Drone Mapping and Selecting Your First UAS … err … UAV… err… drone… err

Ah yes, to drone or not to drone… Selecting one’s first drone errr UAV errr UAS can be a little daunting. Do you purchase from a local dealer who can guide and advise you and also hook you up with spare parts after an unexpected crash landing, or do you shop online and roll the dice? I’m scoping out a few options for a personal airborne sensor and wondering which route some of you folks are electing to go…

A nice first choice I’ve stumbled onto is the Blade 350 QX, a pretty basic device with some nice functionality including smart mode (detects obstructions and other problems), GPS, altimeter, stability mode, safe circle mode,  return home, and its GoPro compatible – another option is the somewhat comparable is the Phantom QuadCopter – both coming in around $500. These are both nice options for the recreational user, although if I had the budget I’d take a look at options from Trimble and JAVAD – WOW!

Do you fly? If so what’s your device of choice??