Drones For Dummies

Ready to soar into the world of unmanned aircraft? Drones For Dummies introduces you to the fascinating world of UAVs. Written in plain English and brimming with friendly instruction, Drones For Dummies provides you with the information you need to find and purchase the right drone for your needs, examples of ways to use a drone, and even drone etiquette and the laws and regulations governing consumer drone usage. Plus, you'll discover the basics of flight, including how to use a drone to capture photos and video.

Originally designed to assist in military and special operations applications, the use of drones has expanded into the public service sector and the consumer market for people looking to have a good time flying an aircraft remotely. Drones For Dummies covers everything you need to know to have fun with your UAV, and is packed with cool ways to expand your drone's use beyond simply flying.

• Pick the perfect drone to suit your needs
• Properly set up and fly a drone
• Use a drone to capture images and footage with a camera
• Tips for maintaining your drone

If you're interested in the exciting new technology of unmanned aircraft vehicles, Drones For Dummies helps you take flight.

Introduction 1

Part I: Getting Started with Drones 7

Chapter 1: Drones 1019

Chapter 2: Picking the Drone That’s Right for You 27

Chapter 3: Picking the Best Camera for Your Needs 47

Chapter 4: Finding Support and Resources 63

Part II: Before You Fly 79

Chapter 5: Setting Up Your Drone 81

Chapter 6: Staying Safe with Your Drone 101

Chapter 7: Knowing the Law 111

Part III: Miracle of Flight 123

Chapter 8: Controlling Your Drone 125

Chapter 9: Flight Basics 137

Chapter 10: Choosing When and Where To Fly 155

Chapter 11: Maintaining Your Drone 169

Part IV: Aerial Photos and Videos 183

Chapter 12: Capturing Beautiful Photos and Video 185

Chapter 13: Working with Shaky Footage 199

Chapter 14: Working with Aerial Images and Footage 213

Part V: The Part of Tens 227

Chapter 15: Ten Things You Shouldn’t Do with Your Drone 229

Chapter 16: Ten Commercial Uses for Drones 237

Chapter 17: Ten FAA Regulatory Implications 247

Appendix A 255

Index 261

Mark LaFay is a tenured entrepreneur. He started two successful businesses in the music industry, and he is the co-founder of Lectio and Roust. Mark is also the author of Chromebook for Dummies.

Learn to:

• Pick the perfect drone to suit your needs
• Properly set up, fly, and maintain your drone
• Capture video and images using the latest technologies
• Follow the FAA rules and regulations for flying unmanned aircraft

Get the best advice on how to pick the perfect drone, set it up, and successfully take flight!

Ready to soar into the world of unmanned aircraft? This fun and accessible guide offers everything you need to get up, up, and away with UAVs. Inside, you'll find expert guidance on purchasing the right drone for your needs, ways to use a drone, how to mind your Ps and Qs with drone etiquette (yes, it's a real thing), and much more!

• Keep both feet on the ground — assemble and set up your drone, test the remote controls, optimize your camera settings, and avoid imminent dangers before you take flight
• Take to the sky — find tips on the best ways to launch your drone indoors or out, in populated areas, at night, or in sub-optimal weather conditions
• Spread your wings — get the lowdown on flight basics, from flying with handheld RF control to working with smart devices — and everything in between
• Such great heights — make the most of the aerial photos and videos your drone captured, whether you want to import footage and stills as is, or edit and stabilize them with software

Open the book and find:

• Guidance on picking the best drone for you
• A plain English explanation of your drone's parts
• How to stay safe with your drone
• No fly zones and governance with the FAA
• A must-have pre-flight checklist
• Tips on choosing where and when to fly
• How to correct shaky footage
• The best ways to work with aerial images
• Ten things you shouldn't do with your drone