Hi there, it's Ernest from Trip Astute. In this video, we're discussing how to
travel with a drone and some things to keep in mind to avoid getting in trouble.
(light chiming music)
Drones are an awesome tool when it comes to capturing footage while traveling.
We've been using our drone more frequently when traveling and have been
excited about the footage that we can capture. Though when I first started
using a drone, I have to admit that I was really nervous about traveling with it. I
kept worrying that it would get confiscated or even worse, I would end up
in a foreign jail for violating some rules. In this video, I wanted to share
some tips on traveling with a drone. These are some practical things to
consider when you plan to travel with your unmanned aircraft. So, let's run
through the list. Number 1: Check and follow local laws. Some places are
notoriously strict about flying drones and will even confiscate them at the
airport. Your best bet is to look online and also in specific forums where people
have shared their experience. I'll include some links in the video
description. Also, check to see if your destination country has any apps to help.
When I visited England, they had a free app that helped to identify restricted
areas and it seemed to be more up-to-date than some of the US-based airspace apps.
If you plan to take your drone on a cruise ship, be aware that most cruises
prohibit drones from being brought on board. Some friends of mine recently went
on a cruise through the Caribbean and they had their drone confiscated by the
cruise ship during their trip. So definitely check the rules before you go.
Number 2: Keep your drone and batteries in your carry-on bag. You want to make
sure to keep your drone and batteries in your carry-on bag when traveling on
planes since drones typically use lithium polymer or LiPo batteries, they
cannot be in your checked in luggage due to the risk of fire. Number 3:
Use a LiPo bag. This isn't a requirement but it's more of a best practice when
traveling with LiPo batteries. The bags are meant to contain any fire that could
occur from your battery. It's also recommended that your batteries be
discharged to 50% or less when traveling. That's
difficult to do, so my recommendation is to get a LiPo bag and use it when flying.
The chance of your battery catching on fire is low, but it's always better to be
safe than sorry. Plus, if your drone gets scrutinized at the airport, I think it
helps to show good intention and responsibility with the LiPo bag. Number
4: Take out your batteries during airport security. The batteries are
likely to cause the most concern when traveling, so it helps to have it out
when going through the security screening. Number 5: Load updates and
maps at the hotel. There's nothing worse than getting ready to fly your drone and
realizing that you need to update to the latest firmware. And what's even worse is
getting that message when you don't have a fast and reliable internet connection.
My recommendation is to boot up your drone in your hotel before starting your
day and ensuring that you have the latest firmware loaded. Also, know that
you may have to try it with every battery as some firmware updates get
loaded to the batteries. Number 6: Be discreet and respectful. There are a lot
of negative feelings toward drone operators and sadly, a lot of it is based
on people flying drones in inappropriate places. My advice is to avoid crowds and
try not to gather attention toward yourself. And be considerate to those who
may not want to hear you flying your drone overhead. A tip that I recommend is
to also fly early in the morning if you want to fly in a place that's popular
with tourists. It will avoid gathering a lot of attention and at the same time,
you might actually get some really cool shots of the sunrise. Number 7: Be
cautious of extreme weather. Cold weather can really affect the performance of
your drone, especially when it comes to the batteries. If you plan to fly in cold
weather, you may want to warm the battery beforehand or allow the drone to hover
to warm up before going full throttle on the controls. Hot and humid weather can
also cause your drone to overheat, so be mindful of the temperature and know that
weather can change the way your drone will lift and fly. Also, while flying in
conditions like fog may seem like a great opportunity to capture footage,
it can cause a lot of moisture to build up on and inside your drone.
Not to mention limit your ability to see your drone while flying. So be really
careful. Number 8: Stay focused! One of the biggest
distractions when flying a drone is to have people ask questions. A lot of times,
people will want to ask you questions or engage you in a conversation while in
flight. I recommend keeping your eyes on your drone and controls and asking to speak
to the person after you land. Keeping line-of-sight of your drone is
not only good practice, but it's law in most places, so make sure you maintain
your focus while flying. Number 9: Practice flying and master controls
before traveling. I highly recommend getting comfortable with the drone
before attempting to fly it during your vacation. You want to have a strong
understanding of the controls before launching it in situations where things
may be less predictable or comfortable. Number 10: Picking a clear and open spot
to fly. There have been so many times where I wanted to fly my drone but I
either couldn't get enough GPS satellites or there were just too many
hazards nearby like trees. When selecting a place to fly your drone, take
the time to examine options. I recommend flying from open places to
reduce a chance of hitting an object or losing signal. One thing to add though is
to be extremely careful when flying over water. If you plan to fly from a moving
home point like a boat, set your home point to update to your location rather
than the starting point and give yourself plenty of extra time. Landing on
a boat is extremely tricky, so I would not recommend it unless you have some
experience doing it. Number 11: Consider using a landing pad. This is something
that I recently found extremely useful. Unless you have a smaller drone like a
Spark that allows you to safely land in your hand, I would suggest using a landing pad.
Landing on sand, dirt, or grass can cause long-term damage to the sensitive
internals of your drone, especially if the environment is wet. Folding and
portable landing pads are cheap and definitely worth carrying with you.
Number 12: Use a flight checklist to
minimize flyaways. Aviators love to use checklists to ensure consistency and
routine. I highly recommend using the same technique with your drone. Even if
you know what you're doing, things like locking the home point, checking your
compass interference, and ensuring that you have enough GPS satellites can save
you from having an accidental flyaway. I've posted the checklist that I use
when flying on our website as a free download, so feel free to use it on your
flights. I honestly use it on every flight and there have been many times
where I've had to cancel my flight plan based on something that I couldn't
complete or verify on the checklist. If you do get more serious about drones,
I do recommend getting your FAA Part 107 Certificate. You don't need it as a
hobbyist, but if you want to do any commercial work then it's definitely
required. I just got mine after taking the Drone Pilot Ground School course by
UAV Coach. Taking a prep course isn't required to pass, but the course not only
helped me to get a 95% on my test, but I actually felt like I learned the
concepts being taught. These included things like understanding airspace
classifications, weather, reading sectional charts, and even just best
practices for flying unmanned aircrafts. Plus, the instructor Allen is very
responsive to questions. If you're interested, Allen at UAV Coach has
provided our channel with a discount code. Just use TRIPASTUTE50 to receive
$50 off the prep course. Do you have any tips for traveling with your drone or do
you have any crazy stories while trying to fly one when abroad? If so, please
share your experience below in the comments section. I've included Amazon
links to some of the products featured in this video. Trip Astute does get a
percentage back if you use our link. It doesn't cost you anything extra, but it's
a great way to support the channel and help us to create more content like this
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