Think you and your new drone are ready for takeoff? Not so fast. Even though your gadget looks like a toy, it’s actually an aircraft. Even though you can’t wait to get it into the air, there are a few things you need to do before that first ascent.
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No. 1 on your list if you’re planning to fly outside: Registering your new unmanned aircraft system (UAS) weighing more than .55 pounds with the FAA. This $5 step is a must; or your penalty could be a fine of up to $250,000 and even imprisonment. Surprised?
Here are five more essentials to cross off your pre-flight checklist.
1. Read The Manual (For Real!)
Many drones come equipped with built-in functions like return-to-home, geo-fencing for designating boundaries and altitude limits that keep the gadget flying no higher than 400 feet—a limit created by an FAA rule meant to prevent collisions with manned aircraft that can cruise as low as 500 feet. But as Josh Olds, director of operations at the Unmanned Safety Institute, says, “If you don’t know about the safety features, they’re not going to help you.” Get acquainted with all that your UAS offers by checking the manual and taking the time to turn on these useful settings.
2. Look Up Local Rules And Conditions
“The FAA regulates airspace, but they don’t regulate local laws,” Olds explains. If you’d like to venture beyond the boundaries of your property, read up on your community’s ordinances and heed signs in public spaces. Parks, for instance, are sometimes off limits. (National parks are a definite no-no for hobbyists.) Since each municipality and state is different, check with your jurisdiction for specific requirements. The FAA also keeps tabs on state laws, with updates on their site.
Always think about where you’re pointing your device’s camera, so you don’t make people uncomfortable or invade their space. (In some cases, photographing people without their consent is considered a crime.)
3. Do A Pre-Flight Check
Flying can be great fun, but it’s also serious stuff: The propeller or rotators can spin faster than 9,000 rotations per minute, Olds says. Any time you’re preparing to send off your drone,
double-check that your device’s propellers are intact and properly attached, and confirm that there’s enough charge in the battery. If you run out of juice mid-flight, “it’s like a car running out of gas, except now your car is falling out of the sky,” says Fontaine Alexander, director of operations at Drone Safety Corp. You’ll want to avoid flying in areas near power lines, trees and other potential obstacles. One invisible hazard Olds warns against: densely clustered Wi-Fi networks, such as those above residential and commercial areas, that create interference. Verify that your device’s signal is strong, and choose a space that allows for better range, like a wide-open field, for example.
4. Keep It Legal
Along with hovering below 400 feet, you’ll also need to avoid traveling over stadiums or large gatherings of people, and within five miles of an airport unless you get permission from the tower, according to FAA rules. Always keep your UAS within view too. Disregarding any of these guidelines could result in fines, so visit faa.gov/uas for more details.
5. Pilot Like A Pro
To gain experience without risking your new equipment, try piloting a flight simulator program on your computer first. Some even allow you to use your drone’s transmitter to fly virtual skies on your monitor. According to Olds, this can help you develop psychomotor skills and increase your comfort in operating a UAS. “It’s a great way to prepare,” he says, “especially if you’re buying a $1,200 aircraft.” Certain drone models have practice simulators built in; your “flight” will be visible on the screen you hook up to the controller.
To familiarize yourself with your equipment, Alexander suggests running drills: Practice taking off; hovering; maneuvering left, right, forward, and backward; and landing in manual mode. Photo enthusiasts will want to rehearse how to circle an object they’d like to capture in images, orbiting clockwise then counterclockwise until the motion is smooth and steady. Alexander says, “It’s the baby-steps approach: Crawl, walk, run.” Or, in this case, hover, circle, soar.
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By Catherine Strawn
The best drones come in all shapes and sizes — from heavy models that weigh over 2 pounds to really light ones that weigh less than 8 ounces.
I test drones for a living and put them through rigorous testing to determine whether they're good value for money. I've reviewed some fantastic quadcopters from DJI, HoverAir and Potensic — each with its own unique selling points.
If you're on the hunt for a drone and buying for the first time, it can feel overwhelming at first. Drone technology has come a long way, and today, there's one for every purpose and everyone — whether you're a professional or a hobbyist.
Since flying drones is one of my favorite hobbies (and my job), I thought I'd take you through the five things you need to consider before dropping your hard-earned money on a drone.
1. Intended purpose and use
I'm going to keep the first tip short and sweet. The most important question you need to ask yourself is a simple one: "What do I need the drone for?" Answering this question will help determine not just the purpose of the drone, but your budget as well.
