There are a ton of things to learn when first starting this hobby. There’s the different country, state, and county drone laws, there are a million different drone features you need to consider, and then we have some basic unspoken drone rules.
A quick way to get a quick summary of ALL THAT STUFF is to read this article, and then join a local drone community.
Local drone pilots will know your area inside and out. They’ll know exactly where you can fly, and they’ll give you some quick tips on which drone features to rely on. It will be so much less overwhelming just getting a summary of what you need to know.
Join Facebook drone groups. I recommend you start out by looking for a Facebook drone group in your area. Drones are extremely popular nowadays so I’ll be very surprised if you can’t find any.
Online forums. If you really can’t find anything then online forums are the next best thing. Here are a few of the more popular ones. Just make sure you still hunt out drone pilots that live in your area. They’ll have better advice than anyone else online.
If you have those neighbors that get annoyed by everything you do, chances are they aren’t going to let you fly a drone near their home. Hobby drones can be VERY loud which is why the sound of drones makes up 99% of drone complaints.
So what exactly do they sound like? They make a high pitched buzzing sound of around 80 decibels which sounds like a loud vacuum cleaner next to your ear.
Here’s a graph that you can use to compare the sound of a drone to every day household items.
We wrote a full article describing how loud drones can get, along with a list of some quieter drones if you need more information on this topic.
Those tiny little blades may be small, but boy can they cause some damage. Because they spin at such a high speed, most can drone propellers can slice into your skin which could cause severe lacerations.
In this article, the popular T.V show Mythbusters showed how the blades of a drone could cause a fatal wound.
That being said, the hobby drones I’m talking about here are bigger drones such as the DJI Mavic and Phantom, on the other hand, smaller “toy” drones can’t cause nearly as much damage. Unless you happen to fly it into someone’s face or eyes.
That being said, drones can be dangerous, so if you going to buy a drone for children, make sure you stick to entry-level toy drones instead of the bigger more expensive models.
If you would like more information on how badly a drone can hurt you, and which drones are the safest for kids, make sure you read this article.
You will crash a drone sooner or later, it’s out of your hands. The only thing you can control is if you’ll crash a $20 drone or a $1000 drone.
If you’re a new drone pilot then flying a drone might be difficult as discussed in this article, depending on how clued up you are with technology. For example, if you’ve been playing Playstation your whole life, and you’ve owned a few remote control cars, then you might learn in a few hours. However, if you’re a bit of a technophobe, then it might take you a few weeks. Either way, you don’t want to learn with an expensive drone.
Here’s the best way to learn how to fly a drone as a newbie.
I wrote a full article that will give you more tips on learning how to fly a drone as a newbie. Make sure you check it out especially if you’re a bit of a technophobe.
The truth is that it’s just a matter of time before you either crash your drone on land or in the water. Either way, the manufacturer won’t cover “pilot error” in the warranty. So make sure you take out drone insurance when you do decide to get an expensive drone. It only costs a few dollars per month, and it can save you a ton of money.
You’ll see these acronyms pop-up during your research all the time, but make sure you know what they mean. It’s the difference between getting a drone fully intact ready to fly, and a drone that’s in pieces. It will be pretty awkward if you receive the latter. Here’s what these acronyms mean.
When searching for a drone you’ll notice that they’ll have a TON of features. At first, it can be confusing to decide which features are most important to you, but I’ll try to make it as clear as possible below.
If you’re a photographer, or if you simply want to use your drone to capture some amazing footage, then you’ll want to focus on the camera the drone comes with. But keep in mind that image quality is probably the biggest factor that determines a drone’s price. So if you want a drone that’s capable of shooting great quality videos and pictures, you’ll have to pay up.
In this section, we are going to discuss picture quality, video quality, video frame rates, and gimbals. You must know these things before buying a drone.
Something to keep in mind is that the drone shoots video and pictures at different qualities. For example, the DJI Mavic will shoot video at HD 1080p, and takes pictures at 20-megapixels.
