Hey all, Few years ago my wife had a very major heart attack While I was home helping her rehab, I got into Flite test to keep me busy while I was home with her. I built a Y6 copter which I bought from Y'all. I have yet to manage to get it off the ground and flyable....Appreciate this video and hoping it will help me get through this. Love you guys . God bless
The one thing I had to get over when learning, coming from fixed wing, was exactly STOPPING the throttle chop reaction, which was built in as a defensive measure I got in fixed wing. It is OK to chop over grass or soft landing areas, but I was learning in a garage because it was too often windy outside. Chopping throttle meant smacking hard into the concrete. I quickly learned to hover because of that. I really had to overcome my reaction to always cut throttle when I got pressured. The other thing I did BEFORE even rising off ground was set up a couple of mini-cones on the concrete and learn to skid the quad around the cones in a figure 8, never getting fully airborne. This really sped up my learning rate. I got the feel of the quad much quicker this way, just providing enough throttle to move the drone around. The sensation of skidding was new to me as a fixed wing pilot til then. After skidding around on the ground, I did get to hovering, etc. and doing figure 8's about 5 feet off the ground around 2 lolly columns in my garage. I think all this sped me into a place where I started enjoying flying, sooner. Just my 2c, maybe a few others will find this helpful.
Josh, You touched on one subject that I feel may be confusing to new pilots. That being nose in flight. I feel that people get the idea that when they fly nose in. That something has changed electronicly, which it has not. If a new pilot does a nose in, and turns their back to the quad/heli/ plane. Looking over their shoulder at their bird. The controls are the same. If they turn to the right in a nose in flight. The bird is actually turning to it's right. The new pilot needs to orientate their mind to be seated in the bird, looking forward. Nose in, nose out, right or left, seated, facing forward. Not trying to confuse anyone. But, I have never heard anyone explain it fully.
The best thing I like about these guys is their confidence, and of course, their knowledge and ability to fly all model aircraft. You guys are truly REAL pilots.
I just bought a quad on clearance. And this by far is the most professional and informative video I've come across. As a beginner, small gold nuggets like painting the front of your quad to know where the nose is during flight, walking the dog and figure eights is great to know. Thank you guys for putting this together. I am even more encouraged to become a better pilot.
My friend is new to this hobby and bought his quad. I recommended this video to him and in less than a month he can fly like a pro. Thank you guys. Its s big help.
I actually really like this video. Everyone else says to immediately start in Acro mode AND in FPV mode, but that doesn't really teach you flying as well. It teaches you how to always respond to a camera feed. I like your baby steps, and I understand the muscle memory progression involved in your 3 steps. I'm still on step 1, and honestly, with the Walkera Rodeo 110, it's SO hard. The throttle is super touchy and those micro adjustments are hard to program into my left thumb, but I'm getting there. Thanks for the video!
Hi there! I'm 44 years old now and and I want to thank you so very much for such a spot on video that is helping me as a total beginner in this new hobby. Greetings from Portugal.
Wayne Kinne, thanks. I (ICT anno 1975, Internet anno 1992) fully agree. I started out in 2017 with a medium-sized +-quadcopter without any onboard flight assistant. After about a year of struggling I got hold of a small X-quadcopter with camera and some support like vertical hold. That made life a lot easier, brought back the fun and I am now (2019) searching for next level of machine. This support video by FliteTest "How To Fly A Drone - Quad Basics" is really the first that helped me, not for the instructions themselves but by laying out a road to follow. You do not say "Do this and then that" but "Try this and then that". Good educational practice. Thanks a lot guys!
That throwaway comment 'prop up the table' is a bit of a eureka moment for me, makes it really obvious which way to push the sticks when nose in.....thanks guys.
taught myself to fly after building one of David Windestål mini tricopters using your first learn-to-fly series. Recommended that series to so many people since then. This is a good update. Thanks guys :)
I just built & configured one of your Gremlins this weekend. I can already fly it line of sight at this point as I used to fly a single rotor helicopter (back when I had more time to repair it, EVERY time I was the slightest disorientated). This little gremlin feels connected to my fingers, the same way the single rotor did. The difference being that now you can even have auto-level on a momentary switch ready to help out. Love the video and look forward to hearing your tips as I learn to fly through the goggles.
THANK YOU ALEX!... i've already crashed more than 40 times, and when i look at experienced pilots, i used to think i'm slow or i just don't have what it takes to fly a quadcopter, but it DOES take at least a year to get the hang of basics, race quads are nothing like a DJI or the "indoor, self-leveling" rtf mini quads running on brushed motors and a 1s battery with basic plastic radio toy ps: i'm not hating on mini quads or dji, if it flys, i love it
This is getting saved to favourites. It'll stay there while I gather the tools and start assembling the parts, but this video will definitely be helpful when I begin. Thanks guys.
Just purchased my 1st drone about 3wks ago & got a Orbit Pocket Drone. I've searched all over for a tutorial of how to use the stick control & haven't found one on mine. Your illustration of how the controls work were phenomenal, especially when you showed which way the drone went,with your body, when the right & left one was used to control the Drone. That really clicked for me & now will stick w/me & give me the confidence to control it better. Also by 1st starting out hovering & then walking the dog. If you could do a video on my pocket drone i would appreciate it & from what I've seen from other videos it's the easiest to start out with for beginners like me & the control can be a challenge for someone who's never flown anything before. Thanks again!! :)
Love that you guys update this, the original video was extremely instrumental in building my confidence when I started. Not sure if I said it then but thank you guys for all the fun and informative videos.
Good solid easy to follow tips that take you from the basic hover,to flying patterns that help you build a skill set that inspires confidence ....Thanks guys !
