10 drones with the longest control range [sorted by price]

Personal radio-controlled drones are becoming exceedingly common in today’s market. For hobbyists and newcomers alike, drones offer a unique new way to approach RC flight and allow users to capture sights that weren’t possible on their own. So, it’s no wonder every other drone comes with a payload capacity or ability to attach a GoPro camera to its frame (top 5 drones with GoPro camera). Video and photographs from previously impossible angles are created, meaning there’s more incentive for enthusiasts beyond piloting a small machine.

Beyond how long they can remain in the sky (top 10 drones with longest flight time), however, drones do have some limitations. Finding out which drone in which price tier has the least amount of limitations is the key to enjoying the hobby to its fullest. In this case, it’s about range. Since drones are remote controlled they need a signal to respond to from the pilot’s point. Common question is : How far can a drone fly? Good drones can still hold steady hundreds, if not thousands of feet, away. Lesser models will likely falter after about a few hundred feet or less.

So in this article, we’re going to target drones which can get to impressive distances within their price ranges. We’ll mention other important specs too, but the main focus will ultimately cover how lengthy their sky trip scan be. Don’t forget to read our list of top drones for real estate agents

TABLE OF BEST LONG RANGE DRONES :

Name	Image	Control range	Flight time	Camera	Price
Xiro Xplorer V		1km	23 minutes	14MP	See Price
Yuneec Q500+		2km	22 minutes	16MP	See price
Ehang Ghost 2.0		1km	22 minutes	4K	See price
Traxxas Aton		200 m	20 minutes	GoPro	See price
DJI Inspire 1		2km	20 minutes	4K	See price
DJI Phantom 4		6km	25 minutes	4K	See price

Potentially helpful list : Drones for beginners / Drones for kids

$25 – $200

Holy Stone HS170 Predator Mini

HOLY-STONE-HS170

Of the long distance drones for sale, Holy Stone’s mobile little drone starts off our list as a great starter machine. It’s called the mini, because surprise, it’s a lot smaller than a standard drones usual specifications. That being said, the Predator Mini boasts wind resistant flight reaching distances of roughly 30-50 meters (almost 150 feet). That’s a darn good distance for such a small unit, meaning it works for both entertainment and to just practice flying RC drones. It’s currently priced at $40 USD, a cheap investment for those curious about the hobby. It is a great beginner drone that won’t break easily. Even in case you somehow manage to break it, don’t cry too much because it wasn’t very expensive and next time but two instead of only one

 

MJX X10C FPV

MJX-X101C

A stylized, mainly white drone quadcopter, the X10C comes next in the tier by rumbling through the skies with a flight distance maximum of about 100 meters, or 300 feet. It’s also been marked down from its original pricetag, meaning it’s a good choice as a long range drone for sale. According to the vendor, it isn’t too difficult to fly either and has a camera for capturing 720p resolution video. As a nice little bonus, it’s also compatible with MJX’s virtual headset, granted how useful that is we couldn’t say (it’s also not included). If you have plans to scour the air for a fair hundred feet, this is a great start. This virtual reality headset probably is comparable with ones used in drone racing leagues, but hey – you get what you pay for. Good pick to get you into world of drones and FPV flying. Good control range is always a bonus when we’re talking about drones.

 

Hubsan H502S

Hubsan-h501s

This is where real game begins. For such a low price you get a drone that has : Altitude hold, Follow me mode, Headless mode, GPS (back to home), 6-axis flight control. If someone told me a year ago that I’ll be able to get all these functions for under $200 I’d told him he must be kidding. Oh, I almost forgot. If that’s not enough, it comes with 720p HD FPV camera! Since this article is all about range, I should tell you that Hubsan H502S has a flight range of 300 meters. To be honest, there’s no chance you can see this drone on that distance, but I’m pretty sure there will be people who’ll put it on its limits. If you’re one of these, please record it and upload to youtube

$200 – $400

DJI Phantom 2

DJI Phantom 2

As we jump into the next price tier of RC drones, we’re greeted by the DJI Phantom 2, a quick and mobile variant of the Phantom series. While reports remark that it can be fragile, meaning it’s more aimed at veteran pilots, it boasts some great airtime stability. Additionally, the Phantom 2 reaches distances between 300-500 meters, but there are some owners who claim they have reached 1km+ without any antenna customization. So I believe it can easily go over 500 meters on open field. Since it supports GoPro and other action camera, it can easily be used for exploring unexplored areas or just casual photographing of cool scenes. Flight time is somewhere around 15-17 minutes which is more than enough in most of cases, for most of flyers. There is always an option to buy extra batteries if you need longer flights.

 

Traxxas Aton Plus

TRAXXAS 7908 ATON

Traxxas is well known for their RC products, especially cars. Last year they decided to enter drones market, and they did it. Successfully. Traxxas Aton Plus is more like professional grade drone for a price of toy grade drones. One we’re talking about comes with 2-axis camera gimbal included and 5000mAh 3-Cell Traxxas iD LiPo Battery. There is one cool function named “Air Brake”, it allows you to stop and hover at the push of a button. That function works great, much better than I expected to be honest.Stays within its own geofence of 400 feet high and a 500 foot (150 meters) diameter. When it reaches those limits, it automatically returns to home (determined by GPS positioning) and shuts itself off.  I’ll quote one review from Amazon : “One of the best things for new pilots is the multiple safety features Traxxas has built-in to the flight control system greatly reducing the risk of “flyaways” you so often read about. And watching this thing quickly return to home all by itself – from hundreds of feet away – is truly an amazing thing to witness. The LED lights make it stand out like a beacon at night and even when cruising around at high altitude in the dark, it’s super easy to distinguish front from back.”

