If you find a drone under your Christmas tree this year, you're not alone.

The popularity of drones is soaring, say suppliers, amid the ongoing evolution of these high-fliers from science-fiction gizmos to affordable holiday gifts.

“If you get a drone for Christmas, you're going to be able to take some amazing vacation photos from a very high perspective,” says Alex Wright, founder and CEO of wholesaler Drone Depot. “You're going to be able to capture outdoor activities in a way that you never imagined possible before.”

Once sky-high in price, small consumer-grade drones are now available at a variety of price-points, starting at just a few hundred dollars for four-propeller basic models with a built-in camera, to a few thousand dollars for larger, higher-quality devices.

Also called UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles), drones are capturing the imagination of aviation, video and tech enthusiasts, even as they increasingly raise security concerns.

So just how popular are they?

Dany Thivierge, owner of Mississauga-based online store Canada Drones, says demand for drones this holiday season is four times larger than the same period last year, while Ren Bostelaar, School of Imaging manager at Henry's Queen and Church Sts. location, says drones are now a major chunk of the photography store's business.

“We've seen this business go from something that really didn't exist last Christmas to this hugely significant piece of our business right now, and the fastest growing category that we have,” he says.

Danny Vrekalic of Scarborough-based Drones Toronto says dropping prices, simpler technology and a growing selection are all factors in the huge increase in demand he's seen in recent years for recreational drones.

DJI, one of the world's best-known drone manufacturers, has recently been featured in over 100 holiday gift guides from media outlets including Slate, Smithsonian Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. “From 2009 until now, we've seen revenue grow three to five times, year on year,” says Michael Perry, a spokesperson for the Chinese company.

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And in case you weren't already convinced, Google knows what's on everyone's mind. For the first time, “drone” is now the fourth most common autofill response for the phrase “I want to buy” on the search engine, according to an analysis by ConvergEx group.

So drones are a big, and fast-growing, business. But despite the potential fun — high-quality drones can take some phenomenal photographs and video footage — experts say buyers should take precautions.

The potential dangers of UAVs have been a rising concern of late, in part thanks to a series of run-ins between recreational drones and planes. In one instance, there was a near-miss between two drones and a New York Police Department helicopter; in another, a drone spotted near Toronto's Pearson International Airport forced pilots to change their landing paths.

On a personal level, drones can be dangerous too, as Toronto resident Chance Brown quickly learned. He bought a DJI Phantom 2 drone about two weeks ago — and since then, he's crashed it twice and sliced his fingers open on its blades mid-flight.

“They could really hurt someone,” Brown says. “If you're in a big open crowd and that drops on someone . . . that's probably going to feel like 10 pounds hit someone's head.”

Despite the risks, drones are often seen as toys. There are various quadcopters sold at toy and electronics stores, such as The Source's Heliquad 2.4 ($60). “This is a great toy for ages 14 and up,” reads the summary. Some imported toy models are priced as low as $20.

Brown says some of those small UAVs have safety guards around their wing blades, unlike most of their larger, pricier counterparts. They also tend to be lightweight and can't support added weight like a GoPro camera.

The two shouldn't be confused. “You've got to understand that they're not a toy,” he says of full-size drones.

“Our products are designed for people 18 and over,” notes Perry, DJI spokesperson. “So if it's given as a gift to children, we recommend that it's operated only with parental supervision.”

Regardless of a user's age, drone experts stress the importance of proper training and research, rather than trying to fly a drone right out of the box.

“Safety and responsibility is a really big part of it,” says Bostelaar. “I know it seems like a whole lot of fun but don't get too excited and pop the battery in — actually read all the paperwork first.”

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Some drone suppliers offer training when you buy your drone.

“I spend a half hour at least with each client and give them basic flight training and instruction on how to use the gear,” says Vrekalic from Drones Toronto.

Bostelaar says Henry's has a flight school that's starting up again in the New Year, where you learn the basics of drone ownership and practice flying outside.

Even with training, it's important to pay attention to Transport Canada guidelines — you can find information online at tc.gc.ca/safetyfirst. Some of the key things to remember include not flying a drone closer than nine kilometres from any airport, heliport, or aerodrome, and not flying higher than 90 metres above the ground.

“The fact that you're taking this thing off the ground means that you're a flier, and you have to follow certain rules about controlled airspace,” says Bostelaar.

But if you follow some common-sense guidelines, he adds, “You can have a total blast.”

Tips for safe flying

Only fly your drone during daylight and in good weather, not in clouds or fog.

Make sure your drone is always within sight.

Make sure your drone is safe for flight and fully charged before takeoff.

Avoid flying over private property or taking photos or videos without permission.

Don't fly closer than nine kilometres from any airport, heliport or aerodrome.

Don't fly higher than 90 metres above the ground.

Don't fly closer than 150 metres from people, animals, buildings or vehicles.