Review Of The Best Long Range Drones

If you are interested in discovering the best long-range drones in 2023 for consumers and professionals, then you have to start with this list.

There is a general rule of thumb when buying drones: the more features it has, the more expensive it is to buy. You might say that this is true with most gadgets.

Getting a long-range drone means that you have fewer chances of losing the signal when flying it, and as a result, you have more remote control over what the drone can do.

The importance of precision is especially true when it comes to drone photography and videography. Long-distance drones offer you more dynamism in this aspect.

They also come with a couple of wonderful advantages, which include:

They can fly further from your controller and give you a wider field of view.
They can get higher to give you those perfect aerial shots.

Today, civilian drones can go up to 5 miles (8km) away from the owner and the controller yet remain in range to offer excellent control. In this list, we have compiled reviews for the seven best long-range drones.

A word of caution before we identify our top picks.

The FAA, which regulates drone use in the USA, requires that all drones be flown within visible line of sight. That means for most flyers, you must be able to see the drone while flying it.

The FAA does provide a Section 333 Exemption to allow commercial drone operators to fly beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS). However, this exemption requires a lengthy application process for approval. The applicant must provide evidence of a drone flight approach and technology that will satisfy the FAA safe operation standard.

The reality is that most consumer off-the-shelf drones will exceed the legally allowed range for visual line of sight, so the extra range provided by the winners below may not be valuable to consumer drone flyers.

On the other hand, professional aerial photographers, professional filmmaking crews, newsgathering organizations, and other commercial drone operators may find the additional range provided here valuable. Remember that they must also get BVLOS approval to take advantage of that range.

Let’s get to the list of our best long-range drones for 2023:

Reviews Of The Best Long Range Drones

DJI Mavic 2 Zoom

The DJI Mavic 2 Zoom gets a spot on this list because it has some incredibly impressive features, including a maximum flight range of 5 miles. This Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) is also very easy to control. Although to those who have excessively large hands, the controller might seem small, it fits perfectly with most hands.

The drone can stay airborne for about 31 minutes and can travel at around 44 mph. It also has a reasonable battery recharging time (90 minutes) and comes equipped with an impressive 4K camera and five vision sensors plus image stabilization. It is DJI’s most advanced flying drone in this class.

The long flight range of 5 miles
Compact and portability
4k camera produces excellent image quality and video quality. The 12-megapixel camera 2x 24-48mm optical zoom allows versatility to shoot close up or get a wider angle.
Reasonably fast
Comes with an obstacle avoidance feature (Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing) is paramount for long-range drones.
ActiveTrack is a subject-following technology that uses visual sensors and GPS tracking technology on the drone to keep a subject in the drone camera frame.
OcuSync Transmission Technology is quite robust. It supports three transmission channel frequencies and smart switching capabilities to move to frequencies with lower interference automatically. Also, it produces low latencies of
5ms for remote controller transmission commands
10ms for video data
130ms for video feed transmission
The controller is a little too small. However, it can be combined with DJI CrystalSky Monitor for 4K real-time video monitoring.
Small and has a limited payload.
Extra batteries are expensive.
This drone system comes completely integrated, so typically no/limited customization.

For something so portable and powerful, it is easy to control and offers you immense value for the money.

DJI Mavic 2 Pro

The DJI Mavic 2 Pro also gets a spot on this list because it has some incredibly impressive features, including a maximum flight range of 4.3 miles. In addition to the many features of the Mavic 2 Zoom, it comes with a high-quality Hasselblad camera.

Besides the long-range flight distance, this UAV is also very easy to control. Although to those who have excessively large hands, the controller might seem small, it fits just perfectly with most hands. The drone can stay airborne for about 27 minutes and can travel at around 40 mph. It also has a fast battery recharging time (60 minutes) and comes equipped with an impressive 4K camera and five vision sensors, plus image stabilization.

The long flight range of 4.3 miles
Compact and portability
World-renowned camera maker Hasselblad designs 4k cameras. This camera has a fixed lens and a 20-megapixel sensor with high-quality optics and adjustable aperture. It will appeal more to and is an excellent choice for high-end photographers and videographers who demand better image quality, less noise, vivid colors, and stunning detail.
Reasonably fast
It comes with an obstacle avoidance feature (Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing), which is paramount for long-range drones
ActiveTrack is a subject-following technology that uses visual sensors and GPS tracking technology on the drone to keep a subject in the camera frame.
OcuSync Transmission Technology is quite robust. It supports three transmission channel frequencies and smart switching capabilities to move to frequencies with lower interference automatically. In addition, it produces low latencies of
5ms for remote controller transmission commands
10ms for video data
130ms for video transmission
The controller is a little too small. However, it can be combined with DJI CrystalSky Monitor for a 4K real-time video stream.
Small and has a limited payload.
Extra batteries are expensive.
This drone system comes completely integrated, so typically no/limited customization.