 

$400 – $600

DJI Phantom 3 Quadcopter (Standard version)

DJI Phantom 3

DJI and its respective fleet often find their units on our list for having a pretty lengthy variety of models to choose from. That, and the hardware in question has a lot to offer. Previously the Phantom 3 was also on our list of drones with the longest battery life, because it sported a whopping 20 minutes. Let’s add to that, as the Phantom 3 has been recorded to hit distances of about 500 meters, or 1500 feet. That manes enthusiasts can get some really amazing sky shots while the Phantom 3 does its thing. The basic unit, which lacks an extra batter and such, sits close to $500 USD, making it a decent long range quadcopter for sale in this tier.

 

Xiro Xplorer V

Xiro Xplorer V

If the name didn’t already imply it, the designers really want you to understand the “X” is a major feature here. Even the drone has an x like shape. More to the point, as a long range drone with camera, and it’s heavy $560 USD pricetag, one expects some performance. Well, it does deliver at least in principle, with a bulky sky life of 20 minutes. So, if you’re asking yourself how far can a drone fly. Emphasizing flight range, our x-loving drone gets around on 1800 feet ranges, or 600 meters. From there, you can capture all its sported 1080p video you want. Xiro Xplorer V is FPV drone by all means. Video transmission works very well, better than I expected to be honest. There’s updated version of this drone available now (Xiro Xplorer 2) which looks very futuristic. That also means this version is now on sale, so get your piece right now!

 

Blade Chroma

Blade Chroma

This great looking drone deserved it’s place on this list. It’s not only one of the drones with best flight range in this price range but it’s also one of the best drones for aerial photography and videography in this price range because of it’s stability, reliability and SAFE technology Blade putted into it. Using solely a remote control for operation, the Chroma can be flown up to 400 meters (1,312 feet) away from you. Compared to the average controllable range of 100 meters, you can control the Chroma from 300 meters (984 feet) further away. That’s not where the party ends. There are several versions of Chroma, some of them supports GoPro Hero 3 and 4 action cameras, while one version(on the picture) comes with it’s own camera. Both are great quality but buying one that works with GoPro can save you some money in case you already have GoPro camera.

$600 – $800

Yuneec Q500+ Typhoon

Yuneec Q500 Typhoon

The Typhoon is on this list again for all around impressiveness. In our other articles, we were already liking its considerable half-hour sky life. The facts don’t change though, and the Typhoon has an RC range of about 8000 feet, according to reports. At $700 USD that might be one of the better deals you can get. In this tier, it also makes it one of the best long range camera drones you can find. Granted, the area you’re in might affect this lengthy range, but overall it can get places for the photo/drone enthusiast. You can’t go wrong with Q500 if you’re looking for long distance drone that’s capable to record high quality video and capture amazing photos.

 

Ehang GHOST 2.0

Ehang GHOSTDRONE 2.0

GHOSTDRONE is one of the many drone variants which fancies control and integration with iPhones and respective apps. When it comes to that there’s always mixed reactions mingled with uncertain functionality, but this model does an okay job working with wi-fi networks. The bigger story here is its distance life, coming to half-a-mile, according to the maker, meaning it’s one of the better drones with long range. It also boasts it’s the easiest drone model to fly. With its various modes, range, and weather stability functions, this might be true. Sitting on the edge of an $800 USD pricetag, it’s up to the user to figure out if they want it that much. This is definitely one of the best long range drones.

 

$800+

Yuneec Typhoon H

Yuneec Typhoon H

As we approach the priciest drones we scavenged up, it’s good to note we expect only professionals or hobbyist veterans around these parts. Only because drones like the Typhoon H are pretty expensive and we highly suggest being very careful when handling it. This also means what we list will have some expected veterancy, so use with care.

Yuneec claims their Typhoon H can fly a full mile (1.8km) before loosing signal and coming back to you automatically using GPS. Meaning, much like flying a small craft, you may actually need to be aware of other flying things in your area. Now that we’re done lecturing, the Typhoon H also has a digital flight path you can create to mingle as one of the drones with the best range. We should also mention it’s obstacle avoidance system that works very well. Then there is auto follow me mode packed up with some of the best cameras available on the market. You can’t go wrong with his drone!

 

DJI Inspire 1

DJI Inspire 1

Surprise! DJI has multiple listings on our choices for long control range drones again. But, credit given where it’s due, their models are tried, tested, and well received. At about $2550, the Inspire 1 will then crown our list for being the most relatively expensive model equivalent to the distances it can reach. We should add, aside from its manufacturing, the extra pricing comes from included camera and hardware.

So how far can you capture its boasted 4K video? No more than 1500 feet, actually, so don’t think you’ll be recording clouds. Radio transmission range is better though, hitting distances close to 2km (or 1.2 miles). While you might not get full range for video, you can go a long way, and it’s worth noting the drone has a pretty good payload haul.

 

DJI Phantom 4

DJI Phantom 4

Newest model in one of the most recognizable series of drones ever, DJI Phantom 4. Compared to DJI Phantom 3, it comes with everything slightly upgraded. Now we have better (4k) camera, obstacle avoidance system (Phantom 3 didn’t have this), improved battery, motors, controller etc. Pretty much everything is slightly improved. Since this article is all about control range, I’m more than happy to inform you that DJI Phantom 4 has an operating range of 6 kilometers (!!) on open field. With new battery that will provide you with 25 minutes of flight time, this sounds pretty awesome!

 

Wrapping Up

Even from our picks, there are numerous amounts of drones out there and plenty of options for those seeking the lengthiest drone distances. Many of our chosen came down to what’s been tested by the enthusiast base to assure we aren’t hacking up just any old name. That being said, the drone hobbyist market is still growing, and what’s listed as the best here today might be obsolete in the years coming. For now, what we dug up were the better reviewed, competent in hardware, and reached flight distances worthy of their pricetag.

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