I'm 61 year old and got my very first drone for Christmas (no laughing now!) It's not a fantastic drone it's the Holy Stone 175D, but had a lot of good reviews here on RUclips it didn't cost a fortune obviously, neither did I want it to, I was worried about writing the thing off within a couple of flights. I find this video invaluable as a learning tool and watch it before every flight as a kind of what airline pilots call muscle memory, which basically means remembering a procedure off by heart without having to refer to documentation. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to put this together. You have earned a new sub and bell notification. Greetings from "across the pond" here in England.
@@goldiegoldenbear7282 I am a more confident pilot I would say, I crashed a few times and had to replace a couple of blades but all in all, I haven't done badly, it's still in one piece!
We need a lot more videos from this guy! He's clear, gets right to the point and doesn't waste a lot of time on filler content. His straightforward method makes me feel like he's a serious pilot who knows what he is doing and wants you to get it, not some kid who is just giddy to show off his drone flying skills on RUclips under the guise of teaching.
I agree with you...I get so tired of people who are just trying to get their 15 minutes of fame so they talk about nothing for the first 5 hours of their video and then give you 2 minutes of ACTUAL, relevant content...
Thank you for that comment. This video has been instrumental to regaining my confidence in flying since I’m a bit out of practice. There’s nothing wrong when going back to basic flight skills!
I couldn't agree more, I've been flying drones for over 11 years and can't wait to practice all these exercises on my new Potensic Atom. I'm sure it will improve and add to my pilotting skills!
What I like about this is that the Coach understands the challenges and confusions that can happen. Too many teacher/coaches don't remember what it was like to learn. This is very well done.
As a 14-year RC pilot, 7 with drones, this is an excellent guide. As an aside, the no-GPS mode is actually as close to being a pilot in this computer-assisted flying world as you can get with todays drones.
As a total newb flying my brand new Mini Pro 3, I'm so grateful to be able to watch videos like this to understand some core principles, to be able to fall back on. Thank you so much. My first flight was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking, so learning from experienced pilots is vital. Watching the videos however is limited, the key is to practice, practice, practice. Thanks again. 🙂
As a 61 old, I am a beginner. This was very informative, and was such good practice. Thanks for the tips. All I can say is, practice, practice, practice, and have fun.
I've never flown a drone, but I used to do the square pattern, no yaw, circular turn, no yaw, square pattern with yaw, in a real helicopter, all while following the taxi lines on an airport, while going sideways, backwards, following the curve lines too, all without stopping. These exercises made me incredible smooth when flying in confined areas. Good video.
I have watched this video before but now it was sent to me by my employer as training prep. Congrats! the State of Ca is using your video as a training aid!
@@mikefundis77 Mike, can you give more detail? Does your Holy Stone drone have GPS, are you flying in high winds, or with interference between the drone and remote? Without GPS, flying outdoors can be challenging and quite frustrating. A Holy Stone drone is a really nice toy, but for not that much more you can get a used DJI Mini, or even a Mini 2. I recently saw a used Mini for $220 on eBay. The drone and camera abilities of the lowest cost DJI is miles and miles beyond slightly less expensive Holy Stone drones.
This video is pure gold. I have ordered a pretty good basic drone with a number of similar DJI features from China ready to train to buy and use a DJI Mini 3 in the summer. So these excercises are great to use on a reasonable winter day.
Hi how you getting on? I just got the mini 3 for xmas and am little to scared to fly in my garden, so going to now buy a cheaper drone from amazon to practice with.
Had the Mini 2 a few days and due to weather indoor flying has only been possible, never flown a drone before. Slid down the wardrobe once but now know why after watching this fine video - no GPS so it was wondering around a little when it should have been stationery. I have learnt more with this video for the style of flying I want to achieve than anything else I have looked at to date - at seventy four the learning curve is near vertical at the moment! Thank you very much indeed for the professional way the video has been put together and specifically for the way you have imparted your obvious skills to others.
New pilot here. I've only been flying for a couple of weeks and would do my own little things to improve my flying some of them similar to this video. But watching this gave me a whole new set of training tactics that I can now use and have some fun with. Thank you!
I now use this as an "Intro to drone flying workshop" for aspiring pilots or peeps who want to "try n fly". It's such a lovely set of exercise and you can increase the challenge level to suit. Top Content thx.
Thanks so much for this amazing training tool Greg. New subscriber age 79 with 14 years experiance, but your exercises are going to vastly raise my skill level just in time for flying my new Potensic Atom for the first time. I just wish I came across this years ago, would have saved a lot of money and upsetting crashes.
This video was extremely well done. I love how you Illustrated each example with multiple camera angles. This really gives me a foundation to learn before I break or lose a new drone I'm thinking about getting.
Dude!!! I’m 55yrs old and getting my first drone in a month. This is sooooooo helpful. My first week will be doing all these exercises everyday over and over. Thank you and thanks for putting this video together! You are a good man.
Thanks for a very helpful video. Although I've been flying for over 4 years, I will be doing these exercises just to stay in shape. However, I do have one of my own exercises that I practice often. It's a figure 8. I do it about 30 feet high, to avoid hitting anything, and so that I can observe the 8 pattern. But as I'm flying, I'm keeping the camera pointing forward. This means that I'm using yaw and roll to control the direction, but also using pitch to control the speed. This get me to use most of the controls. This has helped me to react to drone moves without thinking. It's second nature and muscle memory.
