So you’ve obtained a shiny new drone (perhaps one that you’ve built yourself). In order to pilot that thing, you’ll want to read this crash course in basic aircraft terminology, and how it relates to your drone’s controls. With this article, excerpted from Adam Juniper’s new book, The Complete Guide to Drones,ย you’ll be a master of the skies in no time.
ROLL, PITCH, YAW, AND THROTTLE
Flying using the sticks (or their touchscreen equivalent) dusts off the lexicon of old-school fixed-wing aircraft, but you also need to adapt your mind to additional controls, such as those that enable vertical take off and hover.
PITCH
All other things being equal, pitching a multicopter will make it move forward or backward. On the commonly used Mode 2 configuration that means pushing the right stick forward to make the craft move forward. Personally, I would suggest taking off with the drone facing away from you, so pushing the stick forward will pitch the front down and the โcopter will fly away from your position.
ROLL
Again, assuming the standard Mode 2 configuration, the other control on the right stick is roll, which makes the โcopter move left or right, while the front remains facing forward. The further the stick is from the center, the more the โcopter rolls and the faster it will travel. Many pilots find that getting used to the โright stickโ controls (pitch and roll), while keeping their โcopter in a small area in front of them helps build confidence early on. This is especially true if the โcopter is in Altitude Hold or GPS Loiter mode. If video is important to you, rolling smoothly left and right is very useful for tracking moving subjects from the side, creating a form of aerial dolly shot.
THROTTLE
The throttle determines how much lift the โcopter is creating: below a certain point the โcopter will descend (or stay on the ground if itโs already there); above that point it will ascend. The ideal hover spot should be set to the stickโs middle point, and on some ready-to fly โcopters that default to Altitude Hold mode the sticks are even sprung to this point. In manual mode the throttle is much harder to master, as it doesnโt default to a fixed altitude.
PITCH AND ROLL
Used in combination, the pitch and roll controls will always leave the โfrontโ of the โcopter facing in the same direction, but it will slide around in the air in two axes (similar to a computerโs mouse pointer). In the illustration below, the โcopter has been pitched at about 50% forward and 15% left, so it flies forward faster than it does left, but the flexibility is endless.
PITCH AND YAW
A different way to turn, which might look more elegant if youโve got a forward facing camera, and will certainly be a better test of your piloting skill, is to combine forward movement from the pitch control with the rotation of yaw. Yaw turns the โcopter around its center, which it can do even when loitering in one spot, so only when combined with pitch does it create a linear flightpath. Once youโve mastered combining pitch and roll, itโs definitely time to add yaw to the mix.
KEY SKILLS
Hovering and sliding around in straight lines is no fun, so once youโve got to grips with the basic controls, itโs time to move things up a notch. There are several skills that you should practice as often as possible to help you use the sticks more naturally and become a real master pilot.
The real trickย is the ability to use both sticks at once, and to develop an appreciation for the aircraftโs orientation. This is strange at first, and there is a strong temptation to stick with Intelligent Orientation Control (IOC) or โsimpleโ mode. However, doing so would be a lot like only learning to drive an automatic gearbox car in Europe, where stick-shift is far more common. Sure, you could drive if you found an automatic car, but youโd never be able to use most of the cars on the road and youโd certainly never get behind the wheel of a classic sports car.
Another tendency of many early pilots is to think only about one movement at a time, as if there were an invisible cubic grid guiding them. Itโs perhaps true that people with a photography background who see their โcopter as a flying camera find themselves flying as if they are moving an imaginary tripod around without much grace. Even for dedicated photographers this isnโt the best way to fly; without developing more subtle control youโll never be able to shoot the swooping video that is such a big part of clientsโ requirements these days.
MANUAL ALTITUDE
The difference between Altitude Hold and manual throttle is pretty significant. Itโs less important for photographers than racers, but itโs a good idea to practice trying to hold a fixed altitude without automatic assistance and as little input as possible from the right stick.
SIMPLE CIRCLES
Learning to fly in ever tighter and ever more accurate circles will help every aspect of your flying. Pitch forward with the right stick, then use yaw to turn the โcopter.
PASS-BY
Once youโve got the hang of turning, itโs vital to refine your grasp of flying in whatever direction the front is pointed. A good way to do that is make fly-bys of your position, turning tightly at either end; slow yourself with backward pitch. As you get better able to judge the direction of travel, you can make the straight flight longer and faster.
FIGURE OF EIGHT
Flying a figure of eight will require a combination of turning and passing-by skills. This will really help you focus on flying and perceiving your โcopterโs position in 3D space. Try varying the speed and the size of the figure of eight for variety.
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