ok not totally regretted but it added a lot of stress i wasnt expecting. drove through like 4 states over 2 weeks, had the mavic in the back seat the whole time. the problem is every place i actually wanted to fly ended up being a national park or had some kind of restriction i didnt know about until i got there. grand canyon, zion, bryce canyon, all completely off limits. i knew national parks were a thing but i didnt realize how many of the cool overlooks and scenic areas are technically inside park boundaries.

the spots i did get to fly were honestly amazing though. some random pull off in utah with nobody around and just red rock everywhere, thats the stuff. think next time im just gonna do more research before i commit to specific locations instead of just hoping itll work out.

yeah national parks in the US are basically a dead zone for drones, its been that way for a while now. the trick i use is just checking airspace apps before i even plan the stops. B4UFLY or just looking at the DJI map before i leave. some of the state parks right next to the national ones have way less restrictions and honestly sometimes the views are just as good without the crowds.

that utah random pulloff shot sounds sick though, sometimes the unplanned stuff ends up being the best footage. ive had so many trips where the location i was hyped about was whatever and then some nothing spot on the way back was incredible. the research thing is real but also dont stress it too much, just have the app on your phone and check when you arrive somewhere new