What I learned after crashing four drones
PALOS VERDES, Calif. — I spent much of 2016 lusting after drones. I now own one and couldn’t be happier.
I have drool-worthy footage and photos: morning shots from the beach, cliff-side views of the Pacific Ocean and, most important, killer aerial views from a recent trip to Hawaii.
But, buyer beware. I also crashed four drones in the research for this article. So let me pass on some hard lessons I picked up along the way.
Spoiler alert: My drone purchase was the $999 DJI Mavic Pro, a drone so small, it fits into (large) pants pockets, and better yet, snugly in my camera bag. It's also sturdy and well-designed. This year, I also tested the $1,100 GoPro Karma, since recalled, Yuneec Breeze ($399), and Hover Camera Passport ($599). I crashed each one of them except for the Hover.
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Reason: operator error, I believe, and not being as familiar with the unit as I needed to be.
More on the specific drones in a second, and why the Mavic Pro turned out to be the best purchase, at least for me.
Let’s start with a quick recap on what you need to know.
FAA rules
Drones need to be registered to the Federal Aviation Administration. They are legal for personal use, but for professionals, you need to be licensed. Here’s how Romeo Durscher, the director of education for drone manufacturer DJI, describes professional use:
“If your intent is to sell the image you produce from the drone, then you’re a pro,” he says. “If it’s just to create an image for yourself, you’re a hobbyist.”
That opens up many ambiguities: What if you post a video of your work on YouTube as a hobbyist with no intention of selling your work, the video takes off, gets a million views, and people start asking you to do drone work for them? And you accept?
You weren’t a pro then, but now you are.
The easiest way to deal with this question is to apply for a Part 107 waiver from the FAA, which enables you to fly professionally. Be prepared to study, he adds.
The test takes two hours to complete, the study handbook is online at the FAA website, and you need just 70% correct answers to pass, he says.
5 things to know
For pros or hobbyists, here are five key rules to keep in mind when flying:
Don't fly within 5 miles of an airport.
You’re not allowed to go any higher than 400 feet.
When in flight, keep the drone within your line of sight.
Flying a drone over people’s heads, moving vehicles or at a crowded stadium are no-nos.
Many cities have an outright ban on drone use in city limits.
For drone newbies, take the new toy out to a big, wide-open space, where it’s just you and nature, and learn how to operate the unit there before advancing to somewhere more complicated. Early mornings are a great time to go out there and test.
Most drones (including the Mavic) operate via a videogame-like controller that directs the drone into the skies, left, right, up and down. The Mavic controller connects to a smartphone to act as a viewfinder, operated via an app.
Get comfortable with the controls of the drone controller before you take it somewhere more complicated.
Durscher recommends finding a local drone flying club or user group to help get at ease and seek advice from the members.
Many of the video clips shown online are great examples of things that shouldn’t be tried, like shooting scenes of a busy, crowded urban street (where drone use is probably not OK) or over historic buildings in tourist areas.
Many wedding photographers use the drone at the ceremony, soaring over the guests and capturing the bride and groom from above.
How to handle something like that and stay within the rules?
Durscher has a great answer: Fly the unit from the side of the ceremony, where you’re not directly over the heads of guests, and you’ll still get the sweeping overhead shot.
I began my drone tests early in the morning, at the beach, when there was no one around. This helped me get my sea legs. I eventually flew the Mavic Pro on vacation in more challenging settings: up and down a waterfall in Hawaii, into a sunrise, across lush green fields and over a scenic overlook. That was post-crash flying, however. The only issue I encountered was the battery going down. More on that in a minute.
My mistakes:
Mistake No. 1: Trusting the dreaded “return to launch” feature
Both GoPro, DJI and Yuneec all told me that once I set the drone up into the skies, if there was any concern, just click the return button and it would come safely back.
With the units, they first went really, really high in the air — higher than I would have flown them — to try and find the launch spot, and then miscalculated when coming back down. The GoPro Karma crashed into my front door, the Breeze on my back porch and the Mavic a good 200 yards away from the original spot: into the side of a restaurant.
(DJI has since told me to use this feature only when all else fails, and that manual landings are always more accurate. The Karma drone has since been recalled due to an error that saw it suddenly losing power and falling from the skies.)
The crashes from the Breeze came because this unit, bargain-priced at $399, simply didn’t respond to the commands on the controller and went its own way. The $599 Hover Camera did as it was told.
That said, both seem, in retrospect, like cheap toys compared to the Mavic. In Hawaii, the DJI drone stayed in place when launched, until I told it to do otherwise, even in a windy setting. I tried the Hover in the same spot, and it blew from left to right, and seemed rather flimsy. I didn’t have the nerve to send it into the waterfall, as I did with the Mavic Pro, fearing I’d never see the Hover again.
Mistake No. 2: Forgetting to focus and set exposure
On the Mavic Pro, you need to set focus and exposure before you take off, by clicking a green window on the controller. Once in the skies, I would adjust the exposure (yellow window) constantly. This came after watching footage that was fuzzy and too bright.
Mistake No. 3: Underestimating battery needs
As mentioned, the batteries for drones don’t last very long. The Hover and Breeze go for just over 10 minutes, while the Mavic Pro is 20 minutes.
That sounds pretty short, but then again, 20 minutes is one long shot. Still, you’ll need to spring for the extra batteries if you’re going to own one. (I bought three for the Mavic Pro, and am glad I did.) That, and a really big memory card, like 64 GB or higher. You’re shooting 4K video footage in the skies, remember.
When you return home for the day, you’ll need to charge a lot of devices: In my case, the Mavic, the controller and the smartphone that acts as your viewer.
But while you’re doing so, you’ll be looking at some amazing footage that is unlike anything you’ve probably ever picked up. You’re now shooting image-stabilized sweeping cinema that looks on par with dramatic opening shots of movies at the Multiplex.
Boring vacation video? Anything but.
Have questions about drone flying? We're here to help. Let’s chat about it on Twitter, where I’m @jeffersongraham. Don't forget to subscribe to the daily #TalkingTech podcast on iTunes and Stitcher, and leave reviews, comments and suggestions.