What You Should Know Before Buying a Drone

So you have decided you would like to have a drone, or maybe your son/daughter/husband/wife has said they would like one as a gift, what do you do now? There are many things to consider before you buy yourself or someone else a drone. Here is our buyer’s guide.

Buyer’s Guide to Buying a Drone

There are so many things to consider these days before you buy a drone. What size? What capabilities do you want it to have? How high or long do you need it to fly for? Where will it be flown? Let’s take a look at some of the most common considerations.

How old will the owner be?

Small lightweight drones are often bought for youngsters and soon either broken or left on the shelf because they are difficult to fly. There are a lot of frustrations when flying drones. The smaller and lighter they are, the more difficult they are to fly because they are so sensitive. A small drone buzzing around the front room can cause chaos, injury and damage! However, a bigger, heavier drone, which might be easier to fly, can do a lot more damage! Drones also have a very short battery life – in the main under 10 minutes. Even if you have 2 batteries to charge, that will give you less than 20 minutes of flying.

Buying drones for children is a lot better to imagine than it is in reality. Almost all drones will have an advisable age of 14+ and the flying of drones, no matter how small, should always be done under the supervision of adults. The propellers move extremely fast and can cause injuries to hands and the face if not handled with care.

So the first thing to consider is are they 14 years and over. If younger than that forget the drone until they are older.

How much space is there to fly it?

Most drones can be flown inside and outside. Many will work at a distance of 20 metres and more. However, few people will have inside space of over 20 metres. Larger drones will often have a longer range, but then that can make them unsuitable for indoor use. If you have a large garden great. If you haven’t then think about where you will be able to go to fly your drone in public that will not endanger anyone.

Cameras and privacy

Most drones these days come with cameras that can take both first person video or/and recorded photos and video. All well and good, but you need to be very careful what you are viewing/recording. If you are flying your drone in your garden will it be invading your neighbour’s privacy? Data Protection and Privacy laws are applicable for anything that gets recorded by your drone. So it needs to be flown well away from other people and other people’s property.

Dronesafe.uk is a website that has been developed by the Civil Aviation Authority and provides more information on the rules around drone flying.

Be Careful!

• Don’t fly near airports or airfields
• Remember to stay below 400ft (120m)
• Observe your drone at all times – stay 150ft (50m) away from people and property
• Never fly near aircraft
• Enjoy responsibly

Now that you have all the warnings and know the important things to be aware of it’s time to look at our best drones for beginners.