I'm watching this after having build (and crashed) my first drone with literally 0 experience on the sticks. I wrote all the code for the TX, I'm using an XBOX controller for controls, the wrong sized motors for my frame (8" props on 1400kV motors dont fit on a 250 frame) So I 3d printed some extensions that were able to bolt on and extend the reach of the frame, finally got it in the air after working with more software issues. Bank limits. Who would have guessed? It started to drift into the street so I did slight right stick to get it back in the grass (but the way the software is written, the full motion of the xbox controller is the 0-100% pwm range of the TX) so it basically flipped 90* sideways and fell out of the air. So I'm writing in sensitivity modes I can switch between so the first mode is a 5% either side limit (for pitch and roll, yaw I'll leave alone for now) swichable up to 10%/20%/50% and 100%, because who knows when FULL RIGHT STICK will be useful. Live and learn I guess. Only casualty was one of the 3d-printed extenders.
Thanks guys for making the process easy to understand.Learning how to hover,Then working the basics like following it around,& keeping facing away may seem elementary,but it makes that eye to hand coordination much easier,& less intimidating than trying to manage it all at the same time...Appreciate all the tips,& your sense of humor helps keep the "learning curve" less painful...
great video guys and just what i needed. I started with the Mavic Pro and you are correct, it is so easy it borders on boring. This video let me know it is normal for me to have a hard time hovering my little FrSky brushed quad! Cant wait to practice hovering and then moving on to walk the dog. Thanks and keep the instructional videos coming!
Very glad to see this and always enjoy your videos. I have a Tiny Trainer, and Bushwacker sitting here yet to be built. +100 vote on continuing the series. I've been flying fixed wing (a lot of aerobatics)for over 40 years, and now have a Babyhawk, Lizard 95 and Nighthawk 280, and am DEFINITELY struggling a lot, just LOS, so will try your techniques. I could have missed it, but a very critical detail I didn't hear mentioned is not just "chop the throttle", but DISARM so the silly thing doesn't self destruct - a trait of quads I still can't get used to! It's hard enough to get used to flying electric foam planes bought at a store rather than built from kit or plans. Even including learning to fly, I've never even seriously damaged an aircraft, so the idea of constantly breaking things is also totally foreign, and requires a much different mindset, as I'm always trying to fly so I don't even put a scratch on it, much less thump it into the ground.
Excellent video. I finally realized why I couldn't fly my little drone, and is because I don't have training !!, now I know what to do. Thank you guys.
You guys ALWAYS do it better! Thank you for this video. I have been 'tiny whoopin' for about 7 months now and got discouraged after crashing my wizard 3 or 4 times. I will try these tips and hopefully get it down this time using airmode
Yawing without affecting throttle is a challenge. I haven't touched an R/C Tx in decades so I have to refresh that muscle memory. On a SIM, I'm like a yoyo for the first few minutes.
Simply mount a spirit level in view of the camera when flying first person view, that will tell you precisely which way you are tilting. I have one on my 'plane, with a couple of other basic instruments. For example if all I can see is sky, I just look at the spirit level to see which way the 'plane is pointing. Though flying first person view is easier, I would also recommend flying line of sight first until it becomes natural. For example if the wind knocks you crazy and you start falling out of the sky, having clearly seen this happen many times from the outside, and knowing exactly what to do to get out of it will be very useful!
The best beginning video I have watched. Great job you guys! 👍🏻 I’m nervous to take my quad out today for the first time but I have much better expectations now of how much time I need to commit to becoming a good pilot and master one skill at a time. Thank you so much!!
I'm going to watch these vids like a hawk. I built a ZMR250 clone a while back, but never got the hang of it sticking with my QX350 and Yuneec Q500 drones instead. I still have the ZMR, and I also just picked up a Eachine QX90 to play with indoors. Hopefully I can now progress a little and at least hover for a full pack without crashing. :)
Interesting and useful.I found it easier to get from s-curves to figure 8s by putting in the extra stage of learning to fly accurate squares. Most of my early ones weren't squares at all but it gave me more delicate control of yaw which helped when I combined it with roll. I don't have the experience of the FT gurus so they are undoubtedly right. It was just what helped me
Just ran across this video, even though I have been flying quads for a while I enjoyed watching your teaching methods. I will be sure to share this link with some of the guys just starting out flying Quadcopter's. 👍
Awesome! Thanks so much RC944jim! We really appreciate it and we hope this can help a lot of beginners get into this hobby affordably AND effectively! Blessings friend!
Thank guys for a great how to fly a drone video, wish I had seen it before I did my first flight. I bought a JJRC X12 and only flew it for about 2 min., before I got into a bit of trouble, I was only about 10ft off the ground when I started to lose control so I just cut the throttle and down it came and did not hurt the drone at all. However after watching your video I feel a lot more comfortable now and will fallow the steps that you point out in your video. Thanks for the advise, I will put it to good use.
Great video guys, I think this is very helpful for beginners who haven't had experience with quads yet. Definitely gonna try it out with my Hubsan x4. Keep it up!!
I flew 3 packs today and although I have already flown a few times just around the room, it's a completely different level of difficulty to actually try and hover it. I am gonna keep it rolling ;) I really think your flying skills will benefit from these exercises!
I have been flying RC aircraft for many years. Finally giving quads a try. When a RC car/plane/heli comes toward you the controls appear to reverse. It's a mind game. You have to force yourself to switch it in your head. Does anyone mix yaw and roll? I used to have a switch for that on my RC planes for helping me make coordinated turns.
I learned to fly without altitude gold with a mini quad. Great for learning. Now I fly my Bugs 3 like a pro. MJX Bugs 3 is a great full size full manual drone to learn on. Very fast!!!!
