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If you\u2019re a seasoned traveler, chances are you\u2019ve seen a drone at a popular attraction at one point or another. Drones are everywhere these days, and travel photography and videography is becoming one of the most popular uses of the flying cameras. And while they can be obnoxious if in the wrong hands, they can also be used as a valuable tool to document your travels.<\/p>\n
Many travelers these days bring a nice camera with them on their travels, whether it\u2019s a DSLR, a GoPro or both. They\u2019re great ways to share your travels with others. Now a drone should be considered in your camera arsenal if you\u2019re someone who is serious about traveling.<\/p>\n
There are some things to think about if you\u2019re deciding to take the plunge into the drone world. Flying drones is an extremely fun hobby for many, and a serious profession for others. So if you\u2019ve ever thought about adding a drone to your travel list — or maybe you\u2019re just thinking that now for the first time — here are five tips for making the most out of traveling with a drone.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s important to note that every country has its own laws regarding drones. In the United States, you can\u2019t fly your drone higher than 400 feet above the ground. You also can\u2019t fly over people and you can\u2019t fly within five miles of an airport without prior notice.<\/p>\n
Many countries have a set of rules that align closely with the Federal Aviation Administration’s<\/a>\u00a0laws, but that doesn\u2019t mean your home country\u2019s rules are necessarily the same as a foreign country.<\/p>\n It also may depend on what you are using your drone for during your travels. If you are flying for commercial purposes, that could present a whole new set of challenges, or perhaps additional paperwork. Again, be sure to check before you leave for your trip.<\/p>\n There is, unfortunately, no perfect, centrally localized list of each country\u2019s drone rules. Websites like PetaPixel<\/a> and UAV Coach<\/a> do their best to keep pilots up to date with international regulations, but the rules are always changing. Your best bet? Go straight to the source: contact the local transportation or airspace authorities of the country you\u2019re visiting.<\/p>\n One thing to remember is that you\u2019ll have to carry your drone with you as you travel. Depending on how much luggage you\u2019re already bringing, the thought of adding a drone can be daunting.<\/p>\n Luckily for you, drones with high-quality cameras are becoming smaller and more portable than ever. DJI, which dominates the consumer drone market, introduced the Mavic Pro<\/a> a year ago and just recently unveiled an even smaller version of its popular drone: the Mavic Air<\/a>. Each is capable of taking 4K video and high-quality photos despite their small stature.<\/p>\n Both the Mavic Pro and Mavic Air are small enough to put in a backpack, including the drone\u2019s controller. They both weigh less than two pounds, so they shouldn\u2019t weigh you down much at all if you\u2019re backpacking through Europe or navigating the islands of Southeast Asia. The Yuneec Breeze<\/a> is a slightly cheaper option for a portable drone, although you sacrifice camera quality with the lower price tag.<\/p>\n Speaking of traveling with your drone, be sure to note that drones use lithium batteries, which means you\u2019ll need to carry them onto the plane with you when flying. Airlines won\u2019t allow lithium batteries to be checked, for safety reasons. You may get stopped when going through the security line at airports as they take a closer look at the drone, but at this point, drones are commonplace enough where they may no longer raise an eyebrow.<\/p>\n As excited as you may be to take your new toy on your trip, it\u2019s important to know what you\u2019re doing first.<\/p>\n Drones are being built to fly safer than ever, and their controls and features are increasingly intuitive for drone pilots. But that doesn\u2019t mean they\u2019re fool-proof. If you need examples, drone video website AirV\u016bz<\/a> has hundreds of examples of drone videos<\/a> of fails and crashes from pilots of all experience levels.<\/p>\n If you\u2019ve never flown before, watch tutorial videos and read your drone\u2019s instruction manual before taking to the sky. When you do your maiden flight, make sure it\u2019s in a wide-open space with little to no potential obstacles for you to fly into.<\/p>\n As you continue to fly and gain experience, play around with all of the different features your drone offers. That way, when you\u2019re finally ready to travel, you\u2019ll know how everything works. You\u2019d hate to get to your destination and have your drone crash on the first day because you didn\u2019t know what you were doing.<\/p>\n Regardless of whether you\u2019re lugging around a big drone case or you have a portable drone in your backpack, you don\u2019t want to necessarily have to carry it around more than is necessary. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to have an idea of where you want to fly before you actually do it.<\/p>\n Many pilots will use Google Maps to see satellite images of locations they might be interested in droning. That will give you an idea of the scenery, potential hazards, and cool things you\u2019ll want to capture with your footage.<\/p>\n Scouting your location ahead of time also means knowing if a certain spot is drone friendly. In other words, will the resort you\u2019re staying at allow you to fly on the premises, or will you have to find another spot to launch from? It\u2019s not always easy to know these things ahead of time, but do your best to research the places you hope to fly at. And be sure to be respectful of other travelers when you\u2019re flying. You wouldn\u2019t want a drone buzzing over you as you\u2019re relaxing on a beach or trying to see a popular attraction, and neither do other tourists.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to fall down a rabbit hole of cool drone videos on YouTube<\/a> or AirV\u016bz<\/a>. Drones have been mainstream for several years now, so tons of people have been flying them, and that means they\u2019ve also been making videos. By now, you\u2019ve seen drones used in TV commercials, movies and plenty more. But have you watched aerial footage with a critical eye? If not, it might be a good (and fun) idea to watch a bunch of drone videos before you take off on your travels.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re new to making videos, you can pick up tips from other cinematographers as you watch their footage. Each person has a different style, so don\u2019t feel like you have to copy someone else\u2019s editing techniques or flying patterns. Develop your own style but don\u2019t be afraid to get inspired by the work of other drone pilots. Watching other videos can also inspire you to see something on your trip that you maybe weren\u2019t planning on. Seeing the world from the sky gives a whole different perspective to things, so your eyes might be opened when watching aerial footage.<\/p>\n Above all else, have fun flying and fly responsibly. Drones are changing the way we see the world, and they can soon change the way you see yours as well.<\/p>\n By Tyler Mason<\/span> \/ If you\u2019re a seasoned traveler, chances are you\u2019ve seen a drone at a popular attraction at one point or another. Drones are everywhere these days, and travel photography and videography is becoming one of the most popular uses of the flying cameras. And while they can be obnoxious if in the wrong hands, they can […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":18,"featured_media":25997,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2049,1,2567,2584,2564],"tags":[3357,1169,3358],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.theexpeditioner.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/03\/Traveling-With-A-Drone-2.jpg\")
<\/p>\n2) Consider portability when looking into drones<\/h2>\n
3) Practice before you travel<\/h2>\n
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<\/p>\n4) Scout your locations<\/h2>\n
5) Get inspired!<\/h2>\n
![\"TheExpeditioner\"](\"\/Images\/aboutuslogo.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/div>\n![\"Tyler](\"http:\/\/theexpeditioner.com\/Images\/Twittersmallround.png\")
<\/a><\/span> ![\"Tyler](\"http:\/\/theexpeditioner.com\/Images\/Instagramsmallround.png\")
<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n![\"Tyler](\"https:\/\/www.theexpeditioner.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/Tyler-Mason-Bio-Picture.jpg\" "\\"Sarah")
Tyler Mason is a commercial drone pilot and freelance journalist based in Minneapolis. He began flying drones in late 2015 and has been a writing about college and professional sports in the Twin Cities since 2011. Tyler also enjoys traveling with his wife and has visited three continents in the past three years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"