Are you finding the best long range drones in 2022? Do you want to know which drone can cover the longest flying distance?
Long-distance drones are renowned for their long-lasting battery power and their ability to fly into the distant horizon well beyond the drone pilot’s field of view.
The maximum flying range is a critical need for many drone flyers. Some need the long-range FPV drones to do specific tasks for their jobs, and some need long-distance drones because, well, that’s just great!
Drone with long ranges allows you to explore the far unknown places no one has ever been before. Thanks to the long-range FPV quadcopter drones.
After our years of flying experience, team DronesHeaven has created the list of longest range drones with a camera.
Here is a list of the 10 best long-distance drones in 2022.
- Mavic 2 Zoom by DJI – 18 Kilometer (11 miles)
- DJI Mavic 2 Pro – 18 Kilometer (11 miles)
- Air 2S by DJI – 12 Kilometer (7.5 miles)
- DJI Mavic Air 2 – 10 Kilometers (6.2 miles)
- DJI Mini 2 – 10 Kilometers (6.2 miles)
- DJI Inspire 2 – 7 kilometers (4.35 miles)
- Mavic Pro by DJI – 7 kilometers (4.35 miles)
- Phantom 4 Pro by DJI – 5 kilometers (3.10 miles)
- DJI Spark – 2 kilometers (1.2 miles)
- Parrot Bebop 2 – 2 kilometers (1.2 miles)
1: DJI Inspire 2 – The Best Long Range Professional Drone
DJI Inspire 2 is the most powerful quadcopter ever. For around $ 3,299, the Inspire 2 is a relatively expensive professional drone. But, this drone is an excellent choice for those with a large budget to spare the purchase of a drone. It is one of the leading cinema drones with the longest distance available on the market.
Due to its price, the Inspire 2 is still mostly bought by professional photographers because it is currently the best aerial photography drone. The body of the drone is made up of an alloy of magnesium and aluminum. It comes with a controller which easy-to-use.
The inspire 2 can fly up to 7 kilometers away, approximately 5,000 meters above the sea level. DJI Inspire 2 is undoubtedly one of the best long flying drones around the world.
Besides, the breathtaking super long-range flying capabilities, it can fly for almost half an hour. It is a professional drone that can reach a top speed of 108 km/h (67 miles) and go from 0 to 80 km/h (50 miles) in just 4 seconds.
Camera
The stabilization of this beast is merely supernatural. The drone is capable of providing stunning footage, no matter the weather conditions. With an integrated HD video transmission system and a 4K camera capable of rotating 360 degrees, the DJI Inspire 2 will be one of the most powerful cinema tools in your backpack.
One of the significant advantages of this Inspire 2 is its compatibility with the new Zenmuse X4S and X5S cameras. The DJI Zenmuse X4S is composed of a 20 MP 1 inch sensor. New DJI X5S Zenmuse has a Micro 4/3 sensor with 20.8 MP. The X5S Zenmuse camera is compatible with 10 lenses, including wide-angle to zoom.
Features
The obstacle avoidance sensor redundancy will come in handy. It also has stereo optical sensors on the front and infrared sensors on the top of the drone, which help protect it when flying in restricted space.
Furthermore, there are automated flight modes like Spotlight Pro mode, which targets and follow the subject while the drone flies freely. The drone will automatically spin around, keeping the target in the frame. Thanks to TapFly mode, that directs the drone to any point while avoiding obstacles in its path.
Active Track identifies common objects, such as people, cars, and animals. It directs the Inspire 2 drone to track and film the subject from the side while flying forward and taking advantage of obstacle detection to keep the drone safe.
Sport mode is perfect for vehicle tracking but requires a lot of flying experience to master it. Because going from 0 to 80km/h is done in just 4 seconds, it is super exciting. It is truly the ultimate machine.
Standard flying mode provides additional safety as it prevents the Inspire 2 from approaching within 3 meters of obstacles, which means that all dynamic flights will have to be in the Sport mode.
Another high strength of this long-range quadcopter drone is that the DJI Inspire 2 is compatible with the 4G network, which means that the drone can transmit video streams in real-time.
If the drone can send data streams, it will be able to receive data and be piloted in 4G with a response time of 500 milliseconds. Consequently, it is possible to control DJI Inspire 2 from your PC on the other side of the planet via the Internet and a 4G relay.
2: DJI Mavic Pro – Best Long Range Drone Under $1000
The DJI Mavic Pro drone is a rather compact but powerful drone that turns the sky into a playground quickly and turns your every flight into a memorable moment. It can fold down and easily fits into your pocket, which means this sturdy mini compact quadcopter drone can go with you almost anywhere you can imagine.
With its 27 minute flight time, the DJI Mavic Pro also has a 7,000 meters (4.35 miles) transmission range that allows you to take full advantage of the active runway and Tap Fly features. It has a top speed of 64 kilometers (40 miles) per hour. This long-range drone sets itself apart from its main competitors by its more affordable price.
