Written for a beginning remote pilot, Getting Started with Drones and Model Airplanes will help you understand how these marvelous machines work and how to fly them safely. Buying a drone or model airplane is just the first step. You must then register your aircraft with the Federal Aviation Administration, complete a testing and certification process, and learn how to safely operate your machine in (or avoid) the busiest and most complex airspace in the world.

Embarking on this journey can be overwhelming, but by picking up this book you've secured an expert copilot to guide you every step of the way. An award-winning instructor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Patrick Sherman has been flying and teaching people about drones for more than 10 years. He explains complex subjects in simple language with pictures and diagrams to make them easy to understand.

In Getting Started with Drones and Model Airplanes, you will learn:

• The differing rules that apply if flying for fun or flying to make money, and the different training and certification required.
• Fundamental principles of aerodynamics to help you understand how different kinds of flying machines--like airplanes and helicopters--work.
• How to maneuver a drone or model airplane using the ubiquitous two-stick controller used by both recreational and commercial pilots.
• How to identify the different parts inside a drone or model airplane and how they work together to make it fly.
• The importance of flying safely to avoid other aircraft or hurting people on the ground.
• Simple techniques for taking great aerial photographs and evaluating a new flying site before you launch your aircraft.

Whether you are teaching yourself how to fly remote aircraft, giving a gift to accompany a new drone or model airplane, taking the first step on the road toward commercial drone operations, or getting your feet wet with aviation-related robotics and STEM subjects, this book will get you headed in the right direction.