Consumer drone market size is predicted to grow to $6.3 billion come 2026, according to Fortune Business Insights. Drones are seeing a rapid rate of adoption by the average consumer, and with the myriad things you can do with them, it’s easy to see why. Just like a car or any other vehicle, a drone finds use in a variety of leisurely activities. Check out these 3 activities you can do with your best drones for beginners.
Racing and Aerial Sports
Drones themselves can be their own hobby, but they are now becoming more competitively realized in drone racing. The sport itself is similar to RC cars, where racers fly their drones through tracks defined by markers. Racers will modify and custom-build drones to make them fast and maneuverable. Racing, as well as aerial obstacle courses and acrobatics, are great places to start getting into drones. The applications are straightforward and focused on what drones do best, which is to simply fly around. The models that get accepted into races are usually restricted only by your chosen hobby group or competition.
Amateur racing competitions are some of the more lenient drone competitions. This makes them the go-to entry point for those who want to get into competitive drone-flying. For official tournaments, the rules are more stringent. Pro drone racing rules usually impose limitations on engine power, rotors, and overall weight. If your aim is to go professional, know that rules vary from league to league and are usually updated each season. If you’re just starting out with amateur races, you would be best served consulting an updated list of drone models for beginners. The models in those lists are posted with comprehensive info on their specs and balance.
Useful Tool For Hunting
Drones are known for their ability to take amazing photography and videos from a bird’s-eye view. They can also be rather silent and with enough height, they are often unable to be heard at ground level. Their great capability to spot undetected objects makes them a useful tool for hunting. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that some states disallow the usage of aircraft to hunt. Such laws were originally meant to prohibit overhunting by shooting game from aboard a helicopter.
As it stands, however, those laws apply to using UAVs and drones, too. Some jurisdictions, such as the state of Oregon, have passed laws prohibiting the usage of drones specifically. Fines can reach up to $2500, so be sure to stay informed of your state’s drone laws before using them to hunt.
A Bird’s Eye View For Fishing
Fishing is a different matter entirely. Unlike hunting, you won’t need to worry about any laws that prohibit drone use. Fishermen are more commonly known to use drones as their fishing pole, hovering them over hotspots with a line dangling from it into the water. The main downside to this is that you can’t go after a big and heavy game, as they can easily pull the drone into the water. Another way to use the drone when fishing would be to spot for big schools of fish. You can also use the drone to guide your lines into the water using a device called a “downrigger release clip.”
Drones were made for more than leisure. They’re used in disaster relief efforts, construction, search-and-rescue, and recently, in sanitization to help stop the spread of the pandemic. With drone technology only getting better, it would seem that the only limitation is by human ingenuity itself.