While comparing drone camera stats, you’ll notice the word MP will get used a lot. For example; 12MP.
MP stands for megapixels which in a nutshell is used to describe the picture quality of the camera. In more technical terms, MP means how many pixels the camera can produce in millions. So a 20-megapixel camera can produce 20 million pixels. The more pixels a camera can produce, the better quality a picture will be.
So how many megapixels should you settle for? Well in short it depends. If you’re not too bothered about camera quality then anything under 5MP should be fine. However if you want crisp high quality pictures then get a drone that’s over 12MP.
While shopping for a drone you’ll also notice that the camera will show different video quality stats as laid out below. Here’s what they mean:
You’ll notice that when a website discusses the video quality above, they’ll have “FPS” next to it with a number. This is extremely important if you want to use your drone for video, so pay attention!
FPS stands for “frames per second.” In english it simply means how many pictures your camera can take in a given second to create a video.
So for example, if the camera can shoot video at 1080p HD at 30 fps, it means that it can take 30 pictures with a quality of 1080p HD in a second to create a video.
The more pictures a camera can take in a given second, the smoother the video will be, and the more you can slow down an image. For example, to see a bullet cut through the air in slow-motion, you’ll need a camera capable of shooting at around 6000 frames per second.
Now only high-end cameras can do that, so how many frames per second is good? Well, around 30 fps is the most common in decent drone today, and I wouldn’t settle for anything less. Some drones have started coming out with frame rates of 60 fps, so if you want something better they do exist.
The last thing you’re going to want to consider is your drone’s gimbal. A gimbal is what you’re camera is mounted on. Some cameras are mounted in a fixed position on a gimbal, while others give you the freedom of actually scrolling the camera position while flying. For example, a 3-axis gimbal will give you a lot more control over your camera compared to a 110-degree gimbal.
You’ll notice a lot of drones mention that they are capable of flying in FPV mode. These drones are simply capable of transmitting video in realtime back to a headset to provide a “pretty unique first-person-view experience.” But there’s nothing that unique about it. It’s become the latest craze and marketing angle, but the truth is that any drone that is capable of transmitting video back to the controller with decent quality is capable of this.
Here’s a table showing how camera quality can affect price.
| Drone Type: | Video Quality: | Picture Quality: | Price: | Purchase Link: |
| DJI Inspire 2 | 5.2k at 24fps | 20.8MP | $3,299 | VIEW |
| DJI Mavic 2 Pro | 4K HDR at 30fps | 20MP | $1599 | VIEW |
| DJI Mavic Pro | 4K at 30 fps | 12MP | $950 | VIEW |
| DJI Mavic Mini | 2.7K at 30 fps | 12MP | $399 | VIEW |
| Holy Stone HS110D | 1080 HD at 30 fps | 1MP | $130 | VIEW |
| Eachine Viswhoop | 720p HD at 30 fps | 1MP | $250 | VIEW |
When shopping for drones, flight time, and range is another important factor to consider. Some entry-level toy drones might be able to fly for only a few minutes and cover a distance of a few hundred feet, while your more expensive drone types such as the DJI Mavic series will be able to stay in the air for up to 30 minutes and fly out for as far as 4 miles.
That being said, when buying a drone you need to consider how far you want to be able to fly your drone. The further out you want to fly, the more it’s going to cost you.
When comparing ranges and flight times, keep in mind that the figures they give you heavily depend on how you fly the drone, and the weather conditions you’re flying in.
Table showing how flight time and range might affect price.
| Drone Type: | Range: | Flight Time: | Price: | Purchase Link: |
| DJI Inpspire 2 | 4.3 miles | 27 min | $3,500 | VIEW |
| DJI Mavic 2 Pro | 11 miles | 31 min | $1599 | VIEW |
| DJI Mavic Pro | 4.3 miles | 27 min | $950 | VIEW |
| Yuneec Mantis G | 1,2 miles | 33 min | $700 | VIEW |
| Hubsan H501S | 0.19 miles | 8 min | $250 | VIEW |
You’ll want to know which smart flying features you should be paying attention to, and which ones to ignore. I’ll explain all the different flying features so you’ll know whats marketing jargon, and what you’ll actually want to pay attention to.
