Drones are becoming better and cheaper, and the temptation to splash your cash on one keeps on growing.
Even action camera company GoPro couldn’t resist the urge, recently announcing its own plans to develop a quadcopter.
To push you (and us) over the edge, here’s a round-up of some of the most impressive drone videos on the internet.
Related: Best drones and quadcopters at CES 2015
Danny Macaskill: The Ridge
Traversing the Cuillin Ridgeline on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, is a treacherous scramble, perfect for anyone seeking an adrenaline kick.
Fear is not a word in pro mountain biker Danny Macaskill’s vocabulary, though. That’s why he chose to ditch the walking boots and mountain bike along the spine-tingling knife-edge arete.
Thankfully, a drone was on hand to catch the madness in action.
(YouTube)xQ_IQS3VKjA(/YouTube)
The north Cornwall coast
Drones are great because they can give us new perspectives on beautiful landscapes. One such scenic vista is the north Cornwall coast in England.
It’s also accompanied by Hans Zimmer’s melodic “Time”, which makes it weirdly emotional. Is someone cutting onions in here? *sniffle*
(YouTube)q0xEfdK-D1c(/YouTube)
Related: 9 crazy smart home gadgets you didn’t know existed
Postcards from Pripyat, Chernobyl
When a nuclear disaster struck Chernobyl, Ukraine, in 1986, the surrounding areas were devastated. The nearby city of Pripyat was no exception, and was completely abandoned as a result.
Anyone who played Call of Duty: Modern Warfare will also remember Pripyat as the iconic location for the famous “All Ghillied Up” mission. Infinity Ward did a great job of replicating it in-game, as you’ll see from this real-life drone footage.
The amusement park is especially creepy…
(YouTube)oNV5Sq28Mp4(/YouTube)
BeetleCopter in the Serengeti
The Serengeti is an unmissable place, but a trip to Africa doesn’t come cheap. Fortunately, you can get a bird’s-eye view of the real-life Lion King courtesy of a drone. Hakuna Matata.
(YouTube)GSJGqtHZxCU(/YouTube)
Related: The 8 best tech brands you’ve never heard of
Samsung Galaxy S6 Drop Test
Technology drop tests are one big game of one-upmanship, and these guys definitely just won.
Samsung’s Galaxy S6 might be hardy, but is it dropped-from-a-drone-at-900-feet hardy? Watch the video to find out…
(YouTube)GcHD4LK86gM(/YouTube)
Apple Campus 2 Drone in 4K
Cupertino, California residents will be very aware that Apple has spent the past two years building its second major campus.
Dubbed Apple Campus 2 (real inventive, guys…), the sprawling iMetropolis’ construction is well under way.
Check out this bird’s-eye footage of the site and see the work in progress.
(YouTube)9vy6M3qXbdQ(/YouTube)
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What’s up Hong Kong?
OK, this video is only half shot on a drone. The rest is GoPro. But it’s still amazing. A bunch of daredevils climb up a tall building in Hong Kong, and get up to some serious mischief. We won’t spoil the ending for you, but it’s pretty cool.
Watch this video for the epic aerial shots of Hong Kong, if nothing else.
(YouTube)jJkuCzgg7fo(/YouTube)
DJI Phantom – Niagara Falls
We’re happy viewing Canada’s Niagara Falls from the sidelines, for obvious reasons. But drones don’t have any undies to soil, which means we can view awesome footage like this.
(YouTube)cfoLYTKObiU(/YouTube)
Related: 10 craziest game controllers ever
Angry ram takes down a drone, and its owner
This guy was filming a ram using his drone, and got a bit too close. The ram, being a ram, headbutted the drone, knocking it out of action.
But the carnage doesn’t stop there.
(YouTube)pfLCb4ewDDc(/YouTube)
Fireworks filmed with a drone
This spectacular footage filmed with a drone showcases a firework display… from the inside. This unique perspective is made even more amazing by the fact that the drone wasn’t even damaged during filming.
(YouTube)a9KZ3jgbbmI(/YouTube)
Related: 10 things you didn’t know about Pac-Man
Flying into Yasur volcano, Tanna Island
You might be the best cameraman in the world, but diving into a volcano and getting blasted with burning hot embers is nothing short of DIY. cremation.
That’s where drones come in. While you’ll come out looking like over-toasted Hovis, the drone captures glorious footage with zero risk of having to be scraped off the side of a volcano.
(YouTube)0-shWVW1UBc(/YouTube)
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.