How to Fly a Holy Stone Drone: Explained for Beginners

Live from our spec database, sourced from Holy Stone HS720E. A dash means the maker does not publish that figure — never that the answer is no.

1. 1

   Part 1: Four brushless motors

   Holy Stone specifies “Brushless Motor”. Brushless means quieter, longer-lived and more responsive than the geared motors on cheaper toys — the practical difference a beginner notices is that it holds position instead of wandering.

2. 2

   Part 2: Folding arms

   The arms fold against the body; Holy Stone rates them for “thousands of times folding and unfolding”. Folded it is 177 × 104 × 58 mm, unfolded 337 × 240 × 58 mm.

3. 3

   Part 3: Forward camera, on a tilt mount

   A 130° field of view, adjustable through “-90°~0°” — level with the horizon down to straight below. Stabilised electronically (EIS), not on a mechanical gimbal, so it is smoothing the image rather than physically holding the lens steady.

4. 4

   Part 4: Downward camera (optical flow)

   “A camera on the bottom of the drone” that reads the ground to hold position when GPS is weak or unavailable. Low altitudes only — see the contradiction below on how low.

5. 5

   Part 5: Memory card slot

   “Point the camera of the drone forward, and flip the drone over, and the slot is near the base of the right (forward) arm.” Without a card the 4K stays on the aircraft and never reaches you.

6. 6

   Part 6: Front and rear indicator lights

   Not decoration — the calibration procedure is read entirely off these. Yellow flashing means calibrating; green flashing means a stage passed.

7. 7

   Part 7: Battery bay

   A 7.4 V 2800 mAh, 20.72 Wh lipo. Two come in the box, which is where the “46 minutes” claim comes from — it is two flights, not one. Position here is indicative; Holy Stone publishes no dimensioned drawing.

Most first-flight problems are decided indoors, before the propellers ever turn. None of this is optional and all of it is quick.

1. 1

   Install the app Holy Stone actually names

   There are several look-alike drone apps on both stores. The HS720E uses one specific app, and Holy Stone names it outright.

2. 2

   Check your phone can talk to it at all

   The HS720E's camera link needs 5 GHz Wi-Fi. A phone without it will connect to the controller and still show you no picture, which reads like a broken drone.

3. 3

   Charge both batteries, and start early

   Two batteries ship in the box. The charge time is long enough that it decides which day you fly, not which hour.

4. 4

   Put a card in, the right way round

   Without a card the 4K footage has nowhere to go — what reaches your phone is a smaller copy. Holy Stone describes the slot's position by feel rather than by picture.

5. 5

   Settle whether you need to register

   At 495 g this is over the 250 g threshold that exempts the smallest drones in most countries. Holy Stone points you at your own aviation authority, which is the correct answer.

This is the step beginners skip and then blame the drone for. Holy Stone's guidance is unambiguous: do it every single time you power on, and do it away from metal.

1. 1

   Enter calibration with both sticks

   A compass icon appears on the controller's screen and the aircraft's lights start flashing yellow. That flashing is how you know you are in calibration and not in flight.

2. 2

   Spin it flat, three times

   Hold the aircraft level and turn it through three full rotations. Green flashing means this half is done.

3. 3

   Stand it on its tail, three more times

   Now vertical, camera pointing at the sky, three more rotations. The light pattern at the end also tells you something about your GPS reception.

4. 4

   Do it again next time

   Not once when the drone is new — every power-on. This is Holy Stone's own recommendation, not ours.

Wide open space, nothing overhead, nothing metal nearby. The HS720E cannot see obstacles, so the only obstacle avoidance on this aircraft is your choice of field.

1. 1

   Accept that it cannot see

   No sensors, no braking, no warning. Holy Stone says so plainly and prescribes the fix.

2. 2

   Stand clear of anything magnetic

   The interference list is Holy Stone's, and it is the reason a drone that flew fine last week suddenly drifts in a car park.

3. 3

   Fly high and fly open

   Holy Stone's own troubleshooting for a drone that circles on its own is mostly about altitude and interference, not about the sticks.

4. 4

   Know how far is too far

   Two different numbers matter here: how far the controller reaches, and how far the video reaches. The picture gives up long before the aircraft does — and in most countries you must keep it in sight regardless, which is closer than either figure.

These are other people's videos, embedded with credit. We don't produce video reviews and aren't affiliated with these channels — nothing here is a paid placement.

The HS720E has a return-to-home function and two triggers that fire it without you. Knowing what makes it act on its own is most of the value.

1. 1

   It comes back by itself in two cases

   Low battery, or a lost controller link. Both are automatic, so an aircraft flying itself back is usually working as designed rather than running away.

2. 2

   Indoors, it holds position differently

   With no usable GPS the drone switches to a downward camera to hold still. It is a low-altitude, indoor system and it is not a substitute for GPS outdoors.

3. 3

   Follow Me needs the app, GPS, and a short leash

   It tracks your phone, not your body, and only inside a stated distance band. Out of that band it is not doing anything clever.