Learning to Fly

[Gene_Drone]

I have a Hubsan h107c. I fly it now in my basement as it's very cold here. I am pretty good at hovering and getting around when I am behind the drone and it's going forwards and backwards and sideways. I can land on spots that I choose.

But when I change the orientation I get out of control very quickly. Is there a "trick" to it? Is there a view I need to have in my head? Or is it just a matter of practice? Thanks in advance.

 

[Jackson]

Is there a "trick" to it?

Yes, it's called practice.

 

[Rick M]

Yes, it's called practice.

Exactly this. Want to know the good news? Once you have mastered flying in all orientations in the confined space you're using, you are going to go outside and very quickly become one Hell of a drone pilot. I'm going to say better than most at flying line-of-sight, because all those precise movements you had to learn flying in a confined space are going to serve you very well.

 

[Rick M]

Adding: Start by turning 45 degrees to left or right from facing away from you. DO basic movements in that orientation: forward and backward, side to side. Once you are comfortable, turn 45 degree the other way. Go back and forth. Once this feels natural, yaw to 90 degrees and repeat. This is learning by practicing fundamentals, and I think it's the best way to learn.

 

[mozquito1]

It will come, you just got to keep @it.
Apart from a bit of wind you should be able to close your eyes for any length of tim & know the orientation of the quad.
I used to panic when my quad turned into a silhouette. You got to remember the input given. A quad won't yaw unless you tell it to. It may drift. I got round it by just imagining myself in the quad flying towards myself, then it just came.
I mainly fly fpv but I fly LOS some times so the day my kit goes down & I have to rip the goggles off I should be ok.

 

[Gyro Doctor]

Is there a view I need to have in my head?

Flying LOS (line of sight) vs FPV (first person view) are pretty much two different worlds (but they need not really be with this trick).
Coming from an RC airplanes background I've instinctually adapted (through years of practice) to handle the situational awareness aspects
of not only the differences of flying AWAY from (simple) vs TOWARDS (reversed), but also INVERTED vs UPRIGHT flight too.... lol....
When I started flying there were no tiny cameras, transmitters or other such gear and therefore no such thing as FPV !
I have found that (rather than trying to remember the effects) it is much easier to just picture being the pilot (as you ARE when flying FPV).
So .... YES ... The view to keep in your head (like Moz said) is that you are actually a tiny pilot inside that quad. Even though you're flying LOS
if you keep the mental image as if you were flying FPV it will go a long way in helping to maintain orientation (at least it does for me).

 

[RENOV8R]

Flying LOS (line of sight) vs FPV (first person view) are pretty much two different worlds (but they need not really be with this trick).
Coming from an RC airplanes background I've instinctually adapted (through years of practice) to handle the situational awareness aspects
of not only the differences of flying AWAY from (simple) vs TOWARDS (reversed), but also INVERTED vs UPRIGHT flight too.... lol....
When I started flying there were no tiny cameras, transmitters or other such gear and therefore no such thing as FPV !
I have found that (rather than trying to remember the effects) it is much easier to just picture being the pilot (as you ARE when flying FPV).
So .... YES ... The view to keep in your head (like Moz said) is that you are actually a tiny pilot inside that quad. Even though you're flying LOS
if you keep the mental image as if you were flying FPV it will go a long way in helping to maintain orientation (at least it does for me).

Right, when you're flying towards yourself, all the commands are reversed. When you're flying towards yourself inverted all the commands are normal, as if you're flying away from yourself. We better stop now, we're going to scare off the new member. Welcome Gene!

 

[Gene_Drone]

I appreciate all of your experienced insights. And adding the upside down orientation was fine. If it behaved differently then you described I'd be concerned. One doesn't fly a quad-copter upside down for too long does one?

 

[RENOV8R]

Oh yes, it's a thing
https://oscarliang.com/3d-inverted-flying-quadcopter/

 

[Gyro Doctor]

When you're flying towards yourself inverted all the commands are normal, as if you're flying away from yourself.

Yep, except UP is Down and Down is UP ! ... Buried a few Evo 60 motors trying to remember that ... lol ...

Yes Gene, for 3D quads the throttle stick's idle is at center and instead of pulling down on the stick reducing speed it spins the motors in reverse