Photo credit: Pilot Institute
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Crashes happen fast. But they’re avoidable. If you just unboxed a brand new drone and your hands are sweaty thinking about that first takeoff, I get it. A few simple steps can keep your drone safe, keep you compliant with the FAA, and get you flying with confidence.
I put together 10 tips that cover everything from the rules you need to follow to the settings you should change before takeoff. Stick around for number 10, where I give you a simple three-step plan for when you get disoriented mid-flight. That one alone could save your drone.
1. The three rules every recreational pilot must follow
Before you even power up the drone, you need to handle three things. This sounds more intimidating than it actually is.
First, take the TRUST test (The Recreational UAS Safety Test). It’s free, takes about 15 to 30 minutes, and you can take it online through the Pilot Institute.
Second, if your drone weighs 0.55 pounds or more, register it with the FAA. It costs $5 for three years and takes a few minutes on the FAA DroneZone website. You’ll create an account, enter your drone details, pay the fee, and you’re done. You’ll receive a registration number that has to go physically on the drone. A sticker works. A permanent marker works. We actually offer free registration stickers at the Pilot Institute.
Third, make sure your drone has Remote ID turned on. Most newer drones have it built in, so you don’t have to do anything. It activates automatically at takeoff. If your drone doesn’t have it, you’ll need an external Remote ID broadcast module.
One important note: if you’re not flying strictly for fun, even if you’re not getting paid, that’s no longer recreational. Volunteering drone footage for a business, flying for a monetized YouTube channel, or doing inspection work all fall outside the recreational exemption. That’s when you need a Part 107 certificate.
2. Airspace rules are easier than you think
Airspace is how the FAA organizes the sky. Most recreational flights happen in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace, and that’s the easiest to deal with. Areas near airports, national parks, and certain government facilities tend to be off-limits or require authorization.
Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) and NOTAMs (Notices to Airmen) pop up around military activities, emergency operations, and special events. The good news is that apps like AirAware from Aloft show you real-time airspace maps and let you request LAANC authorization right from your phone.
I walked through the full LAANC process in the video. You pull up AirAware, find your location on the map, and if it says “controlled airspace, authorization required,” you tap “Get LAANC.” It asks if you’re flying recreationally or commercially. You draw a box around your flight area by tapping and holding on the corners and dragging them into position. At the bottom, you’ll see the approved altitude. Set your altitude, pick your duration (I went with two hours), and submit.
If it says “eligible for auto approval,” you’ll get a text message within seconds confirming you’re good to fly. In the video, we were in Class D airspace near Prescott, and the whole process took about a minute.
One thing to watch for: if the app says “LAANC inactive,” it means that location doesn’t support automatic approvals. Air Force bases, for example, require a separate, more involved process.
3. Know your controller before you fly
Spend time with the controller before you take the drone outside. Learn where the camera tilt dial is, the photo and video buttons, and especially the Return to Home (RTH) button. DJI drones have a physical RTH button right on the controller, and it’s a lifesaver when you need the drone back fast.
If your drone has multiple flight modes, there’s usually a switch or slider on the controller. On DJI models, you’ll find Cine mode (slow, smooth movements that are perfect for beginners), Normal mode, and Sport mode. Stick with Cine for your first flights. Sport mode disables obstacle avoidance on most drones, so leave that alone until you’re comfortable.
Most controllers also have a dial on top for fine-tuning the gimbal (camera) angle, and some buttons can be customized to perform different functions. Check your user manual for those options.
4. Learn the flight controls on the ground first
The flight controls use Mode 2 by default. Here’s how it works. The left stick controls altitude (push up to climb, down to descend) and yaw (push left or right to rotate the drone in place). The right stick controls pitch (forward/backward movement) and roll (side-to-side movement). Remember, forward and backward always follow the drone’s nose, not your perspective.
Practice these before you even turn on the drone. Do a dry run in your head: if I want to go forward, I push the right stick forward. If I want to climb, I push the left stick up. If you have a flight simulator, that’s another good way to build muscle memory.
Then power on the drone with propellers off. Scroll through the menus, tap the buttons, open the sub-menus, and learn how to get back to the home screen. The controller interface will feel overwhelming at first. It makes a lot more sense after 15 minutes of just poking around. Check the camera settings, adjust resolution and frame rate, switch between photo and video modes. Open the safety menu and find the return-to-home altitude and obstacle avoidance settings. We’ll come back to those in a minute.
Photo credit: DJI
5. Pick the right location and check the weather
For your first flight, choose a wide-open area with no trees, power lines, or other obstructions. A soccer field, an empty parking lot, or a large meadow all work well. FAA-Recognized Identification Areas (FRIAs) are another option, especially if your drone doesn’t have Remote ID.
Check the wind forecast with apps like UAV Forecast or Windy. If wind speeds are above 15 mph, wait for a calmer day. High winds drain batteries faster, which means your drone might not make it back. Even small gusts can cause sudden tilts or loss of stability, especially with lighter drones. Always check your drone’s manual for its maximum wind resistance rating.
Never fly in rain or drizzle. Water can short-circuit the electronics inside the drone and cause it to fall out of the sky. Stay out of clouds too. Beyond the moisture risk, you won’t be able to see the drone, and that puts you in violation of visual line-of-sight rules.
6. Build a pre-flight checklist and use it every time
Start with the basics. Are the batteries fully charged? Does the memory card have space? Is the controller connected to the drone?
Then inspect the drone itself. Look at the arms and sensors for dirt or damage from a previous flight. Attach the propellers by matching the markings on the motor arms to the corresponding props. There’s only one way they fit, so you can’t really mess it up. Give them a wiggle to make sure they’re tight. Look for chips or cracks on the propeller blades that could cause problems at takeoff.
