MUSIC: Memory of Water (Big Beat Mix) by Marillion
MUSIC: Everybody Wants To Rule the World by Tears for Fears
This video below was made using my light Potensic Atom 4k drone. I wanted to do some “stunt flying” which you shouldn’t really do with a pro drone when people are around. The Potensic is perfect for that feeling of flying!
Are you ready to level up your drone videos? If you have been wanting to fly higher, further, faster and capture amazing videos while doing it, then the Ruko F11PRO 2 Plus might be the perfect fit for you. All you need to get started is a micro SD card (to record video) and a phone. This drone is 360 grams, so you will also need to register it, which can be done in minutes. Check your local regulations.
The drone comes with two batteries which give you a flight time of 35 minutes each, depending on conditions. This is longer than the average drone, usually good for 20 to 30 minutes. You will also receive all the cables for any phone connection, spare propellers, and replacement tools. Not to be underrated, the drone also comes with a paper manual instead of a PDF file. The included controller is sleek, with a small digital screen feeding you information about battery life, GPS connection strength, distance and altitude. It is easy to learn how to fly, and once calibrated, the drone is extremely stable. If you take it straight up, you can bring it straight down with minimal drift. The running lights make it easier to spot in the sky. In hand, it feels strong, sturdy and robust.
If you’re already familiar with drones and their features, you probably want to know all about the camera. The videos in this review (at bottom) are their own testimony.
Video and photo quality are unparalleled. With photos at 8k UHD, and video footage at 4k and 30 fps, you will capture smoother, sleeker, clearer images than ever before. The camera offers a 5X digital zoom as well. When you take these videos and play them on a high definition display, it will feel as if you are flying. The three-axis brushless gimbal is key to the smooth feel of these videos. Whether you are maneuvering your drone, adjusting the camera angle, or doing both at once, the videos are completely smooth and always level. Even in windy conditions, you won’t notice any shake on video. The drone will remain steady as you capture the images with all your creativity unleashed. The special sauce might actually be the Sony lens, for top colour reproduction and light capturing. The videos demonstrate this incredible life-like colour reproduction.
The drone has many features you can access through the phone app. Taking off and landing in one touch? Got it. The controls include a high powered “sport mode” with extra responsive controls, to handle higher wind situations. If it loses signal or a battery runs too long, it will automatically “return to home” (a point you can set) and land. Range? 10,000 feet!
Features aside, one thing you can’t appreciate about this drone by reading specs and manuals is just how fun it is to fly. There is so much satisfaction in pulling the sticks back and starting the motors. Then pushing the stick forward and watching the drone rise. Feeling the controls and seeing the response from the drone, as it responds precisely to every movement. Then letting it loose, and watching it speed confidently away, but always under complete control. Release the stick, and the drone hovers still, awaiting your next command.
Equally as fun is working with the flawless videos you will capture. No more editing around shaky moments. Every detail becomes clear. In particular, I enjoy discovering details that I didn’t notice while flying. Whether it’s an accompanying seagull or the vivid deep blue of water, every flight seems to reveal new details about the world around us.
We could talk about the night mode, where you can capture better images in the dark. We could discuss the Optical Flow Positioning feature, which allows the drone to navigate by its own built-in cameras when the GPS goes out. There’s even an infrared sensor to measure distances for low-altitude flight. There’s a GPS follow feature, programmable routes, and more. Still, there is no topping the sheer satisfaction you get from performing a perfect, flawless manual landing.
After a thorough series of flights, there is only one feature that I wish this drone had. I love the 5x zoom feature, but I wish there was an external control for it. You have to tap a button, select “zoom”, and adjust it via the phone screen. A zoom dial on the side would have been perfect!
If you are ready to take your drone flights to another level (literally) and come back with brilliant 4K footage, then the Ruko F11PRO 2 Plus is what you need. When you fly it yourself and see the results, you’ll understand.
Interested in flying a drone, but don’t know where to start? What you need is something easy and intuitive, that doesn’t require registration, and comes with everything you need to get going, in one package. I present to you the new Ruko U11MINI 4K(RC3) drone. In one handy case, you can get flying in minutes without having to use your phone. Because this drone is under 250 grams, you don’t need to register it.