Love this training video. I have recently got a DJI Mavic drone. Have looked all over TH-cam to find training videos similar to this one for DJI Mavic but haven't been able to find even one. Please make one. Will life of so many DJI drone owners better. Thanks in advance
Practice circles. I like to imagine that looking from above, if you want clockwise, it's always right yaw. Also practice orbits, with camera always facing the pilot. They are easy, clockwise orbit, right yaw plus altitude hold.
SpaceOne 220X. The thing is a damn tank. I nosed in at full tilt, full throttle a few days back. It threw the battery a good 50ft even with Velcro and rubberized strap. Quad tumbled for about 20-30ft. Picked it up, bent back the two front props, nothing else even flexed. Not a single Stress crack, nada. I've been punishing it, and it just doesn't care. Only busted 4 props, and had a bad ESC. So..... I think for beginners getting into 4in and up, the SpaceOne 220X is an amazingly tough frame. And it's good for experienced pilots as well, it flys great, and it's cheap. $30... Bought an RTF Arris 220. Which had decent guts, that are on my current flyer now. But the bottom and top plates are just too thin for a new pilot. I got about three days out of it before it was roached. And that was just stupid rookie mistakes. Not even giving it some throttle and pitch. Anyways, great video guys. And a Noob series would be quite welcomed by us crash and burners.
RL's recommendation: Do whatever ALEX says... Josh and TJ are fairly good pilots (emphasis on FAIR), but it takes REAL skill to chase their herky-jerky plane flights, and MASTER skills to get both planes in the same shot from the chase copter! :)) Just kidding, Josh and TJ...! You're all EXCELLENT in my book!! Thanks for posting!
I've own a with a micro Syma X12S and found although small it is a difficult drone for a beginner, or at least for me. I have ordered a Visuo HW, which has altitude mode, which I hope is going to prove a bit more stable to be able to learn to fly. I really enjoyed your video on how to fly drones, and like you say learning to fly is like most things in life: a marathon and not a sprint. So I wanna say thanks for such great advice. I live in the UK, and am hoping to receive my drone within the next week.
Good video and tips! Like the arrow (paint it orange and put "training" in big letters on it :) One comment on the store though is that I find it to be confusing to me as a non-drone potential customer. There seems to be partial kits or complete units but there is something always missing (radio, power pack, etc.). As a buyer it would be nice to see a complete package (eg. gremlin or tiny whoop) with EVERYTHING you need to start flying, to minimize errors in buying the wrong thing. Note: maybe I missed something? on the store like that, I did not find it... Keep up the vids tho, they are great. Cheers, - Eddy
Being one of the people who's had this happen. (Only started flying fpv recently) I don't agree. There are already too many options for stores to keep up. Flitetest has a nice way of doing it where you can select what you want with certain quads, other online stores don't have that so they have 10 entries of the same quadcopter with small adjustments? Nah, what I do like is stores that TELL YOU what isn't included. I've seen a store that said, "Camera, FPV Transmitter and Receiver are not included and need to be added". At least that way you have some clear image of what you get. Even as a new pilot you'll have the reaction to go look up what it is they are talking about. At the same time it would help if people making DIY build video's would mention what isn't included and what else you'd need to get in the air. TL/DR: Clear information on what is and mostly isn't included in a purchase or build of quadcopters.
a thing that helps .If its RTF , 99% its all you need to get airborne .As of today I know of no set with goggles , but fatshark is again 99% compatible with everything
@LaZieGoblin - You are right on this point. But it does not have to be one or the other in terms of choices. Both options should be there. In my case I want the first quad I buy to be the one that I have to put the least amount of (expert) knowledge in because I just don't have those answers eg. "Which battery pack should I get for this quad?" The guys at Flite test have the knowledge already and know what are good options for that first quad. Once the buyer gets more knowledge on quads then his/her next purchase can be more flexible, eg. I want a bit more flying time or I want to go to a 4 cell to get a bit more power. - Eddy
This video is excellent! I'm more of a ground vehicle guy myself, but I do own some quads, smaller indoor ones and a bigger outdoor one. I haven't really been into flying drones since I don't feel like I'm the best at controlling them like I can with a ground vehicle, but I'm definitely going to give them more chances by following these tips and tricks. Thank you for all of this helpful information and who knows, I might become a drone guy too. :D
Good job on the video, as a semi experienced pilot I found some of the tips useful!! Looking at it as a new pilot I really believe this and the following videos I'm sure is a great way to get familiar with flying quads or any rotor driven r/c!! Always love watching flight test videos, keep up the great work please!!😁👍
I'd argue that tuning is the last thing to do, because to do a good PID tune you need to be able to control the quad AND be able to see the imperfections of it's flight :)
That's the controler kuz if it was the drone it would sound like an old arcade game BLHeli_32 is what u can use to put a tune on the drone. Joshua Bardwell did a few videos on it
had a good time with the cheapo 'aerodrone' i have, till one of the motors burned out when i was taking it in for a landing on it's last flight. managed to fly it without crashing it into anything, the whole year and a half that i used it. i used to fly gliders, these handle quite differently than a glider does, but i suppose that experience helped me to quickly get onto flying mine well enough.
One way to learn the aspects of the remote stick reversing the left & right whilst coming towards yourself is to get a cheap rc car, the steering is reversed when driving towards yourself, ..... SO, if you play with a cheap rc car first, you learn about stick reversal.
