Anyone starting out or thinking about this hobby?....this is your man.....!!Top Banana!!....since taking his quadcopter drone flying lessons...i have learned to fly!......and with his clear concise instruction, I have learned translational flight, turning and banked turns, and how to control a returning quady. (great tip) - You have turned my hobby into a passion....thanks Quadcopter 101
I was in the Martial Arts for 20 years and also trained with hand guns for 5 years. I know the importance of drilling the basics until they become muscle memory. Your examples are perfect, just what I was looking for. I am new to drone flying and didn't know how to start learning. I have been practicing your drills and it has helped a lot, I now have a starting point. Thank you very much. Paul.
I've just watched several "how to fly a quadcopter" videos and have quickly determined that this video is, by far, the best! Your method, to start with the basics and only advance to the next level after many repetitions, is sound advice. Great video quality.
Thank you for taking the time to post your Flying lessons. I have been flying quads for about 3 months. Still working on controlled bank turns. I have the Hubsan X4, Dromida Ominus and little Estes Proto X. This is a great hobby and I really appreciate your knowledge and willingness to share. Your videos have helped a lot.
Came back to this series of your flying lessons as a refresher before flying a qc for the first time in my life - and it has helped me get comfortable flying really quickly! Thanks for all the hard work, it really shows you are enjoying this...
Quadcopter 101 Got my Syma X5C a few weeks ago and I have been trying to learn the basics having never flown a radio controlled vehicle before. The information and videos you have posted on here have been a tremendous help, thanks. For new flyers like myself I don't think you can stress more highly the importance of going to find a wide open space to practice. Up to now I had been flying the quad in the house and sometimes in the garden on still days. I was having great difficulty operating the two different controls at the same time - not enough thinking time for my brain to process what was going on when quad was anything but square on facing away from me. Today I took your advice and your instructions from this video out onto my local playing fields and there was no one around. I really got a great feel for what this quad is capable of. I managed to do banked turns and took some great videos. I was able to get the quad back to me after following your instructions on how to get your quad back even if it is too far away to see what direction it was pointing. Flew on High setting to get some really fast movement from the quad. Fantastic. With all that space I was able to fly a bit higher and make mistakes and correct them before crashing (sure I also crashed a few times as well). I really enjoyed myself and felt like I had made massive progress. Still got a long way to go. 6 batteries on charge - can't wait for tomorrow. Thanks again for your help. Keep up the geat work. P.S. Ignore the negative comments on here. I think you are doing a fantastic job. Going to watch some more of your stuff now.
Just flew my new MJX x600 for the first time I instinctively followed your first lesson. First flight in 23 years. I kept up your out and back until I landed it on a 2 ft square platform at my feet. Now I know what the other drills are thanks to you. Thanks from an old RC electric retread. When I found the prices getting right for the UAVs I just could not resist.
Been looking all over the internet for some basic beginner flying skills. I finally found your videos!! By far the best and easy to understand. A BIG Thanks!!!
Been flying a Nano Quad UDI 839 for about 10 days while waiting for my Soma X5C-1. Mostly random steering (I do have a large space). This video organizes my practice to hopefully increase my learning curve. Thanks for ALL the videos you post. I find them very useful. Mike Moody
I just want to thank you publicly for your kindness toward me. I am going to follow your instructions and recommendations. As a novice flyer I really appreciate your videos and instruction. I will be moving up from the U389 to the X5C-1 as you recommended. Thank you.
Super thank you for such an easy and mellow training video. i really like your tone and your pleasant voice and the fact that you are not saying anything repatative or descriptive about the drone itself. I am going to go outside right now and practice turning my drone around. Wish me luck! Your friend, Gretchen Dupree
Been watching your videos for years! You're absolutely awesome! Thanks for sharing your videos with us all! Just sent this to my 42 year old nefew! He wants to learn!
Thank you for a great educational video. Well explained and well done. I have taught several people how to fly a helicopter, always started at hover, then out turn and back. Love the way you started with out and back.
Thanks for the video. This is the first instructional quadcopter video I've seen. I hope to get my Tarantula X6 tomorrow. Delivery was attempted today but no one was home to receive the package. I can't wait to start flying. Wish mage luck.
Hi: Just wanted to say I learned so much from watching this video. I should have watched this before we lost our first small quadcopter. You have a great methodical presentation style. I like how you emphasized practicing out and backs over and over - it works! We owe our basic piloting skills to you! Thanks for the great videos.
About 10 flights indoor (6-7 min each) with a Syma X13 and your lessons and I'm getting the thing. Those banked turns are still shaky, with the wall, ceilling, lamps and a crazy cat disturbing, but it's just a matter of practicing. Thanks for a very good tutorial.
Saw this video early this morning and had to wait till this evening for the tradewinds to die down to fly my drone...I am still new to this but feel this video just advanced my understanding of flying in one session! I also gave my daughter her first flying lesson with the drone and her crashes were minimal in comparison to mine and with the information you shared we both will most likely learn faster than other beginners. Will keep an eye out for other lessons you...I hope...put out for people like us to learn from. Thanks so much for a terrific flying lesson and keep up the good work! Aloha!!!!
Actually, I've done quite a few tutorials. Here's where I've tried to organize them. Index is in the right column. Recommend progressing sequentially through the tutorials as listed in the index. quadcopter101.blogspot.com/2014/02/flight-school-6-distance-flying-keeping.html
Thanks I got my first quadcopter yesterday (syma x11) and have quickly realized that i need lots of practice. In less than a minute, I gained a new respect for your quad flying skills :-)
Hi Quadcopter101, I left you a comment 2 months ago when you were reviewing the MJX Bugs 3 and asked you opinion. Now I have to admit, it's not a toy. I will be exercising using your tutorial. It really has the "umf", crashed it 1 single time quite hard but it survived. I don't plan crashing it anymore
Great video. I've been very frustrated trying to fly other than headless mode. Breaking it down into these 3 practice steps is just what I need (plus some patience).
