Are you giving or receiving a drone as a holiday gift? If so, here are a couple of pointers to get you and your new flying machine to get you flying with a minimum of stress (and broken parts):
1) Begin with a simulator
Especially if you are getting or giving a larger drone (like a DJI Phantom or a 3DR Iris) as a holiday gift, the intended pilot should master the basics of flight before putting it at risk in the air. To be sure, today's sophisticated drones are far easier to fly than they were even a few years ago, but crashing is still part of the learning process.
We suggest you begin with a good-quality flight simulator (such as RealFlight or Phoenix) which uses either a replica or an actual radio control to interface with your computer. Although no simulator perfectly replicates every nuance of flying a real aircraft, all you need to do is develop some basic skills.
2) Start (flying) small
After you've logged about 10 hours on the computer and you can complete a few basic maneuvers without crashing, transition over to flying a docile, palm-sized aircraft, like the Blade MCX. No matter how well prepared you are from the simulator, there is still a difference between that and flying a real aircraft in a real environment.
Anything you would want to start with will be best suited for indoor flight, and that's where you should begin. Fly back and forth between the couch and the coffee table, landing at each end of the journey. Even once you have experience flying your larger drone outdoors, it's good to keep your skills sharp by practicing indoors with a smaller aircraft during the winter months.
3) Treat your batteries with respect
Your new drone uses what are called “Lithium-Polymer” batteries – although we just say “Li-Po” for short. They are the most energy-dense batteries that are commercially produced right now, which means they pack a lot of power for their weight and size. This is necessary to sustain electrically powered aircraft in flight.
However, there is a downside: the can catch fire or explode if they are damaged, punctured or even charged incorrectly. Therefore, it is critical that you follow the instructions that came with your new drone to the letter when it comes to charging your batteries.
You will also want to invest in a fireproof “Li-Po bag” or even a surplus army metal ammunition storage box, to safely store your batteries and hold them while they are charging.
4) Make some new friends
Obviously, we hope that someone is hosting a “Drone for the Holidays” event near you, so you can be part of our national day of learning and teaching on January 3. However, even if there isn't an official event being held in your area, there are likely some other RC pilots who live in your community. Just go ask around at your local hobby shop, or look up clubs in your area on the Academy of Model Aeronautics website.
No matter how well prepared you are, you're going to be much more comfortable making your first flight with your new drone if there is an experienced pilot standing next to you, ready to lend a hand if you have a problem. They'll know what's “normal,” so if something doesn't work the way you expected it to, they'll be able to tell you whether is you or your new drone.
5) Go online to get help
Even if you can't find other pilots near you to go flying with, there are some great online forums where you can ask questions and get answers from people with a lot of experience flying drones. Check out MultiRotor Forums and RCGroups.
6) Join the Academy of Model Aeronautics
More than 170,000 people just like you are members of the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA). It was established in 1936, almost 20 years before the Federal Aviation Administration, if that helps give you some perspective.
The AMA provides a number of incredibly valuable services, including: providing you with $2.5 million in liability insurance (included with your membership!) whenever you are out flying your drone, as well as a very effective government advocacy program to protect your right to fly.
To learn more about the organization's programs and sign up as a member, follow this link.
7) Get involved with a Drone User Group
The Drone User Group Network (DUGN) is an international affiliation of local groups that meet on a regular basis to share knowledge and work on projects involving drones. These are informal organizations that do not cost anything to join, and they are a great way to meet people in your local area who share a common interest in drones.
Follow this link to see a current list of local DUGN chapters. If there isn't one located nearby, you can volunteer to start up a new chapter in your own community.
8) Always fly in a safe and responsible manner
Owning a drone puts remarkable capabilities in your hands – the ability to control a machine moving through the air, hundreds or even thousands of feet from your physical location. However, as Uncle Ben cautioned Peter Parker: “With great power comes great responsibility.”
It is incumbent on you, as a drone owner, to fly safely and responsibly. Never fly above people or sensitive property that could be damaged if your drone falls out of the sky. Whenever you're flying, you should always be asking yourself, “What if my machine falls out of the sky right now? Will anybody be hurt?” If the answer is “yes,” you are not flying safely and responsibly.
As a rule, you should maintain your aircraft below 400 feet above ground level (“AGL” as we say in the aviation biz), and preferably below the altitude of the tallest obstacles in your immediate vicinity. Never fly within five miles of an active airport without first checking in with the airport manager or the control tower.
Also, always maintain a visual line of sight with your aircraft and keep constant watch on the surrounding airspace to avoid potential collisions or conflicts with other aircraft. If you're going to fly First-Person View (FPV), always have a spotter on hand.
These rules are important to avoid potential conflicts with manned aircraft. Make no mistake: we always yield the right-of-way to manned aircraft and, except under very special circumstances, we should never operate in their vicinity.
There have been an increasing number of reports of near misses between manned aircraft and drones, and this has the potential to hurt the broader community – and your individual right to fly – very badly.
9) Use common sense and respect the privacy of others
Drones are an exciting new technology. However, there is a perception among some people that drones are a threat to privacy. Always bear this in mind and fly in a respectful manner. If you are flying in a public location, be prepared to answer questions and show people how your drone works.
Let them see the live video feed from your aircraft and you will immediately make a new friend and an ally for civilian drone use and ownership.
Never use your drone to capture video or still images of a person where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as in their home or on their property. When a person is in a public place, like a city park, they have a lower expectation of privacy – so you should be fine if you see them walking in the background in your video – but it would be very disrespectful, or even frightening, to focus on one person or follow them around with your drone.
If you want someone to be the subject of your aerial video, ask them first.
10) Help other people learn how to fly
If you have completed all of the previous steps, there is a pretty good chance that now you have enough knowledge to help other people learn how to fly. Pass along these lessons and all of the discoveries that you are going to make for yourself in the days and months ahead.
Each of us hold the future in our hands with this powerful, transformative technology. A poor decision by a single drone pilot could set back this technology years. Therefore, it is up to each of us not only to use and enjoy this technology for ourselves, but to be active participants in the broader community and ensure that it is used in a safe, responsible and non-intrusive manner.
Fly safe!
-Lucidity