The FAA is going to have a huge problem to deal with going into 2016 as more drones will certainly be taken to the skies between this coming Black Friday and the holiday season capping off the year.
We aren't going to be much help either as we've scouted the Internet for our favorite Black Friday deals on drones. So, before the government requires all drone operators flying their toys in the U.S. airspace to register their devices with the Federal Aviation Administration, it might be best to get some good flying practice with a cheaper drone before moving up to the big boy drones. From cheapest to most expensive, these are the best bang for your buck drones to get more flying hours logged in under drone enthusiast's belts.
Purely for beginners, the $25 Sky Viper stunt R/C Drone from Walmart is more for kids than enthusiasts, but at that price, drops from the sky won't be too much of a concern for any pilot regardless of age. Now for twice the price but at three times the savings, JCPenny has the Sky King Camera Drone on sale for $49.99 (originally $150) after a $50 mail-in rebate.
Moving things up a notch, Target's Black Friday deal for the Parrot Bebop HD Camera Drone comes with $105 worth of savings for a final retail price of $394.99. With a 14-megapixel fisheye camera equipped with 3-axis stabilization, the Parrot Bebop Drone might be the best mid-point between affordability and flyability for enthusiasts just starting out with drones.
For the more experienced drone pilot who's worked their way from flying R/C toys to legit drones costing into the hundreds and thousands of dollars, bigger savings could be had at Best Buy. For $599.99, the standard but iconic DJI Phantom 3 is on sale with a savings of $200. The Professional package w/ extra of the Phantom 3 battery will cost $1,159.99. Finally, Best Buy is offering $100 off a 3DR Solo Drone (originally $999.99) with a purchase of the $399.99 Solo Gimbal.
As great as some of these deals are, the problem with buying drones during Black Friday is that those drones have probably been on the market already for quite some time. In short, consumers are probably buying into last year's models, and thus, last year's tech.
