Drone School Japan - My Experience

[SpinRush]

Hello Folks

I’m here at Drone School Japan in Urawa, Japan. I’m making this post on Day 2 of my Basic Flight Course Training. I’m having a very good time. My goal is the JS1 Star license so I enjoy the hobby of flying drones even more. My training costs just over a thousand USD. I believe it is worth it to become a better and most importantly, a more responsible drone pilot.

Day 1 Training
The morning started with basic rules and regulations and understanding the rules of flight from the ground up. The manual provided to me is in English but my instructor is teaching in Japanese. Fortunately, my Japanese is good enough to understand what he’s saying.

We did simulator training ( Real Flight ) and in the afternoon we used the F450 Quad for teacher / student practice. Orientation is a major fundamental skill I have to master. It’s challenging, stressful at times and uniquely fun all at the same time. Let me be the first to admit, that the simulator Helo-Hovering training is the most difficult. The RealFlight controller is very sensitive. Learning minor correction and understanding the sensitivity is........stressful, haha. I took a written test at the end of the day. 90% correct. One question was a bit tricky because of the way it was worded in English.

Day 2 - Practical Training
Practicing on a Phantom 4. I love DJI Phantom and Mavic Air. They are so stable. Orientation will always be a challenge no matter what drone you use though. I literally have to pause and take a deep breathe as I try to switch modes in my head. It’s lunch time as I make this post so I’m not finished for the day.

We are in an empty factory. Everything is netted off and there are marking all along the floor for practice. Yesterday and this morning, another drone pilot came in just to practice. Turns out, he comes here almost every weekend.

This afternoon, we will check my DIPS account and learn how to use it for when I want to unlock zones and use my drone. It’s all in Japanese so it’s a bit of a challenge every time.

What I haven’t learned yet is how I can link up with other Japanese Drone Pilots. They should have like meet-ups where we can share in the Drone Flight experience.

I’m going to finish my lunch now but I will add a few pics here.

 

[SpinRush]

Drone School - Day 2

The rest of my day after lunch focused on more rules, regulations and procedures. The most important point was using the DIPS system in Japan. This being the most bureaucratic element of flying your drone in restricted airspace. The process can be used for non-restricted areas too.

DIPS is the most automated way you can get drone flight approval in Japan. The application is mostly a questionnaire that has 4 pages to it. I highly advise anyone who is going to use the system to register as a pilot and register your drone first. It makes the process go a lot smoother.

Step 1: Apply for flight permission.
Step 2: Go out and fly your drone
And there’s a Step 3: File a report shortly after your flight.

Sounds like a headache? It is a headache. However, it is key to being in the right when every, Daisuke, Hiro and Kenji want to call you out and say you’re in the wrong for flying your drone. Instead of “Diplomatic Immunity” think of it as “Bureaucratic Immunity”.

It’s been fun. About a month later, I should receive my JS1 Drone Pilot license.

The next step! File a bunch of flight applications and get some amazing drone video of beautiful places in Japan. I hope to get my drone in the air more and more over the last 6 months of the year before the winter kicks in. Winter is coming!

 

[Deleted member 93449]

Thanks for sharing your experience at the drone school. It's going to interesting to watch what changes will be coming in the future as more and more regulations are passed here in North America.

 

[FlyGuy8675309]

Practicing on a Phantom 4. I love DJI Phantom and Mavic Air. They are so stable. Orientation will always be a challenge no matter what drone you use though.

What do you mean by this?

 

[SpinRush]

What do you mean by this?

Just my opinion, but when I used the F450 Training Drone, it was all over the place. It was super sensitive and I found myself constantly doing minor corrections to stabilize the drone and maintain hover.

When I used the Phantom 4, it was rock solid. It would not move out of position no matter what. We were inside, no GPS. The IMU was calibrated and it was just perfect.

If you are asking about the aircraft orientation, that was always tricky for me. When looking at the rear of the aircraft while maneuvering, and when face to face and maneuvering the craft. It was like Stranger Things, I felt like I was in the Upside Down. That was the most difficult part for me.

 

[FlyGuy8675309]

Just my opinion, but when I used the F450 Training Drone, it was all over the place. It was super sensitive and I found myself constantly doing minor corrections to stabilize the drone and maintain hover.

When I used the Phantom 4, it was rock solid. It would not move out of position no matter what. We were inside, no GPS. The IMU was calibrated and it was just perfect.

I'm guessing the F450 doesn't have the Visual Positioning System the P4 has. It basically takes a picture of the ground (or floor for indoors) and then uses that to steady the quad. It's pretty cheap - my $60 Parrot Mambo has one and it works really well. That being said, It is good to learn how to control a drone in full ATTI mode (no GPS, no VPS). You never know when those systems will go offline and you need to land it manually.

If you are asking about the aircraft orientation, that was always tricky for me. When looking at the rear of the aircraft while maneuvering, and when face to face and maneuvering the craft. It was like Stranger Things, I felt like I was in the Upside Down. That was the most difficult part for me.

You'll get better at this. My advice is don't do anything quickly. Slow and smooth so mistakes don't turn into crashes.