If you’re as eager as I was to fly when I got my first drone, I was ready to take the best cinematic shots and learn some innovative drone skills right away. But you need to set yourself up with a foundation of safety and respect for drone flying before you focus on fancy drone flying. So here are some tips to help you fly your drone for the first time!
Before you Leave!
Before leaving the house, boot up your drone and controller to see if they need any updates. It’s much easier to do this while on a wifi connection. Also, ensure your batteries are fully charged and that you’ve got all of the equipment you need to fly. It’s also a good thought to check the weather before leaving.
Where to fly!
The location of this first flight is incredibly important. You’ll want to find a wide open area, preferably a grass field like a park or potentially a sports field. The idea here is that you should be away from any obstructions that can get in the way of flying, and away from large crowds of people.
Start Flying!
Like I said before, you need to set yourself with a foundation of safety and respect for drone flying. With that, your first drone flight should be very little about how to get the best footage and more about how your drone flys. You want to practice plenty of takeoffs and landings because many people struggle at first with smooth takeoffs and landings. Practice moving the drone around the field, flying forward and backward, side to side, and eventually practice moving the drone in multiple directions (forwards and upwards, sideways and down, etc.). Basically, you want to get comfortable with how the drone responds to controls, because in the future when you are able to focus more on camera work, you’ll be confident in your piloting skills, and knowledgable in how the drone responds to different commands.
Watch this video for some inspiration and great tips for your first flight!
