I'm 61 year old and got my very first drone for Christmas (no laughing now!) It's not a fantastic drone it's the Holy Stone 175D, but had a lot of good reviews here on TH-cam it didn't cost a fortune obviously, neither did I want it to, I was worried about writing the thing off within a couple of flights. I find this video invaluable as a learning tool and watch it before every flight as a kind of what airline pilots call muscle memory, which basically means remembering a procedure off by heart without having to refer to documentation. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to put this together. You have earned a new sub and bell notification. Greetings from "across the pond" here in England.
@@goldiegoldenbear7282 I am a more confident pilot I would say, I crashed a few times and had to replace a couple of blades but all in all, I haven't done badly, it's still in one piece!
We need a lot more videos from this guy! He's clear, gets right to the point and doesn't waste a lot of time on filler content. His straightforward method makes me feel like he's a serious pilot who knows what he is doing and wants you to get it, not some kid who is just giddy to show off his drone flying skills on TH-cam under the guise of teaching.
I agree with you...I get so tired of people who are just trying to get their 15 minutes of fame so they talk about nothing for the first 5 hours of their video and then give you 2 minutes of ACTUAL, relevant content...
Thank you for that comment. This video has been instrumental to regaining my confidence in flying since I’m a bit out of practice. There’s nothing wrong when going back to basic flight skills!
As a total newb flying my brand new Mini Pro 3, I'm so grateful to be able to watch videos like this to understand some core principles, to be able to fall back on. Thank you so much. My first flight was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking, so learning from experienced pilots is vital. Watching the videos however is limited, the key is to practice, practice, practice. Thanks again. 🙂
I now use this as an "Intro to drone flying workshop" for aspiring pilots or peeps who want to "try n fly". It's such a lovely set of exercise and you can increase the challenge level to suit. Top Content thx.
Had the Mini 2 a few days and due to weather indoor flying has only been possible, never flown a drone before. Slid down the wardrobe once but now know why after watching this fine video - no GPS so it was wondering around a little when it should have been stationery. I have learnt more with this video for the style of flying I want to achieve than anything else I have looked at to date - at seventy four the learning curve is near vertical at the moment! Thank you very much indeed for the professional way the video has been put together and specifically for the way you have imparted your obvious skills to others.
As a 61 old, I am a beginner. This was very informative, and was such good practice. Thanks for the tips. All I can say is, practice, practice, practice, and have fun.
What I like about this is that the Coach understands the challenges and confusions that can happen. Too many teacher/coaches don't remember what it was like to learn. This is very well done.
I have watched this video before but now it was sent to me by my employer as training prep. Congrats! the State of Ca is using your video as a training aid!
I've never flown a drone, but I used to do the square pattern, no yaw, circular turn, no yaw, square pattern with yaw, in a real helicopter, all while following the taxi lines on an airport, while going sideways, backwards, following the curve lines too, all without stopping. These exercises made me incredible smooth when flying in confined areas. Good video.
@@mikefundis77 Mike, can you give more detail? Does your Holy Stone drone have GPS, are you flying in high winds, or with interference between the drone and remote? Without GPS, flying outdoors can be challenging and quite frustrating. A Holy Stone drone is a really nice toy, but for not that much more you can get a used DJI Mini, or even a Mini 2. I recently saw a used Mini for $220 on eBay. The drone and camera abilities of the lowest cost DJI is miles and miles beyond slightly less expensive Holy Stone drones.
New pilot here. I've only been flying for a couple of weeks and would do my own little things to improve my flying some of them similar to this video. But watching this gave me a whole new set of training tactics that I can now use and have some fun with. Thank you!
As a 14-year RC pilot, 7 with drones, this is an excellent guide. As an aside, the no-GPS mode is actually as close to being a pilot in this computer-assisted flying world as you can get with todays drones.
I have watched a lot of videos on people demonstrating how good they are at flying drones but they are not much use to me as a beginner. This is the best video I have seen for someone like me.,a beginner who has just passed the U.K. on-line theory test. It is highly recommended. Thank you to The UAV Coach.
This video was extremely well done. I love how you Illustrated each example with multiple camera angles. This really gives me a foundation to learn before I break or lose a new drone I'm thinking about getting.
Dude!!! I’m 55yrs old and getting my first drone in a month. This is sooooooo helpful. My first week will be doing all these exercises everyday over and over. Thank you and thanks for putting this video together! You are a good man.
Much needed video. Everyone was to jump in without ant practice or skills. Learning on the fly isn’t the way to go. Thanks for giving the smart people the information they need to start becoming better skilled with their abilities to fly. Kudos to you.
Thanks for a very helpful video. Although I've been flying for over 4 years, I will be doing these exercises just to stay in shape. However, I do have one of my own exercises that I practice often. It's a figure 8. I do it about 30 feet high, to avoid hitting anything, and so that I can observe the 8 pattern. But as I'm flying, I'm keeping the camera pointing forward. This means that I'm using yaw and roll to control the direction, but also using pitch to control the speed. This get me to use most of the controls. This has helped me to react to drone moves without thinking. It's second nature and muscle memory.
YES, love this addition, Mike. That's a great exercise for folks who have mastered the basics and looking to warm their thumbs up for an upcoming mission. Keeping the camera pointed forward is tough!
When you say forward, do you mean always in the direction of travel or forward as in camera always pointing North regardless of drone position in the 8?
Camera forward figure 8 is probably the hardest move of all. Very dynamic. Harder than orbit or even spiral or heiix, due constant movement of sticks through center. The only way to make it harder is to aim at center of each (orbiting each leg center) and/or combine with level changes.
This is what’s great about the internet/TH-cam. You are in the States and I’m in the UK. I have just got my first drone DJI Mini 2 but found your video not only interesting but such a fantastic starting point for me to build confidence, understanding and pilot skills that will stand me in good stead for years to come. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and skills across the Globe 👍
I really like your presentation style. It is easy to understand and you explain the reasoning for each drill. I will use these to become better piloting my drone. Thank you for this video.
I am A newbie with my DJI mini 2 and while some other videos offer how-tos, I like the specific, get to know your drone, flying exercises. I'm a far way off from flying instinctively, but I know with THESE types of exercises, I'll improve faster than my "winging it" technique! And yes, that was an accidental pun!