I just wanted to thank you for this channel and all the great content. I bought my x5c -1 on your advice and couldn't be happier! Got some extra batteries to speed up the learning curve(my first quad and all) . I had planned on a bigger quad soon but I think I will wait to see your reviews on the new quads coming out. Keep up the good work!
I've seen several of your video's and I just wanted to say thank you! I'm new to Drones and I have much to learn but thanks to folks like you I will start on the right foot. I have to say that I'm surprised on the control system for drones, headless seems like the best solution, but there is probably some purpose behind it all.
Thank you for the video ! Just got an X5C-1 , and I'm going to do your suggested exercises to learn to fly this thing. Yours is the first quad instructional video (of the dozen or so I've viewed) I've seen that explains learning coordinated (yaw + bank/roll ) turns. I like the progressive way of learning that which you clearly presented here. Next dry and fairly wind free day we have I'll be out there flying.
Thank you so much Quadcopter 101. I learned a lot from your lessons. I started from V262 then Blade Nano Qx, Estes Proto X. Now I am regularly flying my Blade 350QX3. I can now do bank turns and funnels. I know there are a lot of newbies out there who have also learned how to fly because of your video lessons. Again, thank you and more power. You're a great man!😄
Thanks for this video. I got my X5c-1 quad yesterday afternoon. It is a fantastic quad for the money and it really is a lot of fun. I was practicing the forward and then back flight. I changed my orientation by 90 degrees a couple times and boy it gets scary! I have to fight my default muscle memory of forward backwards etc, then 'forward' being left and backwards being right. I don't have a big field to fly in but I waited until about midnight last night and took it out in the grass of our apartment complex and went through two batteries. No crashes to speak of! Pretty good for a complete first time!
If it's any help - Flying the craft back towards you (resulting in you having to reverse your controls,) can be made a little easier by turning around so you are facing the direction the quadcopter is moving. In other words, you have your back to the copter ! - Then turn your head and watch it over your shoulder. You'll find the reversed controlling easier. It seems, it's not so much the direction your HEAD is facing, but the direction you BODY is facing that causes problems. Most odd. As you get more experienced, you can turn your body partly away from the copter; say 90 degrees away. Eventually, you'll just not even think about it, and remain facing it. Myself, I haven't quite reached this stage yet.
This is great! Thanks for the drills to practice. I really didn't know what to do the first two times I tried to fly my X5C-1 out of the box, so it just kept crashing and dropping out of the sky, but this third time was a great success with Part 1 and the start of Part 2 exercises you suggested. My confidence in learning to control this quadcopter just shot up!
Great instructional video - wish i had watched it before I tried mine out for the first time and panicked ending it up in a tree. Thats the best piece of advice - practice in a wide open space with no trees or obstacles. Its actually quite an exciting and nerve wracking experience flying these things - even worse when you have to climb a 60 foot tree to get it back. lol
great video.. I just bought my first quadcopter yesterday and had a quick go and found it hard to fly. even after reading the user manual. this video was great and very easy to understand..thanks
Great technique, I just came back from testing it out. The Hubsan is so small, it doesn't take much to lose your directional reference. I was able to safely navigate back and continue flying. Thanks for posting this and thumb's up!
Thx mate, I'm going to get a Protocol Gaileo for my first drone. But my very first drone was an $8 one, it broke in the same hour I took it out of the box lol. Thx for teaching me, I don't think anyone here wants to break their first drone. Thx for all of the hard work :)
In the beginning I was having a heck of a time with nose in hovering and flying UNTIL I learned that Right rudder is always clock wise and Left is always counter clockwise. Now I'm flying much better. Thanks for all your help.
Hi Quadcopter 101 I got my X5C-1 today. I bought a 4 pack of batteries with a charger that will charge all 4 at once. So I did fly it for about 40 min. before it got too dark. I did a whole bunch of out and backs. I have started to do out turn and back and turn and out turn and back. I can't believe how many times I get lost once I turn and start back. I will keep practicing but it fills like I might never get it. Anyway thanks for the great videos!!!
Quadcopter 101 I think that something people don't realize is that even with GPS on those new fancy quads, if you fly too far out and too far up it will drift away , I think the wind's stronger up there
Very useful video - will be taking all advice on board. I think it's a matter of confidence with me as I'm a bit nervous when flying at times as I'm someone who likes to ensure things are perfect from Day 1. Not realistic in flying but I'll be doing this over and over again.
hi i just got the e010 mini nano and was ready to toss it in the bin until i watched this video with only 5 mins fly time until i get spare batts my skills are developing for a £20 drone i love it thanks for the video and i deffo recomend the e010 as a first entry to drone or quad flying great video
thank you quadcopter 101 for this video, just learning the basics, i have a u807 nihui , and doing great now adjusted on the forwards and backs and sides of controlling the quad, now practicing reverse forward and backwards and sides. hope to do the banking nxtime and the funnels tnx mate!
Thanks mate your a star. Love my Drone but darn tricky to fly on south coast uk as windy, panicked few times when gathered height is even windyer up there take eyes of for one second looked back and couldnt see it, was about half a mile away when found, been real nervous ever since, i will try this THANKYOU your a good teacher.
As always great video. I always suggest flying in tight areas to train like the garden thus giving you more sense of control, just my opinion but always love you videos.
Wish I'd have watched this before I took my new drone out on a big field :'( Got carried away into the stratosphere by a gust of wind, probably in bits now. R.I.P Barry the Drone.
This was awesome! I have a Syma X5u and a MJX X600. I am a complete beginner, and this is what I have been doing, flying it out forward pitch, the backward pitch to bring it back, or I’ll do a square to add a little roll to it! For me, yes, if I accidentally yaw the copter, I loose orientation and have to figure things out fast or totally lose control. like and idiot, I took the MJX x600 out, in wind, and shit, that thing was 60 feet in the air in seconds and drifting with the wind, tried to thottle down, and simultaneously was adding yaw to the mix....SHIT! Figured out the orientation of the hex and luckily got it back! The x600, in my opinion is no beginner drone, that thing is powerful and fast, and can get away from a rookie like me! Thanks Quadcopter101 for this lesson!
