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From budget-friendly options to first-person view models, invest in one of these easy-to-fly designs
When you think of drones, what image pops up? Ambitious wedding photographers? Clandestine activities in the darkened rooms of a Tom Clancy novel? Amazon floating over your home with that portable charger you ordered?
In reality, commercial drones are fun, easy to fly and becoming ever-more obtainable. The term “beginner’s drone” is a broad church: you can buy a drone for £20 that is basically a high-tech toy or you can commit a good chunk of cash to something that has a lot more oomph, with filming capabilities, better battery life and much more sophisticated inner workings. Happily, many of these upper-end drones are still terribly easy to fly and perfect for the budding drone pilot.
There are a couple of things to be aware of. Current drone flying regulations state that any drone over 250g (8.8oz) has to be piloted by a registered drone pilot. While this sounds daunting, flyer ID registration consists of an open-book 40-question, multiple choice exam, and registering yourself as an operator (if you own a drone over 250g) costs £9 for the year.
There are also different styles of drone for different purposes. If you’re looking to channel the competitive racer inside you, go for something more streamlined. Beware, however, that dedicated racing drones are particularly hard to handle and usually don’t come with safety features like propeller guards, so it might be worth easing yourself into drones with something a little simpler and sturdier.
While the idea of your drone being called a toy might not sound that exciting, there are drones under that weight which have many of the bells and whistles of heavier models. In fact, one benefit of buying a lighter drone is that there won’t be as many complicated flying elements, meaning you can really get to grips with the basic controls that are seen in most drone designs. That way, you can get any control mishaps out of the way before you invest in anything more sophisticated.
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After hours taking to the skies and a few minor, not-quite-catastrophic crashes, we’ve found some of the best drones for beginners on the market, from cheap and cheerful to high-tech hovering marvels.
Your drone choice depends on how you see yourself using it. If it’s a toy to use indoors or in the garden, something like the Simrex X300C is suited for your needs. It’s small, light, easy to set up and will do the job of helping you develop your piloting skills without risking any expensive damage. If you’re looking at being a little more involved with the drone world and want a drone that reflects that, then the DJI mini 2 is a good-value, technically-superior drone that is still easy to handle and bridges the gap between beginner and regular perfectly.
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