Great training video, especially the learning to fly at eye level, I’m going out today with the drone and will be carrying out all the eye level training exercises. The close up to the tree was excellentlent. I look forward to the clear no nonsense dialogue and footage in future training video’s. Well done.
Appreciate your comment, George. We spent a lot of time on the script to try and be as no-nonsense and clear as possible. Blue skies and safe flying out there!
Did my first drone flight today, and after so many mistakes, I realized I needed to really practice certain moves, particularly how to control the movement of the drone. Can’t wait to start using your exercises tomorrow.
Excellent video. I've viewed multiple training vids before, but this was, by far, the most helpful. Your narration, the music, and the camera work are great as well. Thanks so much.
Hey coach, Just bought my First drone. Really excited about this. Haven’t flown it yet. Wanted to learn some basics first. Enjoyed this video, really informative to help me get started on the basics of learning the drone and flying it. I save this video to and to keep going back to it. Thanks for sharing your experience as a learning tool for a new drone flyer like me. Thanks again.
Joseph, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Hope you're flying has been going well and that you've put in some good stick time these past couple of weeks!
DUDE!! You are an outstanding instructor! I flew helicopters in the USMC but that was a long time ago, so when I picked up a drone recently, I looked for a capable, articulate instructor, and there you were!
Excellent information. I am older and just purchased my first drone (dji mini pro 3) and was uneasy about skills to fluidly and accurately control the drone. This gives me fantastic training exercises to practice so I'll feel more skilled and in control when I take it various places {vacations, camping, hiking, kayaking, etc) Nice job!
Great video. I've done many of the exercises you suggested. I just think that the altitude of the drone should be a bit higher than your head. The only way to mess up your eyes is a combination of joystick and thrust, but there is a considerable increase in safety by not being at the height of the eyes.
Glad I’m seeing this now, I got 14 mins flight time on my Air 2S. And this is my first time flying ever, and a professional drone at that. Thanks a lot man!
I'm 65 and have been flying camera drones for nearly 10 years. I still test my skills using many of the exercises you suggest and describe. One of my favorites is to circle POI above an object at a set camera angle and then as I slowly descend while still circling I also adjust the camera angle to keep the object (tall pine tree) in view. It's definitely a serious challenge. Keep them props up!
What a great video. I’ve been flying a drone now for about 6 months and am starting to get pretty comfortable with it. Thanks for doing this video. A great way for a beginner to learn and someone with a little experience to become even more skilled.
Great stuff, thank you for creating and sharing this clear and well thought out video! I just got a DJI Mini SE and plan to follow these steps. It has been a few years now since I flew a "dumb" Blade 180QX so I am ~starting over. I have to 'unlearn' part of my 20+yrs of flying RC planes to go droning! One add (step #16 or #20!) might be to ATTEMPT flying a figure 8 pattern nose first at
Neat... thank you for these exercises... I needed this kind of guide... One comment though, I don't think flying at eye level is safest, I would fly say 1 foot above eye level to protect my eyes (just in case). Many thanks.
The eye level is only a first step for checking that everything looks fine when you hover with your drone. You look at your drone and you can spot any malfunction if is at eye level. After that, you fly at your safest altitude.
I'm also very new to drone flying (first flight was yesterday). I'm a retired Vietnam Era vet. The only R/C I've done was cars and that was decades ago. On the first battery (25-30 minutes), I was doing basic maneuvers and not going very far away (50 feet maximum). The second battery I was able to fly in circles just watching the drone. Have not done figure eights yet, but maybe today. One of "your" exercises was to fly at the maximum altitude (394 feet on my drone - FII GIM2). I first set the max altitude at 150 feet and then went there (just hovering in place). Looking at the phone it seemed simple enough, but when I looked up to see the drone that greatly shocked me. Quickly wondered if it would ever come back down safely - lol. Going all the way up to 394 feet is hard to think of after just one day of flying. I am going to do your exercises in order and spend some time in each (they don't seem that boring to me at all and actually very interesting - something fun to do with my new drone). I really appreciate you making videos like this (had thought that I would be on my own). Thank you!
Thank you very much for this great pedagogical video. It surely brings some solid foundation to drone flying. The variety of exercises could be endless but there would be one thing that I encourage new drone pilotes to practice is the appreciation of distances: Choosing a ground obstacle and trying to bring the drone directly on top of it. Then, with a flip of the gimble at 90° check how far you are. I have always found appreciating the distances something hard to grasp especially at the beginning. Then, at a distance, try to make a square with or without yawing. Doing the equivalent of a POI where you are not at the centre but of a distant point. Doing a square with 90° different yaw position. This last one can be a bit tricky but very insightful. Thank you again
Awesome tips! I'm also fairly new to my Mini 2, and while it doesn't have POI mode other than through an automated Quickshot feature, I'll definitely be trying a lot of these next time I go flying
Appreciate your comment, thank you! The Mini 2 is a great drone and packs a powerful punch for something so small (and great price point too). Blue skies and safe flying to you!
Great video. Would love to see you break down flying in Atti mode with some basic skills much like this video. What are the best exercises to practice with? What pitfalls should we look out for to avoid? Thanks!
Yes, flying in ATTI mode is great for training, and a required skill for many pro drone pilots. I always found it annoying that certain drone models don't allow the pilot to switch into ATTI mode.
@@uavcoach Maybe the best way is to get into an hangar and see if we can get no satellite, the drone will go "max 30 meters height mode" and voilà, we have our spaceship freedom.
Morning greg from the United Kingdom! What a joy it was to watch this video you get straight into it no extra words needed clear and precise very helpful to a new Drone pilot thank you very much buddy.😅
fantastic exercises 👍 This coming week, I am expecting delivery of my first drone ever. As i have never flown anything RC before 🎈💨💥 I will definitely be putting these training exercises into practice right away, ...oh, and i have subbed and look forward to going through your content
Most useful video. I work abroad on rotations and each time I get home it's a refresher (like movie 50 First Dates) after updating firmware etc. Then when I cram flights into my travels, I often have regrets about what I could have done better whilst in the sky. I need to have practice flights with more intent, especially before a trip where it will be used.
I am fairly new to flying a drone, this video was exactly the type of instruction I was looking for. Great video, it answered questions I hadn't even thought about.