YES, love this addition, Mike. That's a great exercise for folks who have mastered the basics and looking to warm their thumbs up for an upcoming mission. Keeping the camera pointed forward is tough!
When you say forward, do you mean always in the direction of travel or forward as in camera always pointing North regardless of drone position in the 8?
Camera forward figure 8 is probably the hardest move of all. Very dynamic. Harder than orbit or even spiral or heiix, due constant movement of sticks through center. The only way to make it harder is to aim at center of each (orbiting each leg center) and/or combine with level changes.
I'm also very new to drone flying (first flight was yesterday). I'm a retired Vietnam Era vet. The only R/C I've done was cars and that was decades ago. On the first battery (25-30 minutes), I was doing basic maneuvers and not going very far away (50 feet maximum). The second battery I was able to fly in circles just watching the drone. Have not done figure eights yet, but maybe today. One of "your" exercises was to fly at the maximum altitude (394 feet on my drone - FII GIM2). I first set the max altitude at 150 feet and then went there (just hovering in place). Looking at the phone it seemed simple enough, but when I looked up to see the drone that greatly shocked me. Quickly wondered if it would ever come back down safely - lol. Going all the way up to 394 feet is hard to think of after just one day of flying. I am going to do your exercises in order and spend some time in each (they don't seem that boring to me at all and actually very interesting - something fun to do with my new drone). I really appreciate you making videos like this (had thought that I would be on my own). Thank you!
I am A newbie with my DJI mini 2 and while some other videos offer how-tos, I like the specific, get to know your drone, flying exercises. I'm a far way off from flying instinctively, but I know with THESE types of exercises, I'll improve faster than my "winging it" technique! And yes, that was an accidental pun!
I really like your presentation style. It is easy to understand and you explain the reasoning for each drill. I will use these to become better piloting my drone. Thank you for this video.
I have watched a lot of videos on people demonstrating how good they are at flying drones but they are not much use to me as a beginner. This is the best video I have seen for someone like me.,a beginner who has just passed the U.K. on-line theory test. It is highly recommended. Thank you to The UAV Coach.
Did my first drone flight today, and after so many mistakes, I realized I needed to really practice certain moves, particularly how to control the movement of the drone. Can’t wait to start using your exercises tomorrow.
I'm 65 and have been flying camera drones for nearly 10 years. I still test my skills using many of the exercises you suggest and describe. One of my favorites is to circle POI above an object at a set camera angle and then as I slowly descend while still circling I also adjust the camera angle to keep the object (tall pine tree) in view. It's definitely a serious challenge. Keep them props up!
Excellent video. I've viewed multiple training vids before, but this was, by far, the most helpful. Your narration, the music, and the camera work are great as well. Thanks so much.
I'm 62 and just got my first one Just a small inexpensive little dude. I downloaded the app and got it t connected to the drone. First flight tomorrow and in nervous . Probably a good thing it was cheap. Thanks for the tips , much appreciated. 👍👍
Great training video, especially the learning to fly at eye level, I’m going out today with the drone and will be carrying out all the eye level training exercises. The close up to the tree was excellentlent. I look forward to the clear no nonsense dialogue and footage in future training video’s. Well done.
Appreciate your comment, George. We spent a lot of time on the script to try and be as no-nonsense and clear as possible. Blue skies and safe flying out there!
i'm a new drone pilot, most of my friend tell to just go and shoot don't do this boring basics, but for me this is the most undesrtandable drone practice and very usefull in the field
Yes, thank you for the vid. I am 62 years old and am considering buying my 1st drone!😅 I am another Brit but live in Philippines now . I am also trying to find a simulator game here. Please keep posting the very necessary and useful vids. Many thanks again 👍
Glad I’m seeing this now, I got 14 mins flight time on my Air 2S. And this is my first time flying ever, and a professional drone at that. Thanks a lot man!
Great stuff, thank you for creating and sharing this clear and well thought out video! I just got a DJI Mini SE and plan to follow these steps. It has been a few years now since I flew a "dumb" Blade 180QX so I am ~starting over. I have to 'unlearn' part of my 20+yrs of flying RC planes to go droning! One add (step #16 or #20!) might be to ATTEMPT flying a figure 8 pattern nose first at
Hey coach, Just bought my First drone. Really excited about this. Haven’t flown it yet. Wanted to learn some basics first. Enjoyed this video, really informative to help me get started on the basics of learning the drone and flying it. I save this video to and to keep going back to it. Thanks for sharing your experience as a learning tool for a new drone flyer like me. Thanks again.
Joseph, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Hope you're flying has been going well and that you've put in some good stick time these past couple of weeks!
Much needed video. Everyone was to jump in without ant practice or skills. Learning on the fly isn’t the way to go. Thanks for giving the smart people the information they need to start becoming better skilled with their abilities to fly. Kudos to you.
Geoff Mason from Coffs Harbour on the East Coast of NSW, Australia. I teach students how to fly drones using the DJI Tello drones. Each one has its own plastic cage so if they bump into walls or other drones they bounce off. I use most of the techniques you have shown but I have enjoyed a couple of new ones. Thank you for making it so clear. When I achieved my Remote Pilots Licence(RePL) in NSW, the last test was the most difficult. I think this could be added to your training. Imagine a basketball court or bigger. Start the drone about half way along one side. Take off then move forward and slowly rise up about 10 feet(3 metres) while moving forward. At the top continue moving forward a few feet then using the right YAW and forward stick turning 90 degrees continue about 20 feet. Still moving forward use the YAW to turn 90 degrees and continue to the other end of the rectangle. Use the right YAW while still moving forward and continue to the line where you started. Moving forward use the right YAW again and move forward about 10 feet then still moving forward slowly descend to the starting point and without stopping repeat this exercise. The exercise was called Practice taking off and landing. I hope this helps.
