Drones have been hitting the skies more and more over the past decade, and they’re here to stay for a while. For many, drones are great for hobbyists and for aerial fans. For photographers and videographer’s, drones can actually increase your skillset and allows them to take stunning images and photos that not everyone is offering. Whether you are interested in buying a drone as a new hobby or want to include it into your business model you want to keep in mind these 10 things to know before buying a drone.
What to Know Before You Buy a Drone
1. Register Your Drone
Whether you are using your drone just for fun or using it for photography or videography your drone needs to be registered. You can register your drone here. Keep in mind that if your drone weighs over 250 Grams or you are using it for commercial purposes you will need to take additional steps to register your drone.
2. Know Where to Fly
Before you take to the skies you need to know some basic guidelines as to where you can fly your drone:
- You cannot fly your drone within five miles of any airport.
- You must fly your drone under 400 feet.
- Drones cannot be flown over government facilities or national parks.
- It is always polite to have permission to fly your drone over other people before doing so. It is just common courtesy.
3. Type of Drones
When deciding on the type of drone to purchase you will need to understand some of the common terminology used to describe the drone you will end up with.
- RTF = Ready-to-fly. These are almost ready to fly straight from the box. You will need to attach the propellers and charge the batteries before using though.
- BNF= Bind-to-fly. These ones don’t come with controllers so you have to buy them separately or install a specific app on your smartphone. These drones do, however, come completely assembled.
- ARF = Almost-ready-to-fly. These are drone kits. They don’t have transmitters, receivers, most do not have motors, speed controllers, flight controllers, or batteries. While you have almost everything to build your own drone you will need to make many additional purchases to actually be able to fly it. On the plus side, you can customize these drones to your specific flying needs.
- FPV = First-person-video. These drones are able to capture footage and transmit this footage to a smartphone, virtual reality headset, or other compatible devices. Many photographers use these types of drones to capture landscapes and more.
Based on Weight
(a) Nano drone: Less than or equal to 250 grams,
(b) Micro drone: Greater than 250 grams and less than or equal to 2 kilograms,
(c) Small drone: Greater than 2 kilograms and less than or equal to 25 kilograms,
(d) Medium drone: Greater than 25 kilograms and less than or equal to 150 kilograms, and
(e) Large drone: Greater than 150 kilograms.
4. Cost of Drone
If you are looking to add your drone to your photography or video production gear list you will want to think carefully about how much you are going to spend on the drone. Most drones that are in the lower level of the price range tend to be less stable and are more difficult to control. This will result in low-quality images. You can find a drone with a variety of special features that will help it remain more stable and fly smoother while taking images or video but, these can run into the thousands of dollars price range. Know what your budget is and what you can do without in terms of special features.
5. Weather Conditions
Keep in mind the weather conditions in your area. If you live where there is plenty of wind you will want to find a drone that will be able to handle the wind gusts. Many drones can only handle up to 20 mph wind speeds.
You want to ensure that your drone is water and/or weatherproof so that your drone will function properly. Keep in mind that, the best time to fly your drone is when the skies are clear and there is little to no breeze.
6. Drone Stability
One of the most important factors you will want to wake into consideration when purchasing a drone you intend on using for photography or videography is the stability factor. important for taking photographs and videos. How still does the drone hover? If your drone does not hover in a stable position you won’t be able to capture crisp and clear images. To ensure that your drown is nice and steady while shooting, buy one with a gimbal.
7. Flight Time
8. License
Remote pilot licenses shall specifically mention the class of the drone that the natural person has successfully completed the prescribed training for. The remote pilot license shall specifically mention if the said natural person has successfully completed the prescribed training for automatic or autonomous drone operations.
Eligibility – The following natural persons shall be eligible for a remote pilot license
(a) not less than eighteen years of age and not more than sixty-five years of age.
(b) have passed class tenth or its equivalent examination from a recognized Board, and
(c) have completed the training prescribed by the Director-General for the applicable class of remote pilot license from an authorized remote pilot training organization.
Procedure for obtaining remote pilot license –
After completing the prescribed training and passing the prescribed proficiency test conducted by an authorized remote pilot training organization, the natural person shall be issued a remote pilot certificate by such authorized remote pilot training organization through the digital sky platform, within seven days of the successful completion of such proficiency test.
Exemption – No remote pilot licence shall be required for a person –
(a) operating a nano drone; and
(b) operating a micro drone for non-commercial purposes.
9. Zones
“Green zone” means the airspace from the ground up to a vertical distance of 400 feet (120 metres) above ground level (AGL) that has not been designated as a red zone or yellow zone in the airspace map for drone operations; and the airspace from the ground up to a vertical distance of 200 feet (60 metres) AGL in the area located between a lateral distance of 8 kilometres and 12 kilometers from the perimeter of an operational airport. In the airspace above 400 feet (120 meters) AGL in a designated green zone and the airspace above 200 feet (60 meters) AGL in the area located between the lateral distance of 8 kilometres and 12 kilometres from the perimeter of an operational airport, the provisions of the yellow zone shall apply.
“Red zone” means the airspace of defined dimensions, above the land areas or territorial waters of India, or any installation or notified port limits specified by the Central Government beyond the territorial waters of India; within which drone operations shall be permitted only under exceptional circumstances by the Central Government.
“Yellow zone” means the controlled airspace of defined dimensions above the land areas or territorial waters of India within which drone operations are restricted and shall require permission from the concerned air traffic control authority.
10. Proper Etiquette
