Drones

Drones are a new kind of transportation and year-round outdoor activity in the air using an unmanned aerial vehicle that is aircraft without any human pilot, crew, or passengers on board. With the general development of technology, the popularity of drones is increasing every day.

Initially, drones were developed for military purposes, but now they have a wide civilian purpose. In the case of drones as a sport and recreational activity — these are small flying machines: the smallest fits in the palm of your hand, for storage and transportation of standard drones you need a separate small suitcase. Drones are also used for photography and video shooting, and also for drone racing, which is separately gaining popularity all over the world.

Usually, drones are launched outdoors in large open spaces. The use of drones in cities is limited due to aviation safety concerns. In general, the use of drones is regulated differently in different countries: you cannot launch a drone anywhere. Along with bans on drones and the need to get a license to fly them in some places, this is their main disadvantage.

Drones can be used at any time of a day during the whole year, but favorable weather without strong winds or precipitation, which is usually occur during the summer, is very important for them. Otherwise, the drone is very easy to damage or lose, which is unpleasant due to its high cost of several hundred dollars.

The main pleasure of using a drone is to view a beautiful place from a bird's eye view, which we would not do even from the top of a high mountain. At the same time, you can take high-resolution panoramic photos and videos. For the same reason, the use of drones is very interesting and profitable for commercial purposes, as an affordable and inexpensive option for aerial photography and videography, compared to an airplane. Learning how to operate a drone is not difficult, but it will take time to master it professionally.

Read Mini guide to paragliding with Windy.app.

Text: Ivan Kuznetsov. Natalia Kirasheva contributed to this guide

Cover photo: David Henrichs / Unsplash