I am fairly new to flying a drone, this video was exactly the type of instruction I was looking for. Great video, it answered questions I hadn't even thought about.
Excellent, Excellent video, thank you so much. You took the mystique out of flying and made me feel that that there are basic doable practice steps by which I can a acquire the skills to operate the instrument. Just like most other things--step by step developing of the fundamentals leads to overall skill.
Great video. I've done many of the exercises you suggested. I just think that the altitude of the drone should be a bit higher than your head. The only way to mess up your eyes is a combination of joystick and thrust, but there is a considerable increase in safety by not being at the height of the eyes.
Neat... thank you for these exercises... I needed this kind of guide... One comment though, I don't think flying at eye level is safest, I would fly say 1 foot above eye level to protect my eyes (just in case). Many thanks.
The eye level is only a first step for checking that everything looks fine when you hover with your drone. You look at your drone and you can spot any malfunction if is at eye level. After that, you fly at your safest altitude.
I think my favorite advice that wasn't specifically stated in the video was the initial exercises involve piloting the drone without looking at the drone camera footage, but through your own eyes. It does create a sense of discomfort, especially if you have to fly the drone in reverse, but it significantly helps with your personal awareness and spatial positioning.
Yes, great tip. For new pilots, the practice of looking at the drone and then down at your screen and then back up at the drone. That back-and-forth awareness / spatial positioning is really difficult to get comfortable with at first!
@@uavcoach Another thing that I've learnt on my training was to send my drone at the limit of Line of Sight, yaw it heratically just to lose track of its position and from there, without looking at the screen, bring it back to "home". I liked that, too.
Great video. Would love to see you break down flying in Atti mode with some basic skills much like this video. What are the best exercises to practice with? What pitfalls should we look out for to avoid? Thanks!
Yes, flying in ATTI mode is great for training, and a required skill for many pro drone pilots. I always found it annoying that certain drone models don't allow the pilot to switch into ATTI mode.
@@uavcoach Maybe the best way is to get into an hangar and see if we can get no satellite, the drone will go "max 30 meters height mode" and voilà, we have our spaceship freedom.
Awesome tips! I'm also fairly new to my Mini 2, and while it doesn't have POI mode other than through an automated Quickshot feature, I'll definitely be trying a lot of these next time I go flying
Appreciate your comment, thank you! The Mini 2 is a great drone and packs a powerful punch for something so small (and great price point too). Blue skies and safe flying to you!
fantastic exercises 👍 This coming week, I am expecting delivery of my first drone ever. As i have never flown anything RC before 🎈💨💥 I will definitely be putting these training exercises into practice right away, ...oh, and i have subbed and look forward to going through your content
This is what’s great about the internet/RUclips. You are in the States and I’m in the UK. I have just got my first drone DJI Mini 2 but found your video not only interesting but such a fantastic starting point for me to build confidence, understanding and pilot skills that will stand me in good stead for years to come. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and skills across the Globe 👍
Thank you! Have about 2 hours stick time on my Mini 2 maneuvering around in "C" mode - tripod is fast enough for now :) These exercises are just what I need.
DUDE!! You are an outstanding instructor! I flew helicopters in the USMC but that was a long time ago, so when I picked up a drone recently, I looked for a capable, articulate instructor, and there you were!
Thank you for this man! As a flight instructor I do really appreciate the lessons you have put together and I am going to follow your routines to get dialed in with my drone. Fantastic work!
I avoid flying at eye level, because of fear of something part breaking from the drone and smashing right in the head. I have not heard about such thing, but still prefer to fly at waist level or above heads.
Yes, I wish we were more precise with our instruction. We didn't mean to encourage folks to literally fly at eye level. It was more like - please don't thrust up too quickly without hovering for a few seconds and listening/looking for any abnormalities. I prefer slightly above the head, standing about 8-10 feet away.
I'm new to Drones although I'm very skilled at RC Cars Boats etc So my question is how does the wifi work if your away from your wifi network out in the hills for example? 😐
What a great video! Finally a list of drills we can practice low and move highter. If you cant do them low, then you will never do them at 400 ft. I have watched alot of videos. All they do is go high and fast. It all come down to baby steps. Go slow, and learn... then move up. 100 ft is along way. I hear people talk about signal drop. Fly in airplane mode. That should stop it. I have learned alot, and i have not ecen got my drone yet. I am looking at the HS 720g there so meny to look at.
Thanks Greg! You got some of the exercises I teach along with some points I mostly don’t have time for in one of our 2-hour sessions. However, this will now be included in my follow-up email to UAV Coach students. 😎👍🏽
New drone pilot here, so thank you for the video, huge help. I chipped the tips of my props after an hour of practice on some garden furniture..lol. having a lot of fun.