Great video, I have a large quadcopter that I've had for a long time but I'm afriad to fly because crashing it would be expensive. I can do basic stuff but turning always messes me up. I got a Hubsan X4 to practice with, and a simulator. Your tips will come in handy! Thanks again.
Thank you this vid was very help full because my big brother got me the smallest quadcopter in the world and a helicopter and I want to learn and you helped me a lot
I really enjoy that your not a PRO self professed or proven. You make mistakes, and have simple issues. This make me feel at ease not as if I am a slow learner [ yes I am ] I learn from you plus enjoy your vids Thanks Mkc357
Thanks for another helpfull video! today i was finally able to take my x5c out to an empty soccer field and i'm really glad i came across your channel before buying something like a eachine racer or falcon 250 to start out on :D that would have been a bad idea... hovering and maintaining altitude was easy enough but flying cirles is another thing. i got a total of 4 batteries and i probably need to get a couple more or maybe a powerbank to charge them on the go? i fly for about 7 minutes before i switch them out.
Thanks for the flying lesson as i am a new flier and due to winter approaching soon,i am practicing inside for now with my JJRC H5P mostly with the throttle until spring and then i am taking it out which hopefully a baseball field and then some will be enough space for practice as its not as big as this place but would be better than the park where i live at as there is a lot of trees around.
Goddam you make it look so easy! after watching your videos I go out filled with hope and enthousiasm... to return feeling such a failure. I do love your tutorials though, they keep me grinding away at it, determined as hell.
Quadcopter 101 , I watch every video of yours. I have a very very hard time keeping the orientation of the quadcopter. I have so far lost a Hubsan micro and a Nihui 807. Before actually doing complex maneuvers I have practised hovering , flying out and back etc but when I adjust the yaw I lose orientation and cannot figure the direction. I am pretty good at pitch and roll. Also having the same colored props contributes to my confusion. I might have to move to flying Helicopters rather , atleast I cant lose orientation
Hey Quadcopter 101! First of all, I really enjoy watching your videos and I sure have learned a ton about quadcopter flying. I just have a couple of questions about the Syma X5C-1. The first question I have is about the batteries and the mAh that they put out. I had a quadcopter that was manufactured by Zuzo that was almost identical to the Syma X5C-1. The only difference I could really find between the two was the mAh of the battery. The quadcopter from Zuzo had a 650 mAh battery that came with it. In order to extend the flight time, I ordered four more of the 650 mAh batteries. You said in the video you posted that you could use a 350 mAh battery rather then the provided 500 mAh battery. Would it be okay if I used the four batteries I ordered for the Zuzo quadcopter or would it burn out the motors or anything else on the Syma X5C-1 due to the difference in mAh? The other question I had was about how to replace the motors for the Syma X5C-1 and other quadcopters alike. My Zuzo quadcopter started to have motor issues so I replaced the motors with some I bought online (brass gears instead of plastic gears; don't know if that makes a huge difference or not). I haven't been able to get the Zuzo quadcopter to work the same as it used to. The motors randomly shut off and I often have no control on where it goes. Is there something I am doing wrong? Thank you very much for your time and for your advice! I really appreciate and enjoy your videos and I would love to get a response for these questions whether it be in video or in the comments. Thanks again and I look forward to your future videos.
Great video +Quadcopter 101 Thanks!! Going to a large open field changed things dramatically! Q: I've got a couple of problems I hope you can help me with. 1) When I use forward pitch at the same time as turning, particularly banked turns, I tend to lose a lot of height as it dives towards the ground. Putting reverse pitch levelled it out but lost most of my momentum/speed. What's a better way to correct this diving? (I've gotten pretty good at repairing these broken spars now, thanks again for your video on that one!). 2) I've understood your video on orientation but when doing a banked turn at a distance, my quad ends up skidding around to face the wrong way - watching you, you just apply rudder and horizontal pitch at the same time and stop at the same time. My copter seems to have spun around before the banked turn is complete. Then I often crash because I'm scared of losing it into that tree and I have problems with vortex ring if I descend vertically. I'm flying a TG514 which is a 4ch six axis copter seemingly very similar to a V959 or V262 like you had in this video th-cam.com/video/tuOGhRcPnwY/w-d-xo.html Would really love any advice you or anyone can give? Thanks in advance!
+David B Actually my quad is only small, I guess like a V212 or V222. It's got a different circuit board to those but the other parts are very similar.
+David B 1) Increase throttle to maintain altitude. 2) Use rudder turns only if flying at distance. Also fly in low rate (beginner's rate). This will minimize "overshooting".
I Ordered one of these last week from Amazon... I just hope I have the X5C-1 coming, it says it's the newer version but the pictures show the old one... Anyway I really like your videos and I think they are going to very helpful! Thanks and keep up the great work.
I wouldn't worry. All the original X5Cs should be long gone from inventory of all vendors by now. Even if it just says X5C, it shoiuld be an upgraded or newer version model by now.
Great tutorial , I´m completely new on this RC flying quads and I was wondering how do you handle out of range situations ?. Does the transmiter loose completely control ?
24Mrjack Correct, it eventually comes to you. That's why I state do the lessons over and over and over.... until it becomes automatic. Just make sure that you have room around you to allow for mistakes.
So good to have your experience to guide a novice like me! The first copter was the JJRC H8C wasn't it? That seems a very desirable choice to me as I get to know what is on the market.
Hello Quadcopter 101 Thanks for the very informative videos, i have followed your instructions and are now becoming more adept at it, today i ordered me a Yoshan i8H as you seamed to give it a quite good review but i have noticed it hasn't come with a camera can i ask what camera would you recommend for FVP flying i am a total novice at this and i am learning my hobby from your instruction so any help would be a great help Thanks
thanks for spending time on the basics for us new pilots . i watch lots of your vids... just wondering can a quadcopter just fly away when out of range of the Tx?
wowiezowiepowie Some can. Some will not turn off the motors if they fly out of range of the transmitter. Instead they fly backwards in an attempt to fly back into range of the transmitter. But this is a problem if range is lost by flying too high. In that case flying backwards would not help regain the transmitter, and they fly away. When I first review a quadcopter, I try to demonstrate what the quadcopter would do by holding it in hand at low power and turning off the transmitter. If it does not turn off, then I'm extra careful not to fly too far away from the transmitter.
