Best Long Range Drone

Best Long Range Drones 2020 Review – find out which drones are best for long range distance flying.

If you feel it’s time for you to shift from a drone hobbyist to a serious flyer, you cannot but consider the long range drones. After all, it may be fun to fly a 30-metre drone with a flight time of 7-8 minutes. And if the drone happens to be equipped with a decent quality camera, it will let you capture some nice photos that you may find fun to share on your social media accounts.

Our list today will cover the distance between the drone and remote control. We’ll visit actual ground coverage another day, but you can generally make a good choice looking at battery life and speed for that — a 45mph drone with 30 minutes of battery life will, likely, cover more ground than a 30mph drone with 20 minutes of battery. Makes sense, I hope.

For now, here are some of the best long range drones.

DJI Mavic 2 Pro

DJI mavic 2 Pro comes with an astonishing 20MP camera that shoots 4K video, this top tier quadcopter captures some of the best aerial images and videos available on a drone, making it heavily favored by professional pilots and recreational pilots who want high quality shots.

It comes with automatic collision-avoidance protection, a 31-minute flight time, and it can reach speeds of up to 44 mph for high-speed pans and chase scenes.

Not to mention, its long 8km range means you needn't worry about losing signal due to control distance issues.

With its light weight and foldable design, the Mavic 2 Pro is a godsend for traveling photographers and videographers. It's an excellent all-around quadcopter for both recreational and professional pilots.

Not to mention, this package comes with camera filters, extra props, a landing pad, external storage, and ton of other accessories to enhance your flights.

The Mavic 2 Pro has 8MB of internal storage built in and can support SD memory up to 128GB of storage

Why We Chose This

• Sold By DJI Authorized Dealer. Comes Free SanDisk 128GB Micro SD, Smatree Water Waterproof Hard Carrying Case, 75cm(30-inch) Landing Pad, Signal Booster, USB 3.0 Card Reader
• 3 x DJI Mavic Pro 2 Batteries in Total, DJI Mavic 2 Pro Fly More Kit, PGYTECH ND Filter and Pad Holder
• Mavic Pro 2 Up to 31 Minutes Flight Time, 44 mph Max Speed, 2 lbs Takeoff Weight, 3-Axis Gimbal for Steady Shots, 8GB Internal Storage, SD card Support Up to 128GB
• Mavic Pro 2 Functions Include ActiveTrack 2.0, Omnidirectional Obstacle Sensing, Hyperlapse, Low-Noise Design, Adjustable Aperture, HDR Photos
• Enjoy Live View in Real Time During Flight and Record 4K Videos at Higher Bitrates with Advanced H.265 Compression. Operating Temperature Range: -10°C to 40°C. Input - 100-240 V, 50/60 Hz, 1.8A

Customer Reviews

Recieved this package deal from City UAV about 4 weeks ago. Was deliverd sooner than expected and packaging was top notch along with a letter from their customer service dept. thanking me for my

purchase and requesting feedback. (always a good sign). The flight characteristcs of this drone are amazing. Stability in high wind while doing aerial photography is better than a Cessna 182 and the Hasselblad camera image will knock you off your feet. A great pro drone in a small package.

Yuneec Typhoon H Hexacopter

Yuneec is a manufacturer that has gained quite a respect for pushing a series of high-quality drones coming with a very affordable price tag.

But there will be more than enough time to talk about long distance DJI drone range later.

Where does ambitiously named Typhoon stand in the hierarchy of long-range flyers based on its merits? We are glad to say – definitely in the upper tier.

