No one likes to fly a drone with a short battery life. This is particularly true for those who use drones professionally, such as aerial photography and land surveying. Fortunately, technological advancements have made it possible for drones to achieve flight times that can last up to 30 minutes or more on a single charge. The best long flight time drones can capture dynamic footage without having to worry about running out of power before their mission is complete.
Drones with longer flight times tend to be heavier and more expensive than standard consumer products. This is because they need to be able to carry a larger battery and utilize more advanced systems such as advanced cameras, obstacle avoidance sensors, and gimbals. However, there are still some affordable drones with impressive flight times on the market.
The first entry on our list of the best drones with the longest flight time is the DJI Mavic 2 Pro. This drone can hover for 31 minutes at a time, which is well above the industry average. It also boasts impressive specs such as a 4K camera and Intel RealSense technology that ensures the drone can fly in areas where its line of sight is not fully obstructed.
Next on our list of the best drones with a long flight time is the DJI Phantom 4 Pro. This is a revamped version of 2016’s hugely popular Phantom 4 drone and has an improved flight time of up to 28 minutes. It also has a number of intelligent features that allow it to fly more easily and efficiently, making it a favorite with professional drone pilots.
The Typhoon H is another drone from a respected manufacturer that offers an impressive flight time of up to 25 minutes. This is partly because it has six rotors, which allows the drone to fly faster and more easily than its four-rotor competition. It also has an excellent obstacle avoidance system and a high-quality 4K camera that makes it a top choice for many professional drone users.
Although military drones are capable of flying for hours at a time, the best commercially available drones with the longest flight time only offer up to around two or three hours of flight. This is because most commercial drones use a quadcopter design that requires the drone to expend energy by climbing and falling to generate momentum as it moves forward. This is less efficient than a fixed wing drone which can rely on gliding for most of its flight, making it more effective and much cheaper to fly.