For something so portable and so powerful, it is easy to control and offers you immense value for the money. Professional photographers and Hollywood-style videographers may prefer the customizability to choose their favorite camera.

DJI Inspire 2 Pro

The DJI Inspire 2 Pro is a fantastic flying machine with a maximum flight range of 7 km (4.3 miles). Unlike the Mavic 2 choices, this drone system allows for significant customization and selection of what to integrate into the drone.

The Inspire 2 comes with an impressive remote control with dual-frequency video downlink. The 5.8GHz frequency is used in areas of high interference, and the 2.4GHz over open spaces. The Lightbridge transmission technology delivers high-quality 1080p video and FPV for the camera and pilot operators.

The drone can stay airborne for about 30 minutes and can travel at around 58 mph. It also has a reasonable battery recharging time (90 minutes).
The long flight range of 4.3 miles
Customizable with your choice of cameras and gimbals
Nice ergonomics provide for excellent flying stability and flight performance.
Reasonably fast with a maximum flight speed of 58 mph
The controller can be combined with DJI CrystalSky Monitor for a 4K real-time video stream.
Versatile system
The much higher price tag

Impressively built DJI drone with lots of potential, given its customizability.

Yuneec Typhoon H Pro

The Yuneec Typhoon H Pro can fly reasonably well to a distance of about 1 mile. Because it is very affordable and comes with a collision avoidance feature, this has to be one of the best long-range drones on the market for its price. It is very compact and highly portable. It has improved flight stability, which makes it a joy to fly. It can also offer you the virtual reality option of First Person Viewing (FPV) that takes your drone flying experience to unbelievable heights but at an extra cost. The controller has a large-sized seven touchscreen display and an HD 720p video downlink.

The decent operating distance range of 1 mile
It features a six-rotor design
It has a rotating 4K camera
It gives you raw & JPG image capture
The obstacle avoidance feature could be more responsive
It comes with a confusing battery life indicator

Perfect for taking advanced aerial photography and videography, this drone comes with a gimbal image stabilizer and can offer you impressive panoramic shots.

DJI Matrice 600 (M600)

As a hexacopter drone, the most outstanding feature of the DJI Matrice 600 (M600) is its heavy lifter. This payload flexibility means that it gives you more options regarding whatever camera you want to put up in the sky. With a maximum flight range of 5 KM (3.1 miles), a top speed of up to 40 mph, and flight times of up to 35 minutes, this is a high-quality drone and the workhorse of drones.

It offers long-distance drone flight of up to 5KM
Customizable with your choice of the control system, cameras, and gimbals
It can carry a considerable payload
It comes with smart flight safety features
It offers you stable flying
It has a long battery life (flight time)
The controller works with Lghtbridge 2, which is an intelligent long-range video downlink.
It can be combined with DJI CrystalSky Monitor for 4K real-time video monitoring.
It is rather pricey
The necessary add-ons increase the cost further.

With the ability to carry a payload of up to 13.2 pounds, you have a wide range of options for cameras, videography, and filmmaking accessories with this drone. It is by far one of the most flexible and useful long-range drones on this list.

DJI Phantom 4 Pro

Dubbed an ultra-smart flying camera,’ the DJI Phantom 4 Pro is marketed to professional drone pilots, but even an advanced beginner will find this copter very workable. With a flight distance range of 7 KM (4.3 miles), this drone has an impressive flight time of 30 minutes and can go at a speed of 4 mph. The remote controller has a 5.5-inch screen and is twice as bright as most smart devices, making it perfect for sunny day flights. It comes with the DJI GO app that allows you to edit and share footage instantly. It also gives you the option of experiencing First Person View (FPV) flights with the FPV Goggles, which are exceptionally comfortable despite their awkward look.

It offers you extended flight range capabilities. Its maximum range of up to 7 km is one of the longest ranges among consumer drones.
It has the all-important return-to-home feature.
It comes with obstacle detection (front & back)
It features automated flight modes.
The Lightbridge transmission technology delivers high-quality 1080p video and FPV for the camera and pilot operators.
ActiveTrack is a subject-following technology that uses the drone’s visual sensors and GPS tracking technology to keep a subject in the camera frame.
The excellent 20-megapixel camera has a new mechanical shutter, which reduces rolling shutter distortion, resulting in quality aerial footage.
It comes fully loaded with a 24mm wide-angle lens.
It has subject recognition & tracking.
It can be combined with DJI CrystalSky Monitor for 4K real-time video monitoring.
It offers you 60fps and 4K video footage.
You must use an Android or IOS mobile device (smartphone or tablet) to control the camera.
The extra needed batteries are costly.