Great exercises! They will help a beginner to make the right movements without having to think about it. I still have to concentrate to remind myself whether the drone is facing away or toward me. My first exercise with my first drone was doing figure 8s. I got good at it, however I had to start over almost from scratch each day I did it due to being a bit too complicated for a beginner. Having macular degeneration and very little depth perception, I have to rely on return to home to land quickly, however given space and time, I can visually land it if I am close to the landing pad. I will have to say that having a drone is great for handicapped people to be occupied, gain skills, and make great videos. I got the Mavic 3 to have better photography with less editing and safer flights.
@@uavcoach If you ever do a remake of this video, consider adding a rapid takeoff and landing while keeping the subject in the center of the camera. This would require controlling the camera tilt in subtle ways, but its harder than it looks.
Thank you! Have about 2 hours stick time on my Mini 2 maneuvering around in "C" mode - tripod is fast enough for now :) These exercises are just what I need.
Wow what a great video! I’ve had my Mavic air 2 for about 9 months and I wish I had watched this when I first got it. 6 of these exercises will be practiced this weekend
Like others have said, I wish I saw this a year ago...great exercises and great video. I have a MA2 and as you pointed out it cannot be forced into atti mode. I think the best way to learn to fly with no GPS is to fly a toy grade drone that doesn't have GPS. It will even blow in the breeze. Since it's a cheap little drone it can withstand crashes so you can really push yourself. Get a Bugs 3 which has no altitude hold and really push yourself. I also find it useful to practice banking turns by making turns with a combination of yaw and roll. Learning to fly like this helps you make smooth turns and I also find it helps maintain directional awareness because you are constantly engaged with BOTH sticks while flying...unless you happen to be flying in a straight line.
I just bought DJI mini2 3 weeks ago and I m very lucky found this tutorials..It s good idea to buy another cheap toy drones for practicing. Thank you Greg, Richard and all advisers.
I think my favorite advice that wasn't specifically stated in the video was the initial exercises involve piloting the drone without looking at the drone camera footage, but through your own eyes. It does create a sense of discomfort, especially if you have to fly the drone in reverse, but it significantly helps with your personal awareness and spatial positioning.
Yes, great tip. For new pilots, the practice of looking at the drone and then down at your screen and then back up at the drone. That back-and-forth awareness / spatial positioning is really difficult to get comfortable with at first!
@@uavcoach Another thing that I've learnt on my training was to send my drone at the limit of Line of Sight, yaw it heratically just to lose track of its position and from there, without looking at the screen, bring it back to "home". I liked that, too.
Thank you for this man! As a flight instructor I do really appreciate the lessons you have put together and I am going to follow your routines to get dialed in with my drone. Fantastic work!
Fab Video. Spent some time watching it again and again. Very very good I think because it really simplified what some find quite terrorising and a road block to learning. Thanks for this and I look forward to more. :)
Thanks Greg! You got some of the exercises I teach along with some points I mostly don’t have time for in one of our 2-hour sessions. However, this will now be included in my follow-up email to UAV Coach students. 😎👍🏽
I avoid flying at eye level, because of fear of something part breaking from the drone and smashing right in the head. I have not heard about such thing, but still prefer to fly at waist level or above heads.
Yes, I wish we were more precise with our instruction. We didn't mean to encourage folks to literally fly at eye level. It was more like - please don't thrust up too quickly without hovering for a few seconds and listening/looking for any abnormalities. I prefer slightly above the head, standing about 8-10 feet away.
I'm new to Drones although I'm very skilled at RC Cars Boats etc So my question is how does the wifi work if your away from your wifi network out in the hills for example? 😐
Very well produced video showing the hows & whys of flying a drone safely & responsibly. I am a new pilot and will be leaning these skills over the next few weeks
I appreciate finally finding a drone channel that does not spend the first 30 seconds screaming at me or playing outrageously loud music. I really enjoyed the presentation and content of information that you delivered and found it very informative and useful being a complete newbie to drone piloting. Thank you for the information.
Excellent, Excellent video, thank you so much. You took the mystique out of flying and made me feel that that there are basic doable practice steps by which I can a acquire the skills to operate the instrument. Just like most other things--step by step developing of the fundamentals leads to overall skill.
I just ordered my first drone today, and I will be going back to this video over and over again until I feel comfortable flying it. Thank you so much! Now off to check other videos on your channel! :)
i'm a new drone pilot, most of my friend tell to just go and shoot don't do this boring basics, but for me this is the most undesrtandable drone practice and very usefull in the field
One month later .. after having to get another new phone to fly my dji mini 2, I remembered some of these exercises. Just lucked in to your channel again now .. and subscribed... thanks .. this is just the most useful video around.
Excellent video! I'm glad I found it. I'm thinking about getting a drone. I've done a little RC flying and the inverted controls discussion brought back memories. No matter how boring the exercises may seem, repetition is needed to build up muscle memory.
Hey Doug, thanks for the comment! Let us know if you have any questions about particular drone models. Yes, repetition is really helpful those first several battery cycles. Great perspective!
As a newbie I'm trying not to rotate a drone while flying or it becomes very confusing trying to fly in the direction you want and often leads to crash if you're not careful. Now I see that even experienced pilots could have difficulties with it and need some training time to become proficient with inverted control. Thank you for a good tutorial.
So got my drone a few weeks ago.....got it registered and done the initial online test to get the respective I.D Now having fun doing these exercises....the initial ones are brilliant for me as I don’t have a big open space near me....so the stuff at the beginning really helps...and means I also get more used to the drone (som being comfortable with the drone) as well as getting used to actually operating it. This is definitely a vid I’m going to recommend watching for other newbies like myself....as well as those who own a drone but never did any actual exercises when they started flying.....as the saying goes ‘ we learn something new every day’ 🙂🙏
Yes, so much of those first several flights are about gaining comfort. Slow and steady movements, learning the software and safety features. It takes time, sounds like you're off to a great start!
What a great video! Finally a list of drills we can practice low and move highter. If you cant do them low, then you will never do them at 400 ft. I have watched alot of videos. All they do is go high and fast. It all come down to baby steps. Go slow, and learn... then move up. 100 ft is along way. I hear people talk about signal drop. Fly in airplane mode. That should stop it. I have learned alot, and i have not ecen got my drone yet. I am looking at the HS 720g there so meny to look at.