Nice one, ta. I've taught a few people photography. When using a DSLR camera, I always start by encouraging them to switch off 'auto' mode and 'scenes', and learn how to [for example] use 'aperture' to control depth of field, and understand 'camera shake' using shutter speed etcetera. Some people quickly revert to the noddy-dials because they can get okay snaps, while others persevere with learning. The ones who learn properly ALWAYS become better photographers. My drone flying is currently heavily reliant upon auto as much as possible. I don't even fly it back to me, I just hit RTH. I'm going to use this video in the same way as teaching photography, going right back to basics and learn properly. Thanks.
Morning greg from the United Kingdom! What a joy it was to watch this video you get straight into it no extra words needed clear and precise very helpful to a new Drone pilot thank you very much buddy.😅
Fab Video. Spent some time watching it again and again. Very very good I think because it really simplified what some find quite terrorising and a road block to learning. Thanks for this and I look forward to more. :)
Great information and thank you for sharing, I have wanted a drone for 5 years ever since a film crew came to our place to film a documentary about the wildfires. I have never used a joystick so this is all new to me but with this great video I've been out today twice practising and I'm going to keep doing it until I've mastered it.
What a great video. I’ve been flying a drone now for about 6 months and am starting to get pretty comfortable with it. Thanks for doing this video. A great way for a beginner to learn and someone with a little experience to become even more skilled.
I'm 61 year old and got my very first drone for Christmas (no laughing now!) It's not a fantastic drone it's the Holy Stone 175D, but had a lot of good reviews here on RUclips it didn't cost a fortune obviously, neither did I want it to, I was worried about writing the thing off within a couple of flights. I find this video invaluable as a learning tool and watch it before every flight as a kind of what airline pilots call muscle memory, which basically means remembering a procedure off by heart without having to refer to documentation. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to put this together. You have earned a new sub and bell notification. Greetings from "across the pond" here in England.
Are you still flying your drone? Wondering how’s your skill level now and if you still like your Holy Stone
@@goldiegoldenbear7282 I am a more confident pilot I would say, I crashed a few times and had to replace a couple of blades but all in all, I haven't done badly, it's still in one piece!
Same here! Lots of fun.
Allmost 50 and just bought my first 😊 good luck
I'm 80 and got my first drone Christmas 23, this is a great video
We need a lot more videos from this guy! He's clear, gets right to the point and doesn't waste a lot of time on filler content. His straightforward method makes me feel like he's a serious pilot who knows what he is doing and wants you to get it, not some kid who is just giddy to show off his drone flying skills on RUclips under the guise of teaching.
I agree with you...I get so tired of people who are just trying to get their 15 minutes of fame so they talk about nothing for the first 5 hours of their video and then give you 2 minutes of ACTUAL, relevant content...
Thank you for that comment. This video has been instrumental to regaining my confidence in flying since I’m a bit out of practice. There’s nothing wrong when going back to basic flight skills!
Hear! Hear!
I couldn't agree more, I've been flying drones for over 11 years and can't wait to practice all these exercises on my new Potensic Atom. I'm sure it will improve and add to my pilotting skills!
What I like about this is that the Coach understands the challenges and confusions that can happen. Too many teacher/coaches don't remember what it was like to learn. This is very well done.
That means a lot, Jeff. We spent a lot of time on this one, thank you for your comment! Blue skies & safe flying to you.
Agreed - these are some of the best instructional videos for pilots learning to get a handle on drone flying.
Very true
As a 14-year RC pilot, 7 with drones, this is an excellent guide. As an aside, the no-GPS mode is actually as close to being a pilot in this computer-assisted flying world as you can get with todays drones.
Appreciate your comment, thank you!
Many of my mulitrotors do not even have GPS. I like to do the flying myself. For me that is where the fun lies.
As a total newb flying my brand new Mini Pro 3, I'm so grateful to be able to watch videos like this to understand some core principles, to be able to fall back on. Thank you so much. My first flight was both exhilarating and nerve-wracking, so learning from experienced pilots is vital. Watching the videos however is limited, the key is to practice, practice, practice. Thanks again. 🙂
Great to hear! Thanks for sharing, Colin!
Seconded! My DJI Mini Pro 3 arrives today and I'm planning on using this video as a guide for my first test run.
As a 61 old, I am a beginner. This was very informative, and was such good practice. Thanks for the tips. All I can say is, practice, practice, practice, and have fun.
We're so glad you found the video helpful! Blue skies and safe flying!
I've never flown a drone, but I used to do the square pattern, no yaw, circular turn, no yaw, square pattern with yaw, in a real helicopter, all while following the taxi lines on an airport, while going sideways, backwards, following the curve lines too, all without stopping. These exercises made me incredible smooth when flying in confined areas. Good video.
Thanks for your comment, Mo! Wishing you blue skies & safe flying.
I have watched this video before but now it was sent to me by my employer as training prep. Congrats! the State of Ca is using your video as a training aid!
That's awesome! Thanks for watching :)
I can't say thank you enough for making this video! As a new pilot, this really put the foundation in my drone control.
Yahoo! Thanks for the comment, R.O.
Hello this is Michael
I got a holy Stone s17 and I having trouble flying up in the air I don't know what I'm doing wrong you can get me a
how are your skills doing now one year from this comment?
@@mikefundis77 Mike, can you give more detail? Does your Holy Stone drone have GPS, are you flying in high winds, or with interference between the drone and remote? Without GPS, flying outdoors can be challenging and quite frustrating. A Holy Stone drone is a really nice toy, but for not that much more you can get a used DJI Mini, or even a Mini 2. I recently saw a used Mini for $220 on eBay. The drone and camera abilities of the lowest cost DJI is miles and miles beyond slightly less expensive Holy Stone drones.
