been flying for about two years now and i still go back and forth on landing pads. sometimes i use mine, sometimes i leave it home. curious what other people actually think about them in practice, not just in theory

i have one of the freewell ones, the kind that folds up into a little disc shape, and its honestly not that annoying to carry but i find myself skipping it more often than not, especially when im already carrying a lot of gear. mostly i just find a clean flat rock or patch of grass and call it good. the main times i actually use the pad are dusty environments because i know the sensors dont love getting blasted with dirt on takeoff

also randomly ? does anyone use those velcro prop straps or do you just let the props hang loose in the case? my buddy thinks the straps are pointless but i feel like they have to reduce wear on the prop hinges over time at least a little bit

the landing pad question is one of those things where once you have a close call you become a believer real fast. i was flying at a beach last summer, just launched off the sand thinking it was no big deal, and the motors sucked up so much fine sand on takeoff it was making a weird grinding noise by the time i landed. nothing broke thankfully but i was paranoid about it for weeks. now the pad lives in my bag pretty much always, its small enough that its not worth debating

on the prop straps ? yeah i use them, mostly habit from when i had a mavic 2 and the props would get slightly bent from flopping around. probably less of an issue with the mini 3 props since they fold differently but i still do it anyway

honestly i thought landing pads were kind of a gimmick until i started doing more real estate work and clients are watching you land in their driveway. having the pad just looks more professional and keeps stuff off the ground. for recreational flying i probably wouldnt bother but it depends what youre doing i guess

prop straps i stopped using because i kept forgetting to take them off before flight and that is not a fun moment when you realize what just happened lol