So, you've bought a drone, or are thinking about buying one. That's awesome! Drones are great for exploring new places, expanding your creativity and getting a whole new perspective on the world.
But where do you start?
Taking your precious new drone for its first spin can be a little nerve wracking — that's why we're here to help! From basic drone flying functions to flying and landing tips, the drone experts here at Ted's Cameras have created a useful checklist to help you prepare for your first drone flight and learn the essentials all drone users should know.
Last updated: June 2026
How to Choose the Best Drone for Beginners
Before your first flight, picking the right drone makes all the difference. As a beginner, look for a drone with GPS-assisted hover, obstacle avoidance, and automatic return-to-home — these features reduce the risk of crashes while you're learning. Popular beginner-friendly options include the DJI Mini 4K and the DJI Neo, both of which are lightweight, easy to control, and fall under CASA's 250g recreational flying rules. Consider your budget, how portable you need it to be, and whether you want a built-in camera. Starting with a reliable, forgiving drone means you'll spend more time flying and less time worrying.
A Beginner's Checklist for Your First Drone Flight
Know the drone flying rules and regulations
There are local laws when it comes to drone flying, as well as common sense issues that you should consider. These cover where and when you can fly in order to respect the safety and privacy of others around you.
It's important to learn the drone laws in Australia, as well as drone privacy laws if you're planning to fly a drone with a camera. Drone safety rules vary depending on whether you are flying commercially or for fun (recreationally), and whether there are any local council and/or national park laws prohibiting drone flights in certain areas. Check out the handy government page from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority to see what rules apply to you.
Keep calm & read the manual first
When you have shiny new gear just waiting to be tested, it's easy to jump straight to the action without even glancing at the manual. With your drone, you will need to be a little more careful — so read your manual from front to back before you take to the sky. You really don't want to be stuck wondering what a certain control does while your drone is in the air.
Make your maiden flight in a safe space
For your first drone flight, it's wise not to head straight over a body of water, or go weaving through heavily forested areas. Your drone may have some nifty obstacle avoidance tools but you don't want to be testing the limits while you are still inexperienced.
Have your gear at the ready
Make sure your batteries are fully charged and drone propellers are correctly installed. This is an important step to avoiding unnecessary damage. Getting your hands on a Boost Kit is a smart way to ensure you can keep flying with extra batteries and propeller guards.
Go slow & steady
Slow speeds generally lead to better footage anyway, but when you are starting out you should avoid testing out your drone's top flight speed.
Take a test run on a flight simulator
Certain drone apps have drone flight simulators that you can use to get a feel for the controls. This handy step ensures that the whole drone flying thing isn't completely unknown to you when heading out in the field.
Basic Functions, Flight Modes and Flying Tips
Okay, you're nearly ready to go! Here are a few key flying functions and tips to get your drone up, up, and away.
Basic drone flying functions:
- Throttle — This control gives power to your propellers. You need to have the throttle engaged to get your drone off the ground.
- Yaw — Rotates your drone clockwise and counterclockwise.
- Pitch — Moves your drone forwards or backwards.
- Roll — Moves your drone left and right.
Basic Drone Controls at a Glance
Use this quick-reference table to familiarise yourself with what each control does before your first flight — no duplicate reading required, just a handy summary to check against your controller.
| Control | What It Does | Beginner Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Throttle | Powers propellers — controls altitude | Push up slowly; avoid sudden inputs |
| Yaw | Rotates the drone left or right on its axis | Use gently to reorient without drifting |
| Pitch | Tilts the drone to move forwards or backwards | Small inputs go a long way at low speed |
| Roll | Tilts the drone to move left or right | Combine with yaw for smooth arcs |
Drone Flying Tips
Practice takeoffs and landings
This will be the most crucial part of your drone flying experience, and should be the first on your list of things to master. To start your takeoff, gently engage the throttle and compensate for any leanings your drone has by adjusting the pitch and roll.
Landing your drone is done by gently pulling the throttle down in a controlled manner. Once the drone is on the ground, pull the throttle all the way down until your drone rotors are no longer active.
Learn to hover
Learning to hover is actually quite tricky and it can take some time to get the hang of. Nevertheless, this should be attended to early on in your flight training, and when mastered, this means you have good control of your drone. The throttle will need to be engaged to get your drone in the air, you will then make minute adjustments to your drone's pitch and roll to keep it in a stable hovering position.
