Right if you would like an example of a flight proficiency test. This is more or less what you would need to practise and be tested on. You would also need to complete a theory exam if you wanted a commercial licence. However I believe all pilots should be able to at least fly these patterns competently. Go practise these and become a better pilot.
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What a useful post. I took delivery of my MPP a few weeks ago and, having been a helicopter instructor pilot in the military, I decided to develop my own practice patterns (see below). I wish I had seen these practice exercises right away. When/if the wind dies down today, I'm going to give these patterns a try. Thanks so much.
If you don't mind, here are some exercises I've been using. They require
DJI Goggles and a large, flat field. I don't do them all at once. I do one or two exercises everytime I go out to fly and before taking videos. If I get a chance today tho', I'm gonna burn through my 3 batteries on these other exercises.
The following exercises are all done in ATTI mode with
DJI goggles.
1. Shoot a number of normal (12 degree) and steep (18 degrees) approaches and take-offs at different speeds (I use slow and slower). These approaches are not necessary (or even useful) for quads. However, this exercise good for getting familiar with, controlling the quad with both sticks simultaneously. I've also found it helpful to develop perspective with the
goggles. For example, before I started this practice, I felt it necessary to take off the
goggles to land. No more.
2. Practice climbing and descending turns. Work at maintaining constant speed and elevation change. I've been trying to do spiral-up then spiral-down patterns, i.e., flying forward while making ascending/descending right/left turns. Do these over the landing pad.
"Trying" is the operative word. This is really difficult for me and I wish I had never dreamed it up.
Timed flights (works best in calm conditions - I mean no wind, nada, zip, zero). Timed flights are not particularly difficult but I don't think there's a better way of building confidence in your ability and familiarity with your quad.
4. Fly a
square traffic pattern with timed legs (e.g., 30 seconds per leg). Success is when you can regularly return to your takeoff point and be less than a couple of yards off. I fly this one at about 10 feet AGL and come to a dead-still hover at each corner. My biggest difficulty is maintaining a constant airspeed. Gets me every time.
5. The right triangle (did I say no wind). Place a marker at your takeoff point.
(a) Hover to 10 feet. Turn to 180 degrees then fly to your 30 yard marker and come to a hover. This is leg 1.
(b) Turn to a heading of 270 degrees and fly to the next marker (at 40 yards from the first) and come to a hover. This is leg 2
(c) Turn to a heading of 53 degrees. You should be pointed directly at the starting point marker. Fly to the starting point. This is leg 3
Repeat steps (a), (b), and (c) a few times timing each leg. Now, remove the markers for legs 1 and 2 and fly the pattern using the average times of each leg. I've not had much opportunity to do this exercise as the wind here in Montana is seldom dead calm. On the two occasions I've tried it I've not been very successful. But, I've gotten marginally better each time I flew the pattern.
Thanks again for the exercises.
Enjoy your safe flying.
