Drone flying is becoming an increasingly popular activity. In fact, sales of small hobbyist drones are predicted to increase from 1.9 million to 4.3 million between 2016 and 2020. With that many drones in the air, it's not uncommon to hear about drone crashes and accidents. Drones can be pretty expensive, so you want to do everything you can to avoid common drone mistakes that lead to crashes. However, if you do crash your drone, this article is going to discuss a few important steps to take.
Retrieve the drone: The first step after a crash is to find the drone. Because of the great heights and speeds drones can travel, this may prove to be more difficult than it sounds. However, if you keep your drone in sight at all times, you should know the general area your drone crashed in. If your drone has a GPS, you may be able to track it down that way.
Initial inspection: After you retrieve your drone, it's important to conduct an initial inspection. If you're lucky, there won't be any major damage. If you're not so lucky, you may notice some serious exterior or interior damage. Either way, it's important to take note of even the smallest damage. Additionally, it's important to check the battery. If there is significant damage to your drone's battery, do not try to use it. Severe damage or swelling are signs that the battery has been damaged and should not be used.
Test it out: If there doesn't seem to be any serious damage, try a test run. It's important to do a test flight before taking off on your next big adventure because if there is unnoticed damage and it's high up in the air, it could receive even further damage from another crash. So start slow and stay low -- make sure the motors, GPS, and remote controls are working properly.
Contact a drone repair service center. If your drone does not pass your test flight, it's time to get some professional help. A drone repair service center will be able to take apart your drone and find out what the problem is. If you're not familiar with the internal structure of your drone, you may not have the necessary knowledge to be able to fix your drone yourself. Fortunately, a drone repair service center will be able to detect the problem, complete necessary repairs, and have your drone back to you in no time.
Flying a drone takes a lot of practice. And even the most experienced drone users may experience a crash every now and then. The important thing to remember is to always fly as safely as possible and when in doubt, get help from a professional repair service.