There were about 110,000 drones sold for commercial use in 2016, as reported by Gartner. It was predicted that there would be 174,000 drones taking to the skies in 2017. The number of consumer drones, however, is expected to increase to 2.8 million. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has predicted that by 2020, there will be seven million drones located throughout the United States alone.
Consumer drones are sold more often than commercial drones. The former accounts for 94% of total unit sales and the latter for the remaining sales percentages. Commercial drones do, however, account for 60% of the revenue within this industry.
Learn to Avoid Making Some Common Drone Mistakes
There are some common drone mistakes made by some people when they first start these unmanned aircraft systems, or UASs. If your drone weighs over 55 pounds, for instance, it must be registered with the FAA. Recent figures indicate that there are 770,000 drones that have been registered.
Learn the Best Places to Fly Your Drone
The FAA will inform you that their Safety Guidelines specify how high and in what locations you can pilot your drone. While you can fly them up to 400 feet, the FAA’s guidelines indicate that they can’t fly over that height. Given this, it’s common sense to keep a good eye on your drone’s position at all times so it doesn’t exceed regulations.
You also want to fly your drone in areas that aren’t in the vicinity of airports or heliports. If you will be flying them within five miles, however, you are required to contact the airport and control tower before doing so. Depending on the type and size of your drone, it’s possible that you may receive a request to fly it further away from these congested areas.
In order to protect your drone, it also makes sense not to fly it around copses of trees, electric wires, and other structures where it could crash or become tangled. Flying your drone low to the ground in crowded areas such as parks and family neighborhoods may also not be the best idea.
What to Do When Your Drone Causes an Injury or Property Damage
In the even that your drawn causes an accident, you must report it to the FAA within ten days. More specifically, this applies to when there as been serious injury to a person or property damage that exceeds $500.00 in costs.You would then be required to repair or replace the property as well as see to the individual’s medical costs.
What to Do When Your Drone Breaks
Has your drone sustained damage? Then it’s time to take it to a drone repair center. Rather than attempt to fix your drone yourself, it’s important to have this taken care of by an experienced professional at your local drone repair center. At that time, a drone technician will evaluate your UAS at the drone repair center. Since they have a variety of parts at the repair center, there’s an excellent chance that your drone will be up and flying once again.