Drone safety and privacy: airports, wildlife, people and LiPo battery care

Respect people's privacy

• Do not hover over gardens, windows or private spaces. Fly past, not over.
• Think before you film identifiable people, and before you publish anything showing them. Privacy and data protection laws can apply, depending on where you live.
• Be open about what you are doing. If someone asks, explain, show them the screen and move on if they would rather you did.
• Avoid flying over people at all unless the rules for your drone and category clearly allow it.
• Take off and land away from crowds, where you are not a hazard or a distraction.

Airports and aircraft

• Check the official airspace map or app before every flight.
• Watch and listen for low-flying aircraft, including helicopters, which may be air ambulances or police and can land almost anywhere.
• Land immediately if a crewed aircraft approaches.
• Never fly near emergency scenes such as fires, accidents or rescues. Drones can ground the aircraft helping.

Wildlife

• Keep your distance from birds and animals, and fly higher rather than closer.
• Avoid nesting sites and breeding seasons. Disturbing nesting birds can be illegal in some countries.
• Back off at the first sign of stress: birds circling or calling, animals running or bunching together.
• Birds of prey sometimes attack drones. If one approaches, climb or fly away calmly.
• Check rules for nature reserves and national parks, which often restrict or ban drones.

Flying safely

• Keep the drone in sight and away from power lines, roads and buildings.
• Do not fly tired, distracted or after drinking.
• Have a spotter in busier places to watch the surroundings while you watch the drone.
• Be ready for signal loss by setting a sensible return-to-home height.

LiPo battery safety

• Use the charger designed for the battery.
• Do not charge unattended, overnight, or on a soft surface such as a bed or sofa.
• Let a hot battery cool after flying before you charge it.
• Charge on a non-flammable surface, and consider a fire-resistant battery bag.

• Store at a partial storage charge, not full and not empty. Many smart drone batteries discharge to storage level automatically after some days; check the manual for yours.
• Keep them cool and dry, out of direct sunlight and away from hot cars.
• Do not leave batteries fully drained for long; that can damage them.

• Stop using a battery that is swollen, punctured or dented, or that gets unusually hot.
• Never throw lithium batteries in household rubbish. Take them to a battery recycling point; follow local guidance for damaged ones.
• Check airline rules before flying with batteries, which usually must go in hand luggage with terminals protected.

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