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Drone Won't Stay Still? Tips To Get A Drone To Stay Still

Drone Won't Stay Still? Tips To Get A Drone To Stay Still

It is a common issue getting your drone to stay still in mid-air. Everybody faces this problem at a point when flying a drone. We will provide some tips on how to get your drone to stay still.

  • Make sure the drone's propellers are not broken and are functioning effectively.
  • Learn how to properly control your drone by studying the remote controller to know the functions of different buttons on it. 
  • Be sure to fix any problems or damages in the drone before launching it into the air. 

Getting a drone to stay still is not a problem when you know what to do. We will explain why your drone will not stay still and what you need to do to make your drone stay still. So you do not have to worry; we got you covered.

drone lost balance and fall as pilot looks concerned

Why Won’t A Drone Stay Still?

There are lots of reasons why your drone will not stay still when you are flying it. These are some of the reasons your drone will not stay still when you are flying it.

  • When the drone's motor fails: When a drone's motor fails or stops working, the propellers are affected because they are connected to the motor. This prevents the drone from staying still when hovering.
  • The drone's compass is not properly calibrated: When the drone's compass is not calibrated properly, the drone becomes unsteady. This will prevent the drone from staying still.
  • If one of the drone's propellers is not functioning properly or is broken: The most commonly used drones are quadcopter, and it has four propellers. The propellers are the determinant of the drone's movement. When it is broken, the drone becomes unsteady and starts shaking.
  • When the drone's remote controller loses communication with the drone: The remote controller controls the drone by communicating to it. When the controllers do not communicate with the drone, the drone becomes unsteady on-air and unstable. This can cause the drone to crash.
  • It can also be due to a problem with the drone's software: It is not every time we can fix the problems of a drone; sometimes the problem is from the manufacturers. When a drone's software has a problem, you encounter different issues, making the drone unstable.
  • If your drone flies too close to electronics, it causes an electromagnetic disturbance: Electromagnetic disturbance with the drone is very dangerous and can cause different drone issues. It would help if you did not fly close to power lines or telephone towers.
  • When you are flying your drone in poor weather: Flying your drone in poor weather conditions also affects the drone and prevents it from staying still. It would be best not to fly your drone under heavy rain or when it is snowing.
  • A low battery of the drone: The battery level of the drone affects everything about the drone; when the battery is low, the drone will either go off or start malfunctioning, depending on the programming of the drone.
  • When you fly your drone too far from where you are: When you fly your drone far from you, you increase the drone's distance from the controller. This can cause a disturbance in communication, which affects the drone's flight, making it unstable.
  • When you try to fly your drone higher than it should go: Exceeding your drone's flight's maximum limit can cause a disturbance in the drone. Every drone has the highest limit it can exceed. It would be best if you did not try to go above that as it can affect your drone, and it will not stay still when flying.

Why Should A Drone Stay Still?

When we use or fly a drone, we move the drone from place to place to get a different view of things depending on what you are using the drone for. However, sometimes, we also require a drone to stay still for different reasons.

When you try to capture a particular image or take a video from a particular spot, you need the drone to stay still to capture the image you need. In this scenario, when the drone is not staying still, you tend to have issues, and the aim of flying the drone is not achieved.

A drone should also stay still to prevent accidents or any form of crashing. If you fly above the sea and want to capture a fish jumping out of the sea, you need to keep your drone still. When the drone is not staying still in such a situation, it can crash or fall into the sea, which will cause some serious damage to the drone.

When hovering over a particular place, your drone has to stay still; otherwise, some damages can occur. During filming or recreational activities, we hover our drones for different reasons. So, the drone has to stay still to get the work needed to be done.

To get a good and perfect capture of someone or something when flying a drone, we need the drone to stay still. When the drone is still, it makes the job easier and the image clearer and sharper.

When hovering to get a clear view of something, we need the drone to stay still to achieve what we want to do.

These are some reasons, among many others, why a drone should stay still depending on the situation.

white drone placed on the street

How To Get A Drone To Stay Still

Here are some ways to get a drone to stay still when flying or hovering:

