What you need to know about Flying FPV Drones Indoors vs Outdoors

One of the best things about First Person View (FPV) drones is that they can be flown both indoors and outdoors and they are adept at both, creating thrilling shots that can’t be achieved with other drones.

This article will guide you through what you need to know in terms of, physical and practical limits of flying, legality per the FAA, and differences in flight characteristics when flying in either space.

Flight characteristics

Different FPV drones behave differently, regardless of flying indoors or out. For example, while ducted quads (where ducts enclose the propellers) are great for indoor safety and added lift, they get tossed around in the wind due to the wind catching the ducts/props. Therefore, open-blade quads are preferred outdoors.

Visual Line of Sight (VLOS)

If you are flying outdoors, the pilot must keep the FPV drone within visual line of sight. This usually means the pilot will need to employ a visual observer (the “spotter”) who needs to be able to see the drone at all times. The reason is it is impossible for the FPV pilot to keep an eye on the drone when they are wearing immersive FPV goggles.

This is an FAA rule and applies to all drones, including standard DJI drones being flown outdoors.

On the other hand, the FAA does not have jurisdiction over what happens indoors - you are not flying in any kind of airspace. Neither a VO or the pilot needs to have VLOS of the drone, but it is good practice to have a spotter just to be safe. This also applies to regular DJI drones but those are typically not flown indoors.

Airspace Limits

Outdoors, you also have to take into account the 400 feet maximum altitudes that drones can fly. There are exceptions - you can fly higher than 400 feet when you fly 400 feet higher than a building, tower or structure. Additionally - you can fly as far as a 400 feet radius from the center of the structure which basically means there is a cylindrical shape that extends 400 feet higher, and in a space that extends 400 feet out from the sides of the building where you can fly the drone. Despite these limits of 400 feet, this is more than adequate when it comes to taking top quality photos/footage from many different angles of houses and other buildings, whether these are for real estate purposes or not (for a more complete guide on drones for real estate, check out this guide).

This is due to the fact that manned aircraft need to keep at least 500 feet away from buildings (sideways and over). The difference of 100 feet is just a buffer.

Flying over people and cars

The FAA does allows you to fly over groups of people if all of these conditions are met:
- under 250 grams

- with prop guards

At Sky Tech One, we can build this type of drone to spec for a fee.

Remote ID

Remote ID requires the drone “to broadcast via radio location information about the airborne vehicle and a unique serial number for identification purposes. Some have referred to it as a "digital license plate".

According to SUAS News, “Operators must begin using Remote ID-compliant drones by September 16, 2023, unless flying in an FAA-recognized Identification Area (FRIAs). FAA-recognized Identification Areas are locations, such as flying clubs, where an unmanned aircraft may operate without Remote ID technology. After September 16, 2023, if you’re operating a drone without Remote ID technology, then flying in FRIAs, or qualifying for one of the few exceptions, are the only way to remain compliant.”

Flying at night

For outdoor flying, per the FAA, you must use anti-collision strobes when flying at night to increase visibility for other drones or manned aircraft. This might not work as the strobes might interfere with the ambient lighting of the set. Furthermore, the camera quality could take a hit due to a lack of light as GoPro’s have smaller sensors to capture the light. Although it is entirely possible to fly FPV at night with usable footage, in dimly lit areas, we recommend a larger FPV drone with our RED Komodo.

The verdict

There are pros and cons to flying either indoors or outdoors. There are more advantages to flying indoors - the main reason is you don’t have to worry about the FAA. Additionally, since there is no wind, it is easier to control the drone in a closed environment. FPV also lends itself better to indoors - the nimble controls and the shots it creates - you can say it was meant for indoor flight. But if you absolutely want to fly outdoors, there is still some time before Remote ID is required, so start shooting outdoor shots with your custom FPV as soon as possible!

At Sky Tech One we offer both types of drone flying with custom tailored options for your project. Please check out our FPV Center: https://www.skytechone.com/fpv