Let’s unpack the convenient carrying case. Inside you’ll find a paper user manual (always superior to PDF files), your drone, some spare propellers, charging cables, batteries, and the secret weapon: the RC3 controller with built in 5.5″ screen. With no need to connect and pair with a phone, the controller connects to the drone automatically on startup. The antennae fold away neatly, and the controller offers programmable buttons along with the standard controls. No more worrying about your phone battery, or the phone overheating.
Once you have everything charged to full, you’re ready to get flying. The drone has a range of up to 6 km, and is able to capture 8K photo resolution and 4K video recording. Speaking of video, you get a crisp 3-axis brushless gimbal for stable, smooth, and high-quality footage. You can see a sample video below.
The U11MINI 4K features a cruise control function for easy flying. It works just like your car – just hit it, and the drone will continue along that flight path and speed. There is an advanced positioning system, with GPS, a barometric altitude hold, optical flow positioning and TOF positioning for times when the GPS signal is weak. You’ll achieve more stable low-altitude flight, and smoother landings, as I did on my first flight. The drone has three speeds: low, medium and high (“sport mode”). The sport mode can be used in windier conditions, to give the drone more responsive power. There is an automatic return to home feature, if the drone loses signal or the battery runs low.
There are several intelligent flight modes. GPS follow is a common one, allowing the drone to automatically follow your position on the ground. There are also programmable routes, and an image follow feature. You can have the drone follow an object that you select on the touch screen. You can also have it circle around a point of interest.
You can choose to store your video footage on a micro SD card (not included), but you don’t have to. Videos can be stored on the controller, which can be connected to a Wi-fi network. From there you can upload your footage to a Google drive account, without having to worry about cards. This makes the drone extremely attractive for beginners who don’t have extra micro CD cards sitting around.
One of the most underrated features of this drone is the camera zoom feature. With a simple dial on the side, you can quickly zoom in and out, as demonstrated in the video below. The simplicity of this control makes you wonder why every drone doesn’t have one.
For beginners, this drone is the ideal, logical launching point. Grab one on Amazon today, and you’ll be in the air in no time.
Earlier in 2025, I was sent a new drone to test. I was very excited to receive my U11Mini 4k drone from Ruko, but struggled to keep it flying straight. I crashed it once in the summer. I thought my issues were due to user error, weather, or bad calibration. I didn’t think it was due to a faulty drone. I tried it once more in early October. The flight started well enough, but I lost control of the drone during the return. It started veering to the left and losing altitude. I managed to bring it back to the beach and land it in the sand, but I thought for sure it was going to hit the water or trees.
I figured three strikes and you are out – I didn’t plan to fly the Ruko again, despite its awesome 4k camera and ability to hold a level image even if the drone is flying on a 35 degree angle. I packed it up. My dad talked me into changing my mind.
“Why don’t you just contact their customer support?” he asked.
“Because this drone was a free review copy,” I answered simply. “I did the review and gave it a passing mark.” As a creative individual, I like to make my own videos, and edit them how I please. Working with Ruko, they encouraged me to film different landmarks and objects from the drone. I prefer working independently on my videos, so I didn’t really want to go back to them. Yet, my dad was right. What harm could come from submitting a ticket for customer support?
Ruko came through. All they asked for was the flight log for the most recent video where I encountered troubles. You can see in the video below, I flew fine and straight for the outbound flight. Upon my return, the drone started veering off to the left, and losing altitude. I could not control it, but barely managed to land it in the sand without hitting the water, rocks, or trees. Ruko had a look at the flight log and determined that it was not user error. They offered to send me a new drone!
“Just the bare drone,” they said, and I agreed. I didn’t need new batteries, a new case, or a new controller. Just the drone itself.
Two days later, there was a parcel! And it wasn’t just the bare drone. It was the whole package – cables, case, batteries, controller, and everything else you need. I now had two complete drone sets, one that didn’t work and one that was brand new out of the box!
The only unfortunate thing is the time of year. I let Ruko know that in Canada, it was fall turning into winter, and the window for good flying days was over. They said “no problem”.
While I still have not had a chance to test the new Ruko drone, I can give their customer service a 5/5 star rating. Fast, hassle-free and helpful. Hopefully I will get a chance to fly again before the spring. If not, thank you Ruko and we’ll see you next year!
