Drones are cool gadgets that give us pleasure when we fly them and see the bird’s eye view of places that are not possible normally. And it will cost us a lot to enjoy the views if we hire a helicopter to roam over the different locations. Flying a helicopter at every place is not possible because of the regulations and size of the machine. But drones can be operated in small and narrow locations and valleys and we can enjoy the views and capture stunning drone shots.

But before flying your drone there are some important things you must keep in your mind before any flight. Below those important drone flying tips are listed and I follow them. I’ve been a regular drone pilot for the last 2 and a half years and I have enough experience of flying a drone in different weather conditions and locations. So let’s get started:

Rules that a drone pilot always remember

1 – Charge your batteries properly

Before taking the flight make sure your battery is charged at least 60% if not replace the battery and use a fully or 60 70% charged battery at least. Because flight time is very important in dronography you have to cover as much area as you can with that battery so make sure it is charged well. If you took a flight with a half-charged battery then you will need to land it and again insert another battery that will interrupt your flight and you will not enjoy the flight properly. So I always recommend you to use a fully charged or at least 85% charged battery.

2 Register your drone

Drones are fun to use but also come with responsibilities. Every country has their own rules and regulations regarding drones but most of the rules are common in every country. So whenever you purchase a drone firstly register your drone on the official website of your country’s aviation. It will give you a UIN number, which is like the registration plate you get on your vehicle. Basically, drones are categorized into 3 categories – nano, micro and big. Drones under 249 grams come under the nano category so they don’t need registration.

Read also – Upgrading from a nano category to micro category drone is a good choice?

The drone registration requirements help to hold the drone owner/pilot accountable, in case they end up damaging power lines or causing any kind of accident with their aircraft.

Registering drones with the FAA website is so easy, visit the website http://registermyuas.faa.gov/ also you can register your drone offline by doing some paperwork.

For Indian peoples, visit DGCA official website – Directorate General of Civil Aviation | Government of India (dgca.gov.in)

3 – Download – No Fly Zone Apps

Most probably you already know about the red zone, yellow zone and green zone. You can see the fly zone area in the FAA sky map or download the No Fly app from third-party developers. Never fly in the red zone and if there is a yellow zone always take permission from the local authorities. There are a few apps you can download to find and watch out for these no-fly zones.

• B4UFly – FAA developed an app to see fly and no-fly zone area
• UAV Forecast – This app is developed by third-party private developers and is a good alternative to B4U Fly that provides detailed information on weather conditions in specific areas from a small aerial vehicle perspective
• Hover – The Hover app is best for beginners who want simple displays of real-time weather reports and fly zones as well as flight logs for recorded flight data
• Tesla field recorder – Handu for detecting, recording and measuring magnetic disturbances that could disturb your flights

Download these apps to help you for safer and better flight experience.

4 – Read the instruction manual

Every drone manufacturer provides a user manual with the aircraft. If you haven’t flew drone before then you must read the user and instruction manual before your first flight. Know your drone properly first like its physical overview, its flight features and remote. Familiarize yourself with the aircraft and when you are confident then you can take your first flight.

5 – Drone safety rules you must know

When it comes to flying a drone and you are new to it, there are many rules and regulations a drone pilot must know. Different countries have different rules for drones. So before flying any drone doesn’t matter if it is a nano-category or micro-category drone you must know the rules and regulations regarding drones. Below are some drone safety rules you must aware of: These things will help you to become a successful drone pilot.

1 – Don’t fly above 400 feet

It is very easy to follow this rule, especially if you are flying in the green zone. The closer to the objects or location you will fly the drone more appealing and clearer it will look. And if you fly above 400 feet you will break the rules and you will be fined for the violation of drone rules. For best shots keep your drone below 200 feet.

2 – Never allow your drone to fly outside of visual sight lines

Always keep your drone in line of sight, so that you don’t lose signals with the drone, and this could result in losing or crashing your drone. It’s a pro tip as per my personal experience sit in an area from where you have to cover a particular location and at a higher altitude from where the whole area is in the line of sight.

3 – Don’t fly over groups of people or stadiums

Never fly your drone inside a stadium or over a group of people because if someone complains about you, you may fall into big trouble.

4 – Never fly the drone within 5 miles of an airport

If you try to fly within 5 miles of an airport your drone will not take off, but in case it takes off due to geofencing you will not be able to fly it properly. I never recommend you to fly a drone if you live in an area where there is an Airport, you may be fined a heavy amount if you are caught flying the drone near the airport area.

5 – Never fly your drone near emergency response sites or government buildings or areas

Government areas, offices and buildings are sensitive areas so never fly your drone over these sites. Flying drones near an emergency response site like an evacuation or natural disaster site is prohibited in almost all countries.

6 – Don’t fly a drone near another aircraft

There may be some chances in an event or a location where some other people are also flying their drones. So be careful at those areas where other aircraft are also flying so that you don’t crash with them. Try to take your shots away from those drones and coordinate with the other drone pilots to avoid collision.

7 – Never fly your drone under the influence

Never fly your drone under the influence, this might seem like a no-brainer, but there are always some people nearby who will tell you nothing will happen who is watching you, take some drone shots. Those people may be your known ones or friends, so don’t take flight under their influence. You have to follow the rules, if there is a restricted area, or you need permission then take it before and fly your drone with a free mind.

So these are some rules you always keep in mind before taking a drone flight in any area. As a drone pilot, you have to obey the rules so that you don’t fall into trouble.

So these were some rules and other tips to fly a drone and become a successful and responsible drone pilot. The above tips will also help you to get your drone license easily and quality the test.