As a newby with a new drone that I haven't flown yet, I appreciate the video and all of the information, especially the demonstration of how to progress when first learning to fly. Great information. But if I could make a suggestion - when you make a video about the basics, don't throw around acronyms that a newby won't understand unless you explain it the first time you use it. FPV, etc. I've seen several videos that do this and it's frustrating. I understand if a video isn't aimed at newbies that nobody is going to want to sit through explanations of terms that the target audience should already understand, but this video isn't targeting experienced pilots. I've since found that FPV means "First Person View," so now it makes sense. Also, at 08:20 you said if you're new to flying you should separate yourself at least two ??? away - I couldn't understand the word following "two." It sounded like "acks." Otherwise good video with valuable information - thank you.
thank you. yesterday I got my first drone - potensic a20. I can already do walk the dog. it has autohold hovering feature which makes it super easy to fly.
It was impossible for me to 'walk the dog' as I'm in a wheelchair so ended up using LEDs to provide orientation. Hovering took about two months and then figure of eights four to six months. Once I'd managed this I discovered that I'd been flying the whole time in Angle mode so had to repeat the same process first in Horizon and then finally Acro. I took so long as every time I cut the throttle it took ages to recover the craft and start again. So as to be able to get to the field where I fly I had to build light and that mean small. The difficulty with flying small craft is that you can so easily lose orientation which in turn means getting back to the crashed craft to start again. Despite all these difficulties I've gained a great sense of achievement from flying Quads. I'm now saving up to get some FPV goggles as that will be my next challenge.
Dirty mode 2 users!! I grew up on Arcade and Mario Brothers, you steer with the left thumb :) But all levity aside the arrow is fantastic teaching aid for new people. Good video.
Question regarding LOS flying of a 250mm quad: How on earth would you fly at a distance in acro mode? I can barely keep yaw orientation in check, let alone all of my tilts as well.
LazerLord10 Generally you train to not need to see the orientation of your quad, you more sort of remember where you are pointing, you get used to your rates. You get to know: "so much stick for so much time is. 90° turn" so it should be more like: "I take off away from myself, I held my stick right for X amount of time so now I know I am pointed right"
LazerLord10 Its pretty much the same for pitch and roll, you get used to the timing and feel of how much is too much... LOS acro is just a crazy amount of training, also try to keep your setup consistent, dont switch props, motors or rates all the time its the easyest to always have a constant setup
Great vid guys! Couldn't agree more with your tips. I suggest making a video on how to set up the quads with a transmitter? Like i would love to buy a gremlin but the main thing stopping me is i have no idea how to set the quad up with any of my transmitters or if they will even work with mine.
As a newcomer to multi rotor flying I'm asking, is it still okay to use the words rudder, elevator and aileron on a quad copter? Yaw, pitch and roll should be enough. The physical equivalent are different speed in rotation of the propellers.
I bought the Graupner Alpha 300Q as my first RC aircraft. I've practiced on $30 toys in the past and I've gotten pretty good at S turns with the toys, but I'm so afraid that I'm going to break the Graupner! I know you guys stated that it's for intermediate to advanced flyers, but I loved what that thing can do and I had to have it. One thing I know for certain, I need to learn the MZ-12 better. I'm having trouble staying at nice hover height. I keep having to throttle up one click then back down one click to try and stay level and I'm sure the transmitter will let me tweak the throttle so I'm not constantly going up and down...
Jumping straight to RTFs is not skipping the learning curves, it is skipping the needed experience that generates a responsible attitude towards RC flying...
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STOP CALLING THEM DRONES!
Alex Zvada LOL
I agree. A person learns to fly quadcopters and R/C aircraft. Drones fly themselves with the "pilot" just directing it.
Alex Zvada Finally soms sense
DRONE RACING LEAGUE ESPN IT'S OVER ....
Agreed, "drone" is a dirty term
Hey all, Few years ago my wife had a very major heart attack While I was home helping her rehab, I got into Flite test to keep me busy while I was home with her. I built a Y6 copter which I bought from Y'all. I have yet to manage to get it off the ground and flyable....Appreciate this video and hoping it will help me get through this. Love you guys . God bless
There is only a few people who cannot thank FliteTest for everything in this hobby. They have given us so much!
The one thing I had to get over when learning, coming from fixed wing, was exactly STOPPING the throttle chop reaction, which was built in as a defensive measure I got in fixed wing. It is OK to chop over grass or soft landing areas, but I was learning in a garage because it was too often windy outside. Chopping throttle meant smacking hard into the concrete. I quickly learned to hover because of that. I really had to overcome my reaction to always cut throttle when I got pressured. The other thing I did BEFORE even rising off ground was set up a couple of mini-cones on the concrete and learn to skid the quad around the cones in a figure 8, never getting fully airborne. This really sped up my learning rate. I got the feel of the quad much quicker this way, just providing enough throttle to move the drone around. The sensation of skidding was new to me as a fixed wing pilot til then. After skidding around on the ground, I did get to hovering, etc. and doing figure 8's about 5 feet off the ground around 2 lolly columns in my garage. I think all this sped me into a place where I started enjoying flying, sooner. Just my 2c, maybe a few others will find this helpful.
Josh, You touched on one subject that I feel may be confusing to new pilots. That being nose in flight. I feel that people get the idea that when they fly nose in. That something has changed electronicly, which it has not. If a new pilot does a nose in, and turns their back to the quad/heli/ plane. Looking over their shoulder at their bird. The controls are the same. If they turn to the right in a nose in flight. The bird is actually turning to it's right. The new pilot needs to orientate their mind to be seated in the bird, looking forward. Nose in, nose out, right or left, seated, facing forward. Not trying to confuse anyone. But, I have never heard anyone explain it fully.
The best thing I like about these guys is their confidence, and of course, their knowledge and ability to fly all model aircraft. You guys are truly REAL pilots.
I just bought a quad on clearance. And this by far is the most professional and informative video I've come across. As a beginner, small gold nuggets like painting the front of your quad to know where the nose is during flight, walking the dog and figure eights is great to know.