Mavic Pro is ideal for travelers and vlogger who need to carry the Mavic in their backpack and are limited in place. The onboard features will allow you to shoot professional-looking pictures without much experience or effort. You can buy this DJI drone for 1000 dollars.
Camera
The mini size of Mavic hides various cool features that make it one of the most sophisticated DJI drones. The DJI Mavic Pro has an excellent camera that shoots high-quality images and videos using the 3-axis gimbal.
The Mavic is the only drone of its size to feature a built-in, high-precision 3-axis automated camera stabilization system. It gives you clear photos and smooth videos without losing a single pixel.
Features
The DJI Mavic Pro has skillful, reliable, and intuitive flight modes that let you take photos and videos just the way you want. The fantastic follow me mode allows the drone to follow and shots you automatically.
Avoid sport mode if you are not in a well-opened environment. Otherwise, you may regret it, the drone will become much more nervous, and some safety devices are disabled.
The remote control is easy to use, efficient, comfortable, robust. It is ideal for use with a smartphone-type phone via the DJI GO application. The LCD screen is a big plus over the DJI Phantom.
Battery
DJI also offers Fly More Bundle that comes with 3 batteries. As each battery offering 27 minutes of flying, so you can fly this drone for around 1.5 hours.
3: DJI Phantom 4 Pro – Best Long Range FPV Quadcopter Drone
The Phantom 4 is another long-range camera drone from DJI loaded with top-notch GPS technology and features. The DJI Phantom 4 is one of the smoothest and easiest-to-control drones on the market.
The DJI Phantom 4 has a control range of around 5,000 meters (3.1 miles). The price is around 1400-1800 dollars depends on variations. Check Variations
In addition, the range of the Phantom 4 Pro V2.0 announced by DJI is 8 kilometers (5 miles), but it seems that the drone can not really reach this range.
For the rest, the potential of the drone is comparable to what does best high-end drones. The top speed is about 72 km/h (45 miles), resistance to winds of more than 50 km/h (31 miles).
Camera
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro features a 20 MP 4K camera stabilized by a 3-axis gimbal, allowing you to take photos and videos even at high speeds.
It records 4K Ultra HD 60 fps videos and is capable of capturing a wide field of view. Therefore it produces truly sharp and impressive images. It manages to take smooth and clear pictures during the flight of the drone through the air.
Features
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro is easy to fly and a concentrate of state-of-the-art technology. Thanks to DJI signature technologies like Return-To-Home, Gesture & Tapfly Mode. In addition to these features, the drone offers a choice between several additional flight modes, including air Selfie, Tripod, and Gesture modes. The latter uses a gesture recognition system. Taking photos has never been easier.
Furthermore, this long-range UAV can fly up to 5 kilometers away from its controller. Thanks to Lightbridge, the DJI’s transmission system, which is significantly more reliable than the Wi-Fi used by other drones of the same brand.
The DJI Phantom 4 Pro remote control has a mobile holder so you can attach your smartphone or tablet directly to the remote control.
Battery
You will be sure that you will have plenty of filming and photography time during the flight. In terms of flight time, the Phantom 4 Pro is equipped with a 5870 mAh Lipo battery, ensuring a flight time of 30 minutes announced by DJI. However, the actual flying time of the drone does not exceed 27 minutes, which is correct.
4: DJI Spark – Affordable Long Range Drone
The Spark is a mini drone equipped with all the advanced features offered by DJI. In terms of looks, the Spark looks like the DJI Mavic Pro in a miniature version and with fixed arms.
Thanks to excellent flight modes and a camera with unbelievable image quality, Spark lets you push your creative limits. The DJI Spark is also a long-distance explorer. It can fly up to 2 km (1.2 miles) away, depending on possible interference.
The control of this drone is super easy. Capture amazing aerial selfies using just hand gestures without remote control or smartphone.
Features
The DJI Spark takes off from your hand (Quick launch feature) by recognizing your face (Face Aware mode). It takes off and goes into position a few seconds after power-up.
Spark also offers excellent smart features, including obstacle detection, GPS, and gesture control. It can recognize gestures of the hands and treat them as commands.
The DJI GO 4 app offers easy to edit and share options. It has auto edit templates and a variety of filters. You can edit your videos and share them directly on social networks in no time.
5: Parrot Bebop 2 – Cheap Long Distance Flying Drone
The Parrot Bebop 2 drone is compact enough to fit in your backpack. This low-cost recreational drone is a competitor of high-end drones by DJI. It plays the seduction card with an attractive technical performance at an affordable price, which should delight beginners.
It is robust and the ideal quadcopter for travelers looking to take the best and most exciting travel videos and photos. The Parrot Bebop 2 drone flies with excellent flight stability. It is the perfect drone for flying indoors and outdoors, while piloted by a Bluetooth controller.
The flight time is 25 minutes, and a range of 2000 meters (1.2 miles). The maximum flying speed of this cheap long-distance drone is 65 km/h. It has 8 GB of built-in memory, 180° wide-angle lens, Full HD 14 MP camera.
