Hobbitsies

Drones perfectly portray the advances in the technological development of the human society. They are engaging, fun and useful, used for various reasons by various groups of people. And though people use drones for multiple purposes, one thing is certain, and that is a struggle with Drones With the Longest Flight Times

So, how does one increase the drone flight time?

Well, there are several “tips & tricks” that can aid you in that mission. These include:

Conservative Flying

Minding the weight

Tuning your drone

On battery charging and maintenance

On battery storage

Obtaining extra batteries

Note that these topics will be observed from an objective perspective, in the sense that the pieces of advice can be applied on any drone. We will also advise you on three different drone categories, where we’ll recommend three drones according to their class:

On Conservative Flight

What do we mean by conservative flying? Firstly, consider the weather conditions, especially the wind strength. Also, rain and slow a can shorten the flight duration. Isn’t it more comfortable to ride your bike on a windless, rainless and snowless day? Less drag, less friction; in short, less resistance.

Well, the laws of physics apply to drones too. The more there is resistance, your drone will drain more battery power to maintain the speed, direction, and instructions. Moreover, most drones aren’t rainproof, which should inspire you to take it for a spin when its sunny with mild temperatures.

Secondly, don’t go full Mad Max on your drone. If you want to conserve the battery life, don’t fly it aggressively at full speed. Think about your car or even your bike: if you don’t take your leg of the gas paddle, or if you paddle your bike at full speed, it will drain your fuel and your energy.

On the other hand, if you maintain the average speed level, you’ll do your drone a favor because the battery will drain steadily and consistently. Remember, every acceleration requires an energy boost, which taxes the drone’s battery.

Minding The Weight

Naturally, there is only so much you can do to reduce the weight of your drone, but it is possible. Keep in mind that every gram you take off the drone affects the battery durability on a short and long-term basis. If you are interested in this topic, you can check this forum discussion (with graph) to have a better understanding of the subject.

Let’s break this down. First, weight affects the drone’s maneuverability, that is, the amount of control you have over your drone. If you tie this with the first factor we discussed (conservative flying), you’ll see that weight affects battery duration on multiple levels.

Furthermore, if you are an experienced pilot, take the protective guards of your drone. Likewise, take off the camera (if you aren’t using it), for it will extend the battery’s durability in two ways (less computing power and less weight). However, this is very situational, since not all drones have protective cages and guards.

In short, remove every part that isn’t necessary for your drone to function it the way you want; even though the weight won’t prolong the batteries durability substantially, it will help a little.

Tuning The Drone

There are two things you could tune on your drone to enhance the battery functionality: changing the propeller and changing the battery.

Propellers

Let’s look at nature, specifically birds and the way wing size affects their flight. In essence, birds with large wings (like condors) spend less energy to stay in the air. They don’t have to flap their wings as often as, let’s say, a sparrow must. Sparrow has shorter and narrower wings than the condor, and thus the sparrow has to exert more energy to fly.

Similarly, drones with bigger propellers (regarding length and width) fly longer and require less power. However, you do sacrifice the speed, agility, and maneuverability. The condor might fly longer, but the sparrow is much agiler and has quicker reactions.

What you have to do is consider the things you value more, agility and speed or distance and durability. Since this is an article about drone flight time, we advise you to go for drones with bigger propellers or to upgrade your current drone.

You can also tie this too with the discussion we had on conservative flying (less maneuverability will, in a way, force you to fly the drone steadily and conservatively.

Changing The Battery

Drone manufacturers want to make the drones economical and available to everyone. While it is great that you can purchase the drone for a couple of bucks, the battery you get probably won’t satisfy you.

However, you can tune the drone manually. If you decide to purchase a better battery, consider two things: compatibility and mAh. When it comes to compatibility, make sure that the battery you plan to buy is compatible with your drone (mind voltage, battery type, etc.)

Similarly, consider the mAh (click here to read more about mAh). In essence, the more mAh (milliampere-hour) the battery has, the better. However, mAh isn’t the only thing you have to consider. Examine the construction quality, mind the brand, and discuss this with the people who have the same drone you have.

Maintaining And Charging The Battery

When it comes to battery maintenance, you are thinking long term, and in a way, investing in the battery’s future. Keep in mind that everything we mentioned thus far, regarding weight, propeller size, and so forth, affect’s the battery’s long-term use.