Thank you guys for putting this together. I am even more encouraged to become a better pilot.
My friend is new to this hobby and bought his quad. I recommended this video to him and in less than a month he can fly like a pro. Thank you guys. Its s big help.
I actually really like this video. Everyone else says to immediately start in Acro mode AND in FPV mode, but that doesn't really teach you flying as well. It teaches you how to always respond to a camera feed. I like your baby steps, and I understand the muscle memory progression involved in your 3 steps. I'm still on step 1, and honestly, with the Walkera Rodeo 110, it's SO hard. The throttle is super touchy and those micro adjustments are hard to program into my left thumb, but I'm getting there. Thanks for the video!
Hi there! I'm 44 years old now and and I want to thank you so very much for such a spot on video that is helping me as a total beginner in this new hobby.
Greetings from Portugal.
Thanks for this video guys, I'm 60 years old and going through the "teach and old dog new tricks" issues and this is a big help.
Thanks again!
Awesome Wayne! We are so glad that this is able to help anyone get into the hobby! Thanks for being an awesome part of the FT community!
I'm 44 and and I want to salute the authors as this is a spot on video for such a beginner like me in this field.
Greetings from Portugal.
@JamesWorld3 What is acro mode ?
Wayne Kinne, thanks. I (ICT anno 1975, Internet anno 1992) fully agree. I started out in 2017 with a medium-sized +-quadcopter without any onboard flight assistant. After about a year of struggling I got hold of a small X-quadcopter with camera and some support like vertical hold. That made life a lot easier, brought back the fun and I am now (2019) searching for next level of machine.
This support video by FliteTest "How To Fly A Drone - Quad Basics" is really the first that helped me, not for the instructions themselves but by laying out a road to follow. You do not say "Do this and then that" but "Try this and then that". Good educational practice. Thanks a lot guys!
That throwaway comment 'prop up the table' is a bit of a eureka moment for me, makes it really obvious which way to push the sticks when nose in.....thanks guys.
taught myself to fly after building one of David Windestål mini tricopters using your first learn-to-fly series. Recommended that series to so many people since then. This is a good update. Thanks guys :)
I just built & configured one of your Gremlins this weekend. I can already fly it line of sight at this point as I used to fly a single rotor helicopter (back when I had more time to repair it, EVERY time I was the slightest disorientated). This little gremlin feels connected to my fingers, the same way the single rotor did. The difference being that now you can even have auto-level on a momentary switch ready to help out. Love the video and look forward to hearing your tips as I learn to fly through the goggles.
THANK YOU ALEX!... i've already crashed more than 40 times, and when i look at experienced pilots, i used to think i'm slow or i just don't have what it takes to fly a quadcopter, but it DOES take at least a year to get the hang of basics, race quads are nothing like a DJI or the "indoor, self-leveling" rtf mini quads running on brushed motors and a 1s battery with basic plastic radio toy
ps: i'm not hating on mini quads or dji, if it flys, i love it
This is getting saved to favourites. It'll stay there while I gather the tools and start assembling the parts, but this video will definitely be helpful when I begin. Thanks guys.
Just purchased my 1st drone about 3wks ago & got a Orbit Pocket Drone. I've searched all over for a tutorial of how to use the stick control & haven't found one on mine. Your illustration of how the controls work were phenomenal, especially when you showed which way the drone went,with your body, when the right & left one was used to control the Drone. That really clicked for me & now will stick w/me & give me the confidence to control it better. Also by 1st starting out hovering & then walking the dog. If you could do a video on my pocket drone i would appreciate it & from what I've seen from other videos it's the easiest to start out with for beginners like me & the control can be a challenge for someone who's never flown anything before. Thanks again!! :)
Love that you guys update this, the original video was extremely instrumental in building my confidence when I started. Not sure if I said it then but thank you guys for all the fun and informative videos.
Good solid easy to follow tips that take you from the basic hover,to flying patterns that help you build a skill set that inspires confidence ....Thanks guys !
I'm watching this after having build (and crashed) my first drone with literally 0 experience on the sticks. I wrote all the code for the TX, I'm using an XBOX controller for controls, the wrong sized motors for my frame (8" props on 1400kV motors dont fit on a 250 frame)
So I 3d printed some extensions that were able to bolt on and extend the reach of the frame, finally got it in the air after working with more software issues.
Bank limits. Who would have guessed? It started to drift into the street so I did slight right stick to get it back in the grass (but the way the software is written, the full motion of the xbox controller is the 0-100% pwm range of the TX) so it basically flipped 90* sideways and fell out of the air.
So I'm writing in sensitivity modes I can switch between so the first mode is a 5% either side limit (for pitch and roll, yaw I'll leave alone for now) swichable up to 10%/20%/50% and 100%, because who knows when FULL RIGHT STICK will be useful.
Live and learn I guess. Only casualty was one of the 3d-printed extenders.
Thanks guys for making the process easy to understand.Learning how to hover,Then working the basics like following it around,& keeping facing away may seem elementary,but it makes that eye to hand coordination much easier,& less intimidating than trying to manage it all at the same time...Appreciate all the tips,& your sense of humor helps keep the "learning curve" less painful...
First one was the DJI 550 Hex kit. Built, programmed from scratch, and used both Phoenix and Real Flite for training six years ago.
great video guys and just what i needed. I started with the Mavic Pro and you are correct, it is so easy it borders on boring. This video let me know it is normal for me to have a hard time hovering my little FrSky brushed quad! Cant wait to practice hovering and then moving on to walk the dog. Thanks and keep the instructional videos coming!
Very glad to see this and always enjoy your videos. I have a Tiny Trainer, and Bushwacker sitting here yet to be built.
