First-person-view drone flying is the closest thing to being a bird

Just moments ago, I was flying like a hawk. It wasn’t a dream, or even virtual reality. It was a real, immersive experience fully under my control. Moments later, I’m very much on the ground, poking at some dense, tangled shrubbery with a stick. I had been operating a tiny camera-equipped mini-quadcopter, via video goggles that beam the drone’s eye-view right into your peepers. It’s known as “first-person view” (FPV) flying, and it’s an incredibly fun out-of-body experience. Imagine being shrunk to the size of an ant and sitting in a virtual cockpit and you’ll have an idea of where I’m going here. Why the stick, though? Today I went too high, got caught by a gust of wind and landed on a canopy of vegetation. I’m prodding at the knotted vines in the vain hope I might dislodge it. I’ve become so fond of my zen-time in the goggles that my stomach sinks at the thought of all that coming to an end. I’m not leaving until I find this thing.