You probably have no idea how much you should be paying for a drone. Now it obviously depends on a ton of things, such as features, manufacturing quality, and the purpose of the drone, however, you’ll still need some guidelines.
Here’s a table that breaks down drones into different groups so that you have an idea of what you should be paying.
| Drone Type: | Drone: | Range: | Camera Quality: | Price: | Store Link: |
| Toy drone | DROCON Drone X708W | 262 feet | HD camera 720P | $55 | VIEW |
| Toy drone | Hubsan X4 | 328 feet | 720p HD camera | $25 | VIEW |
| Toy drone | GoolRC T36 Drone | 89 feet | No camera | $21 | VIEW |
| Hobby drone | DJI Mavic Mini | 2.5 miles | 4K 30 fps | $399 | VIEW |
| Hobby drone | DJI Mavic 2 Pro | 5 miles | 2.7K at 60 fps | $1499 | VIEW |
| Hobby drone | Parrot Anafi FPV | 2.4 miles | 4K video at 30 fps | $799 | VIEW |
| Hobby drone | Autel robotics Evo | 4.3 miles | 4K video at 60 fps | $1000 | VIEW |
| Hobby drone | Hubsan Zino 2 | 3.7 miles | 4K video at 60 fps | $549 | VIEW |
| Commercial Drone | DJI Inspire 2 | 4.3 miles | 4K Video at 60 fps | $3,299 | VIEW |
| Commercial Drone | DJI Matrice 600 Pro | 3 miles | 1080p video at 60 fps | $5,699 | VIEW |
These should cost under $100. These are drones that are designed to be entry-level. They usually have no camera,(or a low-quality camera.) They will lack smart flying features such as autonomous flying, return to home functions, etc, and they won’t have GPS. Flight time is usually around 3 to 10 minutes, and you’ll probably only be able to fly it a few hundred feet. These drones are usually best suited for children and beginner drone pilots as training wheels.
The best place to buy these drones is on amazon.com. See table above for example.
Then you get your standard hobby drones that are a lot more advanced than toy drones. They will cost you around $400 to $1500. Features will be a lot more advanced, they’ll almost always be equipped with autonomous flying features, GPS, and high-quality 4k or HD cameras. Flying time will range from around 10 minutes to over 30 minutes. And, some might be able to fly as far as 5 miles. These drones are best suited for hobby drone pilots who have experience with drones.
The best place to buy these drones is in store, or from the manufacturer’s online store. Some of the most popular hobby drone official online stores in the USA are;
Finally, you get your commercial or enterprise level drones. These are generally used by professionals such as surveyors, videographers, photographers, and farmers for agricultural reasons, etc. These drones are a lot more expensive at a minimum of around $2,500. It’s not uncommon for some of them to cost as much as $25,000. As you can imagine, these drones are a lot more advanced, and since you’re reading this, you’re probably not ready to get started with any of these yet.
These drone types are generally provided by specialized manufacturers, however, DJI does provide solutions. You can find out more on their website here.
| Area: | Can you fly? |
| National Park | No |
| State Park | Maybe |
| Public Park | Yes |
| Residential Area | Yes |
You can know exactly where to fly your drone by asking yourself these four very simple questions.
If you’ve done the research and you’re happy with your answer for each of those questions, then you’ll be free to take off. If not, below are some more guidelines.
If you’re thinking of taking a drone with you on vacation to national parks to get some glamorous footage, then think again. Drones were banned in all national parks across the US since June 2014. The law states that you can’t take off or land your drone within national park borders.
That being said flying your drone OVER national parks is actually legal. It was even confirmed by the National Park Service themselves on their website here. So if you can find a legal place to take off and land on the park borders, then you’re good to go.
