Is the Drone Hobby Dying, Surviving, or Thriving? My Honest Take While Flying the DJI Neo 2

Hi everyone! So, I realized over the past eight years I’ve done a lot of videos — like almost 400 videos on drone tutorials, comparisons, reviewing all kinds of products related to drones, things like that. But I’ve never actually just gone out and flown my drone for fun and taken you guys along with me for the ride. I’ve never done that before. So I’m going to do that today. I’m going to fly the DJI Neo 2, and while I’m flying I want to talk about a few things.

I want to know your opinion as well: do you guys think the hobby of drones is thriving, surviving, or is it dying? There are a lot of different opinions out there. A lot of people think it’s on the way out. A lot of people think it’s still going strong. I’m going to share what I think is going on — and I’ll tell you right up front, I don’t think it’s dying. It’s definitely not the same as it used to be, but I have some opinions. Feel free to comment what you think, because I know there are a lot of different takes out there about where this hobby is going, all the rules and regulations, things like that.

The Golden Age of Drones and What Changed

Back in 2017 when I bought the Mavic Pro — that was my first drone — I remember drones were so huge. People were so excited, everybody wanted one. It was just after the Phantom 4 came out and people were starting to see aerial footage, and they were just so amazed by what you could capture from the sky. No longer did you have to go up in a helicopter or an airplane. You could just spend a thousand bucks and experience flying and see what your world looks like from above.

There was such big hype for like two or three years. A lot of people bought the Mavic Pro, then the Mavic Air, the Spark — that was the golden age of drones. And since that time there’s been a lot of improvements: spec improvements, image quality, obstacle avoidance, signal strength, things like that. But I think the experience of flying a drone hadn’t really gotten better — until just recently. The specs and quality and capabilities increased significantly, like look at what the Mavic 4 Pro can do, but the experience was kind of left out there. Nobody really focused on it until the Avata came out.

Why I Got Bored — and What Brought Back the Excitement

I have to admit, there was a period of almost a year where I was just bored flying drones. I liked making videos, I liked showing you guys all about them — the YouTube part was fun. But just going out to fly? It wasn’t as fun for me anymore. It just got dry.

Then the Avata came along and it changed everything for me, you guys. Because it didn’t focus on the specs — it focused on the experience. And I think that’s what’s keeping the world of drones alive, and what’s going to move things forward into the future. The experience of flight is going to be the focus now, especially with these more affordable, smaller drones like the Neo 2. This drone is so amazing. If somebody wants to get their first drone, 100% this is the one I recommend.

Flying FPV is another thing that has pushed us into this new experience. Yes, we’ve been flying FPV drones for a long time, but this is different — this is GPS FPV mode. You don’t have to learn how to fly acro or manual. You don’t have to worry about crashing your drone. You can still experience this immersive flight, and with a motion controller it feels like you’re actually flying. Those things are what make it so exciting, and that’s what’s going to continue to grow this hobby.

The Market Is Changing — and That’s Okay

I don’t think the hobby is dying, but I don’t think it’s thriving either. I think we’re surviving, and I think it’s just a changed market. Things are just not like they used to be, and that’s a little bit scary. But with how big social media is right now and people wanting to post things online, I think that’s a huge part of the growth of drones. The sub-250 gram market just continues to grow and get bigger, and I think we’re going to see more and more of that.

We’re not going to be seeing as much of the $4,000 drones, but we’re going to see a lot of these $500–$700 drones that appeal to a larger, wider group of people. Overall, I think the immersive flight experience is what’s going to carry us into the future.

Looking Ahead: The DJI Avata 360 and What’s Coming

I hope we see more 360 drones. Of course, there is one coming very soon — the DJI Avata 360. I’m looking forward to that. I’m going to get one. I have to buy it, since I’m not being sent DJI drones anymore, so I have to buy them just like you guys. The pricing looks unbelievable — we’re talking under $1,000, which is pretty incredible if it’s true.

I also think the Avata 360 is going to help force the market and start pushing prices down across the board. When competition comes in like that it really corrects itself. A lot of people complained about the Avata’s price, but not me — for what it offers, I think it’s great, and I really think we’re going to see some price drops there too.

Get Out and Fly — Don’t Overthink It

Do I think this hobby is eventually going to fade away with all the rules and regulations? I don’t think so. I think this hobby is just so much fun that it’s going to continue to grow — not at the rate it did five or six years ago when it was just exploding, but we’re going to keep moving forward. And I’m excited for it. I’m not going anywhere, you guys. I love flying and I love teaching. I love showing you guys things and how they work.

So go out and fly your drone for fun. The weather’s starting to get nice, the snow’s going away, temperatures are getting better. Go out, have fun, don’t worry about the specs. Just go out and get a rush and enjoy yourself.

Thanks for watching everyone. Have a great day and as always, fly safe and fly smart.

This article is based on a video by Russ from 51 Drones. You can find more of his work on his DroneXL author page.