FPV sUAS

Summary

First-person view (FPV) flying offers an immersive experience, piloting drones from the perspective of the cockpit. This guide covers everything beginners need to know about equipment, simulators, and initial flights, drawing from community insights and recommended practices.

Hit up Justin C., Bryan, Stanislav Oros, Lito, or Flo for more on this.

Simulators

Simulators are essential for safe practice without the risk of damaging actual drones. They help you master controls and get accustomed to FPV flying dynamics.

NOTE: You’ll need to purchase a Controller, see below for recommended equipment

• Liftoff: Available on Steam, provides a realistic flight experience, great for both beginners and advanced pilots. FPV Drone Racing on Steam
• Velocidrone: Offers a wide range of environments and supports various controllers, though not available on Steam. Visit Velocidrone

Equipment to Buy

Getting the right equipment is crucial for a successful FPV experience:

• Radio Controller: Start with a quality radio like the RadioMaster Boxer with ELRS for reliable control. RadioMaster Boxer ELRS Internal Module
• Goggles: Choose between analog or digital based on your budget and quality preference. Examples include:
  • HDZero Race Bundle: Offers a good balance between price and performance for digital systems. HDZero Race Bundle
  • DJI Goggles 2: High-quality digital goggles providing excellent video clarity. DJI Goggles 2
• Drones: Depending on where you’ll fly and your preferred video protocol:
  • Indoor Tiny Whoops: Great for learning indoors. "the only commercial off-the-shelf solution for ultra-micro setups"
  • Outdoor Larger Drones: Require more space but offer more power and capabilities.
    • ProTek35 V1.4 O3 6S HD: A good beginner drone for various environments. ProTek35 V1.4 O3 6S HD
• Batteries and Charger: Necessary for powering your flights. Ensure you have multiple batteries.
• Propellers and Tools: Essential for maintenance and quick repairs.

Your First FPV Experience

Begin with a simulator to gain confidence. Then move to a real drone, starting with simpler models and progressing to more complex systems as you gain experience. Reddit users suggest about 20 hours in a sim before flying IRL to ease the transition. Reddit Discussion on FPV Training

Community and Training

Join FPV communities online and offline to share experiences and get tips from experienced pilots. Practice regularly and consider following FPV tutorials from experts like Joshua Bardwell.

• Joshua Bardwell’s YouTube Channel: A comprehensive resource for FPV tutorials and equipment reviews. Joshua Bardwell on YouTube

FPV Drills and Practices

Drills and practices are crucial in FPV flying to improve control, precision, and adaptability in various flight conditions. Here’s a breakdown of recommended drills for beginners and advanced pilots, based on community feedback and specific skill goals.

For Beginners

• Box Patterns: Start by practicing box patterns. This drill involves flying in a square path and helps pilots master basic stick movements and drone orientation.
• Hovering: Learn to hover in place at different heights. This improves throttle control and stability.
• Figure 8s: Once comfortable with box patterns, move on to flying in figure eight patterns. This helps in understanding coordinated turns and maintaining altitude during maneuvers.
• Slowing Down and Hovering: Practice reducing speed and coming to a stable hover. This is crucial for precise movements and is especially useful when navigating tight spaces.

For Advanced Pilots

• Orbits: Fly in circular patterns around objects. This advanced drill helps in maintaining a focus on a central point while managing throttle and yaw.
• Shooting Gaps: Fly through narrow openings like doorways and between trees. This enhances your precision and confidence in tight spaces.
• Fixed Bearing Decreasing Range Intercepts: This involves approaching a target along a fixed line while gradually decreasing the distance. It’s great for mastering control over flight path and speed.
• FPV Tag: Engage in FPV tag with other pilots or moving objects (like RC cars). This is a fun and challenging way to practice rapid changes in speed and direction.

Specialty Drills

• Angle Mode Flying: Useful for indoor flying and when precision is more important than speed, such as when gathering data for 3D interior modeling using systems like SkyeBrowse. Angle mode restricts the drone’s pitch and roll, which can simplify control but reduce maneuverability.
• Acro Mode Practice: Acro mode (manual mode) gives you complete control without stabilization, which is perfect for developing true flying skill. This mode is challenging but essential for competitive racing and dynamic freestyle flying.

Additional Tips

• Camera Angle Adjustments: Play with different camera angles to find what works best for your flying style. A higher camera angle generally increases speed perception and helps in faster flights, but can make slowing down more challenging.
• Use of Simulators: Continuously practice these drills in a simulator to refine skills without the risk of crashing your drone. Transition those skills to real-world flying once confidence builds up.
• Encryption on ELRS: ELRS fork for people who want encryption. I’m a crossfire dude but if you’re already running ELRS might be worth looking into.

Community Insights

Choosing HD FPV equipment currently presents challenges with options like DJI, Walksnail/Caddx, and HD Zero. DJI offers the best performance but is expensive, lacks HDMI output, and faces potential U.S. bans affecting future support and aftermarket costs. Walksnail, though not as refined as DJI, listens to community feedback and provides updates, and it’s the sole provider of a 1S HD ultra-light system for tiny whoops, making it the only commercial off-the-shelf solution for ultra-micro setups.

Additional Tips

• Budgeting: FPV can be expensive; plan your budget for equipment, repairs, and upgrades. “Cry Once”
• Safety: Always follow local regulations and guidelines to ensure safe flying practices. See SUAS Certifications