Why We Chose This

• READY OUT OF THE BOX - Comes with the new ST16 Pro all-in-one controller (no need for a separate phone / tablet), Integrated 7-inch Android touchscreen, Wizard, backpack, extra battery and extra props
• SAFE TO FLY WITH BUILT-IN COLLISION AVOIDANCE - FAA compliant no-fly zone, 6 rotor safety with 5 rotor fail-safe, and ultrasonic collision prevention keep you safe
• EASY TO FLY - GPS stabilized flight control, with 8 smart flight modes, automatic return to home, auto takeoff and auto land. No experience needed to fly this hexacopter
• 4K STUNNING VIDEO & IMAGE QUALITY - 4K Ultra High Definition video, 12 megapixel photos, full 360 Degree anti-vibration gimbal, retractable landing gear for 360 Degree filming
• UPGRADED ONE YEAR WARRANTY - Guarantees against manufacturer defects from the original date of purchase.

Customer Reviews

All I can say is WOW! I bought the Typhoon H as addition to my Yuneec Q500 4K. The Typhoon H perform more than expected. It is really stable even in high winds. It is really agile when you need it to be. The camera is comparable to the $2K models. I have flown this over water at 2,000ft out (horizontallly) at 200ft up. it slices through the air as if there was no air. it produced a smooth video and really steady when taking stills. I have also flown this it freezing temperatures and it flew ok.

3DR Solo Quadcopter

The 3DR Solo is ideal for beginners (especially since it can withstand rough landings), yet more experienced flyers will also enjoy the built-in control system that it offers. Although it only offers a flight range of about 1,5 kilometres (which is significantly less than some of the other drones mentioned later on), it is still more than sufficient if you are keen to get to know the lesser-known landscape a bit better.

Why We Chose This

• Solo’s video game-style controller will feel familiar the second you pick it up, even if you’ve never flown a drone. Pushbutton commands put both camera and copter at your fingertips. Take off, land or instantly pause your flight midair with a single touch. Click to start and stop recording or snap a photo, even adjust camera angle while you fly
• In case you missed it in the picture…that’s a high-quality HDMI port directly from the controller so you can connect Solo to practically any screen you can think of. Refer user manual below
• Full-featured app for iOS and Android puts total craft control at your fingertips.

Customer Reviews

This is the best purchase out there at the moment in terms drones in its class. I say this because there are reviews on the internet that compare this to say a bugs3 which is a good drone, but not in the class of this drone. 

This a legitimate filming drone when it works properly. Extremely smooth flyer. So much so that my friend who owns a DJI inspire 1 was very impressed and I didn't not feel jealous in the least bit in terms of flying ability and the ability to capture cinematic footage compared to the inspire. I was a little jealous of the retractable landing gear on the DJI. But the jealousy ended there. The DJI is a nice machine, but also cost at least 2 times what this drone cost. More if you use a Chinese GoPro knockoff as a camera.

 Which is easily done. So now for the bad. It requires both mechanical and electrical knowledge if your are not lucky enough to get a good one from the factory. If you get a good one then you are set.

The Blackhawk

The Blackhawk is a more advanced level quad with 15-17 Minutes of Flight time and 300-500 Meter Range!

The Altair Aerial Blackhawk is easily the best long-range drone for the money. Sure, it may not boast the impressive numbers of some of the other entries, but with 200-500 meters of range and racing drone speed, this drone won’t leave many pilots unsatisfied. And how many drones can boast a range that’s 60 times that of the average for a super low price! Now that’s a bargain.

Why We Chose This

• O MUCH FUN - This drone is Different From Your Average Toy, It Flies FAST & It goes FAR, You're gonna LOVE it! .
• 15-17 MINUTE FLIGHT TIME: The Blackhawk Flies for up to 17 Minutes on Medium Throttle Flying.
• 300-500 METER RANGE: Even Out at Far Distances the Blackhawk Handles With 100% Control, You'll be Amazed!
• 6-Axis Gyro And Independent ESCs Built in Automatic Lock Protection Will Help You Avoid Burnout Due to Dead Lock.
• Action Camera Mount for GoPro Hero 3 and 4 Cameras to Capture Aerial Footage in HD

Customer Reviews

This is a tremendously fun drone to fly. I had a Holy Stone F181 but returned it since it was basically a toy and too light to fly if there was any wind. The Blackhawk was the same price, but it is a much heavier drone and will fly faster, farther, and higher. This is much more a hobby drone than a toy. Sure it does not have altitude hold but once you get used to controlling altitude with the throttle you will not miss that feature. In fact, it gives the pilot greater control of the aircraft, which is what you want. The battery life is twice as long as other drones in this price range...a good 15-17 minutes... so you’ll end up changing batteries less often. This is definitely a step up from a beginner drone but once you learn how to fly it you will have a blast!