Awesome Bro! wrote them all down on a 3x5 card. Going out to a big field to do three batteries worth drills. This is what i need. I feel like this will create muscle memory and confidence. Mabey next make like a one minute drill to do every time before you fly as sort of a tune up. Thanks great job.
Geoff Mason from Coffs Harbour on the East Coast of NSW, Australia. I teach students how to fly drones using the DJI Tello drones. Each one has its own plastic cage so if they bump into walls or other drones they bounce off. I use most of the techniques you have shown but I have enjoyed a couple of new ones. Thank you for making it so clear. When I achieved my Remote Pilots Licence(RePL) in NSW, the last test was the most difficult. I think this could be added to your training. Imagine a basketball court or bigger. Start the drone about half way along one side. Take off then move forward and slowly rise up about 10 feet(3 metres) while moving forward. At the top continue moving forward a few feet then using the right YAW and forward stick turning 90 degrees continue about 20 feet. Still moving forward use the YAW to turn 90 degrees and continue to the other end of the rectangle. Use the right YAW while still moving forward and continue to the line where you started. Moving forward use the right YAW again and move forward about 10 feet then still moving forward slowly descend to the starting point and without stopping repeat this exercise. The exercise was called Practice taking off and landing. I hope this helps.
Great information and thank you for sharing, I have wanted a drone for 5 years ever since a film crew came to our place to film a documentary about the wildfires. I have never used a joystick so this is all new to me but with this great video I've been out today twice practising and I'm going to keep doing it until I've mastered it.
Nice one, ta. I've taught a few people photography. When using a DSLR camera, I always start by encouraging them to switch off 'auto' mode and 'scenes', and learn how to [for example] use 'aperture' to control depth of field, and understand 'camera shake' using shutter speed etcetera. Some people quickly revert to the noddy-dials because they can get okay snaps, while others persevere with learning. The ones who learn properly ALWAYS become better photographers. My drone flying is currently heavily reliant upon auto as much as possible. I don't even fly it back to me, I just hit RTH. I'm going to use this video in the same way as teaching photography, going right back to basics and learn properly. Thanks.
I'm 61 year old and got my very first drone for Christmas (no laughing now!) It's not a fantastic drone it's the Holy Stone 175D, but had a lot of good reviews here on TH-cam it didn't cost a fortune obviously, neither did I want it to, I was worried about writing the thing off within a couple of flights. I find this video invaluable as a learning tool and watch it before every flight as a kind of what airline pilots call muscle memory, which basically means remembering a procedure off by heart without having to refer to documentation. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to put this together. You have earned a new sub and bell notification. Greetings from "across the pond" here in England.
Are you still flying your drone? Wondering how’s your skill level now and if you still like your Holy Stone
@@goldiegoldenbear7282 I am a more confident pilot I would say, I crashed a few times and had to replace a couple of blades but all in all, I haven't done badly, it's still in one piece!
Same here! Lots of fun.
Allmost 50 and just bought my first 😊 good luck
I'm 80 and got my first drone Christmas 23, this is a great video
We need a lot more videos from this guy! He's clear, gets right to the point and doesn't waste a lot of time on filler content. His straightforward method makes me feel like he's a serious pilot who knows what he is doing and wants you to get it, not some kid who is just giddy to show off his drone flying skills on TH-cam under the guise of teaching.
I agree with you...I get so tired of people who are just trying to get their 15 minutes of fame so they talk about nothing for the first 5 hours of their video and then give you 2 minutes of ACTUAL, relevant content...
Thank you for that comment. This video has been instrumental to regaining my confidence in flying since I’m a bit out of practice. There’s nothing wrong when going back to basic flight skills!
Hear! Hear!
As a total newb flying my brand new Mini Pro 3, I'm so grateful to be able to watch videos like this to understand some core principles, to be able to fall back on. Thank you so much. My first flight was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking, so learning from experienced pilots is vital. Watching the videos however is limited, the key is to practice, practice, practice. Thanks again. 🙂
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing, Colin!
Seconded! My DJI Mini Pro 3 arrives today and I'm planning on using this video as a guide for my first test run.
I now use this as an "Intro to drone flying workshop" for aspiring pilots or peeps who want to "try n fly". It's such a lovely set of exercise and you can increase the challenge level to suit. Top Content thx.
Glad you found it helpful! Blue skies and safe flying!
Had the Mini 2 a few days and due to weather indoor flying has only been possible, never flown a drone before. Slid down the wardrobe once but now know why after watching this fine video - no GPS so it was wondering around a little when it should have been stationery.
I have learnt more with this video for the style of flying I want to achieve than anything else I have looked at to date - at seventy four the learning curve is near vertical at the moment!
Thank you very much indeed for the professional way the video has been put together and specifically for the way you have imparted your obvious skills to others.
Thank you for your comments and for sharing your experience so far, Barry!
As a 61 old, I am a beginner. This was very informative, and was such good practice. Thanks for the tips. All I can say is, practice, practice, practice, and have fun.
We're so glad you found the video helpful! Blue skies and safe flying!
What I like about this is that the Coach understands the challenges and confusions that can happen. Too many teacher/coaches don't remember what it was like to learn. This is very well done.
That means a lot, Jeff. We spent a lot of time on this one, thank you for your comment! Blue skies & safe flying to you.
Agreed - these are some of the best instructional videos for pilots learning to get a handle on drone flying.
Very true
I have watched this video before but now it was sent to me by my employer as training prep. Congrats! the State of Ca is using your video as a training aid!
That's awesome! Thanks for watching :)
I've never flown a drone, but I used to do the square pattern, no yaw, circular turn, no yaw, square pattern with yaw, in a real helicopter, all while following the taxi lines on an airport, while going sideways, backwards, following the curve lines too, all without stopping. These exercises made me incredible smooth when flying in confined areas. Good video.
Thanks for your comment, Mo! Wishing you blue skies & safe flying.
I can't say thank you enough for making this video! As a new pilot, this really put the foundation in my drone control.
Yahoo! Thanks for the comment, R.O.
Hello this is Michael
I got a holy Stone s17 and I having trouble flying up in the air I don't know what I'm doing wrong you can get me a
how are your skills doing now one year from this comment?
