This is a question that actually gets asked quite often and deserves a proper answer rather than the smart aleck answer I see in forums.
The thing to consider when this question is asked is the reason that person is asking it. Of ten it isn’t the person who is going to fly the quadcopter who asks. I could be an adult looking to get a one for a 10 year old child or just a beginner looking for something to start with.
When the asker is just looking for the right one to start with and are planning to learn how to fly before progressing to a bigger and better one later. In part because they think that flying a quadcopter is hard and wondering whether they are dangerous or not.
I’ll have a go at answering some of these concerns.
Are Quadcopters Dangerous?
In general the short answer is no however you are dealing with a device which can move pretty fast. They don’t have a lot of weight behind them but being hit by one can hurt so being careful about where you fly and where any spectators stand makes everything safer.
Are Quadcopters Easy To Fly?
That actually depends on what you buy. There are a range of features which can make a quadcopter more stable and much easier to fly. If yours had GPS stabilisation you can get it to maintain height and position, 6-axis gyros allow the quadcopter to self stabilise to compensate for wind and clumsy operators.
They do prevent you doing the more complex stunts though so you would be better off buying something which allows you to turn those features off if you so wish.
Where To Fly A Quadcopter?
The recommendation is to join a club in your local area if you can. They will often have places that they go regularly so that is always the best way to start out. The general rules are that you cannot fly near an airport, near residential areas, near where children are playing or anywhere that could cause a nuisance to others. One place you can fly as much as you like, if you have a nano or micro quadcopter, is inside your own home. This also happens to be a great place to learn or practice as there are obstacles all over the place and a nano or micro has so little weight that their momentum will do no damage when they crash into things.
Where to buy a quadcopter?
You could try your local hobby shop but you probably won’t get the range or the best pricing there. There are many places to buy online and some of these are reputable suppliers but it’s pretty hard to get backup or even a refund if there are issues so it becomes a bit of a guessing game. There is one well known and reputable supplier who also have some of the best prices online. This is a great place to buy a quadcopter to start with.
Go here for more information.
I suppose you could say that this has been an article on quadcopter for dummies. Not that I would call anyone who was actually looking for information a dummy. I was told once at a seminar – the difference between ignorance and stupidity is, ignorance means you don’t know different, stupidity is when you know different but still do the same things.
I hope that I have managed to clear up some questions for you.