This is an excellent tutorial, thanks. I have some questions, and it will be obvious I have not flown a quad, yet. I looked at your other tutorials and have not found one where you identify the controls on the Tx. You use terms like 'pitch'. 'roll', even 'aileron' which I didn't know quads have, but so far I have not heard you explain how the Tx controls work. To be fair, I have figured some of it out after watching dozens of videos, but there appears to be a wrench in this topic: Mode 1 or 2. I gather that Mode 1 is throttle on the right, Mode 2 it's on the left. I haven't heard anyone address this topic and why one would want a Tx operating in one mode or the other. Would it not be a nightmare to learn to fly quads using Mode 2 and then buy one with a Tx in Mode 1? I saw the H9D on Amazon ($239, ouch) in Mode 1 only. How does one find out about this confusing topic and which Mode to learn? Thank you.
My blog may be of greater help. Make sure to view the Index in the right column for other important articles to help beginners get started in this hobby: quadcopter101.blogspot.com/2013/10/chapter-3-controller.html
And if you can be patient, you can get the H9D soon for $92: www.banggood.com/JJRC-H9D-2_4G-FPV-digital-transmission-Quadcopter-with-2MP-Camera-p-958018.html?p=RB0922217402201307U3
Quadcopter 101 Excellent blog, thanks. Answers lots of questions & gave me a good grounding in quad flying theory. You mentioned something I've thought from the beginning - quads don't have a front and back. So the skill of flying them, not based on their front-back orientation, but rather on their response to controls, makes so much sense. Of course, trying to do video does require knowing where the lens is pointing, and I suppose FPV - using only the video feed for orientation - is a whole new world. Don't worry, I'm not considering Amazon, even if it was Mode 2. Seen Ambulance Drone? Cool idea.
Great lesson! Thanks. Now I'm able to do banking turns and funnels left and right (no pun intended lol) and even tornadoes. I was flying the Hubsan H111 the little nano that is so nimble. However I find the transition to my H501S a bit awkward.
Very very helpful, thanks i practiced back and forth and i working on my turning with my v686g. Turning is my my biggest problem along with when i lose orientation i tend to panic thinking i'm loosing the quad and i drop the throttle to fast. Crash...
Thank you for the tips! I just got my quadcopter yesterday and was feeling a little overwhelmed and couldn't control it at all. I am going to use your 3 steps in this video go get the hang of control. Question, I notice with my quad, LarkFPV, I have to adjust the forward trim almost all the way to prevent it from going backwards, even if there isn't any wind. Is there something I can do to fix that physically on the copter?
Your gyros may need calibrated after shipment. Center the trim and then try the following. 1) Turn on the quadcopter and place it on a flat and level surface. 2) Turn on and bind the transmitter. Center all trim tabs. 3) Leaving the quadcopter undisturbed, move and hold both control sticks to their lower right corners. Hold them there until the quadcopter's lights blink. If they don't blink, then try lower left corners, lower outboard corners, or lower inboard until you notice the lights blink. 4) Let go of the sticks and try flying.
Thank you for the tip on resetting the gyros. I found the procedure in the manual for the quadcopter. After I reset the gyros I still have to trim full forward. There doesn't seem to be any other issue with stability with the copter, so I will just call it good. By the way after just a few sessions following your steps 1 and 2, I am much more confident with control. Next up, following your howto on how to gain control when you lose orientation of your copter.
![SYMA X5C Quadcopter Drone RANGE MOD - Step by Step - [Works For Any RC]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/g1GblSfwlog/mqdefault.jpg)
Anyone starting out or thinking about this hobby?....this is your man.....!!Top Banana!!....since taking his quadcopter drone flying lessons...i have learned to fly!......and with his clear concise instruction, I have learned translational flight, turning and banked turns, and how to control a returning quady. (great tip) - You have turned my hobby into a passion....thanks Quadcopter 101
Agrees!
I was in the Martial Arts for 20 years and also trained with hand guns for 5 years. I know the importance of drilling the basics until they become muscle memory. Your examples are perfect, just what I was looking for. I am new to drone flying and didn't know how to start learning. I have been practicing your drills and it has helped a lot, I now have a starting point. Thank you very much.
Paul.
I've just watched several "how to fly a quadcopter" videos and have quickly determined that this video is, by far, the best! Your method, to start with the basics and only advance to the next level after many repetitions, is sound advice. Great video quality.
Thank you for taking the time to post your Flying lessons. I have been flying quads for about 3 months. Still working on controlled bank turns. I have the Hubsan X4, Dromida Ominus and little Estes Proto X. This is a great hobby and I really appreciate your knowledge and willingness to share. Your videos have helped a lot.
Came back to this series of your flying lessons as a refresher before flying a qc for the first time in my life - and it has helped me get comfortable flying really quickly! Thanks for all the hard work, it really shows you are enjoying this...
Quadcopter 101 Got my Syma X5C a few weeks ago and I have been trying to learn the basics having never flown a radio controlled vehicle before. The information and videos you have posted on here have been a tremendous help, thanks. For new flyers like myself I don't think you can stress more highly the importance of going to find a wide open space to practice. Up to now I had been flying the quad in the house and sometimes in the garden on still days. I was having great difficulty operating the two different controls at the same time - not enough thinking time for my brain to process what was going on when quad was anything but square on facing away from me. Today I took your advice and your instructions from this video out onto my local playing fields and there was no one around. I really got a great feel for what this quad is capable of. I managed to do banked turns and took some great videos. I was able to get the quad back to me after following your instructions on how to get your quad back even if it is too far away to see what direction it was pointing. Flew on High setting to get some really fast movement from the quad. Fantastic. With all that space I was able to fly a bit higher and make mistakes and correct them before crashing (sure I also crashed a few times as well). I really enjoyed myself and felt like I had made massive progress. Still got a long way to go. 6 batteries on charge - can't wait for tomorrow. Thanks again for your help. Keep up the geat work. P.S. Ignore the negative comments on here. I think you are doing a fantastic job. Going to watch some more of your stuff now.