@@mikefundis77 Mike, can you give more detail? Does your Holy Stone drone have GPS, are you flying in high winds, or with interference between the drone and remote? Without GPS, flying outdoors can be challenging and quite frustrating. A Holy Stone drone is a really nice toy, but for not that much more you can get a used DJI Mini, or even a Mini 2. I recently saw a used Mini for $220 on eBay. The drone and camera abilities of the lowest cost DJI is miles and miles beyond slightly less expensive Holy Stone drones.
New pilot here. I've only been flying for a couple of weeks and would do my own little things to improve my flying some of them similar to this video. But watching this gave me a whole new set of training tactics that I can now use and have some fun with. Thank you!
Good stuff, thanks for your comment! Glad these tips are helpful.
As a 14-year RC pilot, 7 with drones, this is an excellent guide. As an aside, the no-GPS mode is actually as close to being a pilot in this computer-assisted flying world as you can get with todays drones.
Appreciate your comment, thank you!
Many of my mulitrotors do not even have GPS. I like to do the flying myself. For me that is where the fun lies.
Excellent walk-through of basic exercises. Not the most exciting flying, but practicing techniques will lead to outstanding performance.
Fundamentals are everything! Thanks for your comment.
I have watched a lot of videos on people demonstrating how good they are at flying drones but they are not much use to me as a beginner. This is the best video I have seen for someone like me.,a beginner who has just passed the U.K. on-line theory test. It is highly recommended. Thank you to The UAV Coach.
Thank you, Phil. That means a lot!
This video was extremely well done. I love how you Illustrated each example with multiple camera angles. This really gives me a foundation to learn before I break or lose a new drone I'm thinking about getting.
Glad you enjoyed it, Hector. Thank you for taking the time comment!
Dude!!! I’m 55yrs old and getting my first drone in a month. This is sooooooo helpful. My first week will be doing all these exercises everyday over and over. Thank you and thanks for putting this video together! You are a good man.
Craig, wishing you blue skies & safe flying! Glad you found our video helpful and please stay in touch with questions along the way :)
Great video, very engaging not an ounce of filler,all good info without any BS. Subscribed !!!!
Thank you, Matt!
Much needed video. Everyone was to jump in without ant practice or skills. Learning on the fly isn’t the way to go. Thanks for giving the smart people the information they need to start becoming better skilled with their abilities to fly. Kudos to you.
Thank you for the kinds words, Tom! Wishing you blue skies & safe flying.
Thanks for a very helpful video. Although I've been flying for over 4 years, I will be doing these exercises just to stay in shape. However, I do have one of my own exercises that I practice often. It's a figure 8. I do it about 30 feet high, to avoid hitting anything, and so that I can observe the 8 pattern. But as I'm flying, I'm keeping the camera pointing forward. This means that I'm using yaw and roll to control the direction, but also using pitch to control the speed. This get me to use most of the controls. This has helped me to react to drone moves without thinking. It's second nature and muscle memory.
YES, love this addition, Mike. That's a great exercise for folks who have mastered the basics and looking to warm their thumbs up for an upcoming mission. Keeping the camera pointed forward is tough!
When you say forward, do you mean always in the direction of travel or forward as in camera always pointing North regardless of drone position in the 8?
@@robertdoran7387 I point it in the direction of travel. Just like you were driving a car and always pointing in the direction you are headed.
Camera forward figure 8 is probably the hardest move of all. Very dynamic. Harder than orbit or even spiral or heiix, due constant movement of sticks through center. The only way to make it harder is to aim at center of each (orbiting each leg center) and/or combine with level changes.
This is what’s great about the internet/TH-cam. You are in the States and I’m in the UK. I have just got my first drone DJI Mini 2 but found your video not only interesting but such a fantastic starting point for me to build confidence, understanding and pilot skills that will stand me in good stead for years to come. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and skills across the Globe 👍
Thank you for taking the time to comment!
I really like your presentation style. It is easy to understand and you explain the reasoning for each drill. I will use these to become better piloting my drone. Thank you for this video.
Thanks for the comment, Buffalo Chips. We had fun putting this together.
just got my mavic 2 pro yesterday, will try these exercises..thanks
That's great to hear! Blue skies and safe flying!
I am A newbie with my DJI mini 2 and while some other videos offer how-tos, I like the specific, get to know your drone, flying exercises. I'm a far way off from flying instinctively, but I know with THESE types of exercises, I'll improve faster than my "winging it" technique! And yes, that was an accidental pun!
This industry is full of fun puns! Thanks for your comment, Dale. Wishing you blue skies and safe flying and hope that your skills "take off" quickly!
Thank you sir for all this information. These are the basic fundamentals on how to fly drone or any remote UAV. Well done sir.
Great training video, especially the learning to fly at eye level, I’m going out today with the drone and will be carrying out all the eye level training exercises. The close up to the tree was excellentlent. I look forward to the clear no nonsense dialogue and footage in future training video’s. Well done.
Appreciate your comment, George. We spent a lot of time on the script to try and be as no-nonsense and clear as possible. Blue skies and safe flying out there!
Outstanding advice. I will do a lot of walking before I try to run, and these exercises look to be just what I need. Thanks very much.
You're welcome, Alistair! Thank you for your comment.
Did my first drone flight today, and after so many mistakes, I realized I needed to really practice certain moves, particularly how to control the movement of the drone. Can’t wait to start using your exercises tomorrow.
Yahoo! Blue skies & safe flying to you :)
This is my favorite new pilot video on TH-cam. I like the basic eye-level maneuvers for daily practice. They're easy to do in the yard.
Glad you liked it! Blue skies and safe flying!
Excellent video. I've viewed multiple training vids before, but this was, by far, the most helpful. Your narration, the music, and the camera work are great as well. Thanks so much.
John, your comment means a lot, thank you!
i totally agree.
Great Video. Very informative. I am new to drones and will benefit from your exercises. Thanks for an easy to understand and follow video.
Hey coach, Just bought my First drone. Really excited about this. Haven’t flown it yet. Wanted to learn some basics first. Enjoyed this video, really informative to help me get started on the basics of learning the drone and flying it. I save this video to and to keep going back to it. Thanks for sharing your experience as a learning tool for a new drone flyer like me. Thanks again.
Joseph, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Hope you're flying has been going well and that you've put in some good stick time these past couple of weeks!
I also bought one few days ago and took it out today for the first time and this video gave me so much confidence thank you so much Coach.
