New to drones, looking for advice

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Drone$RCool!

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Hello, hope everybody is having a great day!

I recently took an interest in learning how to fly drones but I'm totally lost on how to get started and what drone to get. I've done a lot of research online (mostly through Amazon) and I'm not sure what to believe (I almost got scammed while trying to order a drone online because I had no idea what I was doing). I decided to sign up for this forum after lots and lots of frustrating research with practically zero useful answers. For now, I will be flying drones for fun and see if it's something I want to do commercially or not.

I went to a hobby store and they told me to look into companies like Emax and Eachine but it turns out that they sell racing drones. I'm looking for a cheap drone that's beginner-friendly (preferably below $200) and has features like auto-return, 360 degree obstacle avoidance, long flight time and a controller with a screen that doesn't require the use of a smartphone.

Is it true that only some DJI drones can be sold in the US? If so, which models are OK to buy and which ones will not be sold in the US for future sale? Do you guys also recommend Holy Stone for beginners? Does HS have good support and easy access to parts?

Please let me know your thoughts and your experience with getting started in drones! I'm curious to hear your stories!
 
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Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA: welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!

Any DJI drone would be a good place to start. You need a drone that has GPS. Look at the DJI Mini series.
All DJI drones to date can be bought and sold in the USA. Only their new drones will be not.

If you plan to do commercial work and get your Part 107 license, I recommend the Pilot Institute and its training course
 
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GFields said:
Greetings from Birmingham Alabama USA: welcome to the forum! We look forward to hearing from you!

Any DJI drone would be a good place to start. You need a drone that has GPS. Look at the DJI Mini series.
All DJI drones to date can be bought and sold in the USA. Only their new drones will be not.

If you plan to do commercial work and get your Part 107 license, I recommend the Pilot Institute and its training course
Click to expand...

OK thanks for the advice! I appreciate it!

Do you have any recommendations for a non-DJI brand if possible? What about Holy Stone? Is that a good brand as well?

Like I said, I'm doing this for fun and seeing where it goes from there! I don't need a super fancy model, just something beginner-friendly to gain experience (I need a better hobby than YouTube). I'll look into the legal DJI models and see what else is out there!

Thanks!
 
Good Morning and Welcome👍
I m just starting also and I have a Holy Stone HS720E
So far I’m happy with it
It’s a Good Beginner Drone I feel
It’s pretty durable and it weights
495 grams so you will have to register it with the FAA. If you don’t want to do that keep the weight under 249 grams and you’re good for Recreational Flying.
Like GFields said:
Pilot Institute is a GREAT Place for ALL the info You need to know
Have Fun and Happy Flying
 
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During all the ruckus about the FCC and banning of foreign drones in the late fall of 2025, I was able to buy the highly rated DJI mini 5 Pro at the end of December., delivered on 7 January from a reputatble vendor. Then easily registered with the FAA. Any of the previously certified imported drones are still legal to purchase and fly in the USA. Only any upcoming newer models that come out after 23 Dec 2025 are restricted, AFAIK.

I spent about six weeks in studying everything I could find fo free on YouTube and from the FAA website to get my Part 107 certification, and I passed the exam with a 95% score. If you plan to publish any images, or if you fly as a favor for someone, or to donate a flight for any organization (whether paid or for charity or not) you really need to get your romote pilot 107 certification to be legal.

I did not purchase any of the online study courses, but I admit that Greg and the Pilot Institute look impressive if you think you need extra help, and for continuing good free information, but it is expensive and I don't believe that with proper dedicated study that you need to spend the money to take any formal study class.
 
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Yeah for now, it'll be flying for fun like I said in my first post. I'm just wanting to try out a new hobby besides YouTube.

So either the DJI mini series or Holy Stone HS720E would be a good start? I don't need a fancy over-the-top drone, I'm OK with something small with the important features to get started. Does anybody have any good advice on where to look for a drone? I surfed Amazon a lot and got no useful answers.
 
Actually, I have one last question.

Can I get some opinions on what drone flying simulators I can get for my laptop? I have looked and looked online and I'm not finding any useful answers l in regards to a first drone. I don't want to waste $180 on a drone that may or may not work and risk crashing it into a tree given that I've never done this before. Plus, the simulators provide a safe space to make mistakes rather than destroying the drone itself.

If anybody knows of any good drone flying simulators I can try, please let me know. I think that would be a better use of time.
 
All simulators, the very expensive too, are not as fly a real drone, but this one is good for learning basics.
What I like of this app is that it uses the phone camera to create a real environment where you can fly in. Controls are not as a real remote, because you don't have the sticks under your fingers, but looks not bad. Try it, it's free.
 
DoubleG said:
All simulators, the very expensive too, are not as fly a real drone, but this one is good for learning basics.
What I like of this app is that it uses the phone camera to create a real environment where you can fly in. Controls are not as a real remote, because you don't have the sticks under your fingers, but looks not bad. Try it, it's free.
Click to expand...

I was looking at other simulators and they recommended getting a special controller to make it easier, this one recommends either a game controller or a USB-HID compatible RC radio. I know this can't completely replicate the real thing but I decided to give the simulator a try instead of blowing $200 on a drone that may or may not work and crash it into a tree due to lack of experience. Simulators like this are meant for you to practice in a virtual environment where you can make all the mistakes you need until you get the hang of it.

I spent a lot of time going through online reviews and Amazon only to get no useful answers which is why I decided to give the simulator a chance.

Thanks for your advice! I will look into it some more!
 
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In my opinion, the best way to learn is to buy a cheap drone. I suggest a Syma x5c (this has been the trainer for almost all pilots), for the cost of around 50$ on Amazon you can fly a real drone, it's very light and flyes perfectly, and forgive almost all newbie errors. Then when your fingers are ready 'u can pass to the next step and look for a good drone, so you are more confident don't crash it at the first flight.
 
DoubleG said:
In my opinion, the best way to learn is to buy a cheap drone. I suggest a Syma x5c (this has been the trainer for almost all pilots), for the cost of around 50$ on Amazon you can fly a real drone, it's very light and flyes perfectly, and forgive almost all newbie errors. Then when your fingers are ready 'u can pass to the next step and look for a good drone, so you are more confident don't crash it at the first flight.
Click to expand...

OK thanks for the tip! I will definitely look into it! I'm still going to give the simulator a chance and see how that works out!

Thanks and have a good one!
 
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Really I had a lot of fun with Syma X5, in fact I had 3 of them. The only issue is that they have brushed motors and you have to be fast in stopping motors in case of crash, otherwise they burn immediately.
 
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