Mastering the Basics: Drone Flight Training 101 is a great course for anyone who wants to get more out of their drone hobby. It will teach you how to create appealing content from a drone, as well as basic flight maneuvers.
Start by going through a pre-flight checklist before flying. Slowly push the throttle up and then use small adjustments with the right stick to keep the drone hovering in place.
Takeoff
The first step in learning to fly a drone is getting it into the air. Once you’ve mastered taking off, the rest of your training is focused on maintaining control over the drone once it’s in the air. To take off, push the right stick on your controller to move your drone forward a couple of feet. Then, pull the stick back to bring it to a hover in place. Keep practicing until you can do this consistently, then move on to flying in different directions.
While working on the basics, try using the drone in a safe space with no other obstructions. This is also a great time to learn about the four primary drone controls – roll, pitch, yaw, and throttle. Each of these affects the drone’s movement in different ways, so understanding what each does is vital to mastering the basics.
Depending on your drone model, additional buttons may activate other functions, such as auto-level, image capture, or video recording. The instruction manual for your specific drone should explain how to use these features.
Before you start operating your drone, make sure to read the instruction manual to determine the optimal positioning for take-off. It’s generally best to position the drone in front of you, facing the same direction that you are. This makes it easier to operate and maintain the drone.
After you’ve taken off, practice moving the drone in all directions while adjusting the altitude. This will help you get a feel for simultaneously engaging the different drone controls. For example, to move the drone up and down, you should push the left stick forward or backward, respectively. To rotate the drone, push the right stick left or right.
Once you’ve mastered the four basic drone movements, it’s time to combine them. To do this, first, bring the drone to a hover in its original position. Then, move it forward a couple of feet by pushing the right stick (pitch). Once you’ve done this, move the drone back to its original position and then forward a few more feet. Then, move the drone back to its original position again and repeat the process in a square pattern until you’ve gotten the hang of moving the drone in all six directions while adjusting the altitude.
Hovering
Hovering is a key skill to have in order to use your drone for videography, photography, and surveying. It is difficult for new students because it requires a great deal of hand/foot-to-brain pathways to be developed, and there is a substantial lag between operating the controls and the helicopter responding. It is also much harder to hover in windy conditions, and different helicopters are easier or more difficult to hold in a steady hover (Sikorsky aircraft, for example, are very stable even for first-time pilots).
The most important thing about learning to hover is patience – it takes a long time to develop the skills required. The people who learn to hover most quickly often just relax and enjoy the crazy oscillations of early practice rather than those who try to force it. An element of luck is also involved in learning to hover. Some helicopters are simply more responsive and easier to keep in a steady hover than others, but this is also largely a matter of experience and the type of drone that you fly.
It is also worth remembering that you are flying in controlled airspace (around airports) and uncontrolled airspace at other altitudes – and there are always manned aircraft in the National Airspace System, so it is your responsibility to stay clear of them. This means that you should always go through a pre-flight checklist to check that your drone is functioning correctly and that you are not flying in restricted airspace or too close to a manned aircraft.
DroneU is a good choice for those who want to do some drone training before committing to an expensive course or purchasing their own drone. Their on-demand videos allow students to pause the videos and work at their own pace, and they have weekly live Q&A office hours for those who need extra help understanding the material. They also offer a money-back guarantee, which is a pretty big deal in this industry.
Landing
Once you’ve gotten the hang of the controls and understand your drone’s sensitivity, it’s time to practice your landings. Start by slowly pushing the throttle (left stick) up – just enough to get the propellers spinning. Continue this exercise until you’re comfortable with the throttle sensitivity. Once you’re ready to land, bring the throttle back down to a stop and let the drone come down gently on its own. This should only take a few seconds, so make sure you’ve made small adjustments to the right stick (yaw) in order to keep the drone from turning during the landing.
Before you launch your drone, make sure to clear the area around it for takeoff and landing. This means checking for obstacles and power lines you don’t want to fly near and making sure the area is free from nearby manned aircraft. If you’re flying in an airport or heliport, you may need to get permission from the air traffic controller.
You’ll also want to prepare a pre-flight checklist that you can go over before each flight. This will help you stay organized and ensure that you take the appropriate safety precautions before heading out into the wild. You’ll also need to familiarize yourself with the different functions of the drone remote, such as controlling the cameras and adjusting the settings.
While you’re practicing, set milestones for yourself to achieve. This will give you something to work towards and make the learning process much more manageable. For example, try landing your drone in a circle or flying it forward and backward. Once you’re comfortable with that, move on to more complex maneuvers like circling your drone and rotating it.
Peltier Photo Courses Part 107 Test Prep is one of the most popular drone training programs because of its focus on teaching students about the ins and outs of drone piloting. Not only does this program teach students about the basics, but it also teaches them how to use their drones for aerial photography and videography. In addition to this, they offer a money-back guarantee and even cover the cost of your test fee if you don’t pass on your first attempt.
Returning
Practicing until it becomes second nature to fly is the best way to become a proficient drone pilot. Many first-time pilots don’t get the hang of a drone’s controls until they have flown it 10 times or more. This is the same as any skill-based learning activity: the more you practice, the better you will become.
Once you’ve mastered the basic controls, it’s time to move on to more complex maneuvers. This requires you to have a solid understanding of how the various components of your drone work together. The best way to accomplish this is by completing a course designed specifically for drones. Online drone courses like Drone Pilot Ground School and Pilot Institute are excellent choices for first-time pilots because they include detailed lessons on the components of the average UAV, FAA regulations and airspace rules, and even how weather affects flight performance.
Both of these courses also provide plenty of supplemental material to help you learn more efficiently. For example, Pilot Institute includes a full list of required flying equipment and helpful tips and tricks for drone operation. Drone Pilot Ground School goes a step further by providing extra lesson materials such as flashcards, cram sheets, and practice questions. This helps students make the most of their money and allows them to review the material if they need to before an exam or test.
Drones aren’t just toys, they can also be a valuable tool for businesses, so it’s important to train employees to fly them correctly. If your company is ready to invest in drone training for its staff, AACC offers a one-day in-person class called “Drone Applications and Flying Skills Training.” Whether you’re looking to use drones in construction, accident reconstruction, surveying, or cinematography, this course can teach you the skills you need to be successful.
Students will use the Tynker app to build programs that control a virtual drone. Using interactive lessons, concept explanations, videos, puzzles, and DIY projects, students will explore drone applications while building STEM skills in geometry, art, math, and science.