Don’t forget to remove the gimbal cover. It’s the plastic piece that protects the camera and keeps the gimbal steady during transport. Slide it off and unclip it from the bottom of the lens. Be careful here. The gimbal is delicate and can be damaged easily if you force it.
If your drone folds, unfold the arms in the correct order. On DJI drones, unfold the two front legs first, then the rear ones. Make sure each arm is fully locked in position before setting the drone down.
If your drone uses a smartphone as the primary screen, make sure your phone is fully charged and the flight app is downloaded and ready. Then power up: double-tap and hold the power button on both the controller and the drone. You should hear a beep, see lights, and maybe feel the propellers twitch.
Pro tip: update your firmware at home on your Wi-Fi before heading out. It’s faster and saves mobile data.
7. Set your safety limits before takeoff
Open the drone controller app and go to the safety or control settings. Set your maximum altitude to something like 200 feet and maximum distance to about 400 feet for your first flight. This creates a safety bubble. The drone will automatically stop at those limits during flight. Remember, 400 feet above ground level is the FAA maximum for recreational flights, so staying under that keeps you compliant.
Turn on obstacle avoidance if your drone has it. Depending on the model, sensors on the front, back, bottom, sides, and even the top will detect objects and either stop the drone or reroute it around the obstacle. You can adjust how sensitive it is in the safety menu. Some drones offer “bypass” mode (routes around obstacles) or “brake” mode (just stops). Either one works for beginners.
Set a low-battery warning at 25% to 30%. You never want to run the battery down to zero. Nobody wants to do a forced landing halfway back because they flew too far with too little charge left to return.
8. Return to Home altitude is the setting most beginners skip
Return to Home (RTH) is the function that automatically flies the drone back to its takeoff point if something goes wrong. It can trigger automatically from a lost signal or low battery, or you can press the RTH button manually. But here’s the thing: if the return altitude isn’t set correctly, the drone might fly straight into a tree on the way back.
In the safety settings, find “Auto RTH Altitude” and set it about 30 to 50 feet above the tallest obstacle near you. In the video, I looked around and the tallest tree was maybe 30 feet. I set my RTH altitude at 200 feet. That gives plenty of clearance. Once you set it, it stays for every future flight until you change it.
Keep in mind that the maximum altitude setting in your drone is measured from the takeoff point, not from the ground beneath the drone. If you’re at the top of a hill and the drone flies down to a valley, the actual altitude above ground could be much higher than what the controller shows. I keep my max altitude set higher (around 850 feet) so it’s not too limiting when flying in areas with terrain changes.
The home point is recorded when the drone powers on. You can also update it in flight from the safety menu if you move to a different spot while the drone is up.
9. Your first flight: start slow, verify everything
Look around. Make sure nobody is near the drone. Start the motors by bringing both sticks inward and down. Say “taking off” out loud so anyone nearby knows what’s happening. Use the left stick to climb to about 20 or 30 feet above the ground.
Before doing anything else, verify your controls are working correctly. Move the left stick left and right to check yaw. Push forward and back to check altitude changes. Then test the right stick: forward, back, left, right. This confirms the flight controller is working properly, and it also catches any situation where someone may have accidentally changed your controller to a different mode.
Here’s the part that confuses almost every new pilot: when the drone faces away from you, all controls work exactly as you’d expect. Forward goes forward, right goes right. But when the drone turns around and faces you, the left-right controls are reversed. Push right on the stick, the drone goes to your left. Push forward, and the drone comes toward you. This is because the controls always follow the drone’s nose, not your perspective.
My trick: when bringing the drone back to land, rotate it so the nose faces away from you again. That way all the controls work the direction you expect. It’s much easier, especially as a beginner.
Always maintain visual line of sight (VLOS) during the entire flight. The FAA requires you to see the drone with your own eyes at all times, not just through the camera feed. You need to be able to tell which direction it’s facing, whether people or aircraft are nearby, and spot any potential hazards. Glance at your screen to frame a shot, but spend most of your time watching the actual drone. Scan the horizon for manned aircraft, especially helicopters that fly at low altitude.
Practice holding the drone still at eye level using GPS position hold. Then try small movements: squares, circles, simple patterns. When you’re comfortable, work on the reverse-control situation with the drone facing you. Practice until all of these movements become second nature.
Landing is easier than you think
Landing can feel scary the first time, but these drones are smart. Orient the drone so it faces away from you. Bring it over your landing spot using small right-stick adjustments. Then use the left stick to descend slowly. At some point, the drone will resist going lower. Keep holding the left stick down. It’ll beep, land on its own, and the motors will stop automatically. That’s it.
10. The three-step panic plan that saves drones
This is the tip I mentioned at the beginning. If you ever feel disoriented, anxious, or just completely lost mid-flight, do these three things.
Step one: let go of the sticks. This sounds counterproductive, but it’s the best thing you can do. The drone will hold its altitude and position using GPS. It’s just going to hover in place and wait for you to tell it what to do next.
Step two: breathe. Assess where the drone is and which direction it’s facing. Take a moment to get your bearings.
Step three: if you’re still unsure, press and hold the Return to Home button. The screen will show you the flight path back to your takeoff point. The drone will fly itself back and land on its own. You can cancel RTH at any time by tapping the “cancel” button on screen if you regain your composure and want to keep flying.
I tested this during the video. Pressed the RTH button, watched the drone chart its return path on screen, and it came back and landed on its own. It wasn’t perfectly on the landing pad, but it was close enough. In a real emergency, that’s more than good enough.
Everything is going to be fine. Every confident drone pilot you see today started exactly where you are now. If you follow these 10 tips, you’ll be flying with confidence before you know it. For a more in-depth walkthrough, check out the best drones for beginners guide, the DJI Neo 2 beginner’s guide, and the free resources available at the Pilot Institute.