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Man drops camera while flying his plane 1,000ft in the air to see if it survives the landing

Published on Oct 22, 2025 at 8:05 AM (UTC+4)
by Molly Davidson

Last updated on Oct 22, 2025 at 12:51 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by Kate Bain

This guy flew 1,000 feet above a lake with a brand-new camera in his hand.

Not to film with it, but to drop it.

The goal was to find out if Insta360’s latest 360-degree rig can survive a fall from the sky.

He counts down – three, two, one – and let’s gravity do its thing.

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Can a Insta360 X5 camera survive a 1,000-foot drop?

Drew, the creator behind YouTube channel Fly Me to the Fun, isn’t your average reviewer.

When Insta360 sent him their new X5 flagship, he didn’t want to talk specs.

He wanted to test them.

The camera promised tougher lenses, waterproofing to 49 feet, and user-replaceable glass – bold durability claims he deemed worth fact-checking.

A YouTuber drops the new Insta360 X5 camera from 1,000 feet to test its durability - it hits the lake, keeps recording, and somehow survives the fall
Fly Me to the Fun
A YouTuber drops the new Insta360 X5 camera from 1,000 feet to test its durability - it hits the lake, keeps recording, and somehow survives the fall
Fly Me to the Fun

So he came up with an experiment only a pilot could pull off: drop the X5 camera from his plane, 1,000 feet above a lake, to see if it could survive the hit and keep rolling.

He built a DIY survival rig, complete with a 36-inch parachute to slow descent, a swivel to prevent tangles, a buoy to keep it afloat, and an AirTag for tracking.

A YouTuber drops the new Insta360 X5 camera from 1,000 feet to test its durability - it hits the lake, keeps recording, and somehow survives the fall
Fly Me to the Fun

And rest assured it was all FAA-legal, since he was over open water, far from people or property.

To bring it home, his partner Lanie waited down below in a kayak, eyes on the sky.

A YouTuber drops the new Insta360 X5 camera from 1,000 feet to test its durability - it hits the lake, keeps recording, and somehow survives the fall
Fly Me to the Fun
A YouTuber drops the new Insta360 X5 camera from 1,000 feet to test its durability - it hits the lake, keeps recording, and somehow survives the fall
Fly Me to the Fun

Drew climbed into a northern headwind, lined up over the lake, and counted down: three, two, one.

Down it went.

The chute opened instantly, spinning like a tiny UFO before the X5 camera hit the water with a soft slap.

When Lanie reached it, the red light was still blinking – no cracks, no leaks, and perfect footage of its own 1,000-foot fall.

A YouTuber drops the new Insta360 X5 camera from 1,000 feet to test its durability - it hits the lake, keeps recording, and somehow survives the fall
Fly Me to the Fun
A YouTuber drops the new Insta360 X5 camera from 1,000 feet to test its durability - it hits the lake, keeps recording, and somehow survives the fall
Fly Me to the Fun

You can check out the full experiment in the video below.

Turns out, cameras can really take a fall

Funnily enough, this isn’t the first time a creator has tested a camera’s durability from great heights. 

Last month Supercar Blondie brought you the story of a GoPro that plummeted from over 3,600 feet and lived to tell the tale.

A YouTuber drops Insta360’s new X5 camera from 1,000 feet to test its durability - it hits the lake, keeps recording, and somehow survives the fall
SB Media / ChatGPT

It slipped free during a paraglider’s midair collapse, tumbling all the way to the ground – still filming – before landing in the grass without a scratch (you can see the footage above). 

How’s that for durability?

From GoPros to Insta360s, creators keep finding wilder ways to test the unbreakable myth of their gear. 

The shots get crazier, the footage cleaner, and somehow, the cameras keep coming back for more.

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Molly Davidson is a Junior Content Writer at Supercar Blondie. Based in Melbourne, she holds a double Bachelor’s degree in Arts/Law from Swinburne University and a Master’s of Writing and Publishing from RMIT. Molly has contributed to a range of magazines and journals, developing a strong interest in lifestyle and car news content. When she’s not writing, she’s spending quality time with her rescue English staffy, Boof.