How to fly a drone

While drones vary in their performance and cost, they all have one thing in common: they must fly. While there are many technical aspects of drone flying, and while nothing can replace the benefits of hands-on training. There are a few flying drone basics that, when mastered, give you a foundation to enjoy the more advanced aspects of flying. Below are the basics of drone flying to get you off the ground for the first time and start enjoying all that drone flying has to offer.

Check out the user manual.

Once your drone arrives, is unpacked and assembled, you need to familiarize yourself with it. In this case, the user manual can be very helpful in understanding how your particular drone works and its functions. Before attempting to fly a drone, you should make sure that you are familiar with at least the basic functions, as well as any tips and precautions outlined in the manual. This will save you time and avoid preventable mistakes that could otherwise prevent you from flying and enjoying your drone. (for example, it is too late to discover that the drone cannot be launched, within 15 meters of a certain building, etc.

Familiarize yourself with the transmitter / remote control.

Each drone comes with a transmitter or remote control. While the specifics of each control differ depending on the drone you purchase, each one allows you to perform the same basic functions to get your drone off the ground and fly. The remote control is one of the most important parts of the drone as it’s the tool you use to navigate the drone, control its movements, manage its accidents, and other instructions.

The remote control allows you to move the drone in different directions: up and down, left and right, back and forth, and also allows you to roll the drone. While this may seem like a lot of movements, you should be able to control them all with the two control sticks. Below is the basic information on how to use the remote control to control the drone:

Choke: The choke is the knob on the left side of the remote control. This joystick is what you use to lift the drone off the ground and land it again. This is also what you use to fail safely. The throttle works with a basic up-and-down motion: lift the throttle to lift the drone off the ground, and lower it down to land. The faster you complete each movement, the faster the drone will perform each action.

Yaw:  Yaw refers to the left-right movement of the drone. It is controlled by the same handle on the left side that controls the throttle. Instead of moving the control stick up and down, you move it left or right, depending on which direction you want to move the drone.

Pitch:  Pitch is a term used to describe whether your drone is moving forward or backward. To adjust the height, you need to use the knob to the right of your remote or transmitter. Move the stick up to go forward and down to go back.

Roll:  Finally, you can rotate the drone to the right or left using the same right-hand knob that you use to adjust the pitch. Move the stick to the right to roll right or left to roll to the left.

Please note that the remote control moves the quadcopter in the direction in which its front side is facing, not in the direction in which you are. For example, if the front is facing you, the upward yaw adjustment will move the drone toward you. If the drone is pointing away from you, the yaw adjustment will move the drone away from you.

Headless Mode:  Some drones come with a headless mode, which, when activated, allows the drone to move in the direction you are facing, rather than in the direction the drone is pointing when responding to your directions from the right stick (yaw does not affect headless mode ). The exact way you choose the headless mode depends on the drone, but your user manual should be able to tell you exactly how to activate this mode in your drone.

The most important thing to remember when activating headless mode is to have the drone face-to-face after you have selected headless mode and before you start flying the drone. This will force your drone to use headless mode and allow you to steer it more easily, even if it is too far away to easily see which direction it is pointing.

Start slowly and build up complex maneuvers.

The flight of your drone will take time and practice. So don’t expect to do fancy maneuvers the first time you take to the skies. Instead, take some time to get used to the feel of the remote and the sensitivity of the drone before you start moving the drone in any direction. To do this, simply move the throttle slightly up and then down again. The result of this movement will be to lift the drone slightly off the ground and then land it again. As you gradually increase the altitude to which you lift the drone, you will gradually gain confidence in your ability to steer the ship.

When you feel comfortable controlling the height of the drone, you can try different movements. Again, starting with basic movements is a wise choice. Practice making small changes in yaw, pitch, and roll before making more sudden movements. Make sure to master the large movements before moving on to techniques such as hovering. By starting small and working up to more complex movements, you will minimize the risk of accidents and subsequent injury to yourself and others.

Learn to hover.

Learning how to operate the drone using basic movements such as throttle, yaw, pitch, and roll will allow you to fly the drone anywhere. The next step is to learn how to hold the drone in place. This will allow you to choose the direction you want to go, as well as get the incredible videos and aerial imagery that many drones are capable of capturing.

To hover, you first need to lift the drone off the ground using the throttle. You can then keep the drone in the air by slightly tweaking the handle on the remote. Saving your drone requires a certain amount of precision. To get this kind of accuracy, you can first try to learn how to jump from one target to another on the drone. By aiming the drone at each target, landing and taking off again, you gain experience with precision and control so you can more accurately hold the drone in the desired position as soon as you want to aim it.

Know how to crash.

No matter how well you get to control your drone, you will experience crashes from time to time. This could be because you were inattentive. After all, the drone was not responding, or because you encountered obstacles, such as gusts of wind, that were too strong for the drone to handle. As a result, it is important to understand how to safely land/crash the drone to prevent as much damage and injury as possible.

When you find your drone is falling and you are unable to direct it for a soft free-fall landing, the most important thing to remember is to turn off the throttle as quickly as possible. This is because the throttle is part of the drone that controls the rotation of the propellers. If the propellers rotate when the drone crashes, you run the risk of doing more damage than necessary. If the propellers spin and land on you or another person, you risk serious injury. As a result, immediately disengaging the throttle is of utmost importance to bring down your drone as safely as possible.

Take precautions.

Finally, every time you shoot your drone, you must follow the precautions designed to keep you and your drone safe. One such precaution is the pre-flight checklist. 

Below are some of the tasks you must complete as part of this check:

• Make sure the SD card is inserted if you have a camera.

• Check the battery charge.

• Double check the battery insertion.

• Make sure the propellers are safe.

• Check for loose parts on the drone.

• Choose an open area where the drone can fly.

• Turn on the transmitter to make sure it is working properly.

• Test your controls by moving them a little to make sure they work correctly.

Also, you will want to start flying in open grassy areas where there are not many people or objects around that you can bump into, and you will want to fly on a clear day when there is virtually no wind, especially if you are a beginner.

 Wind compensation is challenging and requires a lot of flying skills to fly successfully. Finally, you will want to follow all the precautions provided by the drone manufacturer.

Once you understand your remote control and know how to hover, can crash safely, and you feel comfortable taking all the necessary precautions, you will be on your way to a successful drone flight. However, there will be many details, unique features, and advanced skills to learn. These advanced skills mean you’ll never finish learning to fly a drone. 

They also mean, however, that you can enjoy a lifetime of new adventures with your drone.