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Check out the skillful backwards piloting in this drone video

You know us: Frequently posting drone videos that we think are worth your attention. And this one? Well, it fits the bill.

This video doesn’t feature mind-blowing FPV flights or anything like that. Instead, it highlights just good, basic control over the sticks while flying backwards. It’s slow, smooth, and all a single shot. And trust us on this, it’s worth taking a look at.

Let’s see why.

Dronies

DJI pioneered this, but an increasing number of drones now can take automated shots: You identify the subject, ensure the drone is locked on, then tell it to go do its thing. That is definitely not what you’re about to see. But you will see some pretty skillful piloting.

The reason we raise dronies is because the shot the pilot uses here is a popular one: It starts tight on the pilot and then slowly moves away, revealing the wider scene as the drone departs. Usually, however, pilots who do this shot manually deploy a little trick: They’re actually flying toward themselves and then post the video in reverse. In fact, some of the commenters who watched this video from Douglas Estevam assumed that’s what he had done.

Nope.

Back it up

The entire shot is flown backwards, and it’s incredibly smooth. (You’ll know it’s the real thing because you’ll see cars in the opening seconds that are clearly driving forwards.)

Anyway, here it is:

Flight path

Estevam chose a clever flight path; the trees, flagpole, and other obstacles add to the visual interest and serve as kind of a drumroll for the eventual reveal: a bus terminal in the state of Parána, Brazil. It’s a very cool shot that took some planning, and makes for an awesome 57-second video.

Well done, Douglas! By the way, based on his YouTube profile, it appears he’s flying a DJI Mavic AIR 2.

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