This drone is one of the most entertaining gadgets I’ve ever used — here’s what it’s like to fly it
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I've never had any interest in drones. Since I was a kid, I was always into video games or electronics, even remote control cars didn't interest me too much.
But, I tried one, for two "sessions" as I'll call them, and now I get it. I really get it.
Setting up the drone, called the Parrot Bebop 2, was a pretty seamless process. I turned it on with the push of a button, connected my iPhone to it via Wi-Fi, downloaded Parrot's Free Flight Pro app, and I was good to go. A Wi-Fi connection created by the Bebop 2 is what keeps it connected to your phone while flying. That's also how you sync video from its camera to your phone for viewing and sharing.
Once connected, the app asked me to calibrate the Bebop 2 by spinning it on its X, Y, and Z axes. After that, I was good to go. My first test session took place in a pretty big back yard on Long Island. There were a few trees, but overall it was a clear and safe area. The Bebop 2 can be controlled through either an included physical controller or Parrot's app; I used the app exclusively during my two sessions for reasons I'll get to later.
Getting the drone into the air was a matter of hitting the "take off" button, at which point the Bebop 2's propellers started spinning and it leapt off of the marble slab I put it on. The Bebop 2's controls were instantly familiar, not because I had any prior drone experience, but because they were laid out more or less like a video game's. One virtual analog stick let me move the drone vertically and change the direction it faced. The other stick let me move the drone in a specific direction.
Within a few of minutes, I was driving the Bebop 2 around with relative precision. I tested how far up it could go and chickened out before it reached its max height; this is a drone after all. Then I tested its speed, which is certainly fast enough to pull off some impressive moves with enough practice. By the end of my tests, I could get the drone around the perimeter of my friends' pool. I only had about ten minutes worth of battery life during this first test, so I went from never flying a drone to being pretty comfortable with it in the space of ten minutes.
I did have one crash, for testing purposes, of course. I was doing a speed test and couldn't make a sharp turn in time. The Bebop 2 hit a tree, and a little red indicator popped up on my phone's screen telling me there was a hardware failure. My heart sank. I walked over to it and it looked fine, so I set it down on solid ground and hit "take off" again. It was fine, and I resumed my testing.
My second session with the drone took place in the garage behind my apartment building, a very tight space surrounded by concrete. Flying here took more precise movements, but I was careful and still able to navigate without any problems. It wasn't the ideal way to fly, especially with the memory of being able to fly freely fresh in my head, but it worked well.
The most memorable part of my time flying this drone was my friend saying "Okay, this is cooler than I thought it was going to be," which perfectly sums up my experience. I went from drone-neutral to enthusiast within the span of five minutes, and while my flying will probably only happen when I'm back on Long Island, I'm already planning what moves I'd like to try next.
Now, I mentioned earlier I didn't use the included controller, which also comes with a neck harness because it's pretty big. I didn't use it in my testing for two reasons: The first is because it has space between the two controller sticks for a tablet. You can connect your smart device to the Bebop 2 to stream video from its camera directly onto your device, or to a Google Cardboard headset.
I don't have a regular-sized tablet and didn't have my headset on my during tests, so I kept the Bebop 2 in my line of sight the entire time. The second reason is that it was bulkier and more confusing to me than the on-screen controls on my phone. My button layout on the screen mimicked games I played, and I wanted to keep my eyes on the flying object rather than my phone's screen. That said, the controller feels very nice, and can probably let you move the Bebop 2 a bit better once you get used to it.
If you have even a passing interest in drones, then I would consider this model when you're ready to buy. It's small and light, but still powerful. It comes with two batteries, so you should get almost an hour of flying time between the two, and it's easy to control. But, the best compliment I can give the Bebop 2 is that it's fun to use. Even when I was nervously trying to figure out the controls, I had a smile on my face.