Which drone should I start with?

[SuperSix1]

If you decide to get into drones, it is no different to deciding to get into flying manned helicopters or fixed wing aircraft. No surprise, the manned aircraft world starts in smaller craft and build pilots up to bigger craft. This is an important process to follow. I have seen some epic fails when people throw a big drone in the air like a DJI S900, without making their mistakes on smaller ones first.

My intro drone of choice is the Blade 200QX. You can buy this online or from most hobby shops for just a couple of hundred dollars. It has basic stability, but no GPS, so you actually have to fly it. You need a Spektrum Radio Controller, which does add to the cost, but this is a controller you can link to many future aircraft. Make sure it is Mode 2 (throttle on the left).

Once your thumbs are moving in all the right ways, invest another $80 dollars or so in the little 720P HD Camera you can get for it. You'll actually be amazed at what you can achieve with this low-cost, low-risk, simple setup. When you are flying competently, doing good work (good enough for a FB post) and getting bored with it, you are ready for a $1000 plus drone, like a DJI Phantom. And, make sure you are awesome with the Phantom before you step up to an Inspire 1, and make sure you are awesome with that before you roll out the S900... etc etc..

As a side-note, many start off on the Phantom or similar, and kid themselves they can fly. Where they find out it was really the Phantom that could fly is when something happens that demands rapid, accurate control inputs from the pilot, and they just don't have those skills... sux when you smash up your expensive drone, even more if it hits a person...

[Zebt]

I wouldn't start with a quad that requires an expensive controller, 80 bucks for any quad with the crappy controller and throw it around the garden / house for as long as you can, do tricks, stunts, have competitions to see who can land it on the beer can etc. Your skills will improve very quickly. Get to the stage when you can fly it between the legs of a chair at speed and you know you're good. If you still want to progress then invest in a fully equipped controller, I love the Futaba but the Spektrum are great too.
I moved on to a F550, never crashed it, now fly it FPV through the forest, enormous fun! Don't do that with the big hexa though, too much cash put into that one

[Blade]

Any Hubsan from Bang good, Goodluckbuy, dx or gearbest. They are under $100 delivered to the door and have a good supply line of parts. (Make sure to add a couple of packs of props). Hubsan controllers are well built and are based on more expensive systems. When your an ace with that look at an XK 380 to learn to operate a camera from. They are under $500 and have Futaba standard code and a 1080p camera with gimble..And lastly, get some good instruction..there is a difference between flying and operating as Dronecommander as pointed out.

[Kwyjibo]

https://www.aldi.com.au/en/special-buys ... hd-camera/

60 day 'satisfaction' guarantee.... whatever that means!!!
but for 100 bucks, you cant go wrong if youre wanting to learn how to fly these things propper hands on mode 2...


and now that I think of how many props ive been through on the jaycar equivilant, this may not be such a good idea....