+100 vote on continuing the series.
I've been flying fixed wing (a lot of aerobatics)for over 40 years, and now have a Babyhawk, Lizard 95 and Nighthawk 280, and am DEFINITELY struggling a lot, just LOS, so will try your techniques.
I could have missed it, but a very critical detail I didn't hear mentioned is not just "chop the throttle", but DISARM so the silly thing doesn't self destruct - a trait of quads I still can't get used to!
It's hard enough to get used to flying electric foam planes bought at a store rather than built from kit or plans. Even including learning to fly, I've never even seriously damaged an aircraft, so the idea of constantly breaking things is also totally foreign, and requires a much different mindset, as I'm always trying to fly so I don't even put a scratch on it, much less thump it into the ground.
Very nice learning experience for beginners. Can say enough for you guys and what you are constantly doing for our hobby.
Thanks for the kind words Norman! Thanks for being a part of it!!
@@FliteTest Whatever happened to the TRI copter?
@@georgefenrichjr.9636 not enough rotors lol
Excellent video. I finally realized why I couldn't fly my little drone, and is because I don't have training !!, now I know what to do. Thank you guys.
You guys at Flite Test are awesome. I really enjoy watching your videos. Quads or airplanes. Great work!!
You guys ALWAYS do it better! Thank you for this video. I have been 'tiny whoopin' for about 7 months now and got discouraged after crashing my wizard 3 or 4 times. I will try these tips and hopefully get it down this time using airmode
2 years ago made and it still helped me dip my toes into the world of Quads 👍🏻
love love love how you organized and presented this video, top notch gentlemen (and ladies if there were any behind the camera)
Outstanding primer for the introduction to quad flying! Well produced and information packed. Beginners start here!
Yawing without affecting throttle is a challenge. I haven't touched an R/C Tx in decades so I have to refresh that muscle memory. On a SIM, I'm like a yoyo for the first few minutes.
I still love flying my ft tricopter! So floaty - I love it! That is what got me started in the hobby! Love the wooden booms!
I really like this big arrow trick. That is very helpful.
THANK YOU! I just built my first quad (450mm) and this video was very useful!
Simply mount a spirit level in view of the camera when flying first person view, that will tell you precisely which way you are tilting. I have one on my 'plane, with a couple of other basic instruments. For example if all I can see is sky, I just look at the spirit level to see which way the 'plane is pointing. Though flying first person view is easier, I would also recommend flying line of sight first until it becomes natural. For example if the wind knocks you crazy and you start falling out of the sky, having clearly seen this happen many times from the outside, and knowing exactly what to do to get out of it will be very useful!
Thanks flute test for everything you do, just ordered the simple cub to do bomb drops on
AWESOME! You are gonna love it!
Old school RC scratch builder here. Flying quads is awesome! Still like my balsa stick 'drones' too.
The best beginning video I have watched. Great job you guys! 👍🏻 I’m nervous to take my quad out today for the first time but I have much better expectations now of how much time I need to commit to becoming a good pilot and master one skill at a time. Thank you so much!!
I'm going to watch these vids like a hawk. I built a ZMR250 clone a while back, but never got the hang of it sticking with my QX350 and Yuneec Q500 drones instead. I still have the ZMR, and I also just picked up a Eachine QX90 to play with indoors. Hopefully I can now progress a little and at least hover for a full pack without crashing. :)
Interesting and useful.I found it easier to get from s-curves to figure 8s by putting in the extra stage of learning to fly accurate squares. Most of my early ones weren't squares at all but it gave me more delicate control of yaw which helped when I combined it with roll.
I don't have the experience of the FT gurus so they are undoubtedly right. It was just what helped me
Thanks so much for the feedback and for sharing Didactylos4! So glad you could impart some wisdom to others as well! Keep up the great work! ;)
Noted :D
Best drones flying training video I have watched so far. Thank you 🙏
Very well presented and very informative...Best i`ve seen for a student pilot...and it`s spot on.
Thank you.
I've always flown LOS (planes, wings and helicopters) and when I made the switch to FPV, I pretty much had to relearn to fly 👊
The arrow is a cool idea, please show how you attached it.
Just ran across this video, even though I have been flying quads for a while I enjoyed watching your teaching methods. I will be sure to share this link with some of the guys just starting out flying Quadcopter's. 👍
Awesome! Thanks so much RC944jim! We really appreciate it and we hope this can help a lot of beginners get into this hobby affordably AND effectively!
Blessings friend!
RC944jim Djibouti pro 4
Thank guys for a great how to fly a drone video, wish I had seen it before I did my first flight. I bought a JJRC X12 and only flew it for about 2 min., before I got into a bit of trouble, I was only about 10ft off the ground when I started to lose control so I just cut the throttle and down it came and did not hurt the drone at all. However after watching your video I feel a lot more comfortable now and will fallow the steps that you point out in your video. Thanks for the advise, I will put it to good use.
Great video guys, I think this is very helpful for beginners who haven't had experience with quads yet. Definitely gonna try it out with my Hubsan x4. Keep it up!!
Thanks Joshua! Appreciate the kind words! GOOD luck and let us know how it goes!
I flew 3 packs today and although I have already flown a few times just around the room, it's a completely different level of difficulty to actually try and hover it. I am gonna keep it rolling ;) I really think your flying skills will benefit from these exercises!
Excellent. I look forward to the upcoming video series. Great job & keep up the great material!
I have been flying RC aircraft for many years. Finally giving quads a try. When a RC car/plane/heli comes toward you the controls appear to reverse. It's a mind game. You have to force yourself to switch it in your head. Does anyone mix yaw and roll? I used to have a switch for that on my RC planes for helping me make coordinated turns.
