Your first drone flight, step by step

Before the props ever spin, make sure you are allowed to fly. Three things cover almost everyone:

• Register the drone if it weighs 250 g or more (see our registration guide).
• Pass TRUST if you are flying recreationally; it is free, online, and takes about half an hour.
• Check the airspace where you plan to fly. If it is controlled, you will need LAANC authorization first.

1. 1

   Charge the drone, controller, and phone

   All three. A dead controller or phone on site ends the day before it starts. Charge spare batteries too if you have them.

2. 2

   Update the firmware

   Open the manufacturer app and install any pending firmware for the drone and controller. New drones almost always ship with an update waiting, and skipping it can disable flight features.

3. 3

   Attach the props and remove the gimbal guard

   Seat the propellers fully (many use a push-and-twist lock), and take off the gimbal clamp that protects the camera in the box. Flying with it on can damage the gimbal motor.

For a first flight you want a wide, open area: a large empty field or park well away from people, roads, power lines, and airports. Avoid trees and buildings that block GPS or cause a fly-away.

1. 1

   Power on in order

   Controller first, then the drone. Let the app connect and confirm you have a live camera feed and a healthy battery reading.

2. 2

   Calibrate if prompted, then wait for GPS

   If the app asks for a compass calibration, do it; it is a slow rotation routine the app walks you through. Then wait for a strong GPS lock (usually “Ready to Go (GPS)”) so the drone can hold position and return home.

3. 3

   Confirm the home point

   Make sure the home point is set at your standing location. This is where the drone returns if you lose signal or hit Return-to-Home; getting it wrong is how drones land in the wrong place.

Take off to a hover about six to ten feet up and just let it sit for a moment; modern drones hold position on their own. Then make small, deliberate inputs: a gentle climb, a slow yaw, a short forward nudge. Keep the drone in visual line of sight the entire time; the camera feed is for framing, not for flying blind.

When you are ready to land, bring it back overhead, descend slowly to a low hover, and either set it down manually or use auto-land. Resist the urge to chase a cinematic shot on flight one; that is what the next ten flights are for.