The hottest tech gadget that kids and adults want are drones. The technical name is Unmanned Aerial System (UAS), because drones come as a system that includes the aircraft and the wireless control system to fly it. There are classes of drones that fit in many categories from toys to professional systems and everything in between. Whether you plan on just flying for fun in your back yard, competing in indoor drone racing or using a drone to provide professional services, quality is always important. No matter what you will use your drone for, considering quality will greatly improve your user experience.
Batteries and Flight Time
It would be cool if battery technology let you fly your drone as long as you wanted, but that type of portable power does not yet exist. Though some drones have cutting edge GPS and sensor technology to know exactly where they are at and can even avoid obstacles, they all run on battery power. The average flight time of a drone on one fully charged battery can vary form five to about 30 minutes. No matter what drone you pick, to keep flying you need extra batteries that are easy to swap. Some toy drones have batteries that are not easily swappable, and you must wait for recharging to complete. If long flight times are in your plans, get a quality drone that offers battery packs that can be swapped in seconds.
Sturdy Build and Extra Parts
The best electronic obstacle avoidance systems available on drones today cannot take into account everything that could go wrong during takeoff, flight or landings. One of the most common damaged parts of drones is the propellers. Damaging a prop is easy to do when flying too close to objects or landing on uneven surfaces. Field grasses can nick rotors when a rotating prop comes in contact with them upon landing. After all, your drone is not supposed to serve double duty as a weed trimmer.
Camera mounts are another component that can be damaged on landing. Your drone should be made of a tough impact-resistant polymer and should include extra propellers. If you buy a drone with an underbody camera mount, your kit should include some replacement camera mount breakaway components. Extra parts is not a negative for build quality. It is actually a consumer benefit for parts that are likely to be damaged during routine use.
If your kids are going to fly the drone, and if you are not planning on flight training before use, consider choosing a drone with propeller guards or an all-over safety cage such as the Flying Ball. It is available among the quality drones on Dronethusiasts new list of drones for sale.
Quality Drone Photos and Footage
If you want to capture stunning aerial photographs or video footage from your drone, the camera should be at least 2K. This level of resolution provides aerial photography capabilities that can let an amateur shoot images and videos that look professional. Some drones offer 4K and better integrated camera systems that can turn a backyard flight into a visually stunning perspective that will wow your family and friends. Plus, some drones offer capabilities of being able to automatically follow you while keeping yourself center-frame in the video if you ski, ride mountain bikes or participate in other fast moving sports.
Simply put, drones are a ton of fun. However, they are aircraft that are subject to the laws of physics. Choose a quality drone for your level of flying skill and purpose. Drones with hover-in-place, return-to-home, GPS and gyro stabilization, headless mode and long battery run times are easier and more fun to fly.
