Drones are all the rage, but it hasn’t been until recently that the average consumer could get their hands on one at a reasonable price. Where most drones were large, hefty things, MOTA changes things up with their line of tiny drones that fit in the palm of your hand. The Jetjat Ultra is the latest in the line and takes the spot at the top of their Jetjat drone line.
The Jetjat Ultra will run you $129 and places it just on the high side of affordable, but it does come with some features that other drones in the same range lack. For the price you get the ability to take photos and video with the included HQ camera, lots of advanced flying features and more. It’s darn impressive to see a camera on a drone this tiny and great to have features that make flying a painless experience for new pilots.
The included camera is the star here, but it’s not HD (only 640×480) and won’t win you any photography awards. Still it’s a lot of fun to use in a variety of situation. When paired with the MOTA app you can even use your phone and stream whatever the Jetjat sees while in flight. It was darn impressive to fly around the office and use my phone to see what was going on and snap some photos and video.
Flying is also a breeze with the included controller that also serves as the storage unit for the drone (I’m telling you it’s a really small drone). With a single touch take off and landing button the Jetjat Ultra is incredibly easy to get flying, even for the most novice of drone pilots. The other flying controls are easy to pick up and you’ll be performing some neat maneuvers in no time. But just remember to install the included plastic guard rail so you don’t ding a propeller blade like I did.
That said, MOTA included a complete set of replacement propeller blades for those people that are crash prone and replacement blades are pretty cheap. While the Jetjat Ultra is a tiny little thing it does hold up fairly well under minor bumps and bangs. This is my first drone so I saw my fare share of crashes and the drone took it all pretty well. This thing may be tiny, but I suggest you practice with it outside in a space with a lot of space before you start buzzing about indoors as it can move pretty fast and walls tend to come out of nowhere while flying.
As for advanced features the Jetjat Ultra has them in spades. In fact, it has a lot of cool things that are seen in drones at twice the price. The controller has an integrated aileron roll feature so you can impress you friends with some impressive tricks with the touch of a button. The app also allows for VR functionality with any basic Google Cardboard type headset. It’s no high-end drone racing setup, but you do get a cool new perspective while flying. It also features three levels of skill so as you get more comfortable flying you can kick up the level of control and speed.
The drone also has a hover mode (built-in Gyroscope ) that helps keep it stable in the air which really helps new pilots, but also lets you take better advantage of the built in camera which can take still pictures. It’s more of a novelty than anything that this thing can record video and take pictures, but its a welcome addition that means you will get a lot more use of this drone that ones without. There are also guide lights on the unit for easier flying at night as well as being able to know which direction the drone is facing. Remember, it’s tiny so these lights help out even during the day.
Oh, and one thing that I thought was darn cool was the ‘Throw To Fly’ feature that lets you toss the Jetjat into the air and have it fire up and take flight. Being so small it can only hit a ceiling of 80 feet, but it’s enough to have a lot of fun with, just don’t throw like a baseball, okay. Everything about the included features that MOTA jammed into this thing is there to help make your experience an easy one and much appreciated. This drone is sure to turn heads with all your friends and family wanting in on the fun. I can’t tell you how fun it was to drop by my parents and see my mother take a shot flying a drone.
I’ve had nothing but glowing things to say about the Jetjat Ultra, but it does have a number of issues you should be aware of. While MOTA claims the drone is pretty tough, it’s not as tough as it probably should be for the price. The included guard rail is nice, but it does not really protect the rotor blades in many situations. The rail just barely reaches the rotor blades, but doesn’t cover them from above and because this thing is small, it’s going to fall on its top quite a bit. It’s also strange that in all the promotional material the rail itself is never shown.
But the real bummer is in the range and flight time. The Jetjat Ultra only has a range of 100 feet so you aren’t going to be going all that far. The camera helps with this adding to the fun, but you are going to wish the range was just a little wider. If that wasn’t bad enough the flight time was is only rated at 5 minutes. This isn’t long at all and just when you are starting to have some fun the thing is going to shut itself off. Sure, it only takes less than 30 minutes for a full charge using the included USB cable, but it’s a real bummer.
The Jetjat Ultra is a really cool drone, but I’d really recommend one of MOTA’s other, much cheaper drones in the Jetjat series to get yourself started with. The Jetjat NANO is only $40 and the camera equipped NANO-C will only run you $50, both far less than the Ultra and just as small. I’ve had the Ultra for a little while now and it’s already be relegated to my shelf, only pulled down for the occasional fly around my office, and for $129 it’s a little much for that sort of novelty. It’s fair to say that either of the lesser models would probably satisfied me just as much as the Jetjat Ultra. Still, if you have some drone experience and are looking for something really tiny to entertain yourself around the house the Jetjat Ultra is a fine choice thanks to the camera streaming capabilities.
If you want to find out more about the Jetjat Ultra or pick one up for yourself, just head over to MOTA’s website at: https://www.mota.com/ultra/
3.5/5
‘Good’
A unit was provided for review
About Author
