Whether you’re a professional or amateur drone photography enthusiast, your number one priority will always be your drone. When taking some aerial shots or video, the number one thing that scares drone pilots, no matter how experienced they are, is the risk of crashing their drones and damaging it.
As much as possible you want to keep your drone as safe as possible when taking it out for a shoot, and this is understandable, as your drone is a very expensive piece of technology.
There are some factors of drone crash that are out of your hands, but most of the time, you can prevent this from happening. Here are some tips to help you prevent drone crash when shooting drone photography.
Understand why drones can crash
There are a number of reasons why drones can crash. One of the biggest reasons why your drone can end up crashing is when it loses GPS connection, and it crashes. This typically happens when you fly your drone indoors, or around an urban area.
Another common cause of drone crash that some pilots may not be aware of it when drone operators hit the RTF (Return-to-Home) button too soon. You have to remember that the RTF button is designed to bring your drone back in a straight line, and if you’re shooting in a cluttered area, then there’s a big chance that it’s going to crash into any obstacles, like trees and buildings.
Power failure is another unfortunate cause behind drone crash. Drones have a short battery life, some of them only reaching about a maximum of thirty minutes per flight, so drone pilots tend to bring plenty of batteries on a flight. When a drone loses power mid-flight, there is no safety measure in place, and it will end up crashing out of the sky.
How to avoid drone crashes
Fortunately, as scary as some of these drone crash reasons are, these are all easily preventable, as long as you take a few extra steps before shooting your drone photography. One of the best ways to prevent any system malfunctions mid-flight is by performing a pre-flight checklist.
This is where you check your drone from top to bottom and making sure that all of the parts, mechanisms, and wiring are fine, and that the outer shell is intact. If you find any issues with your drone, avoid flying until you get this checked out. Make sure you pack plenty of extra batteries and accessories in case something breaks mid-flight.
Another good way to prevent drone crashes is by planning out your aerial shots beforehand. If you’ve never flown in a certain area, use online tools like Google Earth to take a look at the layout and topography of the area to plan out your shots.
This helps reduce any unplanned obstacles which may cause a drone crash. Also, avoid flying in windy, wet, or cold weather, as this can affect your drone’s mechanisms and cause it to crash.