From flying kites to flying wooden air planes, there has always been a fascination with making things fly. That includes drone flying, which has turned into a billion-dollar industry. Approximately 400,000 drones were purchased for Christmas presents in 2015 and the Federal Aviation Administration that there will be seven million drones in the United States by 2020. Additionally, the drone industry is now worth $3.3 billion.
While drone flying can lead to hours and hours of fun, it’s important to make sure that it’s done safely. If you’re wondering where are the best places to fly your drone are, keep these tips in mind:
- At all times when you’re flying a drone, the drone has to be kept within the eye sight of the pilot in command. If you’re using first person view (FPV) googles or can’t see your drone, you’re in trouble. Also keep in mind that a UAV drone must not be flown above 400 feet.
- Many cities, especially those with airports, have restrictions and sometimes strict guidelines on the best places to fly your drone within federal and state laws. Many times during sporting events, conventions and other times with high traffic, temporary flight restrictions are enforced.
- If you’re looking for the best places to fly your drone and you live near an airport, you should contact your local airport’s control tower to get permission to fly in that air space. Many apps are available that allow flyers to get a sense of the air traffic at their local airports and whether or not there are any flight restrictions. The last thing you want to do is for your drone to cause some sort of incident because you haven’t gone through proper protocols.
- While many cities are drone-friendly and listed online as some of the best places to fly your drone, one area where that’s a big no-go is at national parks. Noise and activity from drones can be disruptive to animals in their habitats, the drones can tend to be eyesores amid the beauty of national parks and banning drones eliminates the possibilities of crashing them and harming or disturbing the national environment.
- If you’re just wanting to fly your drone around your property or in your backyard, that’s generally allowed. You just want to make sure you’re doing it within daylight hours, staying out of an airport’s restricted zone and paying attention to local flight patterns.
- As mentioned previously, many cities around the world are listed among the best places to fly your drone. If you want to use a drone overseas, make sure to check the drone laws that apply in whatever country you’re visiting. That way you can make sure you’re not breaking any rules and will be able to enjoy using your drone.
According to Gartner, in 2016, around 110,000 drones were sold for commercial use. In 2017, that figure was expected to rise to 174,000 and the number of consumer drones is projected to rise to 2.8 million. Drone flying can be very fun, but if you’re contemplating buying a drone or want to use your drone, make sure to check the proper channels to make sure you’re following all the rules.