DJI Air 3S ActiveTrack Test at Esquimalt Lagoon

Aug 5

Some mornings start with coffee.

Some mornings start with coffee, a drone, an old Yukon, and me convincing myself that playing with ActiveTrack at the beach counts as productive business development.

This was one of those mornings.

I took the DJI Air 3S down to Esquimalt Lagoon to spend a bit more time testing ActiveTrack. This was only my second proper attempt using it with the Yukon, and it went a lot better than the first round. Like most drone features, it is one thing to read about it, and another thing to actually use it in the real world with roads, trees, wind, glare, changing light, and a moving vehicle.

And on this one, Vancouver Island did most of the hard work for me.

Ocean Boulevard is an unbelievable stretch of road. You have Esquimalt Lagoon on one side, the actual ocean on the other, and on a clear morning you’re looking across the water toward Washington and the Olympic Mountains. Across the lagoon, you can see Royal Roads University and Hatley Castle — the castle used as the X-Men school in the movies.

So yes, this was technically a DJI Air 3S ActiveTrack test.

It was also an excuse to point a drone at one of the most ridiculous places I know, five minutes from home.

Testing ActiveTrack With the DJI Air 3S

For this flight, the goal was simple: get the Air 3S tracking the Yukon along Ocean Boulevard and see how cleanly it could hold the shot.

Nothing fancy. No huge production. Just a real-world ActiveTrack test on a coastal road at sunrise.

The DJI Air 3S handled it really well. The tracking felt smoother this time, the framing was better, and I was a lot more comfortable letting the drone do its thing while I focused on the overall shot.

That is usually how it goes with drone features. The first time, you are half impressed and half suspicious. The second time, you start to trust it a little more. Not blindly, obviously. It is still a drone, not a magical flying intern. But when it works, it really does open up some cool options.

For vehicle shots, ActiveTrack is especially useful. It lets you get movement without needing a second camera operator, and it gives the footage a bit more life than a static aerial shot. The Yukon rolling along the lagoon road, with the water, sunrise, and Olympic Mountains in the background, just works.

The old truck did old truck things.

The drone did drone things.

Vancouver Island showed off.

Sunrise Was Definitely on Our Side

The light was the real win on this one.

Golden hour was good to us. The tones in the footage are exactly the kind of thing I love about shooting early: soft light, warm colour, calm water, long shadows, and that slightly moody West Coast look that makes everything feel better than it probably should.

This is also where the Air 3S really shines for me.

I absolutely love this drone. The dual-camera setup is hard to beat, especially when you are shooting around beaches, roads, buildings, and landscape. Having that flexibility makes a big difference. You can capture the wider scene, but you can also compress the shot a bit and make things feel more cinematic without having to fly right on top of everything.

For Vancouver Island, that matters.

A lot of what I shoot is coastline, water, beaches, boats, buildings, roads, and familiar local places. The Air 3S gives me options without making the setup feel complicated.

Coastal Wind Is Always Part of the Deal

One thing people do not always think about with drone footage around Vancouver Island is the wind.

The beach might look calm in a video, but coastal breezes are almost always part of the job. Even on a nice morning, you can have wind coming off the water, little gusts around trees, and changing conditions as the sun comes up.

The Air 3S seems to handle that really well.

That is one of the reasons I have been so happy with it. It feels stable, confident, and predictable in the kind of conditions I actually fly in. I am not usually shooting in perfect empty fields with no wind and no obstacles. I am shooting around roads, beaches, water, buildings, trees, and real Vancouver Island weather.

The Air 3S has been a rock star for that.

Gear Test or Excuse to Go to the Beach?

Yes.

This was technically an ActiveTrack test.

It was also absolutely an excuse to grab a coffee, get down to the beach, and shoot the Yukon rolling through one of my favourite local spots.

That is probably the sweet spot for me with Vancouver Island Drones. The gear matters, and I enjoy testing it properly, but the point is still the shot. The place. The light. The feeling of seeing somewhere familiar from a slightly different angle.

This clip gave me all of that.

A good ActiveTrack test.

A gorgeous sunrise.

A few really cool shots from a place I never seem to get tired of.

And another reminder that sometimes the best drone location is not some far-off destination.

Sometimes it is five minutes from home, beside the water, with a coffee in hand and a drone battery that probably should have been charged earlier.

Gear Used for This Flight

This was filmed with my DJI Air 3S, which has become my main drone for Vancouver Island Drones. The dual-camera setup, stability in coastal wind, and overall image quality are why I keep reaching for it.

DJI Air 3S: https://link.amazon/B01oA4tHc

Hoodman drone launching pad: https://link.amazon/B0jieu8lU

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