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Drones break and fall from the sky after taking-off this Christmas

Drones break and fall from the sky after taking-off this Christmas

Drones may have been one of the most popular Christmas gifts for 2015, but they are also proving to be one of the most difficult to handle.

While it’s not unusual for shiny new gifts to be ruined in the days after Christmas, drones are being destroyed in a matter of minutes.

Videos uploaded to YouTube since Christmas Day have captured the moments when drones have become lost, broken or stuck, by both adults and children alike who just aren’t ready to take their drones to the sky.

Many had no problem racing to use their drone on Christmas Day, but some had trouble keeping it off the ground.

Others, who managed to get it off the ground for a significant amount of time, did not have the experience or skill to manoeuver around the pesky trees that got in their flight path.

Then there were the amateur flyers who didn’t test if they could bring their drone back before they sent it up into the heavens.

“Damn thing wouldn't fly backwards, lost signal, disappeared in the clouds and now lost,” said L.Jeff Williams who lost his drone on its first and final flight.

Even those who managed to keep their drone nice and steady, couldn’t avoid disaster.

Video posted to YouTube by Jason Bright, shows the moment his $1,000 drone lost a propeller within one minute of taking off the ground and went tumbling down and crashed into water.

Drone users also took to Twitter to express their disappointment at crashing their new toy.

Consumer groups have issued warnings about the popular Christmas gift, which have dropped in price in recent years and possibly dropped in quality.

Days before Christmas Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority issued a warning video for adults planning on unwrapping a new quad-copter this Christmas.

"They're fun to fly, but you must be responsible," the CASA video warns.


With fires raging across Victoria and many more likely to come throughout the summer, the state's Country Fire Authority has warned amateur drone pilots to steer clear of the danger zones.



"As much fun as you might be having playing with your shiny new drone these holidays, it is really important that they do not interfere with the emergency response vehicles," a CFA statement said Thursday.

Those in breach of the rules face fines of $9,000, but the immediate impact could see fire-fighting aircraft grounded if a drone is spotted in the area.