I wrote a full article covering more information on flying your drone over a national park. Make sure you check it out if you’re interested.
It’s perfectly legal to fly your drone in a residential area over your property and over any other property as long as you have prior permission from the owners or tenants.
There are just a few things you need to look out for.
I wrote a full article on flying your drone in a residential area here if you want more information on this.
Public parks are actually the best places to fly a drone in my opinion. If you time it right there are hardly any people there, (like in the mornings,) and there’s a lot of space.
Before you attempt to fly there though, make sure there aren’t any local drone laws that might stop you. Some questions to ask yourself are; is the park with a 5-mile radius of an airport? Are there any government building close to the park? Are there any events happening right now? If you answered no to all of those questions, then chances are you won’t have any problems flying your drone there.
A quick way to check on any limitations is to go to airmap.com, type the park address in the search area, then check for any flight restrictions.
Before you do though, make sure you read this article that covers things you should know before flying in a public park in more depth.
State parks is a bit of a tricky one. Some will let you fly on their property, others won’t like it at all. Generally, it all depends on the park managers themselves, if they don’t mind it then they’ll let you fly. Just make sure you ask before taking to the skies.
Here’s a quick way to check if you can fly a drone in the state park that you’re visiting:
INSIDER TIP: Don’t rely on those big old park signs. They’re usually outdated and most won’t have any information on drones.
It’s worth mentioning that just like National Parks, its perfectly legal to fly over State Parks without permission from the park. So if you can find grounds outside of the park that will allow you to take off and land your drone, then that is also a valid option.
I wrote a full article on flying your drone in a state park here, make sure you check it out.
When traveling always make sure that you do your research first. You’re going to want to make sure that the country you’re traveling, and any other countries you’re stopping in in-between, don’t have any ban on drones. This might sound like a bit of a pain but its crucial to avoid getting your drone confiscated.
INSIDER TIP: Most drone communities will talk about their experiences while traveling with their drones, so I recommend diving into them and seeing if someone has traveled to the location you’re planning to visit.
Taking your drone through an airport can be a bit tricky if you don’t know what you’re doing. But don’t worry, here’s a summary of what you need to know.
If you’re buying a drone to take on a cruise with you, stop and do some research first. Some cruise lines won’t let you take drones on-board. And even if they do allow it, you definitely won’t be able to fly it on the ship, and most ports completely ban the use of drones. Now as always, there are a few exceptions. Here are some cruise lines that allow you to bring drones on-board.
Remember, you can’t fly your drone on the ship.
Here are some drone-friendly ports that will let you fly your drone: (that I know of.)
If you’re unsure then the best thing you can do is call the cruise line and ask them.
Before I scare you off, the registration process is actually pretty simple. It can be done online at the FAA website here, it takes 5 minutes, and only costs $5. Which is nothing! It’s so simple that you can even get it done before getting a drone.
I made a list of drones that will need to be registered if you want to get an idea of whether or not you’ll need to register your drone.
And If you’re adamant that you want a drone that you don’t need to register, don’t worry! I’ve got you covered. Here’s a list of 17 popular drones that weigh under 250 grams that don’t need to be registered at all.
This is what confused me when I first started flying drones. Before you can fly anywhere you need to know;
This can seem extremely overwhelming especially as a new drone pilot, however, I found that by just asking seasoned drone pilots in my area to give me a summary of what I need to know has helped a ton! So I’d heavily advise that you do the same.
In most cases, as long as you stick to these laws then you should have no problems flying your drone.
Here’s a full list of FAA drone laws you need to stick to.
Now, this is only IF you completely ignore all drone laws and policies. Most people that get fined or arrested really go out of their way to break the law. If you make a few mistakes here and there or break the law by accident, chances are all you’ll get is a slap on the wrist by officials.
I covered how much you can get fined for breaking drone laws in this article, so if its something that worries you, make sure you check it out.
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