A professional and disciplined Drone Pilot. Thank you and God bless you.
Great tips for boosting piloting skills. Mastering these maneuvers is a must! Great explanation and tutorial, thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it, Keith! Thanks for your comment.
DUDE!! You are an outstanding instructor! I flew helicopters in the USMC but that was a long time ago, so when I picked up a drone recently, I looked for a capable, articulate instructor, and there you were!
Thank you, Terry!
I found this 2 years late but very helpful for a new operator. Thanks for sharing
Excellent information. I am older and just purchased my first drone (dji mini pro 3) and was uneasy about skills to fluidly and accurately control the drone. This gives me fantastic training exercises to practice so I'll feel more skilled and in control when I take it various places {vacations, camping, hiking, kayaking, etc) Nice job!
Thank you for taking the time to comment! Wishing you blue skies & safe flying.
Great video. I've done many of the exercises you suggested. I just think that the altitude of the drone should be a bit higher than your head. The only way to mess up your eyes is a combination of joystick and thrust, but there is a considerable increase in safety by not being at the height of the eyes.
Yes, good feedback, Roger!
Im a new pilot at 65 yrs old. Your video helped me alot. I subbed. Thanks alot.
Welcome aboard!
Glad I’m seeing this now, I got 14 mins flight time on my Air 2S. And this is my first time flying ever, and a professional drone at that. Thanks a lot man!
Yahoo, I love the Air 2 - love what DJI did with the 2S improvements, blue skies and safe flying to you!
I'm 65 and have been flying camera drones for nearly 10 years. I still test my skills using many of the exercises you suggest and describe. One of my favorites is to circle POI above an object at a set camera angle and then as I slowly descend while still circling I also adjust the camera angle to keep the object (tall pine tree) in view. It's definitely a serious challenge. Keep them props up!
This is genuinely one of the best videos on beginner exercises I’ve ever seen! Thank you!
Thank YOU for taking the time to comment, Amelia!
Thank you! What a wonderful job. I have been flying for a little while but I must act on these exercises. They're great. Cheers!
Thank you so much for this video.these drills are invaluable and at head height is brilliant as Iv just bought a drone . Keep them coming 🙏
What a great video. I’ve been flying a drone now for about 6 months and am starting to get pretty comfortable with it. Thanks for doing this video. A great way for a beginner to learn and someone with a little experience to become even more skilled.
Awesome beginner tutorial. Wish I saw this 14 month ago, when getting started...
Liked, subscribed, activated bell and commented. ✅
Thanks for the support!
Great stuff, thank you for creating and sharing this clear and well thought out video! I just got a DJI Mini SE and plan to follow these steps. It has been a few years now since I flew a "dumb" Blade 180QX so I am ~starting over. I have to 'unlearn' part of my 20+yrs of flying RC planes to go droning!
One add (step #16 or #20!) might be to ATTEMPT flying a figure 8 pattern nose first at
Great comment, thank you for sharing. Wishing you blue skies & safe flying!
Neat... thank you for these exercises... I needed this kind of guide... One comment though, I don't think flying at eye level is safest, I would fly say 1 foot above eye level to protect my eyes (just in case). Many thanks.
Yes, agreed, thank you for the comment!
@@uavcoach Safety glasses?
The eye level is only a first step for checking that everything looks fine when you hover with your drone. You look at your drone and you can spot any malfunction if is at eye level. After that, you fly at your safest altitude.
I'm also very new to drone flying (first flight was yesterday). I'm a retired Vietnam Era vet. The only R/C I've done was cars and that was decades ago. On the first battery (25-30 minutes), I was doing basic maneuvers and not going very far away (50 feet maximum). The second battery I was able to fly in circles just watching the drone. Have not done figure eights yet, but maybe today. One of "your" exercises was to fly at the maximum altitude (394 feet on my drone - FII GIM2). I first set the max altitude at 150 feet and then went there (just hovering in place). Looking at the phone it seemed simple enough, but when I looked up to see the drone that greatly shocked me. Quickly wondered if it would ever come back down safely - lol. Going all the way up to 394 feet is hard to think of after just one day of flying. I am going to do your exercises in order and spend some time in each (they don't seem that boring to me at all and actually very interesting - something fun to do with my new drone). I really appreciate you making videos like this (had thought that I would be on my own). Thank you!
Thank you Greg. Excellent and to the point video without unnecessary details. Great tips!
Glad it was helpful! Very welcome :)
Thank you very much for this great pedagogical video. It surely brings some solid foundation to drone flying.
The variety of exercises could be endless but there would be one thing that I encourage new drone pilotes to practice is the appreciation of distances: Choosing a ground obstacle and trying to bring the drone directly on top of it. Then, with a flip of the gimble at 90° check how far you are. I have always found appreciating the distances something hard to grasp especially at the beginning.
Then, at a distance, try to make a square with or without yawing. Doing the equivalent of a POI where you are not at the centre but of a distant point. Doing a square with 90° different yaw position. This last one can be a bit tricky but very insightful.
Thank you again
Yes, great addition to the discussion in these comments!
Awesome tips! I'm also fairly new to my Mini 2, and while it doesn't have POI mode other than through an automated Quickshot feature, I'll definitely be trying a lot of these next time I go flying
Appreciate your comment, thank you! The Mini 2 is a great drone and packs a powerful punch for something so small (and great price point too). Blue skies and safe flying to you!
Thank you for also showing us how you captured the display on the remote at the same time as the video from the drone.
Glad it was helpful, Bruce! Thanks for your comment.
Great video. Would love to see you break down flying in Atti mode with some basic skills much like this video. What are the best exercises to practice with? What pitfalls should we look out for to avoid? Thanks!
Yes, flying in ATTI mode is great for training, and a required skill for many pro drone pilots. I always found it annoying that certain drone models don't allow the pilot to switch into ATTI mode.
@@uavcoach Maybe the best way is to get into an hangar and see if we can get no satellite, the drone will go "max 30 meters height mode" and voilà, we have our spaceship freedom.
Morning greg from the United Kingdom! What a joy it was to watch this video you get straight into it no extra words needed clear and precise very helpful to a new Drone pilot thank you very much buddy.😅
fantastic exercises 👍
This coming week, I am expecting delivery of my first drone ever. As i have never flown anything RC before 🎈💨💥 I will definitely be putting these training exercises into practice right away,
...oh, and i have subbed and look forward to going through your content
Thank you for the support. Blue skies and safe flying to you!