Just flew my new MJX x600 for the first time I instinctively followed your first lesson. First flight in 23 years. I kept up your out and back until I landed it on a 2 ft square platform at my feet. Now I know what the other drills are thanks to you. Thanks from an old RC electric retread. When I found the prices getting right for the UAVs I just could not resist.
Been looking all over the internet for some basic beginner flying skills. I finally found your videos!! By far the best and easy to understand. A BIG Thanks!!!
Been flying a Nano Quad UDI 839 for about 10 days while waiting for my Soma X5C-1. Mostly random steering (I do have a large space). This video organizes my practice to hopefully increase my learning curve. Thanks for ALL the videos you post. I find them very useful. Mike Moody
I just want to thank you publicly for your kindness toward me. I am going to follow your instructions and recommendations. As a novice flyer I really appreciate your videos and instruction. I will be moving up from the U389 to the X5C-1 as you recommended. Thank you.
Super thank you for such an easy and mellow training video. i really like your tone and your pleasant voice and the fact that you are not saying anything repatative or descriptive about the drone itself. I am going to go outside right now and practice turning my drone around. Wish me luck! Your friend, Gretchen Dupree
Been watching your videos for years! You're absolutely awesome! Thanks for sharing your videos with us all! Just sent this to my 42 year old nefew! He wants to learn!
Thank you for a great educational video. Well explained and well done. I have taught several people how to fly a helicopter, always started at hover, then out turn and back. Love the way you started with out and back.
I'have been learning this game for months and this the first really good
basic flight instruction I have seen on TH-cam, many thanks !
Thanks for the video. This is the first instructional quadcopter video I've seen. I hope to get my Tarantula X6 tomorrow. Delivery was attempted today but no one was home to receive the package. I can't wait to start flying. Wish mage luck.
John Trevino The following site might help you further. It has plenty of tutorials quadcopter101.blogspot.com/
Hi: Just wanted to say I learned so much from watching this video. I should have watched this before we lost our first small quadcopter. You have a great methodical presentation style. I like how you emphasized practicing out and backs over and over - it works! We owe our basic piloting skills to you! Thanks for the great videos.
About 10 flights indoor (6-7 min each) with a Syma X13 and your lessons and I'm getting the thing. Those banked turns are still shaky, with the wall, ceilling, lamps and a crazy cat disturbing, but it's just a matter of practicing. Thanks for a very good tutorial.
Saw this video early this morning and had to wait till this evening for the tradewinds to die down to fly my drone...I am still new to this but feel this video just advanced my understanding of flying in one session! I also gave my daughter her first flying lesson with the drone and her crashes were minimal in comparison to mine and with the information you shared we both will most likely learn faster than other beginners. Will keep an eye out for other lessons you...I hope...put out for people like us to learn from. Thanks so much for a terrific flying lesson and keep up the good work! Aloha!!!!
Actually, I've done quite a few tutorials. Here's where I've tried to organize them. Index is in the right column. Recommend progressing sequentially through the tutorials as listed in the index. quadcopter101.blogspot.com/2014/02/flight-school-6-distance-flying-keeping.html
Thanks
I got my first quadcopter yesterday (syma x11) and have quickly realized that i need lots of practice.
In less than a minute, I gained a new respect for your quad flying skills :-)
Hi Quadcopter101, I left you a comment 2 months ago when you were reviewing the MJX Bugs 3 and asked you opinion. Now I have to admit, it's not a toy. I will be exercising using your tutorial. It really has the "umf", crashed it 1 single time quite hard but it survived. I don't plan crashing it anymore
Great video. I've been very frustrated trying to fly other than headless mode. Breaking it down into these 3 practice steps is just what I need (plus some patience).
I just wanted to thank you for this channel and all the great content. I bought my x5c -1 on your advice and couldn't be happier! Got some extra batteries to speed up the learning curve(my first quad and all) . I had planned on a bigger quad soon but I think I will wait to see your reviews on the new quads coming out. Keep up the good work!
I've seen several of your video's and I just wanted to say thank you! I'm new to Drones and I have much to learn but thanks to folks like you I will start on the right foot. I have to say that I'm surprised on the control system for drones, headless seems like the best solution, but there is probably some purpose behind it all.
Today I was just soaring with my X5C-1 with your tips today....those turns are awesome! Thanks can't wait because tomorrow my X8 comes.
Thank you for the video ! Just got an X5C-1 , and I'm going to do your suggested exercises to learn to fly this thing. Yours is the first quad instructional video (of the dozen or so I've viewed) I've seen that explains learning coordinated (yaw + bank/roll ) turns. I like the progressive way of learning that which you clearly presented here. Next dry and fairly wind free day we have I'll be out there flying.
Thank you so much Quadcopter 101. I learned a lot from your lessons. I started from V262 then Blade Nano Qx, Estes Proto X. Now I am regularly flying my Blade 350QX3. I can now do bank turns and funnels. I know there are a lot of newbies out there who have also learned how to fly because of your video lessons. Again, thank you and more power. You're a great man!😄
I´ve seen a couple of flying tutorials and this is the best one. Clear, to the point and funny !... Thank´s so much. thumbs up
Thanks for this video. I got my X5c-1 quad yesterday afternoon. It is a fantastic quad for the money and it really is a lot of fun. I was practicing the forward and then back flight. I changed my orientation by 90 degrees a couple times and boy it gets scary! I have to fight my default muscle memory of forward backwards etc, then 'forward' being left and backwards being right. I don't have a big field to fly in but I waited until about midnight last night and took it out in the grass of our apartment complex and went through two batteries. No crashes to speak of! Pretty good for a complete first time!
If it's any help - Flying the craft back towards you (resulting in you having to reverse your controls,) can be made a little easier by turning around so you are facing the direction the quadcopter is moving. In other words, you have your back to the copter ! - Then turn your head and watch it over your shoulder. You'll find the reversed controlling easier. It seems, it's not so much the direction your HEAD is facing, but the direction you BODY is facing that causes problems. Most odd. As you get more experienced, you can turn your body partly away from the copter; say 90 degrees away. Eventually, you'll just not even think about it, and remain facing it. Myself, I haven't quite reached this stage yet.