This video is pure gold. I have ordered a pretty good basic drone with a number of similar DJI features from China ready to train to buy and use a DJI Mini 3 in the summer. So these excercises are great to use on a reasonable winter day.
Hi how you getting on? I just got the mini 3 for xmas and am little to scared to fly in my garden, so going to now buy a cheaper drone from amazon to practice with.
Had the Mini 2 a few days and due to weather indoor flying has only been possible, never flown a drone before. Slid down the wardrobe once but now know why after watching this fine video - no GPS so it was wondering around a little when it should have been stationery.
I have learnt more with this video for the style of flying I want to achieve than anything else I have looked at to date - at seventy four the learning curve is near vertical at the moment!
Thank you very much indeed for the professional way the video has been put together and specifically for the way you have imparted your obvious skills to others.
Thank you for your comments and for sharing your experience so far, Barry!
New pilot here. I've only been flying for a couple of weeks and would do my own little things to improve my flying some of them similar to this video. But watching this gave me a whole new set of training tactics that I can now use and have some fun with. Thank you!
Good stuff, thanks for your comment! Glad these tips are helpful.
Great video, very engaging not an ounce of filler,all good info without any BS. Subscribed !!!!
Thank you, Matt!
I now use this as an "Intro to drone flying workshop" for aspiring pilots or peeps who want to "try n fly". It's such a lovely set of exercise and you can increase the challenge level to suit. Top Content thx.
Glad you found it helpful! Blue skies and safe flying!
Excellent walk-through of basic exercises. Not the most exciting flying, but practicing techniques will lead to outstanding performance.
Fundamentals are everything! Thanks for your comment.
Thanks so much for this amazing training tool Greg. New subscriber age 79 with 14 years experiance, but your exercises are going to vastly raise my skill level just in time for flying my new Potensic Atom for the first time. I just wish I came across this years ago, would have saved a lot of money and upsetting crashes.
This video was extremely well done. I love how you Illustrated each example with multiple camera angles. This really gives me a foundation to learn before I break or lose a new drone I'm thinking about getting.
Glad you enjoyed it, Hector. Thank you for taking the time comment!
Dude!!! I’m 55yrs old and getting my first drone in a month. This is sooooooo helpful. My first week will be doing all these exercises everyday over and over. Thank you and thanks for putting this video together! You are a good man.
Craig, wishing you blue skies & safe flying! Glad you found our video helpful and please stay in touch with questions along the way :)
Thanks for a very helpful video. Although I've been flying for over 4 years, I will be doing these exercises just to stay in shape. However, I do have one of my own exercises that I practice often. It's a figure 8. I do it about 30 feet high, to avoid hitting anything, and so that I can observe the 8 pattern. But as I'm flying, I'm keeping the camera pointing forward. This means that I'm using yaw and roll to control the direction, but also using pitch to control the speed. This get me to use most of the controls. This has helped me to react to drone moves without thinking. It's second nature and muscle memory.
YES, love this addition, Mike. That's a great exercise for folks who have mastered the basics and looking to warm their thumbs up for an upcoming mission. Keeping the camera pointed forward is tough!
When you say forward, do you mean always in the direction of travel or forward as in camera always pointing North regardless of drone position in the 8?
@@robertdoran7387 I point it in the direction of travel. Just like you were driving a car and always pointing in the direction you are headed.
Camera forward figure 8 is probably the hardest move of all. Very dynamic. Harder than orbit or even spiral or heiix, due constant movement of sticks through center. The only way to make it harder is to aim at center of each (orbiting each leg center) and/or combine with level changes.
I'm also very new to drone flying (first flight was yesterday). I'm a retired Vietnam Era vet. The only R/C I've done was cars and that was decades ago. On the first battery (25-30 minutes), I was doing basic maneuvers and not going very far away (50 feet maximum). The second battery I was able to fly in circles just watching the drone. Have not done figure eights yet, but maybe today. One of "your" exercises was to fly at the maximum altitude (394 feet on my drone - FII GIM2). I first set the max altitude at 150 feet and then went there (just hovering in place). Looking at the phone it seemed simple enough, but when I looked up to see the drone that greatly shocked me. Quickly wondered if it would ever come back down safely - lol. Going all the way up to 394 feet is hard to think of after just one day of flying. I am going to do your exercises in order and spend some time in each (they don't seem that boring to me at all and actually very interesting - something fun to do with my new drone). I really appreciate you making videos like this (had thought that I would be on my own). Thank you!
I am A newbie with my DJI mini 2 and while some other videos offer how-tos, I like the specific, get to know your drone, flying exercises. I'm a far way off from flying instinctively, but I know with THESE types of exercises, I'll improve faster than my "winging it" technique! And yes, that was an accidental pun!
This industry is full of fun puns! Thanks for your comment, Dale. Wishing you blue skies and safe flying and hope that your skills "take off" quickly!
Great Video. Very informative. I am new to drones and will benefit from your exercises. Thanks for an easy to understand and follow video.
I really like your presentation style. It is easy to understand and you explain the reasoning for each drill. I will use these to become better piloting my drone. Thank you for this video.
Thanks for the comment, Buffalo Chips. We had fun putting this together.
