Hey guys, I’ve made a few threads here since I got my first drone. Unfortunately I’m still using headless mode. Iam very confident flying in headless mode and because I enjoy this new hobby so much, I’m about to purchase my 6th quad. But here’s the catch, this one doesn’t have headless mode. Buying this quad will force me to learn the correct way. I just don’t understand how you guys can fly like that though. Watching all the YouTube videos blows my mind how they get that skilled. I know, practice. However, I’ve had two fly bye bye already and both times I was in headless mode. I guess the signal was lost. I don’t see how you can be using the yaw, constantly holding the yaw so it’s spinning in circles, all the while flying in a circle. How do you know the orientation. Is it just muscle memory? If you push the yaw to the left of right and hold it down, the quad rotates continuously. While doing that, what direction does the quad fly if you’re pushing the right controller forward, pitching forward? I know if the head is facing away and you pitch forward it goes forward but what’s the result is you’re yawing constantly and pitching forward?
Learning to fly
- Thread starter Fly high
- Start date
Spork
There is no spoon
I think a lot of the youtube videos we see are in FPV mode - which I gather (no experience personally) is easier than pure LOS.
Just give the LOS a try - it will come faster than you think. My quad supports headless mode - and I thought it would be a great way to learn. But mine beeps incessantly when I engage the headless mode - and it drove me insane - so I quit using it and forced myself to stick with LOS.
Regarding the flying in a circle, I think it's called orbiting? Anyway it's not hard, can't say for sure without the sticks in my hand and I only just learned how myself a couple days ago - but the way I do it is lots of yaw with a little pitch forward. It is definitely practice, practice, practice. I'm reasonably decent (for a noob) when my quad is close by, but when it's far enough for me not to see "the front" - my skills drop quickly. I really, really need to spray paint my front props a different color (they're all black) or get some colored ones - because lots of folks have suggested that to me - and I think it will help me "see the front" more easily.
Just give the LOS a try - it will come faster than you think. My quad supports headless mode - and I thought it would be a great way to learn. But mine beeps incessantly when I engage the headless mode - and it drove me insane - so I quit using it and forced myself to stick with LOS.
Regarding the flying in a circle, I think it's called orbiting? Anyway it's not hard, can't say for sure without the sticks in my hand and I only just learned how myself a couple days ago - but the way I do it is lots of yaw with a little pitch forward. It is definitely practice, practice, practice. I'm reasonably decent (for a noob) when my quad is close by, but when it's far enough for me not to see "the front" - my skills drop quickly. I really, really need to spray paint my front props a different color (they're all black) or get some colored ones - because lots of folks have suggested that to me - and I think it will help me "see the front" more easily.
Steven Campbell
Well-Known Member
I'm a new flyer, I have some with headless mode but I don't like that, I've been practicing without headless, I recently modified a JJRC H31 with a small 5.8ghz camera and have a small 5.8ghz screen with built in reciever that allows me to better practice.
It's very crude but it flies well, it can handle a bit of wind, it has some good speed, very durable, and best of all, it's cheap
It's very crude but it flies well, it can handle a bit of wind, it has some good speed, very durable, and best of all, it's cheap
Dugdog47
Well-Known Member
Fly high, you are ready to stop using headless mode, so stop using it!!!
FPV is not easier than LOS (line of sight), just different. I highly recommend learning LOS first.
Don't get discouraged by watching you tube videos because those guys have a lot of hours under their belt. It'll come to you with enough practice.
You have to take it slow at first.
Start by practicing hovering with the front of the quad facing away from you. Avoid using the yaw at this point. Just try to keep it hovering in one spot for a full battery charge.
When you can do that, practice hovering, then move left and right with with the right stick, and then hover, then front and back, then hover, again avoiding yaw. Do this for a full charge .
When that becomes easy, it's time to add some yaw! Take it up to a hover, then yaw right one quarter turn. Move forward a little, then yaw left one half turn and move forward a little. Practice flying right, then left, then right again, then left, repeat for a full charge.
Do all of these exercises several times a day and before you know it you'll be an expert LOS pilot!
FPV is not easier than LOS (line of sight), just different. I highly recommend learning LOS first.
