 So, you've peered into the insane world of FPV drones, and you've probably realized that there is a lot to learn. And I mean, a lot. This is exactly how I felt when I first started in 2019. I made a lot of mistakes. I still make mistakes that I wish I knew the answers to sooner. So here's a video I wish existed when I first started that will hopefully illuminate the path for you to come. My name is Kai, and these are some things I wish I knew when I first started with FPV drones. The first thing that you should know and consider ahead of time is the real cost of FPV. In order to learn how to fly safely and skillfully, it is going to require an investment of not only money, but also of time and energy as well. Financially, as of now, it's going to cost you around the ballpark of $1,500 to $2,000 to get a top-of-the-line FPV setup. This would include the goggles, controller, drone, batteries, charger, and action camera as well if you want that. And it's important to know that there are ways to smartly save money, which includes getting a controller first instead of buying a whole setup, and buying a simulator so you can practice in without breaking a bunch of real parts. On average, you can expect to practice at least a couple hours to a couple of weeks on the simulator practicing how to properly maneuver your drone, how to get it to roll and move in the way you consistently want it to. You can check out my FPV drone video for beginners here if you want to learn more after this video. Keep watching. Everything you should know when getting into FPV are the many rules. When we first start seeing FPV, everything just seems so limitless. But it isn't until we start doing our own research, learning from other pilots, and studying for our commercial license, if that's something that you want to do, that we start to realize just what it takes to be a responsible pilot. And these aren't just rules to know for convenience, they're rules we need to know in order to keep others safe and maintain longevity of the craft for everyone. And most of the time, a quick Google or chat GBT search will provide you the answers you need for most questions you may have. And if that doesn't help enough, this next point will be even more useful. When I was just starting FPV, I do remember how overwhelming things seemed at times. This was before the DJI FPV or VODs had been released, and I had no idea of any people in my area who knew how to build or fly FPV drones. The turning point was when I found a Facebook group for local drone pilots in my city. And I made a post asking if anyone would be willing to talk or even meet up. And to my rescue, a pilot named Adriel was kind enough to meet, show me his setups, and introduce me to his friends, which became my first FPV drone friends. This is the next thing I want you to be aware of when starting FPV. The power of community. Meeting and making friends with FPV pilots was beyond a doubt the most helpful thing for me. Being able to chat, see their equipment, and watch them work was the thing that accelerated my knowledge faster than anything else. This is why I'd highly encourage you to find a real life FPV pilot and try to speak with them. While this may not seem immediately possible for everyone, the chances are higher than ever today that you can find someone online through social media, groups, or even emailing. It may seem intimidating, but if you approach someone with respect for their time and their skill, there is a high chance that they will say yes. And bonus points if you can provide value in exchange, such as buying them food or coffee. Or maybe you have a skill that maybe you can teach them or give to them, such as making them a video for free, or making them some graphics. If you have something and you offer it first, then the chances of them wanting to give back exponentiates. This next tip is geared more towards those who are curious about taking FPV and drone to the professional level. It can be easy to assume that the top pilots are in their position because of their sheer skill level. In reality, this is probably only 50% true. Like many careers, your operating skill is only about half the battle. The other half is made up of your hidden skills. These are skills such as marketing. How good are you at getting your name out there? When people are looking for a solution, how do you show up as that solution? Professionalism, being able to show up on sets and be a pleasure to work with, talking to clients and to colleagues. And branding. How do you position yourself? How do you make yourself stand out from everyone else? For example, my flying is decent, but there are a lot of pilots out there that are way better than me at flying. But I'm still able to get work. And the reason I am is because I know how to showcase my work properly. I know how to attract and interface with clients, and I know how to provide them a valuable end product and experience. Honestly, there's so much to dive into here, so I can't fit it all into one video. But if you want to subscribe to my newsletter, it's where I get to talk about these things in depth. And you'll be able to learn things that you would not be able to in a seven minute YouTube video. So go ahead and click that link and subscribe if you want to supercharge your learning. With more and more content emerging, we can see that FPV has been growing at a rapid pace. And at some point down this journey, you may have wondered to yourself, is it too late for me to get in? First off, I can relate to the feeling. When I first started FPV, I was watching people like Johnny FPV, NERC, Van Over, Umagad, and Wondering to Myself. We already have our kings of FPV. What space is there left for me? Well, let's zoom out a little bit, and we're going to go into film major Kai for a second. Thinking about the first movies ever made, they were released in the late 1800s. Has the demand for video gone down yet? If anyone looks around, you can see the answer is clearly no. There are still filmmakers, there are new filmmakers coming out, there are content creators, filmmaking, and video is not dying. It is just blossoming, and it's over 200 years old. FPV, in comparison, has only really been around since the early 2010s. It's barely 10 years old. After starting in late 2019, I'm now doing this professionally, and I'm now making videos to teach you. FPV is still so new, there is still so much to learn, improve upon, and discover. So if you started today, imagine where you could be in just a couple of years. So if you are willing to pay the cost, learn the rules, find your community, and learn the skills, you will find yourself in a very small minority of people who have unlocked the skies and are creating one of the most innovative, bold forms of expression that we have to date. This has been Kai. Good luck, and I hope to see you soon. To the professional level. Oh jeez. Okay. I'm starting to freeze up. Okay.