Flying a drone can be a lot of fun, it can also be dangerous. That's why it is key for anyone flying a drone from the beginner to even the most experienced pilots to keep a safety first attitude with each flight. Drones come with real and measurable risks. That is why it is key to keep safety first, with this list we hope to give you valuable information that you can use to help make you a better drone pilot. This list isn't exhaustive and is only a basic guideline, you should ensure to check all local laws and regulations wherever you plan on flying. 

Before flying your drone you should always check the airspace of the area where you plan to fly. The method of doing this will vary depending on your region but in Canada you can use NAV Canada's drone flight planning tool. 

This tip sounds obvious but you'd be surprised how many drone operators fail to conduct basic maintenance of their drones. To ensure safety and help prevent any unexpected problems you should always check over your drone and any related equipment including cables and remote controllers.

Ensure that your batteries are in good condition and don't show signs of swelling

Ensure the body of the drone is free of cracks and defects

Ensure that all screws and pieces of the drone are secure

Ensure that your drone isn't displaying any errors and make sure to troubleshoot and solve any errors before flying

Ensure the drone propellers are in good condition, replace any worn or damaged propellers according to your drone manufacturers instructions

Ensure any and all sensors are clean and free of debris before each flight

Ensure your drones sensors are calibrated properly

Ensure you have the latest updates for your devices including your batteries, controller and drone

Prior to take off ensure the drone has strong GPS signals

When taking off hover for a moment and ensure the return to home point is accurate 

When taking off hover for a moment and test all controls including forward and back, side to side, up and down and turning

Once you have taken off hover for a moment and ensure there are no errors and that the drone is behaving as it should and nothing looks or sounds unusual 

Always check the weather before you fly and stay mindful of the weather as you fly your drone. If it begins to rain land your drone as quickly as possible unless it is rated for use in rain.

If the wind begins to pick up to dangerous levels consider landing your drone no picture or video is worth crashing your drone and possibly hurting others or damaging property. Remember that wind speed and wind gusts tend to increase with higher altitudes. Well your drone might be able to handle the wind and gusts at 100 feet it may struggle at 300 feet pay attention to the wind and any wind related warning from your drone.

Before you head out to fly ensure that your controller and drone batteries have sufficient charge. The last thing you want is to get to a location and realize that your controller is about to die then risk losing connection to the drone due to the controller battery dying. Always ensure to charge your devices ideally to 100% before any flights, you also need to remain mindful of how much battery you have available while flying and ensure to set battery warnings in your drones settings and begin to return to home and land with plenty of battery in case unexpected issues arise. 

Always ensure that you have a clear area with plenty of space to launch and land the drone. Ensure that you have the right return to home point set and that your return to home altitude is high enough to clear any obstacles in the immediate area. 

Most modern drones come with the ability to create geo-fences that prevent your drone from going more than a certain distance away from the return to home point or the controller. It is wise to set up a geo-fence for the area you plan to fly in to help increase safety and prevent any flyaways

Always make sure to follow all local laws and regulations, negligence isn't an excuse to not follow the rules or cause damage; as a drone pilot you must ensure that you are doing everything you can to follow all applicable laws as well as not endanger people or aircraft. You should always try to remain up to date with the local laws and regulations to ensure you can operate your drone in a safe and legal manner 

When flying your drone be mindful of obstacles that may cause signal interference such as cell phone towers and power transformers. Buildings and trees can also cause signal interference and cause higher latency between the drone and the controller.