I have watched a lot of videos on people demonstrating how good they are at flying drones but they are not much use to me as a beginner. This is the best video I have seen for someone like me.,a beginner who has just passed the U.K. on-line theory test. It is highly recommended. Thank you to The UAV Coach.
Thank you, Phil. That means a lot!
Did my first drone flight today, and after so many mistakes, I realized I needed to really practice certain moves, particularly how to control the movement of the drone. Can’t wait to start using your exercises tomorrow.
Yahoo! Blue skies & safe flying to you :)
I'm 65 and have been flying camera drones for nearly 10 years. I still test my skills using many of the exercises you suggest and describe. One of my favorites is to circle POI above an object at a set camera angle and then as I slowly descend while still circling I also adjust the camera angle to keep the object (tall pine tree) in view. It's definitely a serious challenge. Keep them props up!
Excellent video. I've viewed multiple training vids before, but this was, by far, the most helpful. Your narration, the music, and the camera work are great as well. Thanks so much.
John, your comment means a lot, thank you!
i totally agree.
I'm 62 and just got my first one
Just a small inexpensive little dude. I downloaded the app and got it t connected to the drone. First flight tomorrow and in nervous . Probably a good thing it was cheap. Thanks for the tips , much appreciated. 👍👍
Great training video, especially the learning to fly at eye level, I’m going out today with the drone and will be carrying out all the eye level training exercises. The close up to the tree was excellentlent. I look forward to the clear no nonsense dialogue and footage in future training video’s. Well done.
Appreciate your comment, George. We spent a lot of time on the script to try and be as no-nonsense and clear as possible. Blue skies and safe flying out there!
Thank you sir for all this information. These are the basic fundamentals on how to fly drone or any remote UAV. Well done sir.
I found this 2 years late but very helpful for a new operator. Thanks for sharing
i'm a new drone pilot, most of my friend tell to just go and shoot don't do this boring basics, but for me this is the most undesrtandable drone practice and very usefull in the field
Great tips for boosting piloting skills. Mastering these maneuvers is a must! Great explanation and tutorial, thanks.
Glad you enjoyed it, Keith! Thanks for your comment.
Yes, thank you for the vid. I am 62 years old and am considering buying my 1st drone!😅
I am another Brit but live in Philippines now . I am also trying to find a simulator game here.
Please keep posting the very
necessary and useful vids. Many thanks again 👍
Glad I’m seeing this now, I got 14 mins flight time on my Air 2S. And this is my first time flying ever, and a professional drone at that. Thanks a lot man!
Yahoo, I love the Air 2 - love what DJI did with the 2S improvements, blue skies and safe flying to you!
Great stuff, thank you for creating and sharing this clear and well thought out video! I just got a DJI Mini SE and plan to follow these steps. It has been a few years now since I flew a "dumb" Blade 180QX so I am ~starting over. I have to 'unlearn' part of my 20+yrs of flying RC planes to go droning!
One add (step #16 or #20!) might be to ATTEMPT flying a figure 8 pattern nose first at
Great comment, thank you for sharing. Wishing you blue skies & safe flying!
Hey coach, Just bought my First drone. Really excited about this. Haven’t flown it yet. Wanted to learn some basics first. Enjoyed this video, really informative to help me get started on the basics of learning the drone and flying it. I save this video to and to keep going back to it. Thanks for sharing your experience as a learning tool for a new drone flyer like me. Thanks again.
Joseph, thanks for taking the time to leave a comment. Hope you're flying has been going well and that you've put in some good stick time these past couple of weeks!
I also bought one few days ago and took it out today for the first time and this video gave me so much confidence thank you so much Coach.
Much needed video. Everyone was to jump in without ant practice or skills. Learning on the fly isn’t the way to go. Thanks for giving the smart people the information they need to start becoming better skilled with their abilities to fly. Kudos to you.
Thank you for the kinds words, Tom! Wishing you blue skies & safe flying.
This is genuinely one of the best videos on beginner exercises I’ve ever seen! Thank you!
Thank YOU for taking the time to comment, Amelia!
This is my favorite new pilot video on RUclips. I like the basic eye-level maneuvers for daily practice. They're easy to do in the yard.
Glad you liked it! Blue skies and safe flying!
Awesome beginner tutorial. Wish I saw this 14 month ago, when getting started...
Liked, subscribed, activated bell and commented. ✅
Thanks for the support!
A professional and disciplined Drone Pilot. Thank you and God bless you.
Thank you so much for this video.these drills are invaluable and at head height is brilliant as Iv just bought a drone . Keep them coming 🙏
Geoff Mason from Coffs Harbour on the East Coast of NSW, Australia. I teach students how to fly drones using the DJI Tello drones. Each one has its own plastic cage so if they bump into walls or other drones they bounce off. I use most of the techniques you have shown but I have enjoyed a couple of new ones. Thank you for making it so clear. When I achieved my Remote Pilots Licence(RePL) in NSW, the last test was the most difficult. I think this could be added to your training. Imagine a basketball court or bigger. Start the drone about half way along one side. Take off then move forward and slowly rise up about 10 feet(3 metres) while moving forward. At the top continue moving forward a few feet then using the right YAW and forward stick turning 90 degrees continue about 20 feet. Still moving forward use the YAW to turn 90 degrees and continue to the other end of the rectangle. Use the right YAW while still moving forward and continue to the line where you started. Moving forward use the right YAW again and move forward about 10 feet then still moving forward slowly descend to the starting point and without stopping repeat this exercise. The exercise was called Practice taking off and landing. I hope this helps.
