Again, imvho, there's a lot of crap reporting going on. This drone isnt some super dooper enhanced vehicle. The talk about massive or even extra batteries shows this up. The DJI Phantom uses a bespoke battery in a bespoke compartment. It gives around 20 to 30 flight time. Similarly, the larger drone photo platforms tend to have 6 or 8 motors.
The batteries might be wired in parallel to give longer duration but you hit the old 'speed of light' problem in that more batteries to give longer flight times result in more weight. Therefore, your flight times do not increase that much. The notion this drone is capable of flights lasting hours is just poor newspaper reporting.
As for why would people use a drone as a hobby, well many people ask the same of all forms of RC. 'Why do you play with a toy boat?' is just a different question but one many people who do not 'get' RC ask. Some people wanted to fly drones because they were seen as easier to fly than a traditional plane and certainly a heli. They were equipped with autonomous flight or at least self levelling if you mastered the art of take off \ landing.
From this has come the drone racing fratenity who, in the States, at least, enjoy tv coverage which can now be watched on sky.
I dont have any issues with the drone flyers per se. It is the divvies who flout the rules but then again, these are the same people you see driving through red traffic lights and parking on double yellows.
Sadly, I think it's going to mean further restrictions on those of us who fly, whether members of BMFA or not and are not part of a club. Ive already had someone call the police about me flying my heli on a public field. Fortunately, being in BMFA, always carrying my documentation and both explaining what I was doing and my flying, the cops were ok with it. But they still (2 of them) turned up in a car from Fleetwood nick to check on me. Try getting them round your gaff if you've had a break in and you start to realise the implications.
