Starting out

Starting out

New pilots are always left with a lot of questions in the beginning. Learning where to get information, where and what to buy, and eventually even learning how to fly.  There are many web-sites out there and a lot of good (and bad) information on the web. Of course, this means we are left to sift through all the bits and try to learn what seems right and true versus what is just another persons’ opinion on the topic.
Such is what I’m bringing to you today. A few steps you can take to make your life easier when you get on the sticks for the first time.

Step 1: Finding information from real people

One of the most important things I can suggest is for you to go in person to watch and interact with other quad flyers.  This will save you SO much time, research and money. It’s all too easy to look up information on the web these days, however, you can learn so much more by just talking face to face with people who are interested in the same hobby and who have faced the challenges of starting just like you’re doing now. Finding a local club or meet-up group is so easy and will yield so much information for the novice. You can find out what the most popular frames / gear is, try out a set of FPV (particularly if you’ve never had a set on) and avoid making costly mistakes that one often makes when trying to do it all on their own.  Go to the field and ask questions! Where to buy, what to buy, what’s the best bang for the buck?, etc..

Step 2: Time to buy

After you’ve done your research, it’s time to buy. One thing you might think about when choosing what to buy first is this: if you buy your transmitter as one of the first pieces of equipment you then have the option of  learning how to fly your quad by first using simulators. You can learn to fly while you’re learning about the build itself. One note about buying: it’s not always the cheapest thing that will suffice. Often buying the cheapest thing on the market (particularly ESC’s and Flight Controllers) will result in poor performance and much more difficult flying which can be discouraging and often leads to people giving up.

Step 3: Learning to fly

Okay, so you’re either building your racer or have it built, so now comes the first test hovers and flight. If you have no concept of what you’re doing just yet, it’s really good to consider getting a little practice time through a simulator before you jump on the sticks of your shiny new build! One simulator that I personally have flown is the “Liftoff” simulator that can be found on “Steam”. It’s about $20 and well worth it. Simulators are not a substitution for the real thing, but, it will give you MUCH more confidence of how a quad might react given the stick inputs you apply. I personally think that the money spent on a simulator is cheaper than a rebuild. Once you’ve gained some confidence, flying your own quad won’t be nearly as intimidating.
One thing that we do recommend is learning to fly LOS (line of site) first before you go to FPV (first person view). It’s important to be able to keep control of your bird at all times even if it’s not right in front of you or you lose your FPV vision. Being in complete control of your quad will help you to gain confidence in flying and to know what to expect. Transitioning into FPV isn’t difficult, but you’ll be more confident having learned to fly LOS first.

• Start with a hover. Plain and simple. Get control of the quad right in front of you to where you can hold position.
• Move to slow forward flight and then bring it back.
  
• Move on to side to side, diagonal, and then try flying in a box shape.
• Now the fun starts with trying to fly nose in. Try to fly the quad in a circle, nice and slow. Trust me this takes skill and will most likely result in a few crashes so keep it low and over grass as much as possible.
• Fly figure 8’s and then start gaining some altitude.

Once you’ve become familiar with flying LOS it will be time to move on to flying FPV which is when flying a quad turns into one of the most awesome video game experiences you can imagine (But this time it’s real!).  Again, take it slow and learn the ropes with a level camera. You can slowly start bringing your camera angle up as you gain in speed along with adjusting your PID’s (on your flight controller) to have more sensitive controls.

Step 4: Now you’re flying – Some things to consider

Now you’re flying FPV and ready to rock and roll on a field or on a track. One thing about flying FPV, you should ALWAYS have someone spotting for you as you’re flying. As fun as these quad-copters are, one cannot always guarantee complete control. Loss of control can happen from equipment failure, environmental changes, heck even people trying to interact with you while you’re flying and all can result in a very bad accident. Having a spotter with you can help you know where other people are around you, be a shield from questions or distractions, and can even spot your aircraft should it go down.