This is great! Thanks for the drills to practice. I really didn't know what to do the first two times I tried to fly my X5C-1 out of the box, so it just kept crashing and dropping out of the sky, but this third time was a great success with Part 1 and the start of Part 2 exercises you suggested. My confidence in learning to control this quadcopter just shot up!
great instructional video. the baby steps and down to earth vocal instructions are easy enough that even I understood them.
Great instructional video - wish i had watched it before I tried mine out for the first time and panicked ending it up in a tree.
Thats the best piece of advice - practice in a wide open space with no trees or obstacles.
Its actually quite an exciting and nerve wracking experience flying these things - even worse when you have to climb a 60 foot tree to get it back.
lol
Good job being a leader in providing the public with the ground work to safe flying.
great video.. I just bought my first quadcopter yesterday and had a quick go and found it hard to fly. even after reading the user manual. this video was great and very easy to understand..thanks
i bought the x5c-1 after watching your initial review and learned to fly it with this video! thankyou and cheers!
Great technique, I just came back from testing it out. The Hubsan is so small, it doesn't take much to lose your directional reference. I was able to safely navigate back and continue flying.
Thanks for posting this and thumb's up!
Steve S Here's another tutorial that should help you maintain orientation th-cam.com/video/qdYTCfjUVVo/w-d-xo.html
Quadcopter 101 Thanks for the link and forward, I just finished watching. Great tips to practice after my batteries recharge.
Great instructional video. I was having difficulties with doing banked turns and appreciate the tutorial.
Thx mate, I'm going to get a Protocol Gaileo for my first drone. But my very first drone was an $8 one, it broke in the same hour I took it out of the box lol. Thx for teaching me, I don't think anyone here wants to break their first drone. Thx for all of the hard work :)
In the beginning I was having a heck of a time with nose in hovering and flying UNTIL I learned that Right rudder is always clock wise and Left is always counter clockwise. Now I'm flying much better. Thanks for all your help.
we need people like this in life. very important.
I had the basics down but thanks to your videos I just did my first banked turns and funnels at night with no problem! I have the XK Alien X250
Thank You, One of the best instructional video I've seen with the individual don't rush thought the lesson. Going back to see the others now.
Hi Quadcopter 101 I got my X5C-1 today. I bought a 4 pack of batteries with a charger that will charge all 4 at once. So I did fly it for about 40 min. before it got too dark. I did a whole bunch of out and backs. I have started to do out turn and back and turn and out turn and back. I can't believe how many times I get lost once I turn and start back. I will keep practicing but it fills like I might never get it. Anyway thanks for the great videos!!!
Whatever you do, don't fall to beginner's temptation and try to see how high it will go just yet. You will lose it for sure.
Quadcopter 101 I think that something people don't realize is that even with GPS on those new fancy quads, if you fly too far out and too far up it will drift away , I think the wind's stronger up there
would you please link me your battery and charger set? thanks a million.
Very good advice for the beginner. So important to build up your skills one step at a time.
Very useful video - will be taking all advice on board. I think it's a matter of confidence with me as I'm a bit nervous when flying at times as I'm someone who likes to ensure things are perfect from Day 1. Not realistic in flying but I'll be doing this over and over again.
hi i just got the e010 mini nano and was ready to toss it in the bin until i watched this video with only 5 mins fly time until i get spare batts my skills are developing for a £20 drone i love it thanks for the video and i deffo recomend the e010 as a first entry to drone or quad flying great video
thank you quadcopter 101 for this video, just learning the basics, i have a u807 nihui , and doing great now adjusted on the forwards and backs and sides of controlling the quad, now practicing reverse forward and backwards and sides. hope to do the banking nxtime and the funnels tnx mate!
Really big thank you for this simple lesson from a french beginner !
Thanks mate your a star. Love my Drone but darn tricky to fly on south coast uk as windy, panicked few times when gathered height is even windyer up there take eyes of for one second looked back and couldnt see it, was about half a mile away when found, been real nervous ever since, i will try this THANKYOU your a good teacher.
Wow, wish I had found this video a month ago. Really nice work, and the repetition is good for beginners.
Extremely helpful! Thank you. Still a novice flyer but showing great improvement, largely because of these helpful lessons.
As always great video. I always suggest flying in tight areas to train like the garden thus giving you more sense of control, just my opinion but always love you videos.
Part 3 helped a lot, that's what i needed to get to the next step in my flying
That was another good instructional video Thanks for the hard work it takes pitting these together
Thank you. Nothing new but a good reminder that I need to practice WITH A PLAN.
I have the Terantula and enjoying it...Thank you for all of the information and tips you provide it's really helping me out..
Thank you for this instructional video, Mr. Quadcopter 101, Sir. I continually watch this one.
Wish I'd have watched this before I took my new drone out on a big field :'( Got carried away into the stratosphere by a gust of wind, probably in bits now. R.I.P Barry the Drone.
What drone was it?
you just taught me the mechanics of flying a quad copter . Great job
Finally i have found a video that tells you the basics of everything, thank you so much you helped me a lot :D have a like and a sub
Great videos. I'm just getting started. Glad you're here for instruction. Thanks.
Very informative. Thank you for reminding us to keep it simple...practice, practice, practice.
This was awesome! I have a Syma X5u and a MJX X600. I am a complete beginner, and this is what I have been doing, flying it out forward pitch, the backward pitch to bring it back, or I’ll do a square to add a little roll to it! For me, yes, if I accidentally yaw the copter, I loose orientation and have to figure things out fast or totally lose control. like and idiot, I took the MJX x600 out, in wind, and shit, that thing was 60 feet in the air in seconds and drifting with the wind, tried to thottle down, and simultaneously was adding yaw to the mix....SHIT! Figured out the orientation of the hex and luckily got it back! The x600, in my opinion is no beginner drone, that thing is powerful and fast, and can get away from a rookie like me! Thanks Quadcopter101 for this lesson!
