Drone flying is an art. It takes time, practice and patience to get good at it. But if you are just getting started, here are 18 strategies for better drone flying that all beginners should know!
Follow the following strategies for getting better at flying:
- Get a drone
- Practice on the ground before taking off
- Be aware of wind conditions
- Know Your Drone
- Know-How To Fly
- Know Where It’s Safe To Fly
- Know What Type of Drone Flying Experience You Want
- Know Where To Buy the Best Drones
- Practice in an Open Space and Not Over People’s Heads
- Read about FAA regulations
- Get As Close as Possible When Trying To Land It
- Read the Manual
- Fly Higher if You Want To Take a Picture
- Fly Low To Get an Overview
- Closely Watch the Camera Angle
- Keep Up With The Latest Technology News
- Practice Makes Perfect
- The Three Golden Rules
Let’s discuss these in detail in the following section:
Get a drone
You will not be able to fly without one.
Practice on the ground before taking off
Flying a drone can be tough on your first try; make sure you have mastered what happens on the ground before going airborne with your device.
Be aware of wind conditions
Wind can affect how high your drone goes or how stable it flies, so take note of which direction the wind is coming from and adjust accordingly.
If the wind is coming from behind you, it will create a force that pushes your drone up into the sky. So if you want to fly low, look for an area with winds blowing in front of or beside you instead!
However, when there are headwinds (wind blowing against your direction) then this can hinder how far your drone can go or how fast it will fly.
The same is true if the wind is blowing from the side, which means you’ll need to compensate for all these forces by altering your speed and direction accordingly!
Winds coming in different directions at once can create a vortex of air that makes controlling your drone much more difficult–so try to stay away from these areas!
Know Your Drone
Make sure you understand the controls and features of your specific device before taking it up in the sky.
Understand what type of flying experience you want to have with this particular model, and then select a low-end or high-end one accordingly.
Become more familiar with how to use its camera and know where the battery goes.
Remember that you can always make adjustments to its height or distance with your controller, so get comfortable using it before taking off!
Know-How To Fly
Different drone models have different controls, so make sure you understand before taking off.
For example, the camera on your device may not be able to tilt and move vertically like it can with a DJI Phantom model–so don’t forget that this type of control is only accessible from the app!
Here are a few other things to keep in mind:
-Pressing the left or right buttons on your controller makes it move to the respective side.
-You can press up and down arrows at any time to make it fly higher or lower.
-If you want your drone to go faster, then push either of these buttons more.
-If you want it to go slower, then press either of these buttons less.
-Once your drone is airborne and hovering in the air, you can push the camera button on your controller to snap a photo or shoot a video!
Learn about how far out into the distance your device’s range goes before cutting off–in other words, know its range and how to extend it.
For instance: The DJI Mavic Pro has a flight time of up to 27 minutes with the controller at full charge–so make sure you take note of how long your device will last before landing!
Know Where It’s Safe To Fly
Different countries have different rules, so make sure you know the regulations in your area before taking off.
For example, some places don’t allow drones to fly higher than 200 feet above ground level and it’s illegal to take pictures of people without their permission–so always be mindful of local laws!
Know What Type of Drone Flying Experience You Want
Different types have different features, so make sure you have a clear idea of what you want before taking off.
Do you want to shoot high-quality pictures or videos and then edit them on your computer? Do you just need a device for quick snapshots from the air?
If so: DJI’s Mavic Pro is perfect for shooting videos up to 3840x1920p. It also has a 12-megapixel camera and it can capture RAW images in DNG+JPEG formats, so you’ll have plenty of editing options on your computer!
Know Where To Buy the Best Drones
You might want to start by looking here: DJI’s website–it sells reliable products at a competitive price.
Practice in an Open Space and Not Over People’s Heads
When we are just learning how to fly a drone for the first time, there is often this temptation to find our way around the obstacles from ground level.
But this is not an easy task and it can be dangerous to other people on the ground, so don’t do this until you are more comfortable with your drone’s flight path!
Practice flying in open spaces like parks or fields where there will be less chance of crashing into something while you learn the ropes.
Read about FAA regulations
If you are going to fly at all outdoors, make sure you know the rules and regulations in your area. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has strict guidelines for registering drones as well as where they can be flown: away from airports or people, below 400 feet high, etc. For more information on these regulations, check out this article.
So before you take your drone outside and start flying it around to get a better idea of how the controls work, be sure to read up on these regulations so that you don’t find yourself in trouble with the law for not following them!
Get As Close as Possible When Trying To Land It
If you are indoors and want to land your drone, get as close to the ground as possible before it runs out of battery. This way your device will touch down on something softer than the floor–like a carpet or rug!
Instead of hovering in one place while waiting for its batteries to die, try maneuvering it around until you find an area where it can land safely!
Read the Manual
Most drones come with a user’s guide, so make sure you read all about how to take care of your device and keep it in working order. You might even want to print out the information from this article before reading on for more tips!
Fly Higher if You Want To Take a Picture
If you are trying to snap an action shot of something that’s happening on the ground, fly your drone higher than usual–either at 350ft or 400 ft high. This will give you a better view and allow for faster shutter speeds if it is cloudy.
For this reason, most professional photographers set their devices at a height of 400ft.
Fly Low To Get an Overview
If you are trying to take the “big picture” for something like crowd counting or event promotion, fly your drone as low as possible so that you can capture all angles without having to move it around. By doing this, you will also be able to see everything that’s happening on the ground below.
Fly Low To Get an Overview
When you are flying your drone, make sure to follow the three golden rules: stay away from other people and animals; get permission before taking off in someone else’s property (e.g., house or backyard); don’t fly near any tall buildings or trees so that it doesn’t get stuck or fall.
Closely Watch the Camera Angle
If possible, use an external monitor when flying for better visibility from the ground. This way you can see what’s happening in front of the drone and how it is reacting to your control input, without having to constantly monitor its feed on the controller!
You can also change the camera angle from within your controller settings. Just open up your settings and there will be a field that says “camera tilt”–adjust this to get better shots!
Keep Up With The Latest Technology News
If you want to stay on top of all these new technologies, subscribe to our email list for updates on the latest drone and tech news!
Practice Makes Perfect
Flying a drone can be difficult at first, so don’t give up! The more you practice with it the better you’ll become–especially if you are trying to take off indoors and land without crashing into anything (hint: refer back to these tips for help!). It takes a lot of practice to get really good at it, so be patient and keep trying!
The Three Golden Rules
-Stay away from other people and animals.
-Get permission before taking off in someone else’s property (e.g., house or backyard).
-Don’t fly near any tall buildings or trees so that it doesn’t get stuck or fall.
These are the strategies to better flying that I have learned after several months of using my drone. Some may seem obvious, but these tips will help you fly without worrying about crashing or losing your device! If you can follow them all, then hopefully this article has helped in some way–happy zipping!
