The low-down on high-flying drones

Piloting these gadgets looks like fun, but you’ll need to be responsible as well, says John Cradden

They were traditionally bought and used by armed forces and tech geeks, but thanks to technology advances, wider availability and falling prices, drones are fast becoming a mainstream consumer gadget.

You can now buy a drone, which is essentially a model ‘quadcopter’ with a camera that you can control with your smartphone or a dedicated controller, for less than €50, but you can easily splash out more than €5,000 for a top-of-the-range model.

Besides the fun of flying them, they are primarily used for aerial photography and video, although some of this will be for commercial use. You can race drones too and there are models designed specifically for this.

But there are things you should consider before getting into drones as a hobby, even if you just plan to buy a toy drone.

The first is that you will probably have to register them with the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA). Thanks to concerns about safety given the fast-rising numbers of these devices being used in Ireland, new rules were introduced in late 2015 that required anyone with a drone weighing more than 1kg to register them with the IAA (if you buy one for your child, you will have to register it on their behalf unless they are over 16).

Registration costs €5 and will cover users for up to two years. There is no limit to the number of drones you can register.

But most cheap toy drones that can only fly a few dozen metres away from you and don’t weigh as much as 1kg won’t need to be registered. If your drone weighs more than 4kg, you will need safety training to pilot one.

Steve Slade of Sky Tec Ireland, which runs one of the IAA-registered training facilities for operating drones at Ringaskiddy in Co Cork, also operates drones for work in film, video and industrial inspections. He believes safety training should be made mandatory for all owners of drones down to 1kg. “Even a 4kg drone can cause very serious injury if not operated properly, not only to the public on the ground, but also to other air travellers.”

Over 7,000 drones are now registered with the Irish Aviation Authority. But even if you buy a toy or lightweight drone that doesn’t need registering, the IAA says that they should always be used in a “responsible manner” and recommends taking a safety course. But there a few basic rules that apply to the use of any drone with a camera.

These include not flying over urban areas or housing estates, or over large groups of people. The only exceptions are for commercial users who apply for special licence, which requires completion of an officially recognised training course.

If you use it over private property, you’ll need to get permission from the landowners.

Flying over sensitive or restricted areas like army bases or prisons is an obvious no-no, and woe betide you if you are caught flying one within 5km of an aerodrome. IAA rules also state you can’t fly one more than 300 metres away from you or out of your line of sight, and not more than 120 metres above ground level, or at night.

Drones are easier to fly than model aircrafts because of the number of safety features built-in. But you should still take the time to become accustomed to the controls and handling. It’s also worth remembering that the flying times for most models are quite short.

Some makers claim 30 minutes, but this should be taken with a pinch of salt. And make sure you have a lot of space and it isn’t windy or stormy when you’re starting out.

You will probably crash it a few times if you are new to drone piloting, so it may be worth taking out insurance if it’s an expensive model.