In 2022, the popularity of the flying drone is increasingly growing. This is no longer a miracle of technology, but an everyday device present in almost every home. The demand for the product is huge, however, not everyone has the skill to control a drone. Many people fear failure in this matter. Everything is not as complicated as buyers imagine. The article will tell you in detail how to control a quadcopter automatically.
Introduction
The number of people who have decided to master drone control and are generally interested in this hobby is growing exponentially every year around the world. 2017 was no exception, and with the advent of the new year, the most frequently asked query in Internet search engines was the question: “How to control a quadcopter?” This once again confirms the fact that the most anticipated gift in the new year was a drone.
Before we begin to expand on the topic of safe piloting, it is worth noting the following that there are no people who were able to master the control of a drone the first time. Everyone who first came to this hobby starts with clumsy flights and mistakes typical of a beginner, and as a rule, they are basically the same for everyone. But it is worth remembering that it is newcomers, relying on the experience of professionals, who ultimately bring something new, and it is each new generation that will always be better than those who were at the origins of the development of this or that hobby.
This article is an initial, quick guide aimed at beginners who want to learn how to fly a drone correctly and safely.
Do you know well what your drone is capable of?
Before you take your aircraft into the air, you should, as is customary, thoroughly study your machine. First of all, you need to understand all the information about the controls, how to change settings and all the vital information about the power source and how it works. It would also be helpful to learn about air traffic levels and current air regulations where you plan to fly. And it would be a good idea to at least learn a little about air traffic, as well as the rules and regulations for operating unmanned aerial vehicles in your country, region and locality. To make your flights safe for everyone and bring you joy, including the joy of creativity, check out the latest tips, training videos and other useful information.
Even if you have never had experience flying a quadcopter before, you can learn how to pilot in a short time if you study not only theory, but also practice. Many drone models are equipped with special modes and simulators for beginners so that they can get used to the controls and master safe piloting. Safe piloting not only means flying without accidents, but also taking care of the safety of others. For example, many drones made by DJI have a remote control simulator that you can connect to your mobile device and learn to fly without using the drone. There is also a beginner mode that limits the altitude and speed of flight to prevent a crash. If you use these tools, then in this way you can gain not only knowledge about piloting, but also gain confidence to begin full-fledged flights.
Interface of the simulator program built into the DJI Mavic Air drone system
Where to begin?
Drone piloting is a fun and relatively new, fast-growing hobby that there isn't a lot of information about at the moment, especially for people who are just getting started with drones. As a result, the first flight is carried out at your own peril and risk, which is not safe both for the pilot and for the people around the launch site. It is worth remembering that a drone is a fairly powerful machine with rapidly rotating propellers, and if used ineptly, you can easily damage its integrity, which can lead to complete failure of the device as a whole.
- To minimize all kinds of risks, you should first of all adhere to the fundamental rules: avoid flying in close proximity to people and property, and also do not cross “No Fly” zones.
- “No Fly” zones are areas over which flight is prohibited! The perimeter of these zones usually includes airports, military units, stadiums, etc.
What should your first drone be like?
It is best to start with a drone with four rotors/propellers, or simply with a quadcopter, the kit of which will be ready to fly out of the box (RTF - ready to fly). This means that after unpacking the user will not have to assemble/retrofit the model. Turned it on and flew away.
Expensive or cheap?
It’s better to start with quads up to $50. Firstly, such drones are lightweight and small in size, which means they cannot cause significant harm to people or property. Secondly, losing a $500 drone due to lack of piloting skills will be much more unpleasant than losing a $50 drone. Moreover, as practice shows, a beginner will not be able to take advantage of the full potential of a $500 drone. Remember, in this hobby you need to start simple!
How to learn to lift a quadcopter?
In no case do not rush, and do not try to raise it to a great height. To begin with, you can get by with simple maneuvers.
For example, try to take off, turn the drone around, and move it a few meters away from you. If you are a beginner, you should not train indoors. To do this, it is better to find a calm and quiet area where there is no wind. Why should the weather be calm? First of all, you can learn to feel the quadcopter and get used to the intricacies of its control.
In addition, wind flow can cause a number of difficulties during flight. Often we had to deal with situations where beginners did not have time to quickly stop the device, and it crashed into surrounding objects.
Control equipment
In most cases, the drone control panel has the main controls: left and right sticks/joysticks for controlling the drone and a number of additional buttons and AUX switches (2/3-position), which are often used to switch between flight modes, turn on and off the LEDs etc.
*Diagram of classical equipment.
How to control a quadcopter?
Purpose of the left and right sticks:
The left stick is responsible for taking off and descending the drone, as well as for rotating around its axis.
- Throttle Up – gas, increases engine speed (when moving up, the drone takes off).
- Throttle Down - brake, reduces engine speed (when moving down, the drone decreases).
- Yaw Left – when moving to the left, the drone rotates around its axis counterclockwise.
- Yaw Right – when moving to the right, the drone rotates around its own clockwise.
Right stick – responsible for “Pitch” and “Roll” i.e. tilts the drone to the left and right sides, as well as forward and backward (the pilot sets the flight direction with the right stick).
- Roll Left – tilts the drone to the left side (in this case, the drone will shift to the left side along the horizon).
- Roll Right - tilts the drone to the right side (in this case, the drone will move to the right side along the horizon).
- Pitch Down – when moving the stick up, tilts the drone forward (in this case, the drone will begin to move to the front).
- Pitch Up – when moving the stick down, it tilts the drone back (in this case, the drone will begin to move backward).
