Circular flight pattern -manual control

Citizen Flier · Jul 23, 2019

I'm still pretty new to drone flight. Which would be the best option for flying a circular pattern (for video) using manual control? Use right joystick only, or L & R stick combo? I know this could be easily accomplished using w/one of the auto flight settings, but I believe it better in the long run to master manual control. I read that a good test of a pilot is to fly perfect figure eights -manually. A local mentor flew up & around a flagpole manually. thanks.

IShouldBeWorking · Jul 23, 2019

You'll combine both sticks to fly in a circle. Use your left stick to control your yaw (rotate the aircraft left or right) while using your right stick to move the aircraft left or right to move around the circle. Then, like you said, once you get good at circles, you can start playing with figure eights using similar combinations. Have fun!

ScottM2Zoom1 · Jul 24, 2019

On your figure 8s ..... Once you have perfected at constant altitude .... Perfect with 8-10 altitude changes and speed changes mixed in during flight and your skills will be in the 90+% range.

pls1911 · Jul 24, 2019

Your best bet for great orbit videos is to utilize the orbit function in the Litchi ap.
It's free and works great.

CanadaDrone · Jul 24, 2019

This is ridiculously easy to do, you will be doing this in your sleep before you know it.

You simply combine right and left stick movements to make a constant arc that eventually becomes a circle. Altitude will not change once set. Anyone who can hold their hands relatively steady can do it Thumbswayup

If you run into any trouble, there is a pre-set flight mode that does this as well.

DeeRose · Jul 24, 2019

Seems like you could use the right stick. Start in forward mode with the ac beside subect and rotate right stick around until you reach start point. This would move the ac around in a circle. The hard part is keeping the drone pointed at the subject at the same time. I would think using the left stick either left or right at the same time would do it with a little practice.

CharlieR · Jul 29, 2019

Left stick yaw with right stick forward flight. Been practicing that. No figure 8's yet, but will be trying that next.

ScottM2Zoom1 · Jul 30, 2019

CharlieR said:
Left stick yaw with right stick forward flight. Been practicing that. No figure 8's yet, but will be trying that next.

You must mean right stick right (or right stick left)...and yaw.
Right stick forward and yaw will close on the target ( can't circle with right stick forward combo). There is zero forward stick to circle a perfect circle.

CharlieR · Jul 30, 2019

ScottM2Zoom1 said:
You must mean right stick right (or right stick left)...and yaw.
Right stick forward and yaw will close on the target ( can't circle with right stick forward combo). There is zero forward stick to circle a perfect circle.

Right stick forward moves the aircraft in the direction the nose is pointing. My description will fly the aircraft in a curved path around a target, rather than closing on a target, because yaw keeps rotating the nose as it moves forward. Might not be anywhere near a perfect circle, 'cause my skill level isnt that high. But I also understand my technique won't work to keep the camera fixed on a target, since the camera is pointed in the nose direction. So the yaw plus right stick right or left should keep the target in the camera FOV. I'll have to try that!

ScottM2Zoom1 · Jul 30, 2019

CharlieR said:
Right stick forward moves the aircraft in the direction the nose is pointing. My description will fly the aircraft in a curved path around a target, rather than closing on a target, because yaw keeps rotating the nose as it moves forward. Might not be anywhere near a perfect circle, 'cause my skill level isnt that high.

Ok. Keep practicing you will figure it out by trial and error. I do 8s while changing altitude and speed with ease by the way. I'm just trying to help. If you are pushing up on the right stick you are closing in the direction of the camera target. It's unavoidable. it will give you the appearance from a long distance out that you are orbiting in a circular pattern....but you are not. Try your method close to your orbit point and you will soon discover it does not work if you wish to make a circle at steady constant distance. On your next orbit attempt .....please try right stick right while adjusting yaw to Target. I'm not here to try to say your wrong or argue at all. Trying to save you some trial and error flight time that will accomplish your goal. Until you get the balance between yaw speed and side flight speed you will need to make small forward and backward stick adjustments to maintain constant distance. My right stick is rarely up down left right on a straight line except coming and going from point A to point B. When working a target it is always moving in the dual input areas of stick range constantly while left stick is coordinating yaw and altitude at the same time. I may approach a target at 30 mph , slide in to up right corner of right stick as I yaw left and drop altitude while zooming and slowly pull right stick towards dead right as I sweep past yawing....roll out as I pass and continue to next target or roll in to orbit on target.....mastery of 3D flying takes time....it's a thrill....and somewhat scary because every stick , button, and wheel are moving at the same time.

Citizen Flier · Jul 30, 2019

Much appreciated! Sounds like a complex sequence for my luddite brain, but will have a go at it. (I'm pretty far from the golden learning years)

ScottM2Zoom1 said:
Ok. Keep practicing you will figure it out by trial and error. I do 8s while changing altitude and speed with ease by the way. I'm just trying to help. If you are pushing up on the right stick you are closing in the direction of the camera target. It's unavoidable. it will give you the appearance from a long distance out that you are orbiting in a circular pattern....but you are not. Try your method close to your orbit point and you will soon discover it does not work if you wish to make a circle at steady constant distance. On your next orbit attempt .....please try right stick right while adjusting yaw to Target. I'm not here to try to say your wrong or argue at all. Trying to save you some trial and error flight time that will accomplish your goal. Until you get the balance between yaw speed and side flight speed you will need to make small forward and backward stick adjustments to maintain constant distance. My right stick is rarely up down left right on a straight line except coming and going from point A to point B. When working a target it is always moving in the dual input areas of stick range constantly while left stick is coordinating yaw and altitude at the same time. I may approach a target at 30 mph , slide in to up right corner of right stick as I yaw left and drop altitude while zooming and slowly pull right stick towards dead right as I sweep past yawing....roll out as I pass and continue to next target or roll in to orbit on target.....mastery of 3D flying takes time....it's a thrill....and somewhat scary because every stick , button, and wheel are moving at the same time.

ScottM2Zoom1 · Jul 30, 2019

Citizen Flier said:
Much appreciated! Sounds like a complex sequence for my luddite brain, but will have a go at it. (I'm pretty far from the golden learning years)

Just the fact that you are even thinking about these things and trying to do them . ....has you way ahead of the learning curve and we'll on you way to doing some incredible flying. All pilots new and pro have brain glitches during complex full variable both stick both wheel multi button simultaneous flight. The great thing about your DJI drone is when the brain glitches you just let go of all inputs....it stops and hovers while the brain sorts thru what the current situation is. Altitude stick down while flying at speed in any orientation has priority brain attention when it comes to hiearchy. Learn that in straight flight right stick up down left right before using in full 3D moving flight.

Johnthemann · Jul 30, 2019

I flew full collective r/c helis for years and I used to do center axis rotations while flying a figure 8 patterns..and if that didn't make your brain melt..I would do the same thing inverted. All with only a heading hold gyro. Great practice...now flying a quad is pretty relaxing

RedBird2020 · Jul 30, 2019

Johnthemann said:
I flew full collective r/c helis for years and I used to do center axis rotations while flying a figure 8 patterns..and if that didn't make your brain melt..I would do the same thing inverted. All with only a heading hold gyro. Great practice...now flying a quad is pretty relaxing

After flights like that your going to need a cup of coffee to fly your quad. ?

Citizen Flier · Jul 30, 2019

A friend finally got his own (real) helicopter. I've heard that learning curve is immense. Makes me wonder if passenger quadcopters are possible -and if not, why not? The hover factor alone is amazing. Here's one...