I think a lot of folks learned something from your flight and I do appreciate you sharing the experience - even if you did take some knocks there from others. I'm studying for the FAA drone test on Monday and after all the info I've read this past month about line of sight, interrupted signals, airspace classification, sectional charts, risk management, METARs, weather I'd be too scared to fly over a mile away. Not to mention my registration # is on the drone. If it goes down, I'm toast. FAA is going to want my records and I have 10 days to produce them (not to mention a lawyer if someone is injured.) They can take my UAS Certificate away. The airspace is going to drastically change on Aug 29th and it you want to fly in the National Airspace you have to play by the rules. Are you flying in class C airspace or an Alert area? You need to know how to read a Sectional Chart - you'd be surprise at all of the stuff going on up there. I was - like geez, I just want to fly the dang thing. But it's all about safety. If you loose line of sight and it falls out of the sky on top of someone . . . well that's one of these things FAA is trying to avoid. And you can tell by the practice questions the FAA has given out to study. #18) "Identify the hazardous attitude or characteristic a remote pilot displays while taking risks . . ." well, in this case it could have been "Invulnerability". Look at that sunset! I can pull this off and get back with plenty of battery. I don't have the skill to pull off a flight that far out and I'm just too plain scared to try. FAA scared. Thanks again for sharing your story, it's brave to share the painful loss of a nice drone on a forum.