Every time I have flown my drone to take videos/photos of properties there are a ton of nerves and butterflies that I experience right off the bat. I think a lot of it is driven by adrenaline as there are a lot of thoughts that go into the process.
For example, the pre-planning involved has already prepared me to "chart out" my flights, and therefore I am thinking about ensuring that I am aware of my surroundings, ensuring that I've paid my hourly Verifly insurance (flight liability insurance), finding the appropriate take off and landing spots, positioning myself so that my visual line of sight isn't obstructed, taking into account sunlight and shadows, and so on! Wow that does seem like a lot doesn't it?
I think what drives the nerves is that everything is happening in real-time and the importance of capturing the right shots and perspectives, and knowing that you are limited in the opportunities to capture the right shots in a given day. Compounding all of this, is that there is typically a lot of activity going on around me, and novelty of a drone inevitably draws attention and eyeballs to where I am.
Some of the key takeaways that I implement in my flights are:
1. There is a strong need to focus on the tasks and order of operations at hand. Try to let all outside distractions become white noise to the flight itself.
2. Have a mindset of being flexible, so that if anything in the game plan changes (sudden changes in view, wind, etc. that may impact your flight), so that I can react quickly.
3. Know the contingency plans as to where to land.
4. Break up the process into multiple flights to avoid flying fatigue. You would be very surprised at how physically taxing it is to fly a drone for a longer period of time.
Needless to say, it's an exhilarating thrill, and a relief ultimately when the flight is successfully completed.....and I hope the butterflies never go away.