How to choose your first drone

If you’re looking to buy your first drone, you can save a lot of time by asking a simple question:

What do I want to use my drone for?

UAV pros say the answer will make it easy for a dealer to help you find the drone that’s right for you. Stores like Kentucky-based Fly High USA have UAVs for all uses, from agriculture to public safety to backyard photography.

Fly High CEO Ralph Rigdon says what really matters when purchasing a drone is end use, price point and ease of use. “Those are the three big ones,” he said.

No experience? No problem

When a customer with no UAV experience calls Fly High looking for a drone to take pictures, Rigdon steers them toward DJI Phantom 4.

“The Phantom 4 is an easier bird to fly,” says Rigdon.

All it takes to get a DJI Phantom 4 off the ground is charging the battery and installing the DJI GO app on your smart phone. The best part is that DJI flight controller is compatible with every DJI drone – just in case you want to upgrade to a model like the Inspire 1.

“It works so flawlessly it’s fantastic,” says J.T. VonLunen, president of Rocky Mountain Unmanned Systems, a company that specializes in commercial and industrial UAV sales.

Another DJI feature that will save you the time you would have spent checking out other drones is obstacle avoidance – a perk you’ll want to have if you’re working up to your first flight.

DJI’s obstacle avoidance system continuously scans the surrounding environment and detects obstacles in real time. The feature will tell your flight controller to automatically avoid collisions – even at high speeds.

That means if you’re flying a Phantom 4 and you come too close to a tree, the drone stops.

The feature sets DJI apart from other companies – especially in tandem with its innovative TapFly system, which allows you to fly your drone in any direction by simply tapping your finger on a specific point on your flight controller app’s map.

And get this: It doesn’t matter if there are trees or buildings in the way. With obstacle avoidance switched on, the drone will automatically avoid obstacles, slow down or hover.

What’s your budget?

It’s important to know how much money you want to spend on your drone.

If you’re a new pilot, the best drone dealers will take that into account when helping you choose a model.

“It’s a partnership,” Rigdon says. “We can save you a world of hurt.”

When it comes to replacement parts, choosing a beginner model like the Phantom 4 will save you a headache.

“If you crash it, it doesn’t cost you and arm and a leg to repair it,” Rigdon says. “The worst case scenario is $1400 bucks.”

A first-time drone buyer will also want to consider added costs like buying a case – and a few extra batteries (although the Phantom 4 ships in its own case).

Battery brands make a big difference. Some offer a lifetime warranty. Others don’t.

Bottom line? Do your research. And stick with an established brand.

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