The wind was blowing at a steady 20-30mph and there were light polls and trees everywhere.  I do not usually fly over in Kihei but I really wanted to get some skateboard footage along this sidewalk.  This was the perfect test before I go fly half a mile out over the water to film windsurfing.

It seemed to drift a bit when I first took off and seemed to really lock into position after I put the landing gear up.  You will see in the video how stable it is in such windy conditions, the palm tree footage should give you a pretty good idea of the type of winds that were going.  I am not sure the Phantom could handle this much wind this easily but because of the Inspires higher voltage, larger props, more powerful motors, and more aggressive flight software it did not have any issues.   Even when I went full stick into the wind it managed to get up to a respectable speed although it was obviously sluggish.  

So the goal of this test was to see if I could make a short video clip of my friend skating down this sidewalk along the beach in Kihei.  I also wanted to practice getting different angles from ground cameras on the ground to make the video a bit more interesting.  I ALSO wanted to start talking more in my videos because I think it makes them more useful and gives it more personality.  What do you guys think of all this?  Check out the video below and let me know!  

Conclusion?  Yea, it flies really well in the wind. 

My friend Chris (Aka Bonafide Hustla of YouTube fame) is here visiting.  He does some really cool editing and uses drone footage properly.  DroneAbove.com Pro Tip:  Take video from the ground as well, it will really make the aerial work stand out and also helps paint the story of what is actually going on.  This is something I talk about in my book on drone photography but often I do not do because... I get too excited about flying.  This video goes to show how cool multiple camera filming can be.  

Besides using multiple cameras, you can also study his editing.  Short, quick clips keep you engaged and entertained.  Unless something truly epic has happened, chop that footage into short 2-3 second bursts.  

Have you filmed something using multiple cameras from ground and air?  If so, post it in the comment section below so we can all study it.  

Drones are really cool, especially the DJI Inspire 1 but cool things seem to cost a lot of money.  One way to justify the purchase of one of these flying cameras is to start a business or side business to cover the cost.  If you have a family and a spouse, you might also need something to get your significant other to get excited about.  Cue the Family Reveal from a Drone shot!  

In case you are unsure how to make this shot, here is how I did it.  Fly as close as you safely can (the Inspire 1 is nice because it does not have a fish eye lens so we don't seem too far away), set the tilt and do not move it when you start, wave at the camera, pull back on the stick while adding altitude and fly backwards.  This will look awesome on cliffs, dramatic coast lines, and really anywhere with sprawling natural beauty.