Beginner’s Guide to Flying GPS Camera Drones in 2024

Did you just get your very first GPS camera drone and you’re terrified to take it out of the box and launch it into the air for fear of crashing it? Or maybe you’ve gotten past that stage but now you’re looking for the best way to learn how to fly it and get the most out of it? If either of those apply to you, then stick around because I’m going to show you how to overcome those fears and get to flying, and be on your way to creating beautiful aerial masterpieces.

For those of you who are worried about crashing your drone or having it fly away from you forever, I’m going to share some statistics later on in the video that will actually surprise you. So let’s get started!

Getting Started Flying GPS Camera Drones

Hi everyone, you’re watching 51 Drones and my name is Russ. In this video, I’m going to show you the necessary steps to follow to ensure that you don’t crash your new drone, and I’ll show you some ways that you can become more comfortable flying that amazing new device. For the most part, I will be describing how to fly DJI drones, but most of the concepts will apply to any GPS camera drone. I plan to make more beginner tutorials like this in the coming months, so consider joining me as I try to help you on your journey.

Initial Steps Before Launching Your Drone

When you first open that box, it’s a rush of feelings. It’s a combination of both excitement and anxiety that’s difficult to restrain. My first bit of advice is to watch as many tutorials on YouTube as you can. See what others have gone through before you launch that drone into the air. More than likely, you’ve already done this if you bought your drone yourself, but if you received it as a gift, it’s a good idea to watch a few videos first.

Preparation

1. Charge up all of your batteries.
2. Download the appropriate app.
3. Update the software.

Most drone batteries will have some charge when you open the box, but don’t fly it with these partially charged batteries. These are smart batteries, and they all need to be fully charged the first time before you use them.

After you have all the batteries and the controller charged up, turn everything on. More than likely, you will be asked to update the software. Make sure you do that to ensure that you have full functionality of your drone. Throughout the time you own your drone, you will be asked to update that software periodically. I recommend doing this every time because many updates include exciting new features, keeping your experience fresh and interesting, and also making your drone flying more safely.

First Drone Flight

Now it’s time for the fun – it’s time to get those motors running and launch it up into the air. You may be tempted to launch inside your home, and I cannot stress enough how bad of an idea this is, especially if you’ve never flown a drone before. This is actually one of the most common places that people crash their drone.

Go outside and find the most wide-open space that you have available and launch from there. Try to find something like a soccer field or an open park without trees or high-line wires – just a nice big wide-open space.

GPS Connection

This next step is very important, and it’s another thing that if not done properly can cause a GPS drone to crash. This is to wait until your drone has GPS connectivity. It will show you on the app interface how many satellites are connected, and it will tell you audibly that the home point has been set. This means that your drone will fly steady and stable. Launching before that is very risky, so wait for it.

Surprising Statistics

Here are two things that might surprise you:

1. About 60% of drone pilots have crashed their drone.
2. 25% have had that drone fly away.

Of the flyaways, most have gotten their drone back, so that’s good news. But the concern of new drone pilots that they will crash it is very warranted. However, the best way to avoid it is to educate yourself as much as possible about all of the risks.

Basic Drone Flying Drills

There are five basic drills that will help you become a better drone pilot:

1. Practice launching and landing
2. Fly in all directions
3. Maneuver the drone when it’s facing you
4. Fly the drone and move the camera simultaneously
5. Practice flying low and slow

These drills will help you develop essential skills for creating cinematic video footage and becoming a confident drone pilot.

What questions do you have as a beginner drone pilot? I want to get back to basics on this channel and help those of you getting into this hobby get the most out of your drone. I remember how uncertain I was when I started, and I want to be a resource for you.

Consider joining the community and also find me on Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok where I post additional fun content that you won’t see right here on the channel. Hit that thumbs up button if I helped you in any way today. Thank you for watching the entire video. Have a great day, and as always, fly safe and fly smart!