It is the best drone you can buy for under $300 and is the perfect quadcopter for those looking for a traveling drone that can produce high-quality images and videos. The drone allows us to share videos and photos easily. The drone uses a software system that stabilizes the image digitally.
Although the Fish Eye camera, despite its software stabilization, tends to create distortion, leading to a loss of details in both photos and videos.
Tips to Extend Battery Life Of Drone
Anyone who loves flying drones, and enjoys experiencing a bird’s eye view, will say that the only problem they seem to face is having to recharge after only a short amount of time.
Drone flyers have had the same problem for years because most mid-range drones have a low battery capacity. It makes sense as it is a significant complaint about those looking to get drones with the best range.
A medium-sized drone usually lasts around 6 to 8 minutes before it needs to be recharged. Professional grade some of the best aerial photography drones last around 20-25 minutes, which can still be too short for people who want to record everything at once.
Indeed you can carry some extra batteries when you go flying your quadcopter drone. As it can be a bit annoying and, besides, weigh down your productivity if you have to stop what you are doing to change the battery. That’s why drone enthusiasts love long-lasting batteries.
As time goes by, battery life decreases, but there are ways to extend the life of the drone’s battery so that you can get the most out of it for longer.
Factors Affecting Drone Battery Life
Knowing the factors that can affect the battery life of drones can help you reduce stress and make them last longer. The elements we include here are:
- Weight – any extra weight can reduce battery life
- Wind – flying against the wind can drain the battery more quickly as the drone has to work harder to stay in the air. It’s best to fly when the wind is calm so that the battery lasts longer.
- Flying style – the more tricks and maneuvers you perform in the air, the more battery you consume, as well as the faster you fly.
- Recording – this is what consumes the most battery
Choose a battery with high mAh
The batteries that generally come with drones are mid-range, which means you won’t get the best flight time with them. By buying batteries with a higher mAh, you will be able to spend more time in the air.
Always check before buying that the battery you choose is compatible with your drone, checking the specifications. It would be best if you did not select a battery that is too large or heavy because the extra power it will provide could be harmful due to its weight.
Learn when to charge the battery of your drone
The best time to charge the battery is shortly before using the drone. Otherwise, the life of it could be shortened. Every day that a charged battery is not used, a percentage of it is lost, which means that you will not start with a full battery when you fly.
The best practice is to charge the battery a few hours before heading out to fly the drone. In this way, the battery can retain more power and help your drone stay in the air for longer.
Don’t overcharge the battery.
Batteries used in modern drones can be volatile if you do not care properly. Overcharging the battery could cause an explosion or fire. Besides being dangerous, it also damages the battery life.
Don’t let them charge overnight or when you won’t be there, as this could be dangerous. Charging for the recommended time or until the indicators show that the battery has full power will help you retain your battery life for much longer.
Don’t exhaust it completely.
In the past, it was common to charge batteries and drain them completely before recharging fully. With the lithium-ion batteries commonly used in modern drones, you could shorten the life of the batteries. Depending on the battery, 300 to 500 charges will be obtained before the battery needs to be replaced.
With every charge comes a fading effect and, of course, reduced battery life. The best practice is to fill the battery between 40% and 80%. Keep in mind that the environment can also be affected, so try to charge it in a cool place to avoid drain heat.
Let it cool down
When the drone is close to having its battery depleted, it is tempting to land and charge it immediately. However, this could be detrimental to battery life.
Flying the drone causes the battery to heat up as does charging. Heat is known to shorten the life of a battery, so it is not advisable to charge it immediately.
The best practice is to unplug it and let it cool down before charging and do the same before returning it to the drone to fly. Wait a minimum of 5 minutes, and do not connect it to the charger or drone until it no longer feels hot to the touch.
Remove the camera
Some drone cameras can be removed, which is a boon for people who want to save battery life and fly drones without a camera. If you are not using the drone for recording, it is good practice to remove the camera.
The reason for this is that the extra weight can make the drones’ battery drain more quickly. The camera is also connected directly to the battery, so carrying it does not extend battery life either.
Fly in optimal conditions
Before deciding when to go out and flying the drone, you must first check the weather conditions. If, for example, you go flying on a windy day, it could be dangerous for the people and animals around you, but it could also damage the drone.
Instead, it is better to wait until the wind dies because when flying in strong winds, the battery could suffer, since the motors need more thrust to float because it requires additional power.
Flying the drone indoors is the best way to keep your drone out of the wind, but if you operate it outside, try to do it on a temperate day. Keep the flight mode as simple as possible, because selecting those advance modes to increase the tracker’s sensitivity.
Buy extra batteries
While this tip is not going to help you extend your current battery life, it can help you stay in the air longer and fly further.
It’s a great way to get back on the air quickly with drones where the batteries are easy to change. This tip is not useful in the case of drones that do not have removable batteries or are difficult to remove.
Verdict
A long-range UAV means simply more fun time taking perfect aerial selfies and shooting amazing videos. Besides, you can also explore the beauty of nature for more time by enjoying live fpv video feed. In conclusion, the more batteries, the more entertainment time.
