Is this the first time you are flying a drone? If yes, then be careful not to be consumed by the excitement that you make mistakes, which could cause you to lose your drone. Here are eight steps to take before flying a drone for the first time:
1. Select the Right Drone
The market is full of drones of various colors and sizes. Drones that zoom at high speed while recording footage in movie quality are best left to experts. Beginners should take it slow and avoid jumping on the first quadcopter they see. Go for the right drone that will orient you to the world of drones. As you begin slowly with a simple quadcopter, you will become an expert in due time, and you can go for more advanced quadcopters. You will become frustrated if you go for a complex drone because the learning curve will be too steep. A smaller drone is better as it is cheap, and it will survive a crash with little damage.
2. Establish a Budget
Different drones have various prices, and you should choose cautiously. Establish a budget and stick to it. At the beginner stage, you only require a drone comprising basic capabilities of flight. All the extras and perks can be included later. Visit various shops and compare the prices. Don’t get distracted by amazing drones that you cannot operate. Determine the drones that are in your range of price and go for the best one.
3. Go Through the Manual
Drone packages include instructions for a purpose. Particular drones need to be assembled. Go through the manual and ensure you assemble it properly. Failure to read the instructions could cost you your investment. Improper assembly could result in a hazardous crash landing, damage to the internal computer, and burning out of a motor. The manual will assist you to comprehend your drone. It will help you to operate it, ensure its safety, and connect with it. You can research a few tutorials to ensure you have it all covered.
4. Familiarize Yourself with the Remote Control
The drone’s remote control is not simple to operate as it seems. Learn how the transmitter works before you start flying. Understand how taking off and landing are done, and then you can do flips in the midair. Learn the combinations of buttons that are used to go straight, flip, and turn. Learn what each of the joysticks and buttons does and how they are used. Attempt to use them in your palms and fingers before flying the drone.
5. Indicator Lights are Essential
Focus on instructions which tackle drone indicator lights. The lights are beautiful, but they have an actual purpose. Determine the meaning of each light and the function served by them. The meaning of blinking lights is different from that of unblinking lights. Indicator lights assist in orienting you so that you can know the way forward. For instance, the drone may have red lights at the front and blue lights at the back. This will guide you to know the direction faced by the drone.
6. Confirm the Battery
The battery light is the most significant light on the drone. Discover its location and its reaction under the low battery. Some drones offer a little warning when the battery is down. After the power is off, the drone drops from the sky. Prevent your drone from smashing into pieces by always confirming the level of the battery. Always fly the drone when the battery is full. Battery life for beginner drones lasts for up to ten minutes.
7. Learn to Fly Before Crashing
Being quick to fly the drone before you learn flying will lead to crashing of your drone almost immediately. Assemble the drone and learn each part together with its flight function. Get to an empty, large, and open space, and turn on the flight mode and take off. Practice how to land and take off multiple times before flying. Another essential skill is hovering, and instructions for this can be found in the manual.
8. Be Aware of the Wind
Winds are responsible for snatching drones out of the sky never to be seen again. Fly your drone in a place with little or zero wind. When you become an expert, you can learn to manipulate the wind to work for you. It can assist you to gain altitude and flight speed.
Happy Flying!