Don't get discouraged by watching you tube videos because those guys have a lot of hours under their belt. It'll come to you with enough practice.
You have to take it slow at first.
Start by practicing hovering with the front of the quad facing away from you. Avoid using the yaw at this point. Just try to keep it hovering in one spot for a full battery charge.
When you can do that, practice hovering, then move left and right with with the right stick, and then hover, then front and back, then hover, again avoiding yaw. Do this for a full charge .
When that becomes easy, it's time to add some yaw! Take it up to a hover, then yaw right one quarter turn. Move forward a little, then yaw left one half turn and move forward a little. Practice flying right, then left, then right again, then left, repeat for a full charge.
Do all of these exercises several times a day and before you know it you'll be an expert LOS pilot!
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Dugdog47
Well-Known Member
I'll also add one more thing to today's lesson. In aviation you NEVER want to push any stick and hold it (usually). Flying works best with fine corrections.
I only
I have one quad that only beeps four times when you put it in headless mode then the beeping stops. It’s a syma. They should all do that instead of constant beeping.
Well that’s how I started flying at first because I didn’t know I had headless mode. As long as I kept it pointing straight in front of me I could fly it around, straight out, left, right, back, circles. But once I changed the heading I was like “oh no” and flew into houses and cars and trees. Even having different colored props doesn’t help me because I can’t see the colors once it’s moving. I just wish the shape of the quads made more sense. Like make the body look like there is a front and a back, not a square. I saw a video where the guy attached an arrow pointing forward on his quad to help teach people where it’s pointing. Great idea.
Dugdog47
Well-Known Member
Yes knowing which end is front is CRITICAL when flying line of sight. My syma x8 has hunter orange front props and black back props. That has saved me many times. I'm thinking about adding a day glow sticker to my bugs 3 just to make sure I can see something to help.
Their are other ways to regain orientation.
Give it gas, throttle, then yaw, then throttle again. Keep doing that until you see it moving to the right or left. I've only had one fly away in ten years using this method.
mozquito1
Well-Known Member
From now on STOP with the headless mode, angle or horizon. You're learning bad habits. Get on a simulation for an hour or two in acro mode.
Angle is to easy although you can race with it on certain tracks. & another thing it's no good messing with pids if your not flying acro as they only apply to acro mode. Horizon has its own tweaks.
If I go to a new area, I fly a lipo on angle checking for ninja branches & what not.
Angle is to easy although you can race with it on certain tracks. & another thing it's no good messing with pids if your not flying acro as they only apply to acro mode. Horizon has its own tweaks.
If I go to a new area, I fly a lipo on angle checking for ninja branches & what not.
Yeah that’s a good idea. It will work too as long as I don’t fly it too far away and as long as I’m taking it slow.
Thanks
I’m definitely stopping headless mode from now on. I just ordered a husban with gps and no headless so it’s sink or swim.
Thanks
Dugdog47
Well-Known Member
http://www.chadrg.com/flightschool/
Check out these videos called flight school. They are intended for helicopters but some of the stuff they teach carries over to quads.
Btw, if you think quads are difficult, try a collective pitch helicopter. Quads are a walk in the park!!!
Check out these videos called flight school. They are intended for helicopters but some of the stuff they teach carries over to quads.
Btw, if you think quads are difficult, try a collective pitch helicopter. Quads are a walk in the park!!!
The 502E, only $59.99 Amazon with gps.
Ok I will. I bookmarked it and will check it out shortly.
Yeah that’s fine. I don’t care about flips on this one. The other ones I have do all that. I really wanted to get stable flight and return to home. And now, I’m forced to learn LOS with no training wheels.
Spork
There is no spoon
With equal likelihood to all choices: Either mine just does it that way, it's broken, or I'm an idiot. Mine is a Holystone 181C.
Spork
There is no spoon
@Dugdog47 's advice above is exactly the advice I received from others here and elsewhere and it definitely works. I'll also add in to practice simply pick two spots and practice taking off from spot #1, hover a bit, fly to spot #2, and try to land on the spot. Rinse and repeat. It sounds super simple, but I feel like it helped learning not to give it too much stick.