Should You Buy Your Kid a Drone for Enjoyment Christmas?
Kids love to play with the latest gadgets and toys. Even since the 80’s kids and even adults have enjoyed the hobby of RC (Radio Controlled) cars, helicopters and planes. These days the technology has advanced and we have a new generation of RC drones that come in many shapes, sizes and types.
So if you’re considering buying one of these fun toy RC drones for your kid then you should first stop and ask yourself some questions and then from the answers you will better know whether buying a drone, or not, is the best choice as well as hopefully, have more of an idea on what type of drone to actually buy them!
When it comes to flying drones around which can vary in size. Some are very small nanodrones and some are large octocopters. Some have a longer controller range than others and some have a longer battery life and more flight time. Some have cameras on them, some don’t.
Some are very cheap and relatively inexpensive to replace, some drones are very expensive of course as they have high quality cameras on them and other high tech flight gear. The larger, heavier professional camera drones are probably not what you want someone very young and inexperienced to be flying around.
So if you have a very young child you might want to consider the more smaller, fun sized nanodrones that are relatively cheap and cheerful but provide a pilot with 5-10 minutes of quick fun flying of the drone and let the pilot pull off 360 flips and mid-air rolls at the press of a button.
For more mature children or young teens, they may want something a little more sophisticated. While nanodrones that can do the 360 mid-air flips and rolls etc are appealing such as the Parrot Rolling Spider or the Hubsan Q4 Nanodrone.
Even some of the larger sized quadcopters can do this and they usually have a fairly longer flight time and further control range including high quality HD cameras that can provide FPV (First Person View) in realtime back to the pilot onto a screen. Equally many good quality flying camera drones let you do FPV flying which provides an extremely unique and intense experience to the pilot especially when combined with FPV Googles which the pilot wears.
Of course, smaller sized nanodrones are very cheap. Some are better than others and have more features and onboard tech that provide a smooth and stable flight. Some are meant just for flying only where as even some nanodrones can have cameras on them and have a flight time as long as that of big sized quadcopters which are a bit more pricier but have that longer flight time and more control of the drone.
The only thing is with larger sized quadcopter drones is that of course unlike nanodrones if they hit something going very fast it can possibly do a little damage depending on what it hits, how fast it hit it and what angle etc. But nanodrones usually just hit and bounce rather than crumple as I’ve seen quadcopters do when hitting things at high speed.
They are just some of the things to consider. Likewise you should also be thinking about privacy. Both protecting your childs privacy and making sure he or she protects those of others too. While we are in less grey area when it comes to the law and regulations set for commercial private and public drone flight both in the UK and the USA, you should definitely brush up on these to make sure you know them before you give your child a drone to fly for Christmas, their birthday or any time.
Whether it be a very small nanodrone that flies out of range and into someones garden or window, or whether it be a large camera quadcopter or octocopter multiroter camera drone that does the same. Usually for nanodrones, the window thing will be rare and your fun will be over as the battery goes flat before you do that, but with a big drone it can not always work out so well if you are an inexperienced drone pilot as so many other rookie pilots have found out the hard way!
Bare in mind that its not legal to fly a drone in a built up area in your city or local park where there are buildings or people within 500 meters of you. That you must not fly your drone in the area of airports or other governmental or public use buildings. And you must be in line-of-sight of your drone at all times.
This means that you can see the drone with your own eyes from where you are controlling it. And you are not permitted to take photos or record video of people without their consent or knowledge or use it to breach their privacy in any other way as well. These are all pretty much common sense but its your responsibility to know before you fly.
What kind of drone does your kid want? Or what type of drone should you buy them if its a surprise for them? If they are a very young child then I’d suggest one of these toy like RC nanodrones. For older more mature kids go for something a bit more techy that has a camera on it. Small camera selfie nanodrones will be used by all the kids in the future anyway that will probably attached to their mobile phones and controlled on them as they are now.
What is your budget? Today you can buy a cheap nanodrone for around £20 that will be just as good as many of them out there today that give you a quick 5-10 mins of flight time. For a little more, you could buy one with a camera. For around £50 to £100 you can buy a high quality camera drone that has a lot of controller range distance and better flight time.
Where to find cheap drones for sale? The best place to find drones for sale at cheaper prices than those of the manufactures site or other main retailers is to use the sites that list all the best drones for sale from all the best sites that have them for sale at the cheaper price.
This is only because these are business that have purchased many of the drones from the manufacture and wish to sell them on as fast as they can so list them for sale at cheaper prices. That’s why DroneListr.com lists cheap drones for sale so you can save money!
Safety and Legal Guidelines for Flying a Drone for Enjoyment
Everybody seems to be in love with drones these days. These flying robots controlled by a remote controller are used for fun and entertainment all over the world. Designed like a quadcopter, with or without a camera, these machines look amazing and offer powerful functionality to the user.
However, before you attempt to fly such an aircraft, you need to read the guidelines carefully otherwise you might end up hurting yourself or someone else. Furthermore, there are some legal implications of such type of an unmanned aerial vehicle because it might land over unknown territory and infringe on somebody’s private property.
Personal Use of Drones
The use of drones or unmanned aerial vehicles can be divided into two categories: personal and commercial. Personal use means you want to fly such a machine just for fun and do not have any intention of selling the content you collect when you fly your drone here and there.
Commercial use means using the data for the purpose of making money or selling it to a third party for profit. In the United States, commercial use of drones requires special clearance from the FAA. However, personal use is allowed under certain circumstances considering that the user follows some well-defined guidelines.