It comes fully loaded with an excellent onboard camera with a 20MP sensor that offers no shutter distortion and 4K video processing. This quality drone is almost as good as most on-the-ground professional cameras.

DJI Matrice 100

Although this drone costs much more than most, it also offers you a lot more. The one feature that most enthusiasts will love about this UAV is that it comes with a platform that you can customize to your ultimate contentment. It also has one of the most impressive flight times, which stands at 40 minutes, a maximum flight distance range of 5 KM, and can travel at a speed of 50 mph. It also comes with a dedicated long-range drone controller that is fully customizable. Although it does not come with a camera, it has extra expansion bays that allow other components to be added on, such as:

Cameras
Communication tools
Sensors
Computing boards
Excellent flight time of 40 minutes
It can be combined with DJI CrystalSky Monitor for 4K real-time video monitoring.
It has twin battery compartments
It is highly customizable and programmable
It is lightweight and has a rugged build
It has soft landing pads
It comes with a lot of extra costs

This advanced long-range drone is perhaps the most exciting on this list because you can fully customize it to become your desired UAV of choice.

These long-distance drones are perfect for those who want to take their flying game to a whole new height and distance. You can use them as part of your filmmaking equipment or for personal enjoyment. With flight times of up to 40 minutes for some and quick battery recharge times, that is a lot of productivity and creativity fuel.

FAQs

How far am I allowed to fly a drone?

The FAA rules require a drone to be flown below the maximum height of 400 feet and always be within the visual line of sight of the pilot in command. Most other countries around the world follow similar guidelines.

The visual line of sight is usually the conventional determinant of the maximum distance you can legally fly your drone. This is estimated at less than a mile typically.

Commercial drone operators wanting to fly beyond the visual line of sight (BVLOS) must request and receive approval of an FAA section 333 exemption allowing BVLOS operation. To receive BVLOS exemptions, the FAA will require the drone operator to show that it can safely operate the drone using spotters or advanced technology such as collision avoidance sensors. The BVLOS approval will dictate the maximum distance allowed in those cases.

What determines the range of a drone?

Three factors determine the flight range of a drone.

1. The speed at which the drone flies. The faster a drone flies, the further it can go in a specific flying time.

2. The limits of its power system. If a drone uses a battery, then its range will be affected by how long the battery is capable of powering the motors.

3. The capability of the wireless transmission technology used to transmit information between the controller and the drone.

The drone flight speed and power system are usually a function of the selected model.

For most consumer drones, the communication systems are also decided by the model of the drone selected.

Most consumer drones operate on a 2.4gHz radio frequency, allowing a transmission range of approximately 1.5 kilometers (~1 Mile). Some more professional advanced drone systems use the lower 1.2gHz frequency, which gives a better range but is also the frequency used by commercial aircraft. Commercial-grade drone systems will include satellite-based communication systems that can be connected over extended distances.

The best transmission technology will also have some capability to handle some wireless interference, which could be found depending on where you are flying. The more sophisticated transmitters will perform some frequency analysis and operate under multiple frequency ranges, switching to those frequencies that have less interference.

Can a drone fly out of the control range?

Yes. The drone can quickly fly out of the control range. Some inexpensive drones do not have the intelligent flight capability to keep track of signal strength and may not even have been programmed for proper handling when the transmission is lost. Those drones will typically fly into the sunset and crash unexpectedly. We recommend you stay away from those basic drones and instead choose a system that has proper sensors and a return-to-home feature.

What happens when a drone flies out of the control range?

If you fly a drone with adequately configured safety and transmission technology, it will typically return to the last position where it had a good connection, or in some cases, back to where it was launched or a preprogrammed home location.

A cheaper drone with minimal transmission technology and safety features will likely continue flying until it crashes. We recommend avoiding these inexpensive drones for long-range flights or operating them within safe-range parameters.

What drone has the longest range?

The United States Air Force uses the longest-range drones. The General Atomics MQ-9 Reaper has a range of approximately 1,150 miles (1,850 kilometers), with a maximum flight time of roughly 40 hours and a price tag of USD 17M.

The longest-range commercially available professional drone is the GT Aeronautics GT-1500, which has a range of 500 miles and a maximum flight time of approximately 6 hours. The GT-1500 is one of the leaders in a class of high-end drones customized for professional drone service applications.

The longest-range winner among consumer camera drones is the DJI Mavic Zoom 2 drone, with a maximum range of 8 miles and a maximum flight time of approximately 31 minutes.

Brad Nichols

Partner

30 plus years focused on mission-critical technology and operations