Noob question

[widowmaker]

Sorry for asking a stupid question but I'm new to flying drones... Would you normaly always fly the drone with the back of the craft facing you? Only got one for Christmas every time I move the craft round obviously the controls are all in different directions and it always ends badly [emoji24] im trying to get used to moving the front around.

Thanks


Sent from my iPhone using PhantomPilots

 

[captainmilehigh]

You will get used to it eventually. Just practice in wide open spaces for now if you can. That way if you 'zig' instead of 'zag' it won't end badly. Those Phantom-Magnet trees are everywhere. [emoji3] Good Luck- Fly Safe!

...and no there are NO stupid questions. We were all beginners at one time or another....


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots

 

[Jayfdee]

You have to get used to orientation, practice and then practice again, learn to fly circles, and then a figure of eight.
No you do not normally fly the craft with the back facing you.
After you have done all the practicing, then practice some more, eventually it becomes a more manageable skill.

 

[Lakelegobot]

i highly recommend that you get a beater drone under.5lbs if you haven't flown them before (blade 180qx is what I started on crappy camera great water resistant ish drone)

 

[Kirby Johnson]

Then when you get a little better, set your aircraft to "Home Lock" which makes your controls relative to YOU rather than to the aircraft. That way, no matter which way your bird is pointing, pushing your right stick up pushes the bird away, and pulling it to you brings the bird closer, with right and left equaling right and left.

 

[tcope]

This is where a _lot_ of people get into trouble. Many new flyers try to fly back to them with the drone facing them so right and left controls are backward. They get close and they then get confused (and sometimes crash). Personally, once I'm several hundred feet away I start flying by looking at the display and the drones camera. This way right is right and left is left, always. Once I get back close to me I _do_ then turn the drone away from me so that it's orientation is correct with the right and left controller. For me, it makes life much easier.

I also use the small drone icon indicator on the map or radar (lower left corner of the screen) if I need to know what direction the drone is pointed in relationship to myself.

Plus, are you taking photos and/or video? You certainly can't always keep the drone pointed away from you.

 

[Slackware]

You have to orient your thinking to the drones POV. If you turn rc with drone the controls stay the same till your mind catches up to it.
Keep it in beginner mode for a while so you can't go way out of flight path.

 

[eaglegoaltender]

Sorry for asking a stupid question

No such thing in my book as to a "stupid question" - just dumb answers sometimes - which I will try to avoid - lol....

I always fly with the camera facing the direction I want to fly..........here are some tips to practice with understanding orientation while flying

I saw the following tips once quite a while back and made a note of them so I could practice over an over until correcting the orientation of the Phantom to my liking was second nature!

This works as long as you are willing to put in the time to practice it - well worth while.

When you are up in the air - take it out to a distance where you can still see it - do some maneuvers till you know you need help with orientation to bring it home to you - then do this....

1. Let go of the sticks and let it hover for a few seconds (stay in GPS mode)

2. Move the right-hand stick to your right - if the drone moves towards the right, you know the front of the Phantom is facing forward (away from you)

3. Conversely if the Phantom moves to your left with the stick pushed to the right --- the Phantom is facing toward you.

4. So now - if the Phantom moves right when you push the stick right - let got of the stick and now pull it backwards (toward you) and the Phantom is now flying toward you (backwards orientation).

5. If the Phantom moves left when the pushing the stick right - again put the stick back to the middle and push it forward (away from you) - now the Phantom is flying toward you (frontward orientation)

Note: Once you have completed the above moves and you can't determine whether it goes left or right with the proper stick moves - then it is very likely that neither the Phantoms front or rear is facing you and it is sitting up there facing either left or right (sideways orientation).

If that is the case, push the stick forward to see which way it goes (left or right)

Moves right -- then push the left stick towards the right briefly (a second or two) - as this will turn (yaw) the Phantoms front either toward you or away from you as described in steps 2 & 3 above.

Moves left -- then carry out the above in the opposite directions

Once you have completed the above moves to get the Phantom facing toward or away from you (or close to that direction) - then carry out steps 1 - 5 above to bring her home to you (flying frontward or back ward facing)

Keep in mind when you are bringing your Phantom back to you - it is very likely it won't be flying in a straight line toward you but as it gets closer to you - you can adjust the sticks to straighten her up now that you know the orientation it is flying.

Of course the easiest way is to look at your radar map on the device screen - I used that in conjunction with the exercise above in order to see how I was doing without the radar! The small red "paper aeroplane point is the direction you are flying and the front of the Phantom.

Best of luck............I know how you feel as I did also at one time!

 

[SteveyB]

Flying any RC model has to become a natural instinct as to which direction your flying. I've been flying planes and helis for years. It just happens that with drones you can take your hands off the sticks if you get in trouble. Strongly suggest you spend some hours on a simulator as well as all the advice above. With enough hours it will become natural.


Sent from my iPad using PhantomPilots

 

[JB63]

... No you do not normally fly the craft with the back facing you ...

I'm not so sure about this. If you fly with the back NOT facing you, then you have to fly in reverse ???

This reminds me of the movie Cars, where Mater, while driving in reverse, and speaking of his side-view mirrors, says: I like to see where I'm going, not where I've been.

Seriously though, I'm curious to hear opinions of others, as to how they 'typically' fly their drones.

