How I Gained Perspective from Learning to Fly Drones

The birds are chirping, and a gentle breeze creates a rustling noise as it blows against the leaves of the single lonely tree standing in the middle of the empty field. On the other side of the field, the soft outdoor noises are suddenly interrupted by the buzzing sound of my drone taking off. As it gains altitude, I fly the drone over nearby trees and test out its controls before flying the drone off into the distance. Take-offs like this are now routine for me, but 2 years ago, I never would have thought an ordinary teen like me would become a licensed drone pilot and be able to develop a whole new skill and use it for the benefit of others. 

Like the lonely tree standing in the field,  I felt isolated and alone from friends during the many months of the pandemic. As I spent my days looking up at the mundane blue walls of my bedroom, I wondered if there was anything I could do to revitalize my life and alleviate my boredom.

The repetitive cycle of eating, going to my online classes, working out, finishing homework, and sleeping was not how I wanted to spend my grade 9 year. Then came the opportunity to attend a drone ground school that a local business, Altohelix, offered to my air cadet squadron. With the encouragement of my parents and the chance to break out of my daily monotonous cycle, I decided to jump on this opportunity with the prospect of eventually attaining my Basic Operations Drone Pilot License. I enthusiastically signed up on the squadron website and waited for things to start.

As I joined my first class meeting, I discovered that the instructor from Altohelix was also an officer in my squadron, Major Li. He introduced us to the general course content and demonstrated drone flying basics using the DJI Flight Simulator. I was instantly captivated by the abilities of the drone and the idea of being able to get a bird's eye view of subjects on the ground without the use of a manned plane. I came out of the introduction session eager and excited to work towards my new goal.

The following several classes were certainly not easy, and topics such as meteorology, air law, and navigation seemed like they were being covered at the speed of light. I struggled to write down all the necessary notes. Feeling discouraged, I almost decided to stop attending the classes, but something clicked inside of my brain and reminded me of why I signed up for this course in the first place. It was for a goal and a way to make a difference. With this new encouragement and light at the end of the tunnel, I picked myself up and attended the remaining classes.

By March, it was nearly the examination date, and as I looked through all my notes, I counted over 30 pages of notes I had to memorize. It all seemed daunting, but without much choice, I started studying my notes page by page, dedicating each day of that week to one lesson. Air Laws were the first topic I decided to review during that class, and after popping in some guitar music, I started studying.

After a week of hard work, I was ready for the exam. On the morning of April 3, 2021, I logged onto the Transport Canada website and started the examination. As I looked through all 35 questions and the limited time I had left, I started stressing out and hurried through some more complex questions. After a quick check, I cut it close and submitted the exam right before the hour and a half mark. After receiving my results, I jumped out of my chair with excitement as I had just discovered that I had passed and obtained my license. 

With my goal achieved and my mind satisfied, I thought my journey with drones would be finished. But, what was the point of this effort if I did not make a difference in the world and other people's lives in the end? With this in mind, I realized I would definitely be flying drones for a while longer and looked for ways to help my squadron through the use of drones. 

In October 2021, Major Li asked if I could help him film a video for our squadron’s Fall Field Training Exercise with prosumer drones provided by Altohelix. Immediately, I knew that this was the moment I was waiting for, an opportunity to help out the squadron and ultimately impact the lives of others in a unique way. That day, Major Li and I filmed multiple clips of cadets performing various aircrew survival activities, including creating a fire, the construction of a shelter, team building activities, and knot tying. Traditionally, these shots would have been filmed on the ground, but a unique perspective was provided with drones and subsequently produced some extraordinary-looking clips.

After that awesome day out in the field, I came back home and pieced together the video shot by shot while joining and clipping the images to fit perfectly together like a jigsaw puzzle. After careful video editing consisting of transitions and sequencing, I handed it off to Major Li for review. He gave it to our squadron's cadet correspondents to post on social media to share the Field Training Exercise with the public. The video showed them a unique perspective of the benefits of joining the Cadets Program. 

The magic about drone videography is that it can capture a different point of view, something that if the average Canadian had observed from the field, they would not have been able to see. If the ability to capture cinematic footage and breathtaking drone shots could improve public relations with the community for my cadet squadron, I realized I could do more for my squadron and Canadians. To achieve this, I want to eventually buy a drone of my own and go out during the long weekends with my dad and film drone videos of the beautiful Canadian outdoors that can be seen in many provincial and national parks around Canada. My goal is to edit and share these videos on social media to inspire others to explore the Canadian wilderness right outside their doorstep. 

What started as a way to beat boredom has become a hobby. But it's become even more than that for me. It's a way to impact other people's lives with just one skill. When I think of my family and friends, we all did different things to pass the time during the pandemic, like learning guitar or how to knit a scarf. But now, as we return to normal, we can put these skills to use, maybe entertaining residents at a long-term care facility or donating to a clothing bank. There are many other ways one can use their skills to help others, and I sincerely hope that my story with drones will encourage people to reach new heights and take what we have learned over the past two years and make a difference.