Why Enable Multiple (Intelligent) Flight Mode?

[pdmike]

Yesterday, I flew a Point of Interest flight around my house. Prior to making the flight, I attempted to enable Multiple Flight Mode but could not do it because I only tapped on the switch, I didn't drag it. So, I took off without enabling Multiple Flight Mode.

Everything went fine - which brings up the question, what is the point of enabling Multiple Flight Mode when you plan to fly one of the Intelligent Flight Modes?

Am I missing something here?

 

[pdmike]

No nibbles yet?

 

[Rick M]

You're not missing anything...you're correct. However, there is no down side to enabling intelligent flight modes. And once enabled, they should stay enabled unless you disable them again.

 

[pdmike]

You're not missing anything...you're correct. However, there is no down side to enabling intelligent flight modes. And once enabled, they should stay enabled unless you disable them again.

Thanks, Rick. You know, on Saturday, I went back and tried to fly my Syma - remember that one? Crashed it twice. You just touch the controls on the Syma, and it's GONE in whatever direction you started it out on. Very hard for me to fly. Phantom 4? Steady as a rock; piece of cake.

 

[GJH105775]

Thanks, Rick. You know, on Saturday, I went back and tried to fly my Syma - remember that one? Crashed it twice. You just touch the controls on the Syma, and it's GONE in whatever direction you started it out on. Very hard for me to fly. Phantom 4? Steady as a rock; piece of cake.

You have to get used to attitude corrections and not over-correcting.

When I first flew a Phantom (After 2 years of nothing but racers and KK stabilized camera quads) it felt almost like flying a helicopter in a video game. The phantom will be a lot more stabilized as more of the stabilization, leveling and position holding falls to the flight controller and the operator only has to choose where to go. Most other quadcopters will leave position holding and often leveling to the operator, the flight controller will just handle stabilization.

 

[Rick M]

Thanks, Rick. You know, on Saturday, I went back and tried to fly my Syma - remember that one? Crashed it twice. You just touch the controls on the Syma, and it's GONE in whatever direction you started it out on. Very hard for me to fly. Phantom 4? Steady as a rock; piece of cake.

I love mine too, but to say I'm flying it is only true in the narrowest sense. It requires little or no flying skill, because in positioning mode it's completely self-stabilizing. That's why I still fly manual line-of-sight quads (including Syma's) and FPV quads. Those require actual skills to fly. The skills are much different between LOS and FPV, too. I'm a good LOS flyer, and a rookie FPV flyer. I'm still developing decent FPV flying skills, and I'm sure a lot of the guys in here who fly primarily FPV are much more proficient than I am. I try to switch back and for between all of these types of quads because if I don't, my skills deteriorate in one area or another.

Flying fast FPV quads freestyle in acro mode (completely unstabilized, for all intents and purposes) is the hardest real skill to develop. Not everyone needs or wants to, but in terms of difficulty, that's in a class by itself.

 

[GJH105775]

I love mine too, but to say I'm flying it is only true in the narrowest sense. It requires little or no flying skill, because in positioning mode it's completely self-stabilizing. That's why I still fly manual line-of-sight quads (including Syma's) and FPV quads. Those require actual skills to fly. The skills are much different between LOS and FPV, too. I'm a good LOS flyer, and a rookie FPV flyer. I'm still developing decent FPV flying skills, and I'm sure a lot of the guys in here who fly primarily FPV are much more proficient than I am. I try to switch back and for between all of these types of quads because if I don't, my skills deteriorate in one area or another.

Flying fast FPV quads freestyle in acro mode (completely unstabilized, for all intents and purposes) is the hardest real skill to develop. Not everyone needs or wants to, but in terms of difficulty, that's in a class by itself.

I believe that everyone should learn LOS. Can't say how many times I've lost FPV or gotten lost while flying FPC then been able to return by taking my goggles off. Saved me a few quadcopters for sure and likely a few repairs as well.
The problem most people have in LOS is loosing orientation, and then panicking. Most won't think to just increase altitude and watch which direction it goes when you roll or pitch. Due to the cost of FPV my first quadcopter was a big heavy aluminium frame without FPV. Most people earlier on in the hobby would learn LOS first, now the barrier to entry is much smaller.

As far as the greatest skill I'd personally have to give that to Acro model helicopters, or maybe a drone racer flying gates LOS (havent seen this yet).

Don't sell your flight controller's role too short. Acro is still stabilized so no position hold or auto-level. Without stabilization or mixing/interpretation you won't be able to fly with mode 2 and likely would not get off the ground with even just mixing.

I'd really like to see someone setup some channel mixing on a radio and fly a quadcopter with no stabilization (like ESCs plugged directly into the radio) . Would certainly be an impressive feat worth watching! Have to wonder what type of acrobatics could be accomplished.

 

[Rick M]

I believe that everyone should learn LOS. Can't say how many times I've lost FPV or gotten lost while flying FPC then been able to return by taking my goggles off. Saved me a few quadcopters for sure and likely a few repairs as well.
The problem most people have in LOS is loosing orientation, and then panicking. Most won't think to just increase altitude and watch which direction it goes when you roll or pitch. Due to the cost of FPV my first quadcopter was a big heavy aluminium frame without FPV. Most people earlier on in the hobby would learn LOS first, now the barrier to entry is much smaller.

As far as the greatest skill I'd personally have to give that to Acro model helicopters, or maybe a drone racer flying gates LOS (havent seen this yet).

Don't sell your flight controller's role too short. Acro is still stabilized so no position hold or auto-level. Without stabilization or mixing/interpretation you won't be able to fly with mode 2 and likely would not get off the ground with even just mixing.

I'd really like to see someone setup some channel mixing on a radio and fly a quadcopter with no stabilization (like ESCs plugged directly into the radio) . Would certainly be an impressive feat worth watching! Have to wonder what type of acrobatics could be accomplished.

Yeah, as far as heli pilots flying acro, I'm right with you. I was confining my discussion to quads. I flew RC heli's back when. Was a complete amateur, but a bunch of guys used to fly a few miles from me in the old days and were spooky good. I believe Szabo's dad was one of the regulars. They flew at a school in San Bernardino, California in the 80's.

As for stabilization in acro mode, I almost changed that, because you're right: it's not strictly true. But I left it because the reality is more technical than the point I was trying to make was worth, not to mention beyond my technical knowledge.

 

[Rick M]

Oh, and I also believe everyone should learn to fly LOS. There are a lot of forces acting on anything that flies. Looking at your stick inputs and what is happening as a result is real instructive and teaches you a lot about flight dynamics and physics if you're paying attention.