so i finally did the trip ive been planning for like two years, drove out to arizona with the mini 3 pro and honestly it was incredible but also way more complicated than i expected with the airspace stuff

the actual canyon is a national park so you absolutely cannot fly there, like at all, not even a little bit. i knew this going in but what i didnt realize is how much of the surrounding area is also restricted. i had to drive like 20-30 mins out to find a spot that wasnt flagged in the b4ufly app and even then i was a little nervous about it

the shots i got from the rim area (outside the park obviously) were still pretty insane though. morning light around 6am was just stupid good. if anyones planning something similar just do your homework on the airspace before you go, dont just assume youre good because youre not technically in the park

yeah the national park thing catches so many people off guard. same thing happened to me near yellowstone, i just assumed id find somewhere nearby but almost everything is either the park itself or some other federal land with its own rules. ended up getting some decent shots but had to drive way further than planned

also the b4ufly app is fine but i usually double check with airmap too just to be safe, sometimes they show different things and id rather spend 5 extra minutes confirming than deal with any drama out there

wait so you cant fly anywhere near the canyon at all? i was literally just looking at planning a trip there. thats kind of a bummer but good to know before i haul all my gear out there i guess