It is now possible to film yourself running through the mountains among the trees, or to film your own scene in which, while you look into the distance on a deserted, heavenly beach, the image moves away from you. These are effects that could look like they are from a movie and, precisely for that reason, have become tremendously popular on social networks. How can you achieve them? With a drone like the HoverAir X1a device slightly larger than the palm of your hand with a camera on the front for recording videos and taking photos.
After testing it for a few days, I firmly believe that the key to its success compared to alternatives such as DJI mini 3 The drone’s main advantage lies in its simplicity and ease of use. It works completely autonomously – it doesn’t need a mobile phone or a controller to fly – and it does so thanks to artificial intelligence and object recognition. It only has two buttons: one to start and turn it off and another to change between the different shooting modes it allows, including recording from a fixed point, following you, moving away, orbiting around you, bird’s eye view or taking photos. Simply place it in the palm of your hand, press a button, and the drone will automatically take off and start recording as requested; when finished, place your hand underneath it and it lands. All images are saved in its 32 GB internal memory and, to retrieve them, you need to use the mobile app.
It weighs only 125 grams, so, as expected, the wind affects it a lot, even knocking it to the ground. In any case, the propellers are kept intact thanks to a structure that covers and protects them, it flies at a maximum height of 10 meters and its speed is low: it can follow you while you run or ride a bike, but little more. In addition, its battery has an autonomy of 10 minutes – quite short, although something common in drones – but it is removable and, therefore, interchangeable.
The truth is that it is a very curious device, and the effect of the videos is really striking. But its use has raised many doubts in me that have to do both with its flight (after all, it is a drone and there is legislation on them) and with privacy.
With permits and insurance
To know what to expect when you want to use one of these devices, I have consulted with the TO THAT (State Agency for Air Safety), which confirms that this type of device must comply with the regulations affecting UAS/drones with a weight of less than 250 grams and, therefore, It is essential to register as a drone operator to be able to fly it in open spaces. It is a very quick and free process that is carried out from the UAS website with or without a digital certificate.
This is not the only obligation. In addition, you must have an insurance policy that covers civil liability to third parties for damages that may arise during and due to the flight. Some of the main insurance companies – such as Mapfre or Allianz – already offer it, and there are also companies specialising in them. The cost is around 20 euros per year without additional coverage.
On the other hand, it must be taken into account that a safe horizontal distance must always be maintained from people and that it must not fly over crowds of people, that it must always be in sight and that it must not go higher than 120 metres, which is not possible with this model on purpose. It cannot be flown anywhere either: there are restricted flight zones due to the proximity of airfields, military zones, official infrastructures or environmental protection. It is best to always check this on a map such as the one on Enaire DronesIt’s surprising how many places it can’t be used.
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