Long Range Drones: Ultimate Guide

A long-range drone is essential to capture the beauty of this world from above across vast distances. So many factors can influence a drone’s long-range capabilities.

This ultimate guide to flying long-range drones answers all your related questions, so let’s get started!

What to look for in a long-range drone

When buying a long-range drone, you must consider a few critical characteristics to fly without issues.

- Transmission system: This is the most crucial component of a drone that will transmit the video back to the pilot and may receive radio input from the remote controller.

The maximum transmission range depends on the manufacturer and the quality of the unit.

- Battery life: This is another essential factor in deciding how far you can fly the drone. It doesn’t matter if your transmission system is excellent; you cannot fly far if your drone’s battery life is poor.

Remember that you must also return the drone with energy to spare when flying long-range.

- The drone’s size and weight: These factors indirectly affect how far a drone can fly. Although they’re designed for optimal flights considering their weight, windy conditions can affect drones during long-range flights.

Typically, heavier drones with smaller sizes tend to do better in higher winds.

- Motor power: Unless it’s an FPV drone, we don’t know much about the thrust of the motors, their power, and their characteristics.

That’s why we must look at the maximum flight speed of the drone (the faster the drone, the more robust the motors with higher thrust).

- The drone’s aerodynamics: This is a crucial characteristic that directly impacts the ability of a drone to fly long-range.

I will make two comparisons: DJI Avata and the DJI FPV drone. 

Avata has duct guards and an adequate transmission system for long-range flights; it’s difficult to fly it far, particularly in windier conditions.

The DJI FPV drone has unique aerodynamics; its body is small in form factor and heavy, so it’s an excellent long-range drone to fly across mountains and in high wind speeds.

- Firmware limitations: In Europe, China, and Japan, the transmission power is limited by drone manufacturers due to current regulations, whereas in the US, there are fewer restrictions.

Moreover, geolocation restrictions and altitude height limits are other aspects we must consider.

That is why custom FPV drones may not have any restrictions regarding VTX power output, altitude limit, and geofencing. Still, you must fly at your own risk outside recommended parameters.

» MORE: 21 Best Long-Range Drones

What features should a long-range drone have?

Here are some essential features that contribute to long-range flights.

- GPS Return-to-Home feature (failsafe): When flying long-range drones, you’re likelier to lose signal. You must know how to proceed if the video or radio link is interrupted.

One crucial factor is for the drone to initiate an auto return-to-home based on GPS positioning. This way, you won’t lose your drone.

- Real-time flight data: We have to continuously monitor the strength of the video or radio signal to the drone and the number of satellites locked onto the drone’s position.

Most drones already come with these features, but some custom FPV drones may lack them.

We need to be aware of and monitor all the drone data, including the battery life and remaining flight time, if this is displayed.

- Live display: When flying a drone long-range, we have a live transmission to our mobile phone or tablet for standard GPS drones or into the goggles for FPV drones.

We must be able to observe any detail on the screen when flying the drone, and for this to be well-lit.

I always prefer to fly long-range with my iPad connected to the drone instead of a mobile phone and with the goggles on with my FPV drones.

- Auto RTH on low battery: We constantly get distracted by the beauty of nature and landscapes we see through the drone’s eyes, and in many scenarios, when flying long-range, this can cost us the drone.

When low on power and with advanced calculations, the drone should either warn us or perform an automatic return based on the battery level.

- Last drone location: In worst-case scenarios where we lose telemetry to the drone or the drone cannot get back safely due to the battery level and decides it’s time to land, we must proceed with rescuing the drone.

That’s why it’s crucial to have a system where you can always see the latest drone position before going blind. 

How far am I allowed to fly a drone legally?

You can only legally fly a drone within your visible line of sight in many countries and territories.

What does that mean?

If you look at the sky and see your drone, that’s all good. But if the drone is not visible anymore, continuing to fly goes against some drone laws and regulations.

There could be circumstances where you can fly beyond VLOS, but that’s rare.

The larger and brighter the drone (e.g., a bright orange as in Autel drones), the more visible it is in the sky. 

If you fly an FPV drone with goggles on, you must have another person called a spotter. In this scenario, the spotter is responsible for monitoring the drone position and communicating with you, ensuring it remains visible.

If you want to fly beyond the visible line of sight as a commercial drone pilot in the US, you must apply for a Part 107 waiver. 