Most drones use Lipo batteries (Lithium Polymer). Some of the pieces of advice we’ll provide here are taken from Heliguy’s article on Drone Battery Maintenance (you can read the full article here). Here is the list:

First thing’s first, read the manual! Even if you understand drones, still, read the manual, for the time you invest in studying it with care may prolong the battery life.

Make sure the battery is 100% charged before you take your drone for a spin.

Cycle through the batteries if you have more than one (we will discuss this in the next section)

Fully discharge the battery. Yes, this will also help prolong the battery’s durability (only charged when the battery is drained or almost completely drained)

Naturally, keep in mind the safety tips: don’t use batteries that are damaged, batteries that were in contact with water, etc. A damaged battery can damage or destroy your phone (plus, you’ll lose your warranty if this occurs). Furthermore, charge your drone with an official battery charger. Also, the manual will explain the drone’s signalization regarding charging issues (overcharging, voltage issues, short circuit detection, etc.)

Battery Storage

Aside from charging, you should also think about adequately storing the batteries. For instance, if you are using them once or twice a week (every 6-8 days), the batteries don’t have to be fully charged all the time. Instead, keep them on the level between 60% and 80%. You can reduce charging time by equipping yourself with the best drone battery charger on the market, which will help you charge faster and can charge more batteries at the same time.

On the other hand, if you don’t plan on using the batteries for an extended period (2 weeks or more), keep them between 40%and 60%. Note that some manufacturers (like DIJ) feature apps that automatically discharge the battery if they aren’t used.

Also, store them in dry places at room temperature, assuring that the room isn’t too hot or too hold. If you are carrying more than one battery (one in drone, one with you), try to obtain protective drone battery storage. If you can’t obtain the storage, just make sure that you mind the extreme temperatures while you are transporting the batteries.

Obtaining Extra Batteries

Most manufacturers will offer you extra batteries, which is great if you wish to prolong the flight time. Why? Well, let’s say your drone flies 10 minutes. At minute 9, you flight it down, turn it off, exchange the batteries, and enjoy extra 10 minutes of flight time.

It’s easy, efficient and comfortable. Admittedly, this won’t affect the battery’s life, but it will double the flight time. However, don’t bring a pack of batteries because you can damage your drone (problems with overheating the motor).

Of course, make sure you follow the tips we provided (regarding battery maintenance and charging) to ensure their long-term durability and drone’s safety and functionality.

Why Look for a Drone With Longest Flight Time?

The vast majority of UAV pilots are fine with the usual 10- to 15-minute flight time standard. If you’re doing anything specialized, however, then finding a drone with longest range is essential.

Suppose you’re shooting a film that involves an overhead city shot. While you plan on adding audio later, you keep on having to redo your work due to the passing cloud cover. Or perhaps an actor in your epic YouTube drama just can’t seem to get a take right. These types of snags are common to filmmaking, so it’s important to compensate with a drone that lets you work for at least 25 minutes.

Another potential benefit of having a drone with longest flying time is their photo-taking ability. Although it only takes seconds to capture a still shot, you may find that things like wind and other challenges make it advisable to aim for something above the 20-minute mark. Longer flight times also give you more freedom for location scouting.

The real question is: “Do you need longer flight time?” At first, you might say that question is redundant but consider your needs. What kind of drone do you need? More importantly, why would you want to buy a drone?

Perhaps you simply want to have a commercial drone, have fun with your friends and family, and show them the stunts you can pull with your drone. On the other hand, maybe you are a professional blogger, adventurer that not only wants a sophisticated drone but needs it to grow the business, take HD photos and videos. Naturally, if your budget allows it, go for the most sophisticated model. But, if your budget is limiting and you are juggling between several options, always tie your choice to your needs.

Picking a Balanced Set of Features

Of course, it’s important to realize that there are tradeoffs. Longer time aloft may not mean better results if you buy a drone that produces poor footage. UAVs that use low-weight airframes to stretch their battery lives to the maximum possible extent may lack the power to lift the camera payload that you prefer to use.

Also be aware that some mini- and nano-size drones aren’t really appropriate for much more than amusement. Unless all you’re doing is sending handwritten love notes through someone’s window, you’ll probably want to upgrade. In practice, the actual flight time that you experience may not equal a given manufacturer’s specifications, as you can see from DIY quadcopter flight time calculators.

Begin your journey towards extended flight.

What are you planning on doing after you buy amazing Drones With the Longest Flight Times? Check out our other great site for insider piloting news and the latest pointers on getting the most out of your drone.