Most useful video. I work abroad on rotations and each time I get home it's a refresher (like movie 50 First Dates) after updating firmware etc. Then when I cram flights into my travels, I often have regrets about what I could have done better whilst in the sky. I need to have practice flights with more intent, especially before a trip where it will be used.
Sean, thanks for your comment. 50 First Dates is a great romcom, nice reference!
That was really helpful, thanks!
Glad it was helpful, thank you for the comment!
I am fairly new to flying a drone, this video was exactly the type of instruction I was looking for. Great video, it answered questions I hadn't even thought about.
I am a newbie and this video is excellent thank you for taking the time to put this together
Glad you enjoyed it! Let us know if there are any other videos you want us to make. Blue skies and safe flying!
Very helpful! Need to stop watching TH-cam now, since I have to go and practice :-) - Subscribed. Thank you!
Thanks for the sub!
Great exercises! They will help a beginner to make the right movements without having to think about it. I still have to concentrate to remind myself whether the drone is facing away or toward me. My first exercise with my first drone was doing figure 8s. I got good at it, however I had to start over almost from scratch each day I did it due to being a bit too complicated for a beginner.
Having macular degeneration and very little depth perception, I have to rely on return to home to land quickly, however given space and time, I can visually land it if I am close to the landing pad. I will have to say that having a drone is great for handicapped people to be occupied, gain skills, and make great videos. I got the Mavic 3 to have better photography with less editing and safer flights.
Kenneth, thanks for your comment. Yes, practice makes perfect! Sounds like you're off to a good start. Blue skies & safe flying to you.
@@uavcoach If you ever do a remake of this video, consider adding a rapid takeoff and landing while keeping the subject in the center of the camera. This would require controlling the camera tilt in subtle ways, but its harder than it looks.
@@moodberry Yes, much harder than it looks! Good tip, Doug.
Thank you! Have about 2 hours stick time on my Mini 2 maneuvering around in "C" mode - tripod is fast enough for now :) These exercises are just what I need.
Ooh, the Mavic Mini is fun, and I love Tripod mode for filming and for close / proximity flying.
Wow what a great video! I’ve had my Mavic air 2 for about 9 months and I wish I had watched this when I first got it. 6 of these exercises will be practiced this weekend
Thanks, Dan! Hope your training has been going well :)
when i was learning a few years back i would have found this helpful
Like others have said, I wish I saw this a year ago...great exercises and great video. I have a MA2 and as you pointed out it cannot be forced into atti mode. I think the best way to learn to fly with no GPS is to fly a toy grade drone that doesn't have GPS. It will even blow in the breeze. Since it's a cheap little drone it can withstand crashes so you can really push yourself. Get a Bugs 3 which has no altitude hold and really push yourself.
I also find it useful to practice banking turns by making turns with a combination of yaw and roll. Learning to fly like this helps you make smooth turns and I also find it helps maintain directional awareness because you are constantly engaged with BOTH sticks while flying...unless you happen to be flying in a straight line.
Great advice, Richard! Thanks for chiming in, I completely agree.
I just bought DJI mini2 3 weeks ago and I m very lucky found this tutorials..It s good idea to buy another cheap toy drones for practicing. Thank you Greg, Richard and all advisers.
I think my favorite advice that wasn't specifically stated in the video was the initial exercises involve piloting the drone without looking at the drone camera footage, but through your own eyes. It does create a sense of discomfort, especially if you have to fly the drone in reverse, but it significantly helps with your personal awareness and spatial positioning.
Yes, great tip. For new pilots, the practice of looking at the drone and then down at your screen and then back up at the drone. That back-and-forth awareness / spatial positioning is really difficult to get comfortable with at first!
@@uavcoach Another thing that I've learnt on my training was to send my drone at the limit of Line of Sight, yaw it heratically just to lose track of its position and from there, without looking at the screen, bring it back to "home". I liked that, too.
@@driveanddive4173 Yes, another great tip! When I teach hands-on classes, I always do some version of that with the student.
This is such a great video! I just got my first drone and am looking forward to working on all of these training exercises. Thank you for posting!
Glad it was helpful! Wishing you blue skies & safe flying :)
Thank you for this man! As a flight instructor I do really appreciate the lessons you have put together and I am going to follow your routines to get dialed in with my drone. Fantastic work!
Glad to help, thank you for taking the time to comment. Blue skies & safe flying to you!
Fab Video. Spent some time watching it again and again. Very very good I think because it really simplified what some find quite terrorising and a road block to learning. Thanks for this and I look forward to more. :)
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the comment!
Thanks Greg! You got some of the exercises I teach along with some points I mostly don’t have time for in one of our 2-hour sessions. However, this will now be included in my follow-up email to UAV Coach students. 😎👍🏽
Thank you, Elliott! Yes, great idea to include in our follow-up emails :) :) :)
Great job! I am a beginner, I followed your tutorial, and practiced every day! Thank you!
I avoid flying at eye level, because of fear of something part breaking from the drone and smashing right in the head. I have not heard about such thing, but still prefer to fly at waist level or above heads.
Maybe an unfounded fear, but I definitely feel the same way. I wear goggles when I need to do that, at least my eyes are protected.
Yes, I wish we were more precise with our instruction. We didn't mean to encourage folks to literally fly at eye level. It was more like - please don't thrust up too quickly without hovering for a few seconds and listening/looking for any abnormalities. I prefer slightly above the head, standing about 8-10 feet away.
Safety glasses should be good enough
I'm new to Drones although I'm very skilled at RC Cars Boats etc
So my question is how does the wifi work if your away from your wifi network out in the hills for example? 😐
@@Barinthuss good idea
A very helpful video guide. A very confident and skilled coach who knows what he is taking about. Worthwhile learning moments.
Thank you, Hambali!
This is what i really needed: i am 55! +je
55 years young!
Outstanding !!! Great exercises. Doesn’t waste time, very clear and to the point on what he wants you to learn.
Very well produced video showing the hows & whys of flying a drone safely & responsibly. I am a new pilot and will be leaning these skills over the next few weeks
thank you Rick! blue skies & safe flying to you
new pilot, really appreciate the tips. I've been doing similar excercises,, but this gives me an order to build on in a progressive way. thanks you.