Hey 101! :)
I always enjoy a flattering compliment, right?
So, here's a (real) thanks to you for this vid! Very helpful for beginners (me)! :)
Great video, I have a large quadcopter that I've had for a long time but I'm afriad to fly because crashing it would be expensive. I can do basic stuff but turning always messes me up. I got a Hubsan X4 to practice with, and a simulator. Your tips will come in handy! Thanks again.
Very helpful, thank you for your time and simple understandable wording and up close flight video of the functions. 👍😎
Thank you this vid was very help full because my big brother got me the smallest quadcopter in the world and a helicopter and I want to learn and you helped me a lot
Once again, thanks for making a good basic lesson series for beginners. I think part three is where the quad smacks into my forehead.
I really enjoy that your not a PRO self professed or proven. You make mistakes, and have simple issues. This make me feel at ease not as if I am a slow learner [ yes I am ] I learn from you plus enjoy your vids Thanks Mkc357
Thanks for another helpfull video! today i was finally able to take my x5c out to an empty soccer field and i'm really glad i came across your channel before buying something like a eachine racer or falcon 250 to start out on :D that would have been a bad idea... hovering and maintaining altitude was easy enough but flying cirles is another thing. i got a total of 4 batteries and i probably need to get a couple more or maybe a powerbank to charge them on the go? i fly for about 7 minutes before i switch them out.
Wonderful instruction, thank you. Toward the end I suggest putting the video in double time.
Thanks for these!
Got my first quadcopter. I'm hooked!
Thanks so much for taking the time to make this post.
Thanks for the flying lesson as i am a new flier and due to winter approaching soon,i am practicing inside for now with my JJRC H5P mostly with the throttle until spring and then i am taking it out which hopefully a baseball field and then some will be enough space for practice as its not as big as this place but would be better than the park where i live at as there is a lot of trees around.
Also, i really enjoy your videos!
Goddam you make it look so easy! after watching your videos I go out filled with hope and enthousiasm... to return feeling such a failure. I do love your tutorials though, they keep me grinding away at it, determined as hell.
Quadcopter 101 , I watch every video of yours. I have a very very hard time keeping the orientation of the quadcopter. I have so far lost a Hubsan micro and a Nihui 807. Before actually doing complex maneuvers I have practised hovering , flying out and back etc but when I adjust the yaw I lose orientation and cannot figure the direction. I am pretty good at pitch and roll. Also having the same colored props contributes to my confusion. I might have to move to flying Helicopters rather , atleast I cant lose orientation
+Prasad Hegde This might help quadcopter101.blogspot.sg/2014/02/flight-school-6-distance-flying-keeping.html
Thanks for this, it'll be a big help in learning to be a better pilot.
Hey Quadcopter 101! First of all, I really enjoy watching your videos and I sure have learned a ton about quadcopter flying. I just have a couple of questions about the Syma X5C-1. The first question I have is about the batteries and the mAh that they put out. I had a quadcopter that was manufactured by Zuzo that was almost identical to the Syma X5C-1. The only difference I could really find between the two was the mAh of the battery. The quadcopter from Zuzo had a 650 mAh battery that came with it. In order to extend the flight time, I ordered four more of the 650 mAh batteries. You said in the video you posted that you could use a 350 mAh battery rather then the provided 500 mAh battery. Would it be okay if I used the four batteries I ordered for the Zuzo quadcopter or would it burn out the motors or anything else on the Syma X5C-1 due to the difference in mAh?
The other question I had was about how to replace the motors for the Syma X5C-1 and other quadcopters alike. My Zuzo quadcopter started to have motor issues so I replaced the motors with some I bought online (brass gears instead of plastic gears; don't know if that makes a huge difference or not). I haven't been able to get the Zuzo quadcopter to work the same as it used to. The motors randomly shut off and I often have no control on where it goes. Is there something I am doing wrong?
Thank you very much for your time and for your advice! I really appreciate and enjoy your videos and I would love to get a response for these questions whether it be in video or in the comments. Thanks again and I look forward to your future videos.
Great video +Quadcopter 101 Thanks!! Going to a large open field changed things dramatically!
Q: I've got a couple of problems I hope you can help me with.
1) When I use forward pitch at the same time as turning, particularly banked turns, I tend to lose a lot of height as it dives towards the ground. Putting reverse pitch levelled it out but lost most of my momentum/speed. What's a better way to correct this diving? (I've gotten pretty good at repairing these broken spars now, thanks again for your video on that one!).
2) I've understood your video on orientation but when doing a banked turn at a distance, my quad ends up skidding around to face the wrong way - watching you, you just apply rudder and horizontal pitch at the same time and stop at the same time. My copter seems to have spun around before the banked turn is complete. Then I often crash because I'm scared of losing it into that tree and I have problems with vortex ring if I descend vertically. I'm flying a TG514 which is a 4ch six axis copter seemingly very similar to a V959 or V262 like you had in this video th-cam.com/video/tuOGhRcPnwY/w-d-xo.html
Would really love any advice you or anyone can give? Thanks in advance!
+David B Actually my quad is only small, I guess like a V212 or V222. It's got a different circuit board to those but the other parts are very similar.
+David B 1) Increase throttle to maintain altitude.
2) Use rudder turns only if flying at distance. Also fly in low rate (beginner's rate). This will minimize "overshooting".
I Ordered one of these last week from Amazon... I just hope I have the X5C-1 coming, it says it's the newer version but the pictures show the old one... Anyway I really like your videos and I think they are going to very helpful! Thanks and keep up the great work.
I wouldn't worry. All the original X5Cs should be long gone from inventory of all vendors by now. Even if it just says X5C, it shoiuld be an upgraded or newer version model by now.
Great that's good to know thanks for the fast response... I can't wait to get my hands on it. ;)
Thanks, because I was worrying that I got the sucky old one
Muhammad Atkins hey man if the X on your body and box of the syma are red its a x5c-1. even if the box says x5c
Correct!! Also the instruction manual has a number 2 on it...
Thank-you QC101. Your videos give me hope You're good!!
