Flying drones is more than learning all the controls from the manual, drone pilots are also required to understand the different laws that go with flying drones and also safety measures to take when flying drones. In this article, we explore a comprehensive list of do’s and don’ts of flying a drone.
Things To Do When Flying A Drone
1. Fly-In Good Weather
For starters, flying a drone in wet and windy weather can be lethal for drones. Similar to airplanes, flying drones in ideal weather conditions, let’s you control your drone better and keep track of it in air. Ideal weather for drones includes clear skies, absence of rain, absence of too much sun, absence of strong winds Strong winds can hinder drone flights and also hinder controls.
2. Observe The Line Of Sight
Flying a drone within your line of sight is very imperative. This way you will be able to keep track of it, in case of a poor connection and you will also be able to detect if it accidentally rams into something.
3. Stay Clear From Airports
Some drone apps make it clear to customers, that airports are no-fly zones, and it’s for a reason. Flying drones close to airports can lead to fatal fatal accidents.
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When flying drones close to airports, there could be a collision of drones with aircraft, which can be fatal for the aircraft and for the drone. In early 2016, for example, an Air France pilot had to switch from autopilot to manual flight controls to avoid a drone at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris.
4. Watch Out For Interference
When flying drones, you should avoid flying under barriers. For example, flying under a bridge can lead to a drop in connection. Most advanced drones return home when the connection is dropped.
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If your drone doesn’t have this feature, you Drone may get missing. in Taiwan, one drone pilot’s connection dropped and triggered the “return to home” function for his drone. Unfortunately, this feature made it fly straight up and smack into the underside of the bridge then crash spectacularly into the waters below. Be observant of physical and electromagnetic sources of interference that could affect your control ability.
Things Not To Do
1. Don’t Fly Your Drone Over People
Flying your drone over people can be very risky because the person movement cannot be predicted. Take for example when the person raises his hand and hits the drone, this can lead to a crash of your drone and lots more. Some time ago skier Marcel Hirscher, who nearly got hit by a drone that was loaded with gear and fell out of the sky.
2. Don’t Fly Your Drone over Someone’s House
This is were privacy policies comes into play. For creative, drones are video tools used to capture top done clips of a certain area, but to the lame man and security conscious people, drones are tools used to spy on people.
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So unless you were given permission, you shouldn’t be flying your drone over someone’s house, to avoid being sued or getting destroyed. Also in a situation where your drone crashes into someone else’s house, it can lead to accidents, injuring a child or a pet, which can lead to you being sued.
3. Don’t Fly Above 400 Feet
There is a high possibility of your drone running into things like airplanes and hang gliders when you fly your drone above 400 feet. When you notice obstacles in the air, you are advised to restrain from flying your drone.
4. Don’t Fly Your Drones Over Roads
Drones are built to be super efficient, but like to any gadget created, there are times when you may experience glitches. Take for example a scenario when your drone falls on a busy road, there is a high chance of your drone being crushed.
5. Don’t Fly Above Military Bases
The fact that military personnel sees drones as spy tools, is not news anymore. Drones are hard by military personnel to spy on their enemies camp. If your drone is found in a military base, it will be destroyed, and there is a high chance that you will be penalized. In 2017, the Department of Defense authorized military leaders to shoot down drones flying over more than 150 different defense bases and related installations.
There you have it – a comprehensive list of do’s and don’ts of flying a drone. As mentioned earlier, the cautions listed in this article should be taken seriously, for safe drone flight. If you have any other question, feel free to let us know in the comment section below.