See, if you're getting a drone just for fun, you won't need to spend thousands of dollars. But if you're getting it for professional work, you'll need to extend your budget by a lot. There are many different drones available — ones specifically designed for selfies, mini drones, drones for prosumers, the list goes on.
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2. Safety features
Many drones today come equipped with safety features that help instill more confidence in pilots, both new and old. Return to Home (RTH) is one such feature, and most drones have it. Basically, you can hit a button on your controller or smartphone and it'll make the drone to return to its last known take-off point. Drones like the DJI Flip also automatically return to home when their battery is low.
Another feature to think about is obstacle avoidance. The pricier your drone, the more adept it as at avoiding obstacles. Some drones, like the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, feature omnidirectional collision avoidance thanks to the multiple sensors on their body. This, essentially, means that the drone will either brake or swerve to avoid obstacles in its path or around it.
But this technology is expensive. Cheaper drones, like the HoverAir X1 Pro, feature either front- or rear-facing obstacle sensors only, making them trickier to fly in complex environments. However, having unidirectional obstacle avoidance is better than having none (the DJI Neo doesn't have any).
3. Cameras and resolution
How many cameras is too many? Depends on who you ask — or the drone you get. There are many single-camera drones out there, such as the DJI Neo which takes 12MP images and 4K/30fps video only. Then there are dual camera drones, like the DJI Air 3S which captures either 50MP (wide-angle) or 48MP (tele) photos and 4K/60fps footage. And then you've got triple camera drones, like the DJI Mavic 4 Pro which has a 100MP Hasselblad camera, a 50MP tele and a 48MP medium-tele camera.
For most casual pilots, a single camera drone will more than suffice. Because many drones feature intelligent flight modes (where the drone flies autonomously, records short-form video and returns to its take-off position), you can still have a lot of fun with just one camera.
Dual- and triple-camera drones offer versatility and can help take photos from different angles and at various zooms, but they aren't necessary for everyone. Again, consider your budget and purpose before frivolously spending more money than you originally intended.
4. Battery life
Battery life is another important consideration, and it ties into the first point I made up top: how long you want a drone to last will depend on its intended purpose and your budget. Of course, we all want to keep flying our quadcopters forever and never worry about running out of juice, but that isn't the reality.
Smaller drones, like the DJI Neo (18 minutes) and the HoverAir X1 ProMax (16 minutes), don't last nearly as long as bigger ones, like the DJI Mavic 4 Pro (51 minutes) and the DJI Air 3S (46 minutes). You've also got drones that fall in the middle, such as the Potensic Atom 2 (32 minutes) and the DJI Flip (31 minutes).
If you're getting a drone just for taking selfies and very casual videography, you'll be fine with a single charge lasting under 20 minutes, but I'd recommend spending a little extra on a drone that lasts at least (or over) 30 minutes if you want to fly high or far.
Many drones also come as bundles which cost extra but give you additional batteries, so you can swap dead ones for fresh ones when you're out in the field. Often, these can be bought separately too, so don't fret too much if you don't get them when you buy the drone.
5. Weight restrictions
Last but not least, remember that various laws apply to drones depending on their weight class, and this true for almost every part of the world. You'll need to register your drone with a specific organization depending on the country you're flying in, and you usually need to undertake a test to prove you're a capable pilot.
If the drone weighs less than 249g (8.78oz), you don't necessarily need to register with the F.A.A. in the U.S. or the C.A.A. in the U.K. Sub-249g drones include ones like the DJI Neo, the DJI Flip, the Potensic Atom 2, and the HoverAir X1 Pro, to name a few.
If you're flying a heavier drone, one that weighs over 249g, you need register with the aforementioned organizations.
When I registered to become a drone pilot in the U.K., I had to take a flying test to obtain a Flyer ID and an Operator ID (which costs £11) from the C.A.A. This applies to drones like the DJI Air 3S, the DJI Mavic 4 Pro, and (the very high-end, cinematography-oriented) DJI Inspire 3.
In the U.S., the laws are a bit less stringent if you want to fly a drone casually, but you must take and pass a free online test.
And there you have it. These are the five things you need to consider when buying a drone: intended purpose, safety features, cameras and resolution, battery life, and weight restrictions. Is there anything else you gave a lot of thought to before buying your first (or second or third) drone? Let me know in the comments below!
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