Drone Basics: 10 Drone Flying Tips for Complete Beginners

Are you trying to figure out more about drone basics? Read this article to learn more drone flying tips so you can avoid crashing.

10:35 01 June 2020

Whether you're a full-time travel blogger investing in a new piece of equipment, a real-estate agent looking to get the best shots, or you just invested in a fun new toy, drones are popping up everywhere these days.

As cool as they are, they're not always intuitive! Keep reading to learn 10 drone flying tips for beginners.

Learn Local Airspace Rules and Laws

One of the most important drone flying tips is to learn the local and national laws and regulations about aircrafts. As drones become more and more popular, especially for photographers and videographers, laws are quickly changing.

Some of the top drones have software that won't let you fly in restricted areas, but if you haven't updated it may not know. Additionally, some countries require a permit to fly which can be achieved by paying a fee online. Your drone won't know if you've paid the fee or not and may let you fly regardless.

Finally, some countries might confiscate your drone when going through customs if you haven't followed the proper channels so be sure to do research on drone laws around the world before you bring it with you on holiday.

Batteries and Well Charged Devices

Most drones either have their own remote or a remote is created by attached a device to your phone and run off of your phone's battery. For the drone to function properly, either the remote or your phone (or both) need to have sufficient battery life. Make sure that everything is charged before you begin.

Don't rely on being able to charge your phone while you fly, because the remotes that attach to your phone often slip into the charging port to function.

Additionally, make sure that you have at least two to three extra batteries on you at all times if you plan on flying for more than 20 minutes. Drones do not have great battery life, and at most one battery will tend to last you 15 to 20 minutes.

Check Your Propellers

Before each flight, you should carefully check your drone to make sure that there are no broken or loose parts.

You should take special care to examen the propellers. Just a small chip can throw the drone off balance and you might completely lose control or get injured while trying to capture the drone again.

Safety First

There's no dancing around it: drones are expensive but they're not worth a trip to the emergency room.

Drones like the DJI Mavic Air can be plucked out of the air and turned upside to turn them off if there is no safe space to land, but if it's a windy day, you risk badly cutting a finger and having to make a trip to the emergency room (speaking from experience here).

Other larger drones, like the DJI Mavic Air 2 are larger and can handle themselves better in the wind, although they do come at a price. Learn more about the Mavic Air 2.

Your safety and the safety of those around you should always come before that of your drone.

Don't Fly Near Animals

Drones send out an ultrasound signal to detect and avoid obstacles (although not always successfully so keep your eyes peeled!) and this noise causes unease in animals.

You should especially avoid flying around birds as they might attack the drone with no hope of retrieval.

Practice in Large Open Spaces

The best place to start practicing your drone flying is in a large open space without other people. Avoid practicing in your backyard if you're near other homes, as you might find yourself losing control and the drone flying through a window.

It's best to find a large open field or parking lot to practice.

Use Your Eyes Not the Screen

When you're beginning, it's best to use your eyes to watch and navigate the drone instead of watching the screen. Because you're seeing what the drone sees, you might miss a pesky powerline or a rogue hawk. Instead, use your eyes to navigate the drone until you feel comfortable.

Calibrate Before Takeoff

You'll need to calibrate your drone before takeoff so that it can orient to its new surroundings and fly safely.

To do this, get the app setup and your controller ready. The app will tell you how to turn your drone and when it's ready to fly.

Set a Return to Home Altitude

One of the amazing things about pro drone technology is the ability to set GPS coordinates that your GPS can return to. Set an altitude check so that if your drone flies above 400 feet, it will automatically return home.

You'll need to change the return to home point every time you fly. It should be near where you are standing as you fly and out of the way of other people.

Know When Not to Fly

One of the most important drone flying tips is knowing when not to fly. Use common sense, but you should especially avoid:

• Extremely windy conditions
  
  
• Areas with lots of obstacles
  
  
• Areas with people
  
  
• Rain (even the lightest of drizzles)
  
  
• Snow
  
  
• Inside
  
  

Bonus: Hand Gestures

Once you feel more comfortable with the other drone flying tips, give hand gestures a try! Many drones are programmed to be flown "hands-free" such that, you can turn the mode on, set down your remote, and using a few different hand motions you can tell the drone to:

• Take a boomerang shot
  
  
• Take a photo
  
  
• Take a video
  
  
• Take a 360 shot
  
  
• Land
  
  
• Takeoff
  
  

And that's just to name a few!

Learn More Drone Flying Tips

Drones are truly incredible technology and can offer a completely new perspective on the world.

If you liked these drone flying tips, keep reading to discover more about drone flying and technology!