» MORE: Do I Have to Keep My Drone in Sight at All Times?

Do range extenders actually work?

There are many types of drone extenders, from reflectors that focus the signal into one arc direction rather than in a 360-degree angle to additional or replaceable antennas on some remote controllers.

Generally, range extenders work, but they won’t make a massive difference in extending the signal.

As a rule of thumb, drone range extenders may extend between 20 and 50 percent of the transmission range of the drone.

Beware that some extenders may work the opposite, especially the cheap ones. They can even reduce the range of the drone.

Range extenders, as mentioned, can be for the remote controller, but also they can be for goggles in the case of FPV drones.

The range extenders may work better in these scenarios than the FPV goggles’ stock antennas. 

Will the drone return to home on a low battery?

When the drone is getting low on battery, nearly all drones with a GPS module should either perform an automatic return-to-home function or warn you that it is time to return the drone. 

Almost all DJI drones have this function.

However, you should never fly your drone to the point that this function has to be forcefully activated to save it because there could be circumstances where it may not be able to get back to you (e.g., high wind speeds).

Never cancel an automatic return-to-home based on low battery triggers.

Will the drone return to home if the battery discharges?

If your drone initiated an auto return to home function when it got on low battery and, for instance, while the drone was flying back home toward the wind, there’s a high chance your drone won’t make it.

The battery will discharge up to five or 10 percent, and the drone will decide to autoland regardless of position. 

If the drone cannot return home due to discharged battery and your drone is above water, then with sadness, you may have lost your drone.

But if it’s above land, you should be able to find its latest position from your RC maps and safely recover it.

However, there is no safety barrier to the battery level of custom FPV drones.

It will drain the battery (except for Avata and DJI FPV) until it falls out of the sky, even if it has a GPS module where it will return to you (or you manually bring it back).

In this situation, the battery cells will be damaged from the extreme current drain.

Can drones return to home if they lose signal?

Following the same function as standard GPS drones with a return to home on low battery, the same thing happens if you lose signal to the drone.

This will apply to a lost radio connection with the remote controller or the live image feed, but your video feed will most likely go out first, far ahead of the RC radio link. 

In this situation, your drone should ascend to the altitude you have set on your return to home function and start flying toward you.

If you receive your video link back, you can interrupt the process or let it come back home by itself. 

However, if your drone does not have enough satellites locked, it may not be able to return home.

Does the remote controller matter for long-range drones?

In this scenario, we will discuss two types of drones: standard GPS and FPV.

Standard GPS drones will send a video feed to the remote controller that is decoded via the app on the connected screen device.

The remote controller will send a radio transmission back to the drone, received by the same module. The remote controller would extend the video link and radio signal range in this scenario. 

For instance, let’s consider the DJI Mavic 3 Pro, a fantastic long-range drone, and the DJI RC-N1, the standard remote controller.

This will have an inferior transmission range, both video and pilot input on the remote controller, compared to the DJI RC Pro, the professional version with a screen.

FPV drones, except for the DJI FPV and Avata, will use the same technique, where the VTX module will transmit video to the goggles and receive radio input from the pilot. Most FPV drones will have separate links.

The video module will be responsible only for sending low-latency live feedback to the goggles.

In contrast, a separate radio module will be installed on the drone to receive radio input from the pilot.

In this scenario, it all depends on the quality of the remote controller and radio receiver and the protocol used to have long-range radio transmission.

What can fail first in long-range drones? Video or radio signal?

With standard GPS drones, it will always be the video signal to go out first if you get your drone out of range. If the drone is behind enormous obstacles, there’s a chance for both to go out simultaneously.

I always had problems with lagging video transmission on long-range flights, whereas the radio transmission always remained strong.

As for FPV drones, the same applies in the above scenario.

If you have an excellent digital VTX that is made for long-range but a poor D8 radio receiver module on the drone (plus a cheap radio), then chances are you will see your drone falling from the sky with no radio response when flying long-range.

It is imperative to ensure the video module, radio receiver, and transmitter are top quality and work on protocols supporting long-range transmissions.

Can drones return to home if the remote controller battery depletes?

When you take off to fly long-range, the drone will attempt to lock in satellites for multiple functions, including return to home. The drone also updates the home point to the takeoff location.