I learned to fly without altitude gold with a mini quad. Great for learning. Now I fly my Bugs 3 like a pro. MJX Bugs 3 is a great full size full manual drone to learn on. Very fast!!!!
Thanks Guys ... really excellent teaching, my quad is coming this week, and the next one is a Gremlin
Love this training video. I have recently got a DJI Mavic drone. Have looked all over TH-cam to find training videos similar to this one for DJI Mavic but haven't been able to find even one. Please make one. Will life of so many DJI drone owners better. Thanks in advance
Not what I expected but it's nice to see a newer, up to date video that's aimed at the clueless beginners 👍
Practice circles. I like to imagine that looking from above, if you want clockwise, it's always right yaw. Also practice orbits, with camera always facing the pilot. They are easy, clockwise orbit, right yaw plus altitude hold.
Fabulous... This is the best starter lesson I have found on the net. Invaluable.
Thanks.
SpaceOne 220X. The thing is a damn tank. I nosed in at full tilt, full throttle a few days back. It threw the battery a good 50ft even with Velcro and rubberized strap. Quad tumbled for about 20-30ft. Picked it up, bent back the two front props, nothing else even flexed. Not a single Stress crack, nada.
I've been punishing it, and it just doesn't care. Only busted 4 props, and had a bad ESC. So..... I think for beginners getting into 4in and up, the SpaceOne 220X is an amazingly tough frame. And it's good for experienced pilots as well, it flys great, and it's cheap. $30...
Bought an RTF Arris 220. Which had decent guts, that are on my current flyer now. But the bottom and top plates are just too thin for a new pilot. I got about three days out of it before it was roached. And that was just stupid rookie mistakes. Not even giving it some throttle and pitch.
Anyways, great video guys. And a Noob series would be quite welcomed by us crash and burners.
one of ur best educational video!!! nice one always keep on my favs!!! thanks guys
Very good video for beginners, I learned a lot! Thanks to both of you guys for taking the time to help us beginners.
thanks guys just got a mini d2 cheap but still now i have an idea of how to fly it thanks again
RL's recommendation:
Do whatever ALEX says... Josh and TJ are fairly good pilots (emphasis on FAIR), but it takes REAL skill to chase their herky-jerky plane flights, and MASTER skills to get both planes in the same shot from the chase copter! :))
Just kidding, Josh and TJ...! You're all EXCELLENT in my book!!
Thanks for posting!
Color of the props could help your orientation as well. Bright color at the front and black at the back
I've own a with a micro Syma X12S and found although small it is a difficult drone for a beginner, or at least for me. I have ordered a Visuo HW, which has altitude mode, which I hope is going to prove a bit more stable to be able to learn to fly. I really enjoyed your video on how to fly drones, and like you say learning to fly is like most things in life: a marathon and not a sprint. So I wanna say thanks for such great advice. I live in the UK, and am hoping to receive my drone within the next week.
Good video and tips! Like the arrow (paint it orange and put "training" in big letters on it :)
One comment on the store though is that I find it to be confusing to me as a non-drone potential customer. There seems to be partial kits or complete units but there is something always missing (radio, power pack, etc.). As a buyer it would be nice to see a complete package (eg. gremlin or tiny whoop) with EVERYTHING you need to start flying, to minimize errors in buying the wrong thing.
Note: maybe I missed something? on the store like that, I did not find it...
Keep up the vids tho, they are great.
Cheers,
- Eddy
Deathlok67 agreed
Being one of the people who's had this happen. (Only started flying fpv recently) I don't agree. There are already too many options for stores to keep up. Flitetest has a nice way of doing it where you can select what you want with certain quads, other online stores don't have that so they have 10 entries of the same quadcopter with small adjustments? Nah, what I do like is stores that TELL YOU what isn't included. I've seen a store that said, "Camera, FPV Transmitter and Receiver are not included and need to be added". At least that way you have some clear image of what you get. Even as a new pilot you'll have the reaction to go look up what it is they are talking about.
At the same time it would help if people making DIY build video's would mention what isn't included and what else you'd need to get in the air.
TL/DR: Clear information on what is and mostly isn't included in a purchase or build of quadcopters.
a thing that helps .If its RTF , 99% its all you need to get airborne .As of today I know of no set with goggles , but fatshark is again 99% compatible with everything
@LaZieGoblin - You are right on this point. But it does not have to be one or the other in terms of choices. Both options should be there. In my case I want the first quad I buy to be the one that I have to put the least amount of (expert) knowledge in because I just don't have those answers eg. "Which battery pack should I get for this quad?" The guys at Flite test have the knowledge already and know what are good options for that first quad. Once the buyer gets more knowledge on quads then his/her next purchase can be more flexible, eg. I want a bit more flying time or I want to go to a 4 cell to get a bit more power.
- Eddy
lacucaracha111111 newbeedrone.com has a few complete RTF sets with goggles, one with the new Fat Shark Attitudes.
What a brilliant video. Really helped me out
This video is excellent! I'm more of a ground vehicle guy myself, but I do own some quads, smaller indoor ones and a bigger outdoor one. I haven't really been into flying drones since I don't feel like I'm the best at controlling them like I can with a ground vehicle, but I'm definitely going to give them more chances by following these tips and tricks. Thank you for all of this helpful information and who knows, I might become a drone guy too. :D
Good job on the video, as a semi experienced pilot I found some of the tips useful!! Looking at it as a new pilot I really believe this and the following videos I'm sure is a great way to get familiar with flying quads or any rotor driven r/c!! Always love watching flight test videos, keep up the great work please!!😁👍
I'd argue that tuning is the last thing to do, because to do a good PID tune you need to be able to control the quad AND be able to see the imperfections of it's flight :)
8:12 zelda sound effect?? Is that the quad the transmitter or edited in???
