First a caveat - I’m no expert but I have been flying drones for several years now and I'm often approached by folks who are curious and intrigued by what I'm doing. With those folks in mind I thought I’d pass along some info that I wish I had when I first got started. So here goes...
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| A drone's-eye view provides a unique perspective! |
Are drones expensive? Drone prices, thanks to incredible innovation over the last several years, allow for even low-end toy grade drones to offer features unheard of just two or three years ago.There are some incredible toy-grade drones offering decent cameras and other nice amenities for around $50-$100. Hobby level drones offering better cameras and better amenities fall generally in the $100-$500 range and serious drones featuring top of the line cameras and tons of other features will put you in the $500-$1,200 range. Many drone pilots start out with a toy-grade drone to earn their wings and then move up from there but today's high-end drones are so advanced that even novices can fly them (carefully!) in relatively short order. Commercial drones, used for thermal imaging, geo-fencing, wind turbine and utility line inspection can run upwards of $30,000 or more. I wanted a drone from a photographer's perspective as a camera in the sky able to provide a unique perspective on the world that I, with my ground-based hand-held camera could never see. My thought process was that I was buying a camera that flew so I was willing to spend about the equivalent of what a decent camera would go for but I first went through two far less expensive drones to learn how to fly. What will work for you may be completely different but that's what worked for me.
Can anyone learn to fly a drone? Just a couple of years ago when I got my first drone it candidly was not very easy to fly. Just getting it to stay at the same height (altitude) took some skill and some concentration and within a week I had crashed and destroyed it. When shopping for a drone today the technology has come to the point where many drones can literally fly themselves, many feature auto-takeoff and auto-land, and increasingly more and more drones offer GPS capabilities that allow the drone to maintain height and position even when the drone pilot has their hands completely off the controls. That said, there are still many, usually less expensive toy-level drones that either don’t offer such features or if they do offer them they don’t work as advertised. Many in the drone hobby still think these simpler drones without the bells and whistles teach better piloting skills. No one wants to crash a $1,000 drone but, as I mentioned, drones today are far simpler to fly than just a few short years ago.
Will you hit something - or god forbid, hit someone - with your new drone? The answer is you might. My drone actually has front and downward obstacle avoidance sensors that limit this from happening but I’ve still managed to accidentally fly it backward into a tree. Obstacle avoidance is really only available on higher end consumer drones so if you opt for a drone that doesn’t have this feature you have to be very careful. Wide open spaces with few people around is the best place to fly any drone; flying close to or over crowds of people is not only a bad idea but also illegal which takes me to my next topic...
Where can you fly your drone? Consumer drones weigh from next to nothing up to around a pound or two. Even toy drones can fly 15-20 mph and slightly higher end ones can cruise at 30-40 mph or even faster. In other words, if they do manage to hit something, or someone, they can do real damage. This, even more than privacy concerns, is why you can’t fly in many places like near airports, over crowds and special events, in national parks, and near emergency operations (wildfires, for example) among others. It falls to the FAA, the Federal Aviation Administration, to determine the national rules but local cities and towns (even local Parks & Recreational Districts) can also set rules governing where you fly your drone. The good news is there are several free apps available for your phone (I use one called B4UFLY) that can tell you if you’re in a restricted airspace. The bad news is that in just the few years I’ve been flying it seems more locations are becoming off limits. The FAA is in the process of having to update the rules governing drones and eventually its likely that drones will have some type of beacon that will self-report location information when in the air. None of this is meant to dissuade you from wanting a drone but simply to make the point that even toy drones aren’t really ‘toys’ anymore and they come with an increasing level of both responsibility and accountability when flown. And here’s something you probably didn’t know - if your new drone weighs slightly more than half a pound (.55 lbs.) you have to register it online with the FAA!
So... if you made it this far and still want that marvelous piece of flying technology that is a drone you want to know which drone to get. I'm not going to be the one to tell you which specific drone is right for you though I will describe the drone I ended up with and am flying today. What I will tell you is that there are some excellent sites on YouTube that provide really useful reviews on all the drone options available. Here are a couple I've found especially useful:
Ready Set Drone - provides good reviews of everything from toy-level to high-end consumer drones. Puts out an annual 'Best Of' list.
The RC Saylors - a young, down to earth couple, give very candid reviews of mostly toy to mid-level drones. They also put out several 'Best Of' lists.
Quadcopter 101 - when I was just getting started I found this channel a great resource when deciding on my first drone.
Tom's Tech Time - focuses primarily on higher-end consumer drones with great tutorials on how to fly and specializes in drone photography and videography.
Drone Film Guide - great content on how to get the most from your airborne camera from a photographer's perspective.
Ken Heron - this radio DJ turned drone pilot provides a good-humored look at the world of drones.
What am I flying? As I mentioned I've had three drones thus far. My first was an MJX Bugs 3 (I got it as it was relatively inexpensive but could carry my GoPro camera); my second was a Syma X5C toy-grade drone that came with its own camera; and my current drone is a DJI Mavic Pro. Sad to say but most drones are made by Chinese companies but when it comes to the top of the line for both consumer and commercial drones DJI (Da-Jiang Innovations Science & Technology Co. Ltd.) has few real competitors. I mentioned earlier that my drone has downward and forward sensing obstacle avoidance; newer Mavics now can also sense upward, rearward, and sideward obstacles. New Mavics offer two camera choices and all have a 3-axis gimbal to keep the camera ultra-steady even in high winds. DJI drones also set the standard for automated flight patterns such as follow-me and point-of-interest circle mode, and feature relatively long flight times on their batteries. Recently DJI unveiled software you can load to your computer to learn to fly your drone without ever setting foot outdoors. For my Denver readers, DJI also has the advantage of an actual store located near Park Meadows Mall.
Hopefully this info will give you a head start on entering what really is a fun and rewarding hobby. It's constantly evolving and the creativity and innovation happening with drones is truly amazing. I have a nephew and niece graduating from College next Spring and if I was their age I'd be finding a way to work in this exciting industry. I'll leave you with the following 2 links to some video that demonstrates what even consumer drones are capable of. The first shows off the skills of one of the world's best drone pilots while the second takes you on a short cinematic journey to Iceland. Each in their own way will likely whet your appetite for your first, or next, drone. Fly safe!
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