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New to the world of modern drones? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Here’s a quick rundown of what every beginner needs to know to find the best drones for their money.
The price of the drone is just the beginning
Depending on the type of aircraft, extra batteries can cost anywhere from $5 for toys to over $100 each for camera drones.
You’ll need a few extra batteries, some spare propellers, maybe some prop guards, and maybe a fast charger so you don’t have to wait hours to get flying again. You’re probably going to crash, which could result in repair costs, either for replacement parts or sending it back to the manufacturer for repairs. (This is exactly why DJI offers crash insurance on new drones.)
Before you buy a drone, it’s worth spending some time researching the price and availability of replacement parts, batteries, and other accessories. Be wary of third-party parts, especially batteries and chargers, which may be inferior to those supplied by the drone manufacturer.
Everyone will assume you are violating their privacy
Flying in a public space, or even in your own backyard, will make anyone who sees you think you’re spying on them or someone else. You could be standing in the middle of a 50-acre field with no one in sight and your drone no more than 50 feet directly overhead and you could be answering questions about spying. It’s happened to us. Repeatedly.
And along those same lines…
Everyone but you thinks they are dangerous
It doesn’t matter if you’re the safest drone pilot or if you can do more damage hitting someone with a baseball than you can with a drone; bystanders can feel threatened. After all, there’s nothing about plastic blades spinning at high speed that screams “safety.”
The Parrot Bebop 2 has a number of useful safety features, such as propellers that stop immediately if they collide with something.
Drone pilots from the US can benefit from a membership in the Academy of Model Aeronautics. a whole range of benefits including access to AMA membership airports, the $85 annual membership protects you with $2,500,000 in comprehensive general liability insurance, as well as $25,000 in accident or medical coverage, a maximum of $10,000 in accidental death coverage, and $1,000 in fire, theft and vandalism coverage.
Finding places to fly can be a challenge
In densely populated places like cities and metropolitan areas, it can be difficult to find places where you can fly safely and legally. National Parks of the US are off-limits. Regulations vary by state, county, and municipal park. Then there are the no-fly zones, which make many metropolitan areas inaccessible and dangerous because of buildings, people, and cars.
Before you buy a drone, you want to The FAA’s B4UFly app to check for no-fly zones. These do not include state or local ordinances, so you will need to do additional research on your chosen area before flying.
The EU and UK drone rules are largely based on how heavy a drone weighs and no longer differentiate between those flying for fun and those flying for professional purposes. Those of you Europeans with new drones should make sure you fully familiarize yourself with the drone regulations and make sure both you and your drone are registered before flying.
All remote controlled aircraft, except “toys”, require FAA registration in the US
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration requires that anyone wishing to operate an unmanned aerial vehicle weighing between 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and 55 pounds (about 25 kilograms) must for recreation or hobby to register with the agency. Civil penalties for failing to register such an unmanned aircraft can include fines of up to $27,500. Criminal penalties can include fines of up to $250,000, imprisonment for up to three years, or both.
Most UAS drones under $100 fall under this weight. You can use a kitchen or postal scale to weigh your drone, or you can ask the manufacturer. This also applies to both store-bought and home-made aircraft.
The Registration fee is $5 and it can all be done online in a matter of minutes. You don’t have to register every aircraft you own — just yourself; you get a number that you can attach to the aircraft you fly. In essence, this is the FAA’s way of getting you to agree to the fact that you read the safety guidelines including a distance of more than 8 kilometers to airports and a distance of less than 120 meters.
The United Kingdom has own registration requirements. Owners of drones weighing more than 250g must register as a drone operator, which costs £11 per year. Pilots of drones weighing more than 250g must complete a free online training course every three years. Australia has requirements for drone registration for those who use drones as part of their work (including professional photographers). However, for now there are no official requirements for those who use drones for sport or recreation.
