Learning to fly a drone is like learning to drive. Nobody does it well on day one. A bit of structured practice makes all the difference.
This plan breaks it into ten short sessions. Do them in order. Don't move on until the current step feels easy.
Before you start
- Pick the right place. A big, empty field with short grass is ideal. Grass is kinder to drones than tarmac.
- Choose a calm day. Wind makes learning much harder. Under 10mph is best for your first flights.
- Fit propeller guards if your drone has them.
- Turn off the fancy modes. If your drone has a beginner or speed limit mode, use it.
- Know your controls. Most drones use "Mode 2". The left stick is height and turning. The right stick is forwards, backwards and sideways.
Safety first: keep the drone in sight, stay away from people and check you're allowed to fly there. Our where can you fly guide explains how.
Flight 1: Take off, hover, land
Stand behind the drone, with its back facing you. That way, left is left and right is right.
Take off to about head height. Hold it there. Then land gently. Do this five times.
The goal is a calm hover and a soft landing. If it drifts, nudge it back gently. Small stick movements, always.
Flight 2: Hold a hover
Take off and hold a steady hover for a full minute. Then try two minutes.
You'll notice you're constantly making tiny corrections. That's normal. It's what flying is.
Flight 3: Up and down
Climb slowly to about 5 metres, then come back down. Do it smoothly, without jerks.
Then practise landing on a target. A bag or a cap on the grass works well. Try to land within a metre of it.
Flight 4: Left and right
Keeping the tail pointing at you, slide the drone left a few metres, then right. Keep the height steady.
Then do the same forwards and backwards. Stay close. You're building control, not distance.
Flight 5: The square
Fly a square, about 5 metres on each side. Keep the drone facing away from you the whole time. Don't turn it. Just slide it around the square.
This is harder than it sounds. Keep going until the corners are sharp and the height stays steady.
Flight 6: Turning on the spot
Hover and slowly turn the drone a full circle with the left stick. Watch which way it faces.
Now hover with it facing you. The controls feel reversed. Push right and it goes to your left. This is the bit that catches everyone out.
Practise small movements with the nose pointing towards you. Keep it close and slow.
Flight 7: The square, facing forwards
Fly the square again. This time, turn the drone at each corner so it always faces the way it's going.
On the side coming back towards you, the controls feel reversed. Take it slowly. This is the most important skill in the whole plan.
Flight 8: Circles
Fly a slow circle around a fixed point, like a tree or a bag on the ground. Keep the nose pointing the way you're travelling.
Then try it the other way round. Most people find one direction easier.
Flight 9: Figure eights
Join two circles together into a figure eight. It uses everything you've learned: turning, orientation and smooth stick work.
When this feels easy, you're past the hard part.
Flight 10: A full flight
Put it all together. Take off, climb, fly a few laps, practise figure eights, then bring it back and land on your target.
Watch your battery the whole time. Land with some charge left. It's kinder to the battery and safer for you.
What to do when it goes wrong
It's drifting away. Let go of the right stick first. Most drones with GPS will stop. Without GPS, gently push the opposite way.
You've lost track of which way it's facing. Push the right stick gently forwards and watch which way it goes. Then you know.
It's heading for something. Lower the throttle and land. A soft landing in the grass beats a crash into a tree.
Keep practising
Once you can do all ten flights well, practise in different spots and in a little more wind. Our guide to flying in wind helps with that.
Short, regular sessions beat long ones. Three batteries a week will make you a confident pilot in a month.