Drone flight modes
There are different flight modes depending on the flight controller installed in the drone (PC/Flight Controller): KK2/Multiwii/Naze32/ArduCopter and others). The most common modes are:
“Acro mode” (Rate mode/Manual mode) - in these modes, electronic assistants responsible for stabilizing the drone will be disabled. Speed indicators will reach maximum values. Piloting will only be possible for advanced pilots. Beginners are recommended to start learning how to fly in acro mode with FPV simulators.
“Self-level mode” (horizon mode) – in these modes, the electronics responsible for stabilizing the drone (gyroscope, accelerometer) are active, costs are limited (speed indicators). The modes are well suited for learning to fly.
Attitude Holding Mode - this flight mode is controlled by the on-board electronics responsible for stabilizing the drone; the altitude holding function, implemented through a barometer (barometer), is active. When flying in this mode, if the pilot releases the sticks/joysticks, the quad will not fall, as it could happen when using the above modes, but will hover at the altitude occupied at the time of flight. The pilot will need to control the horizontal displacement/drift of the copter, for example, due to the presence of wind. Beginners will appreciate the mode, but still, you should not use it when learning to pilot, since the experience gained will not be complete.
GPS Attitude Holding Mode – works with the direct participation of the GPS module. This flight mode is controlled by on-board electronics responsible for stabilizing the drone. The position holding function implemented via GPS is active. The drone is fixed to a coordinate point and allows you to hover accurately without displacement/drift, even if it is affected by external factors such as wind. It has received its main recognition in aerial photography, as it frees the pilot from constant control over the altitude occupied by the drone, thereby allowing him to focus his attention on obtaining high-quality photo/video material.
In practice, you will encounter many more flight modes. As mentioned above, this depends on the flight controller installed in the drone. But the algorithm of work as a whole will be similar for everyone.
#8. Wear protection so as not to ruin the screws
It is better to chase cats around the yard and maneuver between trees only in a full set of protection. Otherwise you will break the blades or motors.
And by the way, trees are now your main enemy! And also power lines, bushes, tall buildings and streetlights.
Also, don't stick your fingers into the propellers. It seems like a banal piece of advice, but many people don’t take drones seriously and stick their fingers where they shouldn’t. It will at least hurt, plus you will damage the blades.
Basic flight rules
Here we will talk about what rules should be followed before and during the first flight. Safety first!
- Choose a good, calm day to fly.
- The flight site should be a large open area without buildings or power lines.
- Make sure that there are no people, animals or property at the launch and flight site.
- Before flying, inspect the aircraft for any malfunctions/damages, improperly/loosely installed propellers, propeller guards, camera, etc.
- Try to minimize any factors that may distract you during the flight, for example, you should switch your mobile phone to silent mode, etc.
First flight
After ensuring safety, you can proceed to practical training flights. You need to start simple, and first of all, work on the following:
- Practice taking off and hovering in the air at a height of up to two meters, followed by landing.
- Take short flights from point “A” to point “B” followed by landing.
- Achieve confident, stable piloting by completing the first two points.
First launch and preparation for it
So, your new quadcopter is already in front of you, but you don’t know how to launch it yet. Where to begin?
- The first step is to assemble the drone. Almost all of them are delivered partially disassembled, so the assembly skills of the designer will be very useful to you.
- Have a spare battery. Modern models can rarely last more than 10 minutes in the air. But this time is not enough for a full workout.
- Be sure to buy several spare parts. Accidents are inevitable, and propellers especially often break down.
- Next, you need to calibrate and configure the sensors: accelerometer, compass and GPS.
All that remains is to quickly glance at the attached instructions and you can try to get your first device into the air.
Practical advice
Wind speed
Wind speed is the first indicator that you need to pay attention to before flying outdoors. You should not fly if the wind speed is higher than 6 m/s. Even with such a wind, the drone will not be stable in flight and will need to be constantly adjusted, which is especially difficult for a beginner. When the wind speed is above 11 meters per second, the pilot runs the risk of crashing the drone.
Practice hovering
In practice, “hanging (holding a position)” is much more difficult than it might seem at first glance. Especially when the flight is carried out in first-person view (FPV) mode (not recommended in the first stages of learning to pilot). Having mastered the hovering skill, the pilot will have better control of the drone, and this will also allow him to take beautiful bird's-eye shots in the future.
Let off the gas
What will you do if a tree suddenly appears in the path of your drone at high speed? Someone will say: “I’ll just clothe him and that’s it.” But in practice, sometimes there is no time left for a flyby, and the wise decision in such a situation would be to simply reset the throttle to zero. In this way, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of maximum damage to both the drone/frame itself and its individual elements, such as motors, antennas, etc. It is also worth remembering that you should not neglect the use of rotor protection, which is often included in the kit, especially when learning to fly, even if they significantly reduce the flight characteristics of the copter.
FPV simulators
FPV simulators allow you to minimize the costs associated with the destruction of a drone as a result of crashes, which is especially important in the initial stages of learning to pilot. It is with FPV simulators that it is recommended that beginners begin their acquaintance with drone control. We recommend our separate material, which maximally reveals the topic about modern FPV simulators.
#2. Buy additional protection, batteries and blades
Buy a protection kit, extra batteries and spare blades in advance. The protection will protect the blades from breaking if you hit a tree or wall during flight. But you should always have extra ones with you, at least two sets.
Drones don't fly for very long, so batteries are the most valuable resource. Prepare several charged batteries at once to change them in the field and increase flight time.
