so i just got a mini 3 pro for christmas and ive been reading all these different things online about registering with the FAA and honestly im more confused than when i started. like some sites say you have to register if its over 250g and some say theres exceptions for recreational use and i dont even know what recreational use officially means according to them

my backyard is pretty big, maybe half an acre, and i just want to fly around and maybe get some footage of my property. do i actually need to do anything before i fly or can i just go for it? also i live in ohio if that matters at all

okay so the 250g thing is real - if your drone is at or under 250g you technically dont need to register with the FAA, but the mini 3 pro is just barely over that so yeah you do need to. its like $5 and takes maybe 10 minutes on the FAA DroneZone website. you get a number you have to put on the drone somewhere visible

for recreational flying which is basically just flying for fun and not getting paid for it, you also need to follow the community based safety guidelines which for most people means FRIA authorization or flying under 400ft, staying away from airports and controlled airspace, keeping it in line of sight etc. your backyard is probably fine as long as youre not near an airport or anything. ohio doesnt have any crazy state-specific rules that i know of beyond the federal stuff but always worth checking your local city ordinances too because some cities have added their own restrictions

honestly just download the B4UFLY app from the FAA before you go out. it'll show you if youre in controlled airspace or near any no fly zones. ive been flying for like 3 years and i use it every single time just out of habit at this point. your backyard sounds fine but better to check than get a knock on the door