Great tutorial , I´m completely new on this RC flying quads and I was wondering how do you handle out of range situations ?. Does the transmiter loose completely control ?
Perseo Hernandez The Quadcopter 101 channel has handled every situation ;) th-cam.com/video/odVxR90USz8/w-d-xo.html
Great video Quadcopter101, i reallty appreciate this tutorial, thank you very much!
Great video. I still have trouble flying it when the front isn't facing away from me. I suppose you just get used to that after flying a lot, right?
24Mrjack Correct, it eventually comes to you. That's why I state do the lessons over and over and over.... until it becomes automatic. Just make sure that you have room around you to allow for mistakes.
A very useful guide for novices like me. Many thanks :)
So good to have your experience to guide a novice like me! The first copter was the JJRC H8C wasn't it? That seems a very desirable choice to me as I get to know what is on the market.
+ADMIRALSCORNER No that was a Syma X5C th-cam.com/video/y93vzA-KRlM/w-d-xo.html
Your videos are very informative. Thank you sir!
Hello Quadcopter 101
Thanks for the very informative videos, i have followed your instructions and are now becoming more adept at it, today i ordered me a Yoshan i8H as you seamed to give it a quite good review but i have noticed it hasn't come with a camera can i ask what camera would you recommend for FVP flying i am a total novice at this and i am learning my hobby from your instruction so any help would be a great help
Thanks
Thank you for all the information and flying tips it's really helping me. .
Man you got a crazy good vista there. I'd need to drive a 5 hours in Oregon to find an area like that.
thanks for spending time on the basics for us new pilots . i watch lots of your vids...
just wondering can a quadcopter just fly away when out of range of the Tx?
wowiezowiepowie Some can. Some will not turn off the motors if they fly out of range of the transmitter. Instead they fly backwards in an attempt to fly back into range of the transmitter. But this is a problem if range is lost by flying too high. In that case flying backwards would not help regain the transmitter, and they fly away. When I first review a quadcopter, I try to demonstrate what the quadcopter would do by holding it in hand at low power and turning off the transmitter. If it does not turn off, then I'm extra careful not to fly too far away from the transmitter.
Today i will fly with my jjrc h8c
i'm a beginner so thank you for this video , good work ;)
This is an excellent tutorial, thanks. I have some questions, and it will be obvious I have not flown a quad, yet. I looked at your other tutorials and have not found one where you identify the controls on the Tx. You use terms like 'pitch'. 'roll', even 'aileron' which I didn't know quads have, but so far I have not heard you explain how the Tx controls work. To be fair, I have figured some of it out after watching dozens of videos, but there appears to be a wrench in this topic: Mode 1 or 2. I gather that Mode 1 is throttle on the right, Mode 2 it's on the left. I haven't heard anyone address this topic and why one would want a Tx operating in one mode or the other. Would it not be a nightmare to learn to fly quads using Mode 2 and then buy one with a Tx in Mode 1? I saw the H9D on Amazon ($239, ouch) in Mode 1 only. How does one find out about this confusing topic and which Mode to learn? Thank you.
My blog may be of greater help. Make sure to view the Index in the right column for other important articles to help beginners get started in this hobby: quadcopter101.blogspot.com/2013/10/chapter-3-controller.html
And if you can be patient, you can get the H9D soon for $92: www.banggood.com/JJRC-H9D-2_4G-FPV-digital-transmission-Quadcopter-with-2MP-Camera-p-958018.html?p=RB0922217402201307U3
Quadcopter 101
Excellent blog, thanks. Answers lots of questions & gave me a good grounding in quad flying theory. You mentioned something I've thought from the beginning - quads don't have a front and back. So the skill of flying them, not based on their front-back orientation, but rather on their response to controls, makes so much sense. Of course, trying to do video does require knowing where the lens is pointing, and I suppose FPV - using only the video feed for orientation - is a whole new world. Don't worry, I'm not considering Amazon, even if it was Mode 2. Seen Ambulance Drone? Cool idea.
Great Video. We waiting for more tutorials. TY :)
Great instructional video. Thank you.
Aloha Quadcopter 101, do you have a preference of quad prefect for these exercises? Mahalo for all of your help, and wonderful videos!
Syma X5C
Great lesson! Thanks. Now I'm able to do banking turns and funnels left and right (no pun intended lol) and even tornadoes. I was flying the Hubsan H111 the little nano that is so nimble. However I find the transition to my H501S a bit awkward.
Very very helpful, thanks i practiced back and forth and i working on my turning with my v686g. Turning is my my biggest problem along with when i lose orientation i tend to panic thinking i'm loosing the quad and i drop the throttle to fast. Crash...
***** If orientation is a problem, then consider the following for your next lesson ;) th-cam.com/video/qdYTCfjUVVo/w-d-xo.html
I just want to thank you very much for the instructional video(s). I have a Black Hawk Drone.
I watched this video loads and it's helped me loads
Thank you for the tips! I just got my quadcopter yesterday and was feeling a little overwhelmed and couldn't control it at all. I am going to use your 3 steps in this video go get the hang of control.
Question, I notice with my quad, LarkFPV, I have to adjust the forward trim almost all the way to prevent it from going backwards, even if there isn't any wind. Is there something I can do to fix that physically on the copter?
Your gyros may need calibrated after shipment. Center the trim and then try the following.
1) Turn on the quadcopter and place it on a flat and level surface.
2) Turn on and bind the transmitter. Center all trim tabs.
3) Leaving the quadcopter undisturbed, move and hold both control sticks to their lower right corners. Hold them there until the quadcopter's lights blink. If they don't blink, then try lower left corners, lower outboard corners, or lower inboard until you notice the lights blink.
4) Let go of the sticks and try flying.
Thank you for the tip on resetting the gyros. I found the procedure in the manual for the quadcopter. After I reset the gyros I still have to trim full forward. There doesn't seem to be any other issue with stability with the copter, so I will just call it good.
By the way after just a few sessions following your steps 1 and 2, I am much more confident with control. Next up, following your howto on how to gain control when you lose orientation of your copter.