Flying for fun
Use your drone to let loose and have fun with friends and family wherever you are.
Many people see modern drones as something mainly used by filmmakers and hard-core technology geeks. UAVs can be seen as elitist, hard to fly and needing considerable technical skills as well as exceptional hand-eye coordination. In fact, the technology in modern UAVs means that radiocontrolled flying is easier and more accessible than ever before. If you’re thinking of investing in a quadcopter of your own, but worry that it may be just a fad and will soon be forgotten at the back of the spare room, here are a few ideas on fun things to do with a drone that anyone can try, which will stop you becoming bored with your UAV.
All the family can fly
Until a few years ago, the best you could expect from any radio-controlled flying device was a scale model helicopter. These could prove almost as difficult to fly as a full-sized helicopter, but without the benefit of the reference points and perspective of actually sitting at the controls. So, while you could manage as the machine was flying away from you, as soon as you bank around to return, everything is reversed and they become even harder to fly. Add in the fact that they have no computer stabilisation, and you will spend a frustrating amount of time crashing.
Modern UAVs are a lot different. They have multiple rotors, meaning that there is no requirement for a tricky tail rotor to counteract engine torque. Many of them come equipped with first-personview cameras that actually put you aboard the machine. Plus, most vital of all, they have incredibly complex stability control systems, which give them the ability to hover at a single point in space without the continuous inputs you would normally need in a conventional scale model helicopter.
What this means is that almost anyone can fly a modern drone, opening up the opportunities to share the fun on a wider scale than has ever been the case before. Everyone from the smallest youngsters right through to your most senior family members can try
operating the drone without worrying about major damage. You can have a great day of family fun with a droneflying competition that will challenge your family to find the greatest drone pilot. And while at first you may need to teach your children how to fly a UAV, frustratingly, it won’t be very long at all before they’re the ones doing the teaching as you ask them how they actually did that stunning drone move you just witnessed.
We’re going to outline some great exercises for all the family to try. They’re really good ways of teaching everyone how to fly a drone safely, together with some reminders of ways to help complete beginners stay safe.
First, use GPS mode for maximum protection and so it returns to base.
Remember, there is no gentle take-off option. This is deliberate in order to take the drone to a safe hover height. Don’t try to hover close to the ground; it simply makes it harder than is needed at first. Always fly with the propeller guards fitted, especially if everyone else in the family is looking on.
Start with ‘tail in’ moves. By this we mean that the drone’s nose is facing
ALMOST ANYONE CAN FLY A MODERN DRONE, OPENING UP THE OPPORTUNITIES TO SHARE THE FUN ON A WIDER SCALE THAN HAS EVER BEEN THE CASE BEFORE.
away from you. This makes everything easier, as your left is the drone’s left and so forth. Have a contest to hold the steadiest tail in hover, then have a series of practice landings.
Build on this with ‘side on’ manoeuvres where you get everyone to fly the drone by looking at it side on. Ensure nobody turns sideways to match the drone’s orientation. That way everyone can develop the skills needed to operate it from any angle. Fly with a nose-in hover. This will sort out the winners, as that can be the hardest to master mentally.
Become a drone collector
If the UAV-flying passion grips you early on, you’ll soon find that owning just one quadcopter isn’t enough. As you become more accomplished and your skills grow, you’ll soon be casting your eyes around for additional drones. This is where it can become addictive because, while the technology has become more mature in the last few years, it’s still a rapidly developing science. Most people within the industry predict that, just like the explosion in mobile-phone ownership, within the next decade a huge number of people will become drone owners. There are several ways to expand your drone collection; here are our favourite ideas on how to develop your UAV army.
First, look at the areas you’re not currently active in drone flying, and think of acquiring specialist drones for each task, then learn to become as accomplished as possible in that discipline. Some drone are made, not with practical innovation in mind but with unique aesthetics, such as Propel’s Star Wars range that are modelled after vehicles from the films. Consider buying drones at different price points for different projects.
For example, there are many drones at very low purchase figures that could almost be considered disposable. In the filmmaking industry, they’re referred to as ‘suicide cameras’, as they’re genuinely not expected to survive. As long as any camera footage can be recovered, that’s what matters. While
MOST PEOPLE WITHIN THE INDUSTRY PREDICT THAT WITHIN THE NEXT DECADE, A HUGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WILL BECOME DRONE OWNERS.
you may not wish to harm your faithful drones in such a brutal way, having drones like that will give you the confidence to experiment with sending your quadcopter into areas that you may well not wish to risk your more expensive drone.
If competition is something that excites you, racing drones is a rapidly growing sport. You will definitely need to add to your drone collection for this one, and you will certainly be building some elements of this yourself.
Be involved in drone development
You may well become fascinated in the technology behind drones and want to know more. While you can learn a significant amount by building your own drone from a kit, there is a limit to how much you can actually learn from existing technology. New drones are arriving all the time, and you can be involved in their development.
Many fresh drone projects are launched through Kickstarter and other crowd-funding platforms, so this is a great place to get the heads-up on what