Autel Evo 2 ( 9km range drone)

The Autel Evo 2 is the longest range drone on this list, beating even the DJI Mavic 2 drone by 1km in declared range (although i haven’t personally tested the max range as I have with the Mavic 2).

A drone that can go that far doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be able to reach that type of distance in regular flights, but it’s a testament of a better connection in tougher times that might mean city wifi interference or trees or other obstacles in between.

The autel Evo 2 comes in 3 options, and specs some insane cameras and sensors, directly competing with the DJI Mavic 2 Pro drone.

Why We Chose This

• KIT INCLUDES: Autel Robotics EVO Quadcopter | Soft Bag | Battery | EVO Propellers (3 Pairs) | Smart Remote Controller | Power Cable | Remote Controller Cable | Charger | Micro-USB Cable | USB-C Cable | SanDisk 32GB MicroSD Card | 2x Extra Batteries | Shoulder Bag | Extra EVO Pair Propeller | Propeller Guards (1 Set) | PolarPro ND Shutter Collection - Cinema Series Filter Kit (ND4, ND8, ND16)
• KEY FEATURES: 1/2.3-inch 12 Megapixel sensor | 4K 60fps Video | 3-axis Stabilized Gimbal | Recording Speed up to 100mbps | Visual Object Following | JPEG, DNG | GPS, GLONASS | Max speed 44.7 MPH (71.9kph) | Forward Obstacle Avoidance | Bottom Sensors for Accurate Landing | Long Range Path Planning | Flying Time up to 30 Minutes | 4.3 (7km) Miles Range | Remote Controller with 3.3-inch OLED Display | View Critical Flight Information or a Live 720p HD Video Feed | iOS and Android Compatible
• The EVO's camera is built on a 3-axis stabilized gimbal capturing stunning video at 4k resolution & 60 frames per second and 12-megapixel still images all designed in-house. Using real glass optics and the Ambarella H2 image processor, it records more dynamic range in each shot. Capture wide-angle perspectives with a 94 degree field-of-view and crystal clear still imagery from a 12MP best-in-class camera. Check out the amazing aerial imagery our pilots are capturing every day.
• EVO is equipped with dual GPS and GLONASS systems allowing for a hands-free hover. Built-in failsafe features like Return to Home call the aircraft back when the battery is low or the remote control signal is interrupted. Utilizing two cameras on the front giving it binocular vision EVO creates a 3D environment and reacts to obstacles in the way. Intelligent algorithms are constantly running during autonomous flight, making long-range decisions for path planning around obstacles.

Customer Reviews

• Great drone. I have only 2 complaints. The camera seems to be slightly tilted to the side most of the time. So when I’m shooting landscape shots, the horizon line is tilted. It’s easy to fix in Premiere Pro, but still slightly annoying. Also, some of the color profiles, such as vivid, saturate the color blue so badly and fixing it with HSL in premiere is a total pain. I recommend shooting with no profile or in Log and then color grading your footage in your video editing software. Besides those two things, this drone is perfect for my needs. I highly recommend it.
• Really nice drone. The camera is really great, 12 megapixels, 4K video at up to 60 fps. Lots of YouTube tutorials, FB groups and strong technical support. I'm new to this technology but quite confident with it because of bother the quality of the drone as well as all the ways I can obtain support. I know the Evo 2 is almost out, but it will be months before all of the bugs are out and unless you have really tough requirements, the Evo should be plenty for most people.