How the drone distance calculator works
The asymmetric round trip
Wind makes out-and-back a different equation each direction: ground speed out minus wind, back plus wind. The turn-around point is NOT halfway by distance — it is halfway by TIME, weighted by the ground speeds. Flying out with a tailwind and returning into it is the classic drone-recovery exercise.
Regulation caps before batteries do
Most jurisdictions require visual line of sight (VLOS), which caps practical range at a mile or two regardless of battery. The distance math matters for planning shots and mapping runs within the legal envelope — and the calculator's note is the reminder that the law is the first constraint.
Climb, shoot, descend — the hidden legs
The out-and-back math covers transit only; the actual mission adds climb (expensive), hover-shooting (moderate), and descent (cheap). Real missions budget 20–30% of flight time for the vertical and the shooting — the transit range is a ceiling, not a plan.