VERY useful tips! Even tho some may be "boring", it is necessary to KNOW them!
I really enjoy doing them all!
Glad you like them!
Excellent instructional video - perfect personality! I'm already more comfortable, and I've barely gotten started. Thank you.
Thank you, Bob! Means a lot :)
I appreciate finally finding a drone channel that does not spend the first 30 seconds screaming at me or playing outrageously loud music. I really enjoyed the presentation and content of information that you delivered and found it very informative and useful being a complete newbie to drone piloting. Thank you for the information.
Your comment means a lot, thanks Ben!
Excellent, Excellent video, thank you so much. You took the mystique out of flying and made me feel that that there are basic doable practice steps by which I can a acquire the skills to operate
the instrument. Just like most other things--step by step developing of the fundamentals leads to overall skill.
Thank God, finally a Complete video drone training! You guys Rock!
Glad you liked it, Daniela!
I just ordered my first drone today, and I will be going back to this video over and over again until I feel comfortable flying it. Thank you so much! Now off to check other videos on your channel! :)
Yahoo, welcome to the club!
I use to teach flying a pl;ane and we used these procedures with airplanes before the student could solo. Nice video.
Absolutely fantastic content. Would have liked to have seen this a few years ago, would have saved lots of hours of frustration. Much appreciated.
i'm a new drone pilot, most of my friend tell to just go and shoot don't do this boring basics, but for me this is the most undesrtandable drone practice and very usefull in the field
Great things to remember! Not just for rookies. Gimbal speed adjustment was good. Thanks from Dennis
Glad you enjoyed it, Dennis. Thanks for your comment!
Thanks a lot Man I just both my Air 2s and since I have never pilot a drone in my life this is gold info for me . Thanks for taking the time
One month later .. after having to get another new phone to fly my dji mini 2, I remembered some of these exercises. Just lucked in to your channel again now .. and subscribed... thanks .. this is just the most useful video around.
Welcome back! Thank you for the sub, Nicholas :)
Excellent video! I'm glad I found it. I'm thinking about getting a drone. I've done a little RC flying and the inverted controls discussion brought back memories.
No matter how boring the exercises may seem, repetition is needed to build up muscle memory.
Hey Doug, thanks for the comment! Let us know if you have any questions about particular drone models. Yes, repetition is really helpful those first several battery cycles. Great perspective!
Not boring at all. The exercises are great and I'll do my best. Thank you!
As a newbie I'm trying not to rotate a drone while flying or it becomes very confusing trying to fly in the direction you want and often leads to crash if you're not careful. Now I see that even experienced pilots could have difficulties with it and need some training time to become proficient with inverted control. Thank you for a good tutorial.
So got my drone a few weeks ago.....got it registered and done the initial online test to get the respective I.D
Now having fun doing these exercises....the initial ones are brilliant for me as I don’t have a big open space near me....so the stuff at the beginning really helps...and means I also get more used to the drone (som being comfortable with the drone) as well as getting used to actually operating it. This is definitely a vid I’m going to recommend watching for other newbies like myself....as well as those who own a drone but never did any actual exercises when they started flying.....as the saying goes ‘ we learn something new every day’
🙂🙏
Yes, so much of those first several flights are about gaining comfort. Slow and steady movements, learning the software and safety features. It takes time, sounds like you're off to a great start!
What a great video! Finally a list of drills we can practice low and move highter. If you cant do them low, then you will never do them at 400 ft. I have watched alot of videos. All they do is go high and fast. It all come down to baby steps. Go slow, and learn... then move up. 100 ft is along way. I hear people talk about signal drop. Fly in airplane mode. That should stop it. I have learned alot, and i have not ecen got my drone yet. I am looking at the HS 720g there so meny to look at.
Awesome Bro! wrote them all down on a 3x5 card. Going out to a big field to do three batteries worth drills. This is what i need. I feel like this will create muscle memory and confidence. Mabey next make like a one minute drill to do every time before you fly as sort of a tune up. Thanks great job.
Thank you for the comment! Blue skies & safe flying to you.
Excellent video. Best one so far. Clear, concise and the instructor is articulate and knowledgeable. Bravo, well done
Glad you enjoyed it! Let us know of any other videos you want us to make!
Geoff Mason from Coffs Harbour on the East Coast of NSW, Australia. I teach students how to fly drones using the DJI Tello drones. Each one has its own plastic cage so if they bump into walls or other drones they bounce off. I use most of the techniques you have shown but I have enjoyed a couple of new ones. Thank you for making it so clear. When I achieved my Remote Pilots Licence(RePL) in NSW, the last test was the most difficult. I think this could be added to your training. Imagine a basketball court or bigger. Start the drone about half way along one side. Take off then move forward and slowly rise up about 10 feet(3 metres) while moving forward. At the top continue moving forward a few feet then using the right YAW and forward stick turning 90 degrees continue about 20 feet. Still moving forward use the YAW to turn 90 degrees and continue to the other end of the rectangle. Use the right YAW while still moving forward and continue to the line where you started. Moving forward use the right YAW again and move forward about 10 feet then still moving forward slowly descend to the starting point and without stopping repeat this exercise. The exercise was called Practice taking off and landing. I hope this helps.
Great information and thank you for sharing, I have wanted a drone for 5 years ever since a film crew came to our place to film a documentary about the wildfires. I have never used a joystick so this is all new to me but with this great video I've been out today twice practising and I'm going to keep doing it until I've mastered it.
Nice one, ta. I've taught a few people photography. When using a DSLR camera, I always start by encouraging them to switch off 'auto' mode and 'scenes', and learn how to [for example] use 'aperture' to control depth of field, and understand 'camera shake' using shutter speed etcetera. Some people quickly revert to the noddy-dials because they can get okay snaps, while others persevere with learning. The ones who learn properly ALWAYS become better photographers.
My drone flying is currently heavily reliant upon auto as much as possible. I don't even fly it back to me, I just hit RTH. I'm going to use this video in the same way as teaching photography, going right back to basics and learn properly. Thanks.
Such a great analogy, thanks for taking the time to comment!
Very helpful! When the Greg Snell talks, you listen! Leeeeets GO!
Boom!
Great informative video, straight to the point with 'no fuss' clear instructions, valuable for new drone users.
Many Thanks.