  • Check the drone before flying: It is very important that before you fly a drone for any reason, you do a pre-flight check. This is a precautionary step you must never forget. It helps in the general functioning of your drone during flight. Make sure all damages have been fixed before you try flying your drone. Also, check your drone's battery percentage to ensure it is not too low for flight.
  • Ensure all propellers are working properly: A drone's propeller is an important requirement in a drone. Without the propellers, the drone cannot take flight. The drone's propeller has to be functioning properly to keep the drone still. This is because the propellers are responsible for the direction and stability of the drone.
  • Make sure your compass is calibrated: You should not rely only on the drone's GPS for direction and make sure the compass is properly calibrated. If your drone's compass is not properly calibrated, the drone will not be able to stay still and will start drifting from one place to another. You can calibrate your compass by using the app of drone.
  • Learn how to fly the drone: If you are not properly educated on how to fly a drone, you will never be able to make a drone stay still. You must learn how to fly a drone and know the use of every button on the drone's remote controller. This helps prevent accidents and serious damage to the drone. It would be best if you never tried to pilot a drone when you have not learned how to fly the drone.
  • Avoid flying close to electronics with high voltage: Flying close to high voltage electronics can disrupt the drone's function, causing an electromagnetic disturbance. This affects the flight of the drone and prevents it from staying still when needed. So it would be best if you did not fly close to a powerhouse, electrical companies, and buildings with different antennas.
  • Never fly too far away from your location: Because the remote controller is with you, you have to stay close to your drone to communicate effectively between the controller and the drone. When you fly the drone too far away from your location, there can be disruption between the drone and the controller, which will not make your drone stay still and fly well.
  • Do not fly your drone in harsh weather conditions: Apart from the severe damage caused when you fly your drone in harsh weather conditions, it will prevent your drone from staying still when needed. The weather condition during flight is an important aspect to keep in mind. If you fly your drone when it is raining heavily, the wind can tamper with the drone's movement causing it to drift instead of staying still.

Drones And The Airspace

The airspace is a part of the atmosphere in a territory controlled by the government of a country. The federal agency in charge of controlling the United States of America's airspace is the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

The airspace is separated into two categories, "Controlled Airspace" is the airspace above 400 feet from the ground, and "Uncontrolled Airspace" is the airspace 400 feet from the ground.

The Federal Aviation Administration is in charge of regulating the airspace. They also enforce laws concerning flying over airspace, which over-rules all state and local laws.

The FAA is also in charge of regulating drone flying, either for recreational or commercial purposes. The FAA creates the laws for regulating flight in the airspace of the United States of America.

The FAA only regulates the controlled airspace, and drones are prohibited from entering or flying in controlled airspace. FAA laws do not prohibit drones from flying below 400 feet, but local and state laws can regulate the uncontrolled airspace.

The controlled airspace has five different classifications: Class A, Class B, Class C, Class D, and Class E. These classes have different rules guiding drones' flight.

For you to fly your drone peacefully without encountering any issues with the FAA or law enforcement agencies, you are expected to have a detailed knowledge of what you can do and what you must not do.

You must obey all rules concerning drones flying on the two types of airspace to not get into trouble with the government and keep your drone safe.

drone crashed in landing pilot looks sad from a distance

Rules For Flying A Drone

The FAA has implemented some rules and laws to regulate drones flying for recreational flying and commercial flying. These rules include:

  • It is illegal to fly a drone without adequate lighting at night.
  • It would help if you did not fly your drone above or near emergency activities and critical infrastructures, including transport systems.
  • You must maintain a visual line of sight with the drone.
  • Your drone must be registered with the FAA.
  • It would be best if you did not fly your drone over moving vehicles or people.
  • Unless your drone has been certified by a community-based organization, it must not weigh more than 55 pounds.
  • Once you have registered your drone for recreational purposes, you must not use it for commercial projects.
  • You must not fly near or interfere with manned aircraft.
  • It would help if you did not fly your drone near an airport, stadiums, and sporting events.
  • Do not fly your drone over a group of people.
  • Never pilot a drone under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

These are some of the rules of the FAA regulating the recreational flying of drones. Below are some rules regulating the commercial flying of drones.

  • You have to have An FAA-issued Remote Pilot Certificate before you can fly a drone commercially.
  • The speed of your drone's flight must not be above 100 mph.
  • Your drone must be registered with the FAA.
  • You can only fly your drone in the Class G airspace.
  • Your drone must not take flight from a moving vehicle except you are located in a sparsely populated environment.
  • It would be best if you gave way to manned aircraft.
  • The weight of your drone must not exceed 55 pounds.
  • Your drone must be within the visual line of sight.

Final Thoughts

Getting started as a new drone pilot can be frustrating sometimes, but with time you get familiar with it. Like the saying, Rome was not built in a day, and you are not expected to become an expert drone pilot in a very short time. It takes practice and consistency to attain that level.

Experiencing a slight issue with your drone is not a new thing; you may notice that it is almost impossible to keep your drone still in mid-air; it results from some technicalities you do not know. Understanding the operation of a drone and the dos and don'ts is the first step to accurate piloting of your drone.