That's the controler kuz if it was the drone it would sound like an old arcade game BLHeli_32 is what u can use to put a tune on the drone. Joshua Bardwell did a few videos on it
Thanks for the radio cam!
had a good time with the cheapo 'aerodrone' i have, till one of the motors burned out when i was taking it in for a landing on it's last flight. managed to fly it without crashing it into anything, the whole year and a half that i used it. i used to fly gliders, these handle quite differently than a glider does, but i suppose that experience helped me to quickly get onto flying mine well enough.
One way to learn the aspects of the remote stick reversing the left & right whilst coming towards yourself is to get a cheap rc car, the steering is reversed when driving towards yourself, ..... SO, if you play with a cheap rc car first, you learn about stick reversal.
As a newby with a new drone that I haven't flown yet, I appreciate the video and all of the information, especially the demonstration of how to progress when first learning to fly. Great information. But if I could make a suggestion - when you make a video about the basics, don't throw around acronyms that a newby won't understand unless you explain it the first time you use it. FPV, etc. I've seen several videos that do this and it's frustrating. I understand if a video isn't aimed at newbies that nobody is going to want to sit through explanations of terms that the target audience should already understand, but this video isn't targeting experienced pilots. I've since found that FPV means "First Person View," so now it makes sense. Also, at 08:20 you said if you're new to flying you should separate yourself at least two ??? away - I couldn't understand the word following "two." It sounded like "acks." Otherwise good video with valuable information - thank you.
thank you. yesterday I got my first drone - potensic a20. I can already do walk the dog. it has autohold hovering feature which makes it super easy to fly.
This was rapid fire being a beginner, but lot of good stuff here guys. thanks!
I love all your quad videos! More Gremlins!!!
Edit- I just ordered a gremlin!!!!!!
It was impossible for me to 'walk the dog' as I'm in a wheelchair so ended up using LEDs to provide orientation. Hovering took about two months and then figure of eights four to six months. Once I'd managed this I discovered that I'd been flying the whole time in Angle mode so had to repeat the same process first in Horizon and then finally Acro. I took so long as every time I cut the throttle it took ages to recover the craft and start again. So as to be able to get to the field where I fly I had to build light and that mean small. The difficulty with flying small craft is that you can so easily lose orientation which in turn means getting back to the crashed craft to start again.
Despite all these difficulties I've gained a great sense of achievement from flying Quads. I'm now saving up to get some FPV goggles as that will be my next challenge.
Dirty mode 2 users!! I grew up on Arcade and Mario Brothers, you steer with the left thumb :) But all levity aside the arrow is fantastic teaching aid for new people. Good video.
Can you d a video on tuning and cleanflight basics?
Awesome video! Love your products!
Excellent video. I learned something important today. Thank you guys.
Question regarding LOS flying of a 250mm quad: How on earth would you fly at a distance in acro mode? I can barely keep yaw orientation in check, let alone all of my tilts as well.
LazerLord10 You don't. I figured it out the hard way.
LazerLord10 Generally you train to not need to see the orientation of your quad, you more sort of remember where you are pointing, you get used to your rates. You get to know: "so much stick for so much time is. 90° turn" so it should be more like: "I take off away from myself, I held my stick right for X amount of time so now I know I am pointed right"
It's not really an issue about where I'm pointing, but more how it's tilted (roll/pitch). I don't want to end up upside-down.
LazerLord10 Its pretty much the same for pitch and roll, you get used to the timing and feel of how much is too much... LOS acro is just a crazy amount of training, also try to keep your setup consistent, dont switch props, motors or rates all the time its the easyest to always have a constant setup
LazerLord10 just go fpv
Great advice guy. It reminds me when I started flying Planes.
interesting practise technique. if my hexa is ready and PID is calibrate, i know what i do the next 40 battery charges.
good video.
Great video. Many thanks guys. I just bought my first drone and it really helped
Thanks for taking us over all the basics again.. I applaud and love the effort :)
Zelda at 8:12 ?
Great video guys, appreciate the tips, can't wait for spring to start my training!
Great vid guys! Couldn't agree more with your tips. I suggest making a video on how to set up the quads with a transmitter? Like i would love to buy a gremlin but the main thing stopping me is i have no idea how to set the quad up with any of my transmitters or if they will even work with mine.
11:02 also it really helps imagining to balance a stick on a finger , this is especially good on mode 2
As a newcomer to multi rotor flying I'm asking, is it still okay to use the words rudder, elevator and aileron on a quad copter? Yaw, pitch and roll should be enough. The physical equivalent are different speed in rotation of the propellers.
To start with I got a cheerson cx-10 just to learn how to fly now saving up for a race quad
Thank you you guys are always so helpful
I bought the Graupner Alpha 300Q as my first RC aircraft. I've practiced on $30 toys in the past and I've gotten pretty good at S turns with the toys, but I'm so afraid that I'm going to break the Graupner! I know you guys stated that it's for intermediate to advanced flyers, but I loved what that thing can do and I had to have it. One thing I know for certain, I need to learn the MZ-12 better. I'm having trouble staying at nice hover height. I keep having to throttle up one click then back down one click to try and stay level and I'm sure the transmitter will let me tweak the throttle so I'm not constantly going up and down...
This is an awesome tutorial for flying quads manually.
What an awesome video!
Thanks for the video. Still learning.
Jumping straight to RTFs is not skipping the learning curves, it is skipping the needed experience that generates a responsible attitude towards RC flying...
Amazing video guys
Hard to believe it was that long ago. That was a great video. I built the h quad but needs some balancing and tuning.