This means the drone will not depend on the remote controller to return to you because it will not return to the controller but to the takeoff location, aka the home point.

That means if your drone is far away and your remote controller battery dies, the drone (depending on the model) should initiate an auto return to home, like when it goes out of range.

The quality and safety of this return to home will depend on the drone, how many satellites it has locked, the return altitude, and other intelligent functions.

However, this may not be guaranteed if the set RTH altitude is below the highest point between the drone and you unless your drone has advanced return-to-home features, as seen in the DJI Mavic 3 series.

Does cold weather impact long-range drones?

While most drones do just fine when flying at the freezing point (0 degrees Celsius/32 degrees Fahrenheit), most will struggle to fly within normal parameters below the freezing point.

Almost all drones are affected by cold weather, particularly the lithium batteries.

A LiPo battery (which most drones use) will drain much quicker in cold weather, resulting in short flight times. In some circumstances, the flight time can be reduced by more than 50 percent.

However, it all depends on the drone, the battery capacity, its quality, intelligent features, and if you warm it up before the flight, etc. 

So if you are on a trip into the Alps and intend to fly your drone long-range, just consider this factor.

What are the uses of long-range drones?

There are endless scenarios in which you can use a long-range drone.

I will give you a personal example. I tend to fly in the mountains with my long-range FPV and non-FPV drones to dive ridges and film astonishing landscapes.

There are endless locations on this planet where only a pilot with fantastic long-range drones can get the best shots of the area.

More and more drones are being used for enterprise scenarios, such as search and rescue, where these drones must reach incredible distances and stay in the air for as long as possible.

This is another exceptional application of long-range drones.

How to prevent a drone from flying out of range

The only thing you need to do is to ensure that your video and RC transmission display remain strong. 

If the signal decreases, even to the halfway point, it’s time to consider returning the drone so you will not fly out of range.

In most scenarios, the video and radio links, even when halved, should let you fly even farther.

Still, you will never know what kind of interference you may encounter along the way that can instantly cut the weakened signals. 

Can I transport objects over long distances using a drone?

You can transport objects with a drone, but not over long distances.

Many drones have thrust on the motors that will support additional weight, from accessories to attached objects.

However, adding such weight to the drone will drastically decrease the flight time.

The motors will throttle more and the battery will produce more heat and be discharged at an incredible rate.

That makes transporting objects with a drone over long distances nearly impossible. 

Are long-range drones more expensive than standard drones?

I have seen more expensive drones that do poorly compared to cheaper drones in terms of long-range flights and transmission power.

Although it is more common to see expensive drones excel at flying long-range than cheaper ones, it’s always important to find a balance and focus on drones that will offer these elements.

I’d recommend a drone that’s great at one thing (in this case, flying long-range) than one that’s good at many things.

Of course, there are budget drones capable of long-range flights. For instance, the DJI Mini 2 SE has an older air unit but can still fly long-range without issues.

Can you modify a drone to make it long-range?

You can modify custom FPV drones, changing parts from the video transmission module to the radio receiver.

However, in general, it’s more complicated to make a drone fly longer distances by just switching some parts.

The ground station, a.k.a. you, the pilot, plays a very important role in operating long-range drones.

For instance, a reasonable engineer can craft and place a specific and unique antenna on a van for both transmitting data and receiving a live feed that may have a massive impact on how far a drone can fly.

Are suitable propellers essential to fly your drone long-range?

Some propellers are made to create more thrust and ultimately increase the drone’s speed while maintaining a good battery balance.

Other propellers could do the opposite. 

This is the risk of buying custom propellers. Still, some manufacturers (depending on your drone) may create propellers that can extend the flight time and speed of a drone, ultimately contributing to how far it can fly.

If you’re unsure whether you should invest in long-range propellers, I’d say it’s better to fly your drone with the standard props. 

Does the takeoff altitude matter when flying your drone long-range?

When you attempt to take off and fly long-range at higher altitudes, remember that the atmospheric pressure is decreased (depending on your altitude above sea level), which will directly impact the performance of the drone.

Your drone will attempt to use more thrust to offer you the same flight performance as on sea level. This will ultimately drain the juice quicker from the drone battery and impact your flight distance.

Some drones will struggle to take off at 3,000 meters of altitude above sea level, while others do just fine at 6,000 meters.
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