The flight started well enough, but I lost control of the drone during the return, right around the guitar solo (Vivian Campbell). It started veering to the left and losing altitude. I managed to bring it back to the beach and land it in the sand, but I thought for sure it was going to hit the water or trees. Why? It’s a “Mystery”!
To its credit, the Ruko U11MINI 4K gets incredible images with its always-level camera.
The water levels are heading back to their low point. It is a 20 year cycle. It does create beautiful imagery. Enjoy the flight.
Mystery (Dio/Bain)
From The Last In Line (1984)
Can you hear me can you see there’s a storm on the edge of the sky does it matter it does to me, i can tell you why When there’s thunder, there should be rain but it don’t always follow the rule and is the wise man always right? no he can play the fool It’s always a mystery, not what it seems to be it’s always a mystery, just like you and me We are lightning we are flame and we burn at the touch of a spark if there’s fire, but no one sees the there’s only the dark Just imagine, will you try i can see that you’ve opened your mind silver linings can disappear, but they always shine It’s always a mystery, not what it seems to be it’s always a mystery, just like you and me
Are you ready to level up in your photography or drone flying game? The brand new Ruko U11MINI 4K is the drone for you. Best of all, it weighs under 249 grams, which means you don’t need a license to fly it. Just open the package, read the manual, charge the batteries and launch.
Opening the box, I was delighted to find not one, but two paper manuals! The full User Manual, and a Quick Guide. This is a huge step up from having to read a pdf file on your screen. The inclusion of a paper manual will make all the difference to some users. Also included are two batteries (roughly 32 minutes flight time each) and all the USB cables needed to charge and fly, no matter what kind of phone you use. The controller is sleek and features two comfortable and detachable control sticks. It comes in a handsome and sturdy carrying case for storage and transport. It also has a plastic camera cover to protect the 4K camera (EIS with gimbal, like a 3-axis brushless gimbal with EIS). You will be able to capture 8K pictures and 4K@30fps video. All you need to provide yourself is a smartphone and a micro SD card to record all that lovely video you’re going to get. And don’t forget to download the appropriate app to your device!
An important step is to make sure your phone is set for USB file transfer mode. Google the steps for your phone to do this. Your phone mounts sturdily to the controller, and connects via the included USB-C cable. You can transfer photos and videos straight to your phone. When powering on and pairing, be sure to calibrate the GPS and gyroscope. Give it time for the GPS to lock on.
With this powerful camera at hand, you can record hi-definition video or photos at the touch of a button. Thanks to the camera’s clever gimbal, it will always take level photos no matter the wind conditions. No need to straighten and crop videos or photos with this drone. It can even record audio!
For what I have been used to, this drone is far more powerful, and I am not talking about the camera. The motors are faster and can go way further: 394 feet altitude, which is double what I’ve flown before. Without obstructions, it can transmit a signal up to 20,000 feet distance. I will be able to fly further, and see clearer, than ever before! There is even a 5x digital zoom available. It is far faster than my old drone, so be careful with your velocity!
With the app on your phone, you will unlock a multitude of features for this drone. GPS follow, and path planning are two such features. Auto return and setting your own custom maximum altitude and distance will help keep your drone safe as you learn. You can also have it return to a safe home point when the battery is low. You can even program a path with up to 16 checkpoints. Feeling uncertain about landings? This drone has an AI takeoff and landing system (using GPS, barometric altitude hold, optical flow, and TOF positioning) for smooth takeoffs and landings. Like all drones, one must be careful in heavy wind. Due to unseasonable bad weather here in Canada, I have not had many great days to fly safely in the spring of 2025. As I fly the drone and experiment with its abilities, I will add more videos to this space. Bookmark it and check back for more videos.
Some tips:
1. Keep the drone in sight when flying to avoid getting lost.
2. Don’t fly too close to the surface, to water, or to trees.
3. Use a large open area to fly in, with good GPS reception.
People are loving my drone footage from the Ruko U11MINI 4K! From Owen:
“You’ve really got me considering purchasing this drone, Mike. I love your footage in both videos, it’s under 249g. Beautiful shots, Mr. Ladano.”
Take it from me, you’re going to love the Ruko U11MINI 4K drone.
mikeladano.com 