Moving your drone forward and back
Now that you have some experience getting your drone up in the air, you can attempt to cover some more space. Start by making small flights of a few meters in one direction and then take it back to its starting position. As you do this, you may notice your drone leaning too much in a certain direction or losing altitude — this should be attended to by adjusting the yaw or increasing the power to your drone's rotor via the throttle.
Attempt simple flight patterns
Once you're confident with the controls of your drone and can move it around in the air, you can attempt to branch out a little and fly your drone in a simple pattern, such as a small square. After you have completed a square you can attempt to fly your drone in a circle. Done it? You've now acquired the skill of adjusting multiple flight controls simultaneously — nice one!
Utilise pre-programmed flight patterns
Your drone probably has plenty of these built-in and they can really help you to achieve beautiful cinematic drone videos. We suggest you learn how to fully control your drone first, but once this is done, utilise the powerful technology that manufacturers have made available to you!
Beginner Drone Pilot Training: A Simple Progression Plan
If you want to build real confidence quickly, treat your early flights as structured training sessions rather than free exploration. Here's a simple progression to follow across your first few outings:
| Session | Focus Skill | Goal |
|---|---|---|
| Session 1 | Takeoff, hover & land | Hold a stable hover for 30 seconds |
| Session 2 | Forward, back, left, right | Complete a straight 10m flight and return |
| Session 3 | Square and circle patterns | Fly a clean square without losing altitude |
| Session 4 | Yaw rotation while moving | Orbit a fixed point at low altitude |
| Session 5+ | Pre-programmed flight modes | Capture your first usable aerial footage |
Keeping sessions short — around 15 to 20 minutes — helps you stay focused and reduces fatigue-related mistakes. In Australia, you can also pursue a formal Remote Pilot Licence (RePL) through a CASA-approved training provider if you plan to fly commercially.
How to Fly a Drone: Step-by-Step for Beginners
Ready to take off? Follow these basic steps for your first drone flight:
- Find an open space — Choose a wide, flat area away from trees, people, and power lines.
- Calibrate your drone — Follow your drone's manual to calibrate the compass and IMU before flying.
- Perform a pre-flight check — Confirm the battery is fully charged, propellers are secure, and the camera lens is clean.
- Take off slowly — Throttle up gently and hover at about 1–2 metres to get a feel for the controls.
- Practice basic movements — Master forward, backward, left, and right movements before attempting turns or ascents.
- Land carefully — Reduce throttle gradually and aim for a smooth, controlled landing on flat ground.
Practising these fundamentals in a safe space builds confidence quickly.
Where Can You Fly a Drone in Australia?
Knowing where you can legally fly is just as important as knowing how to fly. In Australia, CASA sets the national rules, but local councils and national parks can impose additional restrictions. As a general rule, recreational drone pilots must:
- Fly only during daylight hours
- Keep the drone within visual line of sight at all times
- Stay at least 30 metres away from people not involved in the flight
- Avoid flying over or near emergency operations, populated areas, or controlled airspace without approval
- Not fly within 5.5 km of a controlled aerodrome
Always check the CASA Can I Fly There? app before heading out — it shows real-time airspace restrictions for your location. Many beaches, parks, and open reserves are suitable, but always verify first.
Best Time to Fly a Drone in Australia
Choosing the right time to fly makes a real difference to both safety and image quality. In Australia, the best conditions are typically:
- Golden hour (just after sunrise or before sunset) — Soft, warm light is ideal for aerial photography and videography, and winds are usually calmer during these windows.
- Mid-morning on clear days — Once any overnight moisture has cleared but before afternoon thermals build up, conditions are generally stable.
- Avoid midday in summer — Strong thermals and harsh overhead light make flying trickier and footage flat, particularly in Queensland, NSW, and WA where summer heat is intense.
- Check wind speeds — Most beginner drones handle winds up to around 30–40 km/h, but learning in lighter winds (under 20 km/h) is strongly recommended.
Always check the Bureau of Meteorology forecast and the CASA Can I Fly There? app before heading out, regardless of the time of day.
Time to Enjoy New Heights of Fun
And that's it! If you've checked everything off this list, you should feel confident in your ability to fly a drone — so get out there and enjoy the fun!
Don't own a drone yet? No worries! If you need help choosing your first drone, get in touch with the expert team at Ted's Cameras today for more handy tips.