 

[kndll]

picture your drone like a regular airplane with a pilot sitting in it , picture yourself sitting in your drone , when you turn it which way are you now facing and which stick do you now have to move to move the drone in the direction you want to go , practice slow at low levels .

 

[PhantomPhrank]

As one who has recently crashed my P3S by getting disoriented near a tree :-(
My best advice is to practice in an open area and NEVER attempt to land anywhere near trees or any other obstacle.
For me, practicing above the tree line has been most helpful. Just keep at it.

PhantomPhrank

 

[rumrunner]

...

Seriously though, I'm curious to hear opinions of others, as to how they 'typically' fly their drones.

I fly as if I'm in the seat until I'm about to land. I then rotate until the back is facing me and make my maneuvers for landing with the craft in front of me so the orientation for me and it are the same. However, with some practice you can pretty much do whatever you want and what is comfortable to you. There's no wrong way (IMO) as long as you can do it consistently and safely.

 

[Darren Roach]

In short, if you are a beginner then always start with the arse end looking at you. This is mainly because the yaw "turn left or right" on the left stick, push to the left the bird will turn left and right for right. The right hand stick, forward would be forward, back is back, bank left stick to left and stick to right bank right.
If the bird is facing you when you take off all that I have just mentioned will be reversed just like looking in a mirror. Practice practice practice and more practice. I would just like to mention that when your learning don't try to put in to many hours at first as you will become tired which could result in a crash ,Happy flying

 

[Sunnaroe]

It may sound corny but Ive been going about learning like this-fly until my battery's about 40% then return home...then i use up the rest of my battery life doing corny little tricks right in front of me..like drawing numbers in the air.I imagine its paying off.Ive no idea how i rank as a pilot so far but I know I sure feel like one when nobodys watching!

 

[widowmaker]

Iv got a cheap syma drone to practice on... just ordered 6 batteries so I can go out for an hour and play around to get the hang of it for a while. Thought the batteries were a worth while investment rather than destroying my brand new P4 on its first flight

 

[Darren Roach]

The trick is mastering hand eye coardernation. Once this is mastered its like a walk in the park. Years ago i realy struggled with it bit with todays drones and altitude hold it makes it that much easier to learn

 

[Wyomingjet]

Drone purchase store? Happy I ran across this site n joined tonight. Many thanks for such a awesome crowd of fellow flyers. I have read that Drone World drones are lacking candidness when giving false misrepresentation based on their improved range. I am not a owner as of yet. Although the question I have is where does one purchase a up to date Phantom 4Pro that has a good honest staff n reputation earned?

I would also ask, if there's a knowledgeable mentor out there that would help me build a P4Pro with long range array product build by myself or a professional or other well versed owner. I'd like to have all the bells n whistles regardless of price. If you feel inclined to help a dummy future drone flyer, I'd be most appreciated. I know there's a lot to learn also, an like to be flying early spring.
Thanks for all who give their time an experience to guide us dummies out there. As I still question why I jumped out of a plane back in the day, longgg ago,,,

 

[Darren Roach]

Hi and welcome, I am sure some one will be along to help you with your adventure soon. From what you have said it would appear that you know nothing about them or have even tried to fly one.
Where as flying can bring so much pleasure, in turn it can bring a whole lot of heart ach and expense to a newbie.
Before spending out a shed load of money try and find some one near to where you live who could perhaps take you out and let you see what it is all about.
A real cheap way to learn would to be purchase a small palm sized drone to learn with to get used to the stick movements needed to control it. This needs to be followed up by learning air law, local law, weather and its impact on flying along with on what you can and can not do. I don't mean to put a downer on it but I have read so many stories of newbies spending an absolute fortune on them only to see their hard earned cash simply fly away, crash and never to be seen again or worse, seriously hurt and injure some one. Knowledge is power, good luck in your quest.

 

[Jayfdee]

Drone purchase store? Happy I ran across this site n joined tonight. Many thanks for such a awesome crowd of fellow flyers. I have read that Drone World drones are lacking candidness when giving false misrepresentation based on their improved range. I am not a owner as of yet. Although the question I have is where does one purchase a up to date Phantom 4Pro that has a good honest staff n reputation earned?

I would also ask, if there's a knowledgeable mentor out there that would help me build a P4Pro with long range array product build by myself or a professional or other well versed owner. I'd like to have all the bells n whistles regardless of price. If you feel inclined to help a dummy future drone flyer, I'd be most appreciated. I know there's a lot to learn also, an like to be flying early spring.
Thanks for all who give their time an experience to guide us dummies out there. As I still question why I jumped out of a plane back in the day, longgg ago,,,

Hey slow up a bit, buy a cheap Hubsan or similar, learn how to fly indoors with one of these cheapies, no problems if you crash them, or even lose them outdoors.
Long range flying is a long way off (excuse the pun) for someone new to flying, so do not waste your money early on for mods you may never use, we may be on to the P5 before you are confident on long distance.
The P4 pro is an excellent machine, very much suited to video if that is your main interest, and easy to fly, so go ahead buy one, but leave the mods until you are confident, they are all retrofit and can be done whenever.
The P4 can give a huge range as standard, certainly enough to give you that "OMG my bowels feel a bit loose"