Noobie Flight Training & FPV

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Thanks to BruceTS I've created "Noodle Field", my personal Phantom flight training area. (BruceTS had replied in another thread where I described my problem with multiple crashes. His reply is below -- I suggest that other nervous pilots who are new to RC read his advice, as it is proving very useful for me.)

Noodle Field was created with half a dozen day-glo foam noodles from WalMart, the kind that kids use for swimming. I also bought half a dozen plastic plant stakes from Home Depot. They are about half an inch in diameter and maybe 4 feet in length, pointed on one end.

The stakes are easily pushed into the ground to a depth of 2 or 3 inches and then the noodle is slipped over the stake. It will stand up to wind but is soft and flexible enough not to damage your Phantom when you blunder into it. (My Phantom's props have chewed numerous grooves in these noodles with no apparent ill effects.)

As BruceTS suggested, I practice flying around the noodles in various ways, working in a more patient and organized way to develop better skills. I still crash but they are "soft" mistakes, either catching a prop on a noodle or plowing into the tall grass in our meadow. Previously I was trying to learn to fly around trees, sheds and other obstacles that are not at all forgiving.

My next challenge will be to fly FPV. I've ordered a basic Fatshark setup -- so now I'm asking experienced FPV-ers to please give me tips on how best to proceed. This time, I'm asking for advice before I make a major mistake, rather than waiting until I've had to pick up the pieces!

thanks

BruceTS wrote:

As far as flying don't rush it, better to fly slow and precise, then attempting crazy stunts. I've been doing RC for many years, mostly planes, so going to a quad was an easy transition. Even then I still took it easy, practicing simple patterns, then repeating them. Once they become second nature, you won't panic when you have an oops moment.

Try this, put 4 cones or some sort of markers on the ