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The best first step I think is to get a virtual drone simulator. There are free ones online that will give you a taste of how it's like to fly drones and will let you get a taste of what it's like. This alone will take you a long way towards being able to use them practically at virtually zero cost, or maybe at most the cost of purchasing a controller to more closely simulate a drone's controller.
Just look up FPV simulator, racer, or anything similar. There are free ones even on Steam.
I just tried DRL (Drone Racing League) on Steam. I started with the tutorials. Good fun! Thanks for the suggestion.
I think it might depend what you're into, I don't know much, I've flown my Mavic mini a few times, and have been watching the Ukraine war at a distance.
But if you're into photography and videography you might get more enjoyment out of something like a 249g Mavic that has a solid camera and is an overall very solid drone.
If you're more into sports and piloting, you might have more sustained interest in an FPV drone where you use goggles to see through the stone's eyes as it flies. In that case I've heard good things about the DarwinFPV drones as they're a pretty dirt cheap entry point and you're likely to crash them.
In terms of usefulness for civil defense, I'm guessing that the most useful skillsets are probably FPV flying and drone building and repair, but I'm not sure. In Ukraine it seems like they use some off the shelf quadcopters like mavic minis for basic reconnaissance and observation, and then use FPV drones for carrying munitions and striking targets, and those are a mix of quadcopter style and more plane style.
Another option for civil defense preparedness is to do first aid training.
I've always had an interest in photography, so that might be my entry point. As I said to Dearche in this thread, I just tried a drone racing game and that was fun. I'll keep at it!
Should I get a small drone (below 250 g) and practice?
Yes. Turn the hypothetical into a reality with 1 simple trick.
It's for sure better to start imperfectly than to just dream perfectly
Play battlefield and get good at the helicopter. Then map your drone to the same controls
I'm an expert drone pilot and this is actually how I got really good
I am also interested in this type of training. I don't live near a big center so anything virtual is helpful.
I just tried DRL (Drone Racing League) on Steam and did the tutorial. It's fun.
I thought about getting drone and training to help the cause, but then I remembered I am old and didn't grow up using a controller. I bought one a few years back and downloaded Steam, but my ADHD brain and hands are just not coordinated enough to be able to play even the simplest of games.
I'll have to find another way to help in the upcoming war.