That was really helpful, thanks!
Glad it was helpful, thank you for the comment!
I am fairly new to flying a drone, this video was exactly the type of instruction I was looking for. Great video, it answered questions I hadn't even thought about.
Excellent, Excellent video, thank you so much. You took the mystique out of flying and made me feel that that there are basic doable practice steps by which I can a acquire the skills to operate
the instrument. Just like most other things--step by step developing of the fundamentals leads to overall skill.
Great video. I've done many of the exercises you suggested. I just think that the altitude of the drone should be a bit higher than your head. The only way to mess up your eyes is a combination of joystick and thrust, but there is a considerable increase in safety by not being at the height of the eyes.
Yes, good feedback, Roger!
Nice thanku for the video, u have been so helpfull i orderd a mini 2 and look foward to becoming a drone pilot. Practice makes perfect
Very helpful! Need to stop watching RUclips now, since I have to go and practice :-) - Subscribed. Thank you!
Thanks for the sub!
Im a new pilot at 65 yrs old. Your video helped me alot. I subbed. Thanks alot.
Welcome aboard!
Thank you Greg. Excellent and to the point video without unnecessary details. Great tips!
Glad it was helpful! Very welcome :)
Outstanding advice. I will do a lot of walking before I try to run, and these exercises look to be just what I need. Thanks very much.
You're welcome, Alistair! Thank you for your comment.
when i was learning a few years back i would have found this helpful
I am a newbie and this video is excellent thank you for taking the time to put this together
Glad you enjoyed it! Let us know if there are any other videos you want us to make. Blue skies and safe flying!
Neat... thank you for these exercises... I needed this kind of guide... One comment though, I don't think flying at eye level is safest, I would fly say 1 foot above eye level to protect my eyes (just in case). Many thanks.
Yes, agreed, thank you for the comment!
@@uavcoach Safety glasses?
The eye level is only a first step for checking that everything looks fine when you hover with your drone. You look at your drone and you can spot any malfunction if is at eye level. After that, you fly at your safest altitude.
Thank you for also showing us how you captured the display on the remote at the same time as the video from the drone.
Glad it was helpful, Bruce! Thanks for your comment.
I think my favorite advice that wasn't specifically stated in the video was the initial exercises involve piloting the drone without looking at the drone camera footage, but through your own eyes. It does create a sense of discomfort, especially if you have to fly the drone in reverse, but it significantly helps with your personal awareness and spatial positioning.
Yes, great tip. For new pilots, the practice of looking at the drone and then down at your screen and then back up at the drone. That back-and-forth awareness / spatial positioning is really difficult to get comfortable with at first!
@@uavcoach Another thing that I've learnt on my training was to send my drone at the limit of Line of Sight, yaw it heratically just to lose track of its position and from there, without looking at the screen, bring it back to "home". I liked that, too.
@@driveanddive4173 Yes, another great tip! When I teach hands-on classes, I always do some version of that with the student.
I use to teach flying a pl;ane and we used these procedures with airplanes before the student could solo. Nice video.
Great video. Would love to see you break down flying in Atti mode with some basic skills much like this video. What are the best exercises to practice with? What pitfalls should we look out for to avoid? Thanks!
Yes, flying in ATTI mode is great for training, and a required skill for many pro drone pilots. I always found it annoying that certain drone models don't allow the pilot to switch into ATTI mode.
@@uavcoach Maybe the best way is to get into an hangar and see if we can get no satellite, the drone will go "max 30 meters height mode" and voilà, we have our spaceship freedom.
Very helpful! When the Greg Snell talks, you listen! Leeeeets GO!
Boom!
Awesome tips! I'm also fairly new to my Mini 2, and while it doesn't have POI mode other than through an automated Quickshot feature, I'll definitely be trying a lot of these next time I go flying
Appreciate your comment, thank you! The Mini 2 is a great drone and packs a powerful punch for something so small (and great price point too). Blue skies and safe flying to you!
great great video, very good info. keep up the great work!! i am a new pilot trying to learn how to fly without crashing or flying it away !!
Blue skies & safe flying to you, Stanley!
fantastic exercises 👍
This coming week, I am expecting delivery of my first drone ever. As i have never flown anything RC before 🎈💨💥 I will definitely be putting these training exercises into practice right away,
...oh, and i have subbed and look forward to going through your content
Thank you for the support. Blue skies and safe flying to you!
This is what’s great about the internet/RUclips. You are in the States and I’m in the UK. I have just got my first drone DJI Mini 2 but found your video not only interesting but such a fantastic starting point for me to build confidence, understanding and pilot skills that will stand me in good stead for years to come. Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge and skills across the Globe 👍
Thank you for taking the time to comment!
Thank you! Have about 2 hours stick time on my Mini 2 maneuvering around in "C" mode - tripod is fast enough for now :) These exercises are just what I need.
Ooh, the Mavic Mini is fun, and I love Tripod mode for filming and for close / proximity flying.
DUDE!! You are an outstanding instructor! I flew helicopters in the USMC but that was a long time ago, so when I picked up a drone recently, I looked for a capable, articulate instructor, and there you were!
Thank you, Terry!
Thank you for this man! As a flight instructor I do really appreciate the lessons you have put together and I am going to follow your routines to get dialed in with my drone. Fantastic work!
Glad to help, thank you for taking the time to comment. Blue skies & safe flying to you!
