ok so i finally went to one of those local drone meetup things, theres a group that gathers at this park outside town every few weeks. i was kind of nervous because im still pretty new and only have my mini 3 but honestly everyone was super welcoming. there was this one guy who had like six different quads in a pelican case and spent most of the morning just letting people try them which was insane. didnt even know people did that. the only weird part was there was a bit of drama about someone flying too close to the spectators and the organizer had to step in but it blew over pretty quick. overall way better than just reading about this stuff online, i could see peoples actual flying style and ask dumb questions without getting roasted

that guy with the pelican case sounds like every experienced pilot ive ever met at these things. they always want to share. glad you had a good time, the first one is always a little intimidating but it gets easier

the close flying thing happens at almost every meetup at some point honestly. its always someone who either doesnt realize or just doesnt care and then it makes everyone else look bad. organizers have a tough job keeping things smooth especially when theres random people watching