so i finally did the Iceland trip ive been planning for like two years and brought the mini 4 pro along. overall amazing but there were a few things that caught me off guard that i wish id known before showing up.

first the wind is absolutely no joke. like i knew it was windy there but i didnt realize how fast it changes. one minute its totally calm and then out of nowhere youre fighting to get the drone back. lost about 40% battery just holding position a couple times near Kirkjufell.

second thing — a lot of the really photogenic spots are inside protected nature reserves and you technically need permits. i did my research but still got flagged down by a park warden near the south coast who wanted to see my paperwork. have it printed, not just on your phone, that saved me.

other than that honestly one of the best places ive ever flown. the light at golden hour lasts like 4 hours in summer which is just insane for getting shots.

the wind thing is so real. i went in march and nearly lost my air 2s near vik, just came out of nowhere and the drone was just drifting sideways faster than i could correct. ended up landing on a random lava rock and walking to get it lol. also didnt know about the permit stuff, good to know for next time

printed paperwork is genuinely underrated advice for any country not just Iceland. ive been hassled in places where showing a PDF on screen just wasnt cutting it for whoever stopped me. some wardens or officials just want something tangible they can look at and hand back to you. also the golden hour thing — yeah its basically cheating for aerial photography, every frame looks like a postcard without even trying.