Thank you! What a wonderful job. I have been flying for a little while but I must act on these exercises. They're great. Cheers!
I avoid flying at eye level, because of fear of something part breaking from the drone and smashing right in the head. I have not heard about such thing, but still prefer to fly at waist level or above heads.
Maybe an unfounded fear, but I definitely feel the same way. I wear goggles when I need to do that, at least my eyes are protected.
Yes, I wish we were more precise with our instruction. We didn't mean to encourage folks to literally fly at eye level. It was more like - please don't thrust up too quickly without hovering for a few seconds and listening/looking for any abnormalities. I prefer slightly above the head, standing about 8-10 feet away.
Safety glasses should be good enough
I'm new to Drones although I'm very skilled at RC Cars Boats etc
So my question is how does the wifi work if your away from your wifi network out in the hills for example? 😐
@@Barinthuss good idea
What a great video! Finally a list of drills we can practice low and move highter. If you cant do them low, then you will never do them at 400 ft. I have watched alot of videos. All they do is go high and fast. It all come down to baby steps. Go slow, and learn... then move up. 100 ft is along way. I hear people talk about signal drop. Fly in airplane mode. That should stop it. I have learned alot, and i have not ecen got my drone yet. I am looking at the HS 720g there so meny to look at.
Thanks Greg! You got some of the exercises I teach along with some points I mostly don’t have time for in one of our 2-hour sessions. However, this will now be included in my follow-up email to UAV Coach students. 😎👍🏽
Thank you, Elliott! Yes, great idea to include in our follow-up emails :) :) :)
I wish you showed in your video on how to do these exercises with the controls
This is what i really needed: i am 55! +je
55 years young!
Outstanding !!! Great exercises. Doesn’t waste time, very clear and to the point on what he wants you to learn.
New drone pilot here, so thank you for the video, huge help. I chipped the tips of my props after an hour of practice on some garden furniture..lol. having a lot of fun.
Amazing Coaching Session Highly Recommend to all new drone pilots
Thanks a lot! Appreciate your comment :)
Absolutely fantastic content. Would have liked to have seen this a few years ago, would have saved lots of hours of frustration. Much appreciated.
Just got very first drone (DJI A2). Great video. Very illustrative. Thanks so much
Great job! I am a beginner, I followed your tutorial, and practiced every day! Thank you!
Great video Greg. Very illustrative. First time pilot (DJI A2). Thanks so much
Thank you, Ricardo!
While I am learning this while doing the license, it will be good of you espqlin the square , circle, 8 figure with the controls also explained
Thanks, been flying drone(s) for a bit, I need to try several of these moves. I’m sure I need the practice
Thanks a lot Man I just both my Air 2s and since I have never pilot a drone in my life this is gold info for me . Thanks for taking the time
Definitely using this video to practice flying. I'm very new to this field.
Welcome aboard!
Great things to remember! Not just for rookies. Gimbal speed adjustment was good. Thanks from Dennis
Glad you enjoyed it, Dennis. Thanks for your comment!
Nice one, ta. I've taught a few people photography. When using a DSLR camera, I always start by encouraging them to switch off 'auto' mode and 'scenes', and learn how to [for example] use 'aperture' to control depth of field, and understand 'camera shake' using shutter speed etcetera. Some people quickly revert to the noddy-dials because they can get okay snaps, while others persevere with learning. The ones who learn properly ALWAYS become better photographers.
My drone flying is currently heavily reliant upon auto as much as possible. I don't even fly it back to me, I just hit RTH. I'm going to use this video in the same way as teaching photography, going right back to basics and learn properly. Thanks.
Such a great analogy, thanks for taking the time to comment!
Morning greg from the United Kingdom! What a joy it was to watch this video you get straight into it no extra words needed clear and precise very helpful to a new Drone pilot thank you very much buddy.😅
Fab Video. Spent some time watching it again and again. Very very good I think because it really simplified what some find quite terrorising and a road block to learning. Thanks for this and I look forward to more. :)
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for the comment!
Excellent instructional video - perfect personality! I'm already more comfortable, and I've barely gotten started. Thank you.
Thank you, Bob! Means a lot :)
Great information and thank you for sharing, I have wanted a drone for 5 years ever since a film crew came to our place to film a documentary about the wildfires. I have never used a joystick so this is all new to me but with this great video I've been out today twice practising and I'm going to keep doing it until I've mastered it.
Not boring at all. The exercises are great and I'll do my best. Thank you!
Great Job!!! Very informative and well presented.....Thank you
Good one! thanks. Something that I badly needed to do.
As bellow, coming back to flying drone’s again, this is very helpful! Many thanks 👍
Thank God, finally a Complete video drone training! You guys Rock!
Glad you liked it, Daniela!
Hi. Brand new to DJI fpv and your videos is a huge help. Thank you for your effort
I found this video so helpful. Thank you so much for making this it’s awesome. Subscriber for life. Cheers from Australia.
Welcome!
Great informative video, straight to the point with 'no fuss' clear instructions, valuable for new drone users.
Many Thanks.
What a great video. I’ve been flying a drone now for about 6 months and am starting to get pretty comfortable with it. Thanks for doing this video. A great way for a beginner to learn and someone with a little experience to become even more skilled.
A very helpful video guide. A very confident and skilled coach who knows what he is taking about. Worthwhile learning moments.
Thank you, Hambali!