How to rent a drone for a weekend

A trip, a property listing or a one-off event is the usual reason to want a drone, and a good camera drone is a four-figure purchase that spends most of its life in a case. Renting one for the weekend from someone who flies it regularly is cheaper and comes with a quick lesson at pickup.

The rules first

• Recreational flying in the US requires the free FAA TRUST certificate. It takes about half an hour online.
• Drones over 250 grams must be registered, and the registration number goes on the aircraft. Ask the owner whether theirs is registered.
• Stay below 400 feet, keep the drone in sight, and stay out of controlled airspace near airports unless you have authorization.
• Flying for money, including real-estate photos for a listing, needs a Part 107 license.

What to confirm before booking

1. 1Batteries and charger. Two or three batteries are the difference between a 25-minute flight and an afternoon.
2. 2Propellers, including spares, and the case.
3. 3The controller and whether you need your own phone as the screen.
4. 4Any existing scratches or a gimbal issue, photographed and noted in the chat.

At pickup

Ask the owner to walk you through a takeoff, a hover, the return-to-home button and a landing. Five minutes with someone who knows the model is worth more than an hour of videos. Then find a drone near you.