Drone Range (Everything You Need to Know)

Drones are becoming increasingly popular and for good reason! They are a fun way to get an aerial view of your surroundings, and they can be used for a variety of purposes.

Whether you’re just curious about how far drones can fly or you’re looking for some tips on how to use them effectively, you’ll find what you’re looking for in this blog post. We’ll provide 13 helpful facts about drones that will answer all of your questions.

How Far Can a Drone Fly Before it Goes Out of Range from its Controller?

The range of a drone depends on a few different factors, including the legal limits, type of drone, weather conditions, and altitude.

The furthest popular drones can fly is as far as 9 miles or 15 km from their controllers, legally in the United States, and 5 miles or 8 km in Europe, China, and Japan. These limits consider the legal requirement that drones be kept in the line of sight of their operators.

The table below shows how far different popular types of drones can fly.

Can You Fly a Drone Over a Valley / Waterbody?

Flying a drone over a valley or waterbody is allowed in most cases, but be sure to check with your local government before flying. Some areas have restrictions on how high you can fly your drone and whether or not you can fly near airports.

Yes, you can fly a drone over a valley or waterbody providing that you have an unobstructed view of the drone at all times. It is also important to note that, inbuilt systems like VPS should be disabled, home-points should be updated manually, and due-diligence should be taken to avoid collisions.

The use of intelligent flight modes that allow the drone to fly autonomously over a valley or waterbody is generally not recommended. Water reflects light and can cause interference with the drone’s internal systems. This could result in a loss of control and potentially a crashed drone.

What Happens If a Drone Gets Lost or Stolen?

If a drone gets lost or stolen, the owner can track it down using the GPS feature. If the drone is not found, the owner can remotely disable it. The last thing anyone wants is for a rogue drone to fly around and cause havoc. For this reason, most drones have a “return to home” function that will automatically bring the drone back to its starting point.

The most useful thing one can do to recover a lost drone is to have a tracker on it. These trackers use GPS signals to help locate the drone no matter where it is in the world. Another option is to install a software program on the drone that will provide a live feed of its location use the inbuilt drone camera to your advantage and snap a picture of the location to help with the search.

If your drone is stolen you may be able to track it down if you have the serial number. You can also remotely disable the drone so that it cannot be flown or used by someone else.

If nothing works, the last resort is to contact the police and hope that they can help track down your drone.

Will a Drone Come Back if it Goes out of Range from its Controller?

This depends on the drone. Some drones have a return to home function that will automatically bring it back to its starting point if it goes out of range. If your drone does not have this function, it is possible to manually pilot the drone back to its controller. All you need is a clear line of sight between the drone and the controller.

In a flyaway situation, it is important to remain calm and try to relocate the drone. Do not fly the drone in an unsafe manner or towards people or property.

Try the following to find a flyaway drone:

1. Keep your Drone Controller ON

When your drone goes out of range, it will automatically enter into a low-power mode. This is meant to help conserve the battery life and increase the chances of the drone returning home. If you turn off your controller, your drone will lose this connection and become much harder to find.

Make sure you keep an eye on your controller’s power indicator to see how much power is left.

If you’re using an app to control your drone, make sure the app stays open in the background. This will help keep a connection with your drone.

2. Hit Return to Home

If your drone has a return to home function, pressing this button will tell the drone to fly back to its starting point.

Make sure you are aware of any obstacles in the way that could prevent the drone from reaching its destination. For example, trees or power lines.

Also, keep in mind that wind can affect a drone’s return to home function.

If your drone does not have a return to home function, you can try manually piloting it back to the controller.

3. Locate the Drone’s Last Known Position

If your drone goes out of range and you’re unable to fly it back, your best bet is to try and locate its last known position.

Drones often leave a breadcrumb trail that can help you find their final location. This trail is made up of GPS coordinates that are stored on the drone.

Once you have the coordinates, you can enter them into a mapping program or use a third-party app to help find the drone.

Keep in mind that not all drones will have this function turned on by default. If you’re concerned about losing your drone, it is best to check and see if this feature is enabled before flying.

4. Look through the Photos and Videos

If your drone has gone out of range and you’re unable to find it, one option is to look through the photos and videos that were taken during the flight.

Many drones will automatically save all footage and photos taken during the flight to the controller or app. This can be a great way to see where the drone was last located.

If you’re using an app to control your drone, make sure that the save location is set to the device’s internal storage and not the cloud. This will help free up space on your phone or tablet.

Keep in mind that if your photos and videos are stored in the cloud, they may be deleted after a certain amount of time.

5. Ask for Help

If you’ve tried all of the above and still can’t find your drone, it’s time to ask for help.

There are a few options when it comes to finding lost drones:

Local Drone Repair Shops – Many local drone repair shops offer services such as search and rescue for lost drones. This may come at a cost, so be sure to inquire about the price before hiring them.

Drone Forums – There are a number of online drone forums where users can post about lost drones and ask for help from other members. Be sure to do your research before posting in order to make sure you’re asking in the right place.

Search Engines – If you know the make and model of your drone, you can try searching for it online. This may turn up results from various forums as well as retailers that sell drones.

If all else fails, you can always reach out to the manufacturer of your drone through their website or any of their

Each company has different policies when it comes to lost drones, so be sure to familiarize yourself with their procedures before contacting them.

Can Your Drone Lose Connection with its Controller because of low Battery Power?

The short answer is yes. If your drone has a low battery, it may lose connection with its controller. This can be due to several factors, such as the distance between the drone and controller, obstacles in the way, or interference from other electronic devices.

If you’re using an app to control your drone, make sure that you keep an eye on the battery level. Once it drops below a certain percentage, the app may disconnect from the drone.

If your drone does lose connection with its controller, it will activate the Return to Home function. This will cause the drone to fly back to the controller’s location or its last known position, depending on how it was set up.

Can You Increase Drone Range?

Yes, you can increase the range of your drone by using a signal booster.

There are a few different types of boosters available on the market, such as:

Drone Antennas

These antennas attach to the controller and help boost the signal between it and the drone. A good antenna can increase the drone’s range by up to 50%.

Range Extenders

These devices plug into an electrical outlet and create a larger signal radius for the drone. They are typically used in open areas where there is little interference.

Signal Booster Apps

There are a number of apps available that claim to boost the signal between your drone and controller. However, most of these apps have not been tested or proven to work. Be sure to do your research before downloading any app that claims to increase range.

Drone Repeaters

These work similarly to range extenders, but they attach to the drone itself. They are good for areas with a lot of interference, as they will repeat the signal multiple times.

Avoid Obstacles

One way to increase the range of your drone is to avoid obstacles.

This can be done by flying in open areas with few trees or buildings. If you do need to fly near obstacles, try to keep them between the drone and controller. This will help minimize interference.

The Bottom Line

Most Drones can fly up more than 5 miles away from their controller.

There are a few things you can do to increase the range of your drone, such as using a signal booster or avoiding obstacles.

If your drone does lose connection with its controller, it will activate the Return to Home function.

Be sure to familiarize yourself with your drone’s policies before contacting the manufacturer if it’s lost.

Follow the legal requirements for recreational drone use in your state.