You just need to remember that personal use of drones is not accompanied by many strict rules and regulations. You can fly a drone for enjoyment and even take photos and record videos for personal use.
However, there are a few safety guidelines that have to be followed in order to ensure a safe and totally enjoyable experience. Moreover, you need to be aware that there are some no-fly zones everywhere in the world and you must at all costs avoid those areas when flying drones.
Want to Pursue Drone Flying as a Hobby?
Here are some safety and legal guidelines for a beginner in order to enjoy this pastime to its fullest:
· Make sure you don’t take your machine to an altitude higher than 400 feet otherwise it might go out of sight and become difficult to control.
· Your drone should remain in front of your eyes all the time.
· Unmanned aerial vehicles are not allowed to interfere in the activities of manned aircraft so make sure you keep your device away from that kind of aerial vehicles.
· If you think you cannot follow your drone everywhere, arrange for an assistant who will keep an eye on the drone all the time so that it doesn’t disappear.
· Try to find an open space for pursuing this pastime where there are not many individuals especially small children.
· Even if you do see people around, try to keep your distance and maintain it at 25 feet away to avoid collision and damage.
· Avoid flying a drone when you are intoxicated or under the influence of drugs.
· Drones are not easy to fly especially for a novice user who has no prior experience of flying such a machine. So, make sure you gain ample knowledge on its operation and how to fly it safely before you attempt to fly a drone.
· Avoid flying over private property in order to stay away from legal issues of intruding, eavesdropping and the like.
· If you are using a camera-fitted drone, make sure you don’t photograph individuals without their explicit permission. Also, avoid going to public areas where people expect a certain level of privacy and they don’t want to see an unmanned aerial vehicle flying over their heads.
It’s a good idea to read privacy policy laid out by organizations related to aeronautics and aeronautical engineering. This is to ensure that you don’t infringe upon somebody’s right to privacy even if it’s a public property or place. There are locations where drones are allowed but taking photographs is not.
You will also find some places where flying a drone and taking photos both are permissible and then there are places where drones are not allowed to enter. These are known as no-fly zones within the United States. So, in order to learn everything related to this matter, it is required to go through privacy policy.
Commercial Use of Drones
Organizations like Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) have developed some safety guidelines in order to ensure nobody gets hurt when drones are used on a commercial or personal level. It is highly recommended that you read and strictly follow these guidelines especially if you want to use a drone for some commercial use.
This is to make sure that you don’t encounter any problem with regard to personal injury or damage or intrude on somebody else’s property. You should also be aware if a certain type of commercial use requires clearance from the FAA.
There are companies in the US and the UK that are currently using drones for commercial purposes. If they have taken security clearance from the FAA, they are not doing anything illegal. Some examples of individuals or businesses that have been given exemptions to fly drones include farmers, medical facilities, security agencies, and railroads.
The companies also have to mention the type of aircraft they will be using and the location where those aircraft will be used. Most of these companies only require clearance for photography, videography and cinematography. Some other commercial uses include aerial mapping, inspections, data acquisition and collection, search and rescue, sales demonstrations, crop surveying, and traffic accident reconstructions.
Certainly you do not require any of the above-mentioned uses of drones when you fly such a machine for entertainment. So, there is no need to be afraid of legal repercussions when you are attempting to fly an unmanned aerial vehicle with the help of a remote controller without any intention of hurting someone.
Whether you want to fly drones for the sake of fun or some commercial use, just make sure you gain enough knowledge about these small yet powerful machines in order avoid getting into trouble. Just keep in mind the above-mentioned guidelines when you attempt to fly a drone just for the sake of fun next time and you are all set to go!
Thinking About Filming With a Drone Above Dubai? Think Again
A guide for film enthusiasts wishing to film from the UAE’s skies.
Its Dubai 2016, and although we do not have flying cars and hover boards (at least, not real ones), we do have flight drones, and lots of them. While most people who own high-end models of drone aircraft do so for professional use, an increasing number of people have purchased the machines simply as toys.
What many of them do not know (including a large number of film production companies in Dubai) is that drone usage with a camera within the UAE is illegal, without the correct permissions and permits.
Recently The UAE General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has asked light air sports enthusiasts, including drone enthusiasts, to fly their aircraft only in accredited clubs approved by the authority to address safety and security issues.
Most notably, the GCAA also warned drone hobbyists against equipping their vehicles with laser devices, cameras and other projection devices. Doing so could result in your equipment being confiscated by the police with a hefty fine. So what are the basic rules?
Well all flying should take place within the visual line of sight of the user and not above 400 ft from ground level without the use of visual aids, such as binoculars and within the aircraft’s operational range.
Fly only during daytime and in good weather conditions and do not under any circumstances fly within five kilometers from any airports, helipads, landing areas or manned aircraft. Do not fly near any buildings, houses, private properties or persons and finally, unless you have approval do not fly for commercial purposes.
For filmmakers, film and media production companies in Dubai and other commercial users, drone pilots should get a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA). This letter can be obtained after registration, pre-assessment and prior approval from the Dubai Film and TV Commission (DFTC).
It is essential to note that throughout the UAE there are laws pertaining to drone flying and not just Dubai, so you need to check with the corresponding emirate before taking off. Each emirate may have slightly different rules and regulations. Because this is a relatively new area of interest, local rules and laws may for a while be in a state of flux and subject to change; therefore it is essential to check with the DFCT and the DCAA before you start filming with your drone.
