New to drones, looking for advice

Drone$RCool!

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Hello, hope everybody is having a great day!

I recently took an interest in learning how to fly drones but I'm totally lost on how to get started and what drone to get. I've done a lot of research online (mostly through Amazon) and I'm not sure what to believe (I almost got scammed while trying to order a drone online because I had no idea what I was doing). I decided to sign up for this forum after lots and lots of frustrating research with practically zero useful answers. For now, I will be flying drones for fun and see if it's something I want to do commercially or not.

I went to a hobby store and they told me to look into companies like Emax and Eachine but it turns out that they sell racing drones. I'm looking for a cheap drone that's beginner-friendly (preferably below $200) and has features like auto-return, 360 degree obstacle avoidance, long flight time and a controller with a screen that doesn't require the use of a smartphone.

Is it true that only some DJI drones can be sold in the US? If so, which models are OK to buy and which ones will not be sold in the US for future sale? Do you guys also recommend Holy Stone for beginners? Does HS have good support and easy access to parts?

Please let me know your thoughts and your experience with getting started in drones! I'm curious to hear your stories!
 
Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA: welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!

Any DJI drone would be a good place to start. You need a drone that has GPS. Look at the DJI Mini series.
All DJI drones to date can be bought and sold in the USA. Only their new drones will be not.

If you plan to do commercial work and get your Part 107 license, I recommend the Pilot Institute and its training course
 
Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA: welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!

Any DJI drone would be a good place to start. You need a drone that has GPS. Look at the DJI Mini series.
All DJI drones to date can be bought and sold in the USA. Only their new drones will be not.

If you plan to do commercial work and get your Part 107 license, I recommend the Pilot Institute and its training course

OK thanks for the advice! I appreciate it!

Do you have any recommendations for a non-DJI brand if possible? What about Holy Stone? Is that a good brand as well?

Like I said, I'm doing this for fun and seeing where it goes from there! I don't need a super fancy model, just something beginner-friendly to gain experience (I need a better hobby than YouTube). I'll look into the legal DJI models and see what else is out there!

Thanks!
 

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