This article originally appeared on our partner website DroneRush.com
Excited to pilot your new drone? Of course you can, but first, you need to make sure you have all the tools you need to fly safely. This includes the latest software, not only for drone applications to control your drone, but also other tools for enhancing your flying experience.
Today is about the additional apps you can install to get more flying experience, these are some of the best drone apps.
Best drone application:
First, some theories. What do you hope to accomplish before or during the flight? Maybe you are trying to make it legal and make sure you can fly in a specific location, there is an app that can do that. Maybe you are looking for a logging service to help track your flight, there are also related tools, or you just want a weather report. Your needs will also vary depending on your drone-for example, camera drones and racing drones have different needs.
Go ahead and check the list to see what features non-manufacturer apps can provide you. We hope to help you find something new and useful.
1. Google Earth
As we all know, the first thing you need to do with any drone (after registration) is to find a place to fly. The fact is that there are some drone-specific map apps on our list today, and they are very good at showing places that can be safely flown. A safe flight location is one thing, but before that, why not search Google Earth to find a great flight location. Google Earth is free to use on your mobile device or on the web.
Related Reading: The best map app for Android – on Android Authority
2. Aeronautical chart
Airmap is one of these tools, and its function is much more than just mapping potential flight locations or helping you record flights. With the support of companies such as Microsoft and Qualcomm, not to mention drone players like Yuneec, Airmap is quickly becoming the de facto tool for commercial drone flight. Don’t let their drone mapping, geofencing, and flight logging commercial tools scare you, just use real-time traffic alerts in their mobile apps. Check Airmap to meet your basic needs, or your commercial pilot business.
3. FAA’s B4UFly
Let’s keep this super simple: the FAA is the entity that enforces drone laws in the United States, and this is their app that can tell you when and where you can fly. I can stop here, but I think you should know that B4UFly is sometimes a little overbearing, telling you that you can’t fly where you can fly. In other words, the app provides one of the most detailed lists of airports around, showing the 5-mile radius of each airport. If in doubt, it boils down to the B4UFly app as the source of how you can access legal information about U.S. drone flights.
If your drone weighs 0.55 pounds or more, you must register with the FAA and affix your registration number on the aircraft. The process is simple, but it will cost you $5, and you must be at least 13 years old. This registration will enable you to understand the FAA drone flight rules, and we strongly recommend that you become familiar with these rules. Drone Rush can also help:
If you are flying for remuneration or any other form of compensation, you must operate according to different rules and have a commercial drone license. We call it Part 107. It is not too difficult to obtain, but it takes some time to learn all the rules.We want to help you understand the rules and obtain commercial licenses, please check our UAV pilot training materials.
4. Hover
Hover is an underrated application that provides map and location-aware information provided by Airmap, but then adds weather information. At a glance, Hover can tell you whether it is safe to fly. Considering visibility, wind, location and other factors, Hover may not be the only drone app you need, but if you only use one, such an app is definitely a good choice. Grab Hover for your mobile device now.
5. Drone deployment
Next is the application that we hesitated to join at first. We originally wanted to list the best drone applications, rather than targeting any one supplier. The truth is that DJI is such a major player, and this application is so cool that we can’t resist. If you own any DJI drone with Phantom 3 and higher, please check DroneDeploy as an alternative controller for your drone. The app provides advanced flight planning and autonomous control for your drone. Choose a coordinate path and observe your drone’s flight path, let the app control the camera exposure anytime, anywhere, etc. Check out DroneDeploy now.
6. Drone forecast
UAV Forecast pays almost all attention to the weather and strives to provide detailed wind and weather information to help you determine whether it is safe to fly. Tell the app your drone parameters, it can quickly indicate whether today is the day of flight. Provides a series of driving information, including wind speed and direction, wind chill and temperature, cloud cover, visibility, etc. Not to be outdone, UAV Forecast also provides a mapping of visible no-fly zones. Check your weather needs.
Related Reading: The best weather app for Android – on Android Authority
7. Kitty
Let’s see, we’ve introduced apps that check the weather, apps with a no-fly zone list map, maps with active air traffic information, apps that keep flight logs and help you track drones, and now it’s An application that can accomplish all tasks mentioned above. Kittyhawk: Drone Operations is a powerful application and platform that includes everything from pre-flight inspection to post-flight analysis. Kittyhawk is an ambitious application and platform that allows you to fly in the air and make the most of your time in the air.
8. Sun & Moon
If you have ever been outside…I will stop there. Outdoor photography is almost entirely a matter of managing sunlight, which is more realistic than drone photography because there are no shadows. Instead of guessing where the sun and moon will be, why not know for sure, Sun Surveyor will do this very accurately. The perfect sun or moon position is just an app. The Android version of Sun Surveyor (Sun & Moon) is priced at $7.99.
9. Verification
insurance. Love it or hate it, insurance is an important part of modern life. Unlike car or house insurance where you pay monthly premiums, Verifly is doing something different, insurance on demand. The idea is simple, your flights, especially commercial operations, are either too few or too scattered, unpredictable, and unable to promise full-time insurance. Verifly allows you to record the start time and end time, and then only pay for what you use. Prices start at approximately US$10/hour. Click the download button below to view more detailed information about the actual coverage. The policy is underwritten by Global Aerospace, Inc.
10. DJI UAV Litchi (special consideration)
We all know that you need the official DJI GO, DJI GO 4 and DJI Fly apps to fly your favorite DJI drone, right? Incorrect! There are some alternative apps that can control your DJI Mavic Pro, DJI Spark, DJI Phantom series drones, etc. These apps are the best apps we try to date with Litchi. The full application name is long, but it can explain most of its functions. DJI Mavic / Phantom / Inspire / Spark’s Litchi is a powerful application that maintains the same feel as the DJI application, but it works slightly There are different. Basically, if you want, if you are looking for the best DJI app, plus some new treats, Lychee is very worthy of your consideration. The built-in waypoint flight and VR/FPV functions are the key factors that attracted me to Litchi. The current price of the application is 24.99 US dollars, which may be beyond many people’s imagination, rich features and functions within reach.
That’s all for today, and we hope you find one or two new apps to enhance your flight experience, or get more information from the captured aerial footage afterwards. This is an early list with a lot of room for growth and maturity, just like the drone market, so if you want to discuss any other applications that you think belong here, please contact us in the comments.
Reward: Google’s Wing Aviation OpenSky
The people at Google are enjoying it. OpenSky is a simple application for discovering airspace restrictions and obtaining LAANC authorization to fly in controlled airspace. The first launch of this app has very few features, because we cannot see other flights, drones or manned aircraft in our area, nor can we confirm that our non-LAANC registered flights in OpenSky are reporting other apps and maps. Check out where we fly.
If you don’t care about the additional features that applications such as Airmap can provide, OpenSky is a quick tool that allows you to obtain flight authorization.