In 2024, you may e book one (or extra) drone group holidays. What are drone group holidays, precisely? On this context, it’s mainly the final word journey expertise for drone pilots. You present up (in a wide ranging location, in fact) together with your drone, and somebody plans the remainder — all the best way down from the place you’ll keep and the way you get round. And sure, that even contains the place you may safely and legally fly your drone.
Your drone group holidays planner is Johan Vandenhecke, a Belgium-based, award-winning aerial photographer. For the previous few years, he’s made a profession out of hosted guided excursions with drone pilots in thoughts. Meaning you’re touring the world with like-minded folks (who’re prepared to cease on the aspect of the street and fly for the proper aerial shot, and who’re prepared to get up early to get that golden hour gentle).
Vandenhecke has simply revealed his lineup of 2024 drone group holidays, and it’s bought me able to e book airfare now. Actually, a few of these drone images journeys are so in style, they’ve already bought out. Right here’s the drone group trip lineup for the subsequent 12 months:
- March 2024 in South Africa: 5 days, 4 nights in a luxurious safari camp (bought out)
- April 2024 in Malta: 4 days, 3 nights in a luxurious villa
- Might 2024 in Azores, Portugal: 7 days, 6 nights in a luxurious villa
- August 2024 in Iceland: 6 days, 5 nights in a 4×4 campervan
- September 2024 in Mauritius: 7 days, 6 nights in a luxurious villa
- November 2024 in Socotra: 7 days, 6 nights in nomad tents
Among the journeys are mainly replicas of journeys Vandenhecke has hosted in 12 months’s previous. His journey to the island of Mauritius has been a perennial favourite, combining drone flying with out of doors adventures like sundown crusing, waterfall path mountain climbing and swimming with dolphins.
Different highlights embody a journey to the Azores, which is an archipelago composed of 9 volcanic islands within the Macaronesia area of the North Atlantic Ocean. Just like the Mauritius journey, that one’s a repeat of previous years — maybe unsurprising given how in style it’s been. In 2021, the group noticed a pod of 9 sperm whales, and in 2022 they noticed a blue whale passing by and a giant male sperm whale, who curiously meandered across the group’s boat for about 45 minutes.
Not all of the journeys are repeats although. For instance, new this 12 months is a drone safari journey in South Africa.
Oh, and if you happen to actually need to plan forward, Vandenhecke has one drone journey on the books to date for 2025. That’s a 6 day, 5 evening journey in June 2025 to Madeira, an archipelago within the North Atlantic Ocean that’s thought of an autonomous area of Portugal. And that one may simply be the final word spot for drone pilots, on condition that in 2020 it was named ‘Europe’s Main Island Vacation spot 2020’ on the World Journey Awards for its out of doors adventures.
Simply know that these journeys aren’t precisely nice if you happen to’re an extremely frugal traveler. For instance, the Azores journey begins at 2,500 euros, and that doesn’t embody airfare. Nevertheless it’s definitely value it for a lot of. In spite of everything, that covers a 7-day, all-inclusive keep, together with actions and luxurious lodging. You’ll additionally get highly-personalized consideration on condition that teams are deliberately small (for instance, that Azores journey is capped at six attendees).
What to find out about group journey chief Johan Vandenhecke
Johan Vandenhecke is probably going finest recognized on-line for his digital drone class referred to as Drone Adventurer Masterclass+ (which not coincidentally is The Drone Lady’s upcoming choose for the finest drone picture programs of 2024). He’s additionally written just a few free drone eBooks.
Most of his teachings focus on DJI drones. Vandenhecke himself first began flying drones on the DJI Mavic Air earlier than upgrading to the DJI Mavic 2 Professional (and onwards and upwards from there).
Apart from main drone group holidays, Vandenhecke works as a contract photographer. Provided that entrepreneurial background, anticipate to make use of the journey to achieve worthwhile enterprise abilities too. (Equally, his Drone Adventurer Masterclass+ on-line course covers not simply images, however enterprise recommendation like how one can work with manufacturers and how one can negotiate funds).
What different drone group holidays are on the market?
Vandenhecke’s drone picture journeys are the paradigm for drone holidays, however they’re definitely not the one ones.
Some have had combined success. At one level, the New York Instances provided a drone trip to Norway by way of an offshoot of its newspaper enterprise referred to as Instances Journeys, although this system led to 2021.
It’s additionally potential to e book drone flying adventures are half of a bigger journey by way of choices like Airbnb Experiences, which is affiliated with the holiday rental firm and permits vacationers to e book custom-made experiences (like drone lessons) with locals.
After which there are group holidays that aren’t essentially centered round drones, however that welcome them. For instance, Quark Expeditions, which is broadly thought of a frontrunner in group excursions of the North and South poles, wholeheartedly embraces drones.
Actually, I went on a Quark Expedition myself in 2018 to the Arctic Circle the place, naturally, I introduced my drone.
If you happen to’re particularly within the drone group holidays by way of Johan Drone Adventures, take a look at Johan’s web site right here. Or if you happen to’re desirous about an excuse to have a drone affiliated trip however the Johan Drone Adventures aren’t fairly your factor, there are many different 2024 drone occasions on the docket, together with conferences all world wide.
