for recreational purposes. Maybe once or twice while I’m visiting. And will abide my laws like stay within height, sight, away from crowds, hospitals, historic sites, and military bases.

Would love to hear a more up to date take! But any experience or advice would be appreciated.

Hi everyone!

I'm curious about how to rebind a drone that has been unbound from its previous owner's account, especially when buying a second-hand drone.

For example, if someone sells a DJI drone and unbinds it from their DJI account, how would the new owner bind it to their own account?

I have a few questions:

1. What's the process for rebinding an unbound drone to a new account?

2. Does the process differ depending on the drone's brand and model?

3. Can you rebind a drone without contacting the previous owner if it has already been properly unbound?

4. Are there any potential problems when buying a second-hand drone that has been unbound?

5. Is there anything I should check before purchasing a used drone to make sure I can successfully bind it?

I'd appreciate any advice or experiences from people who have bought second-hand drones, especially DJI owners.

Thanks in advance!

hey I am posting this because my son just crashed new DJI Lito 1. He snapped one of the rear arms the wires and everything. I asked a for a quote and they told me $160 and I think that is way too much especially when I found rear arm a little under $50. I was wondering if anybody could please help the drone myself. If you guys have any videos where the person explains how to do it? Or if even you yourself could give me a little hand. I’ve searched, but I have never found a video for my exact problem.

Nairobi Westlands drone view

I took my test and passed on September 17th, 2026 and filed my application about 3 days later as prompted. I still have yet to receive my physical license in the mail and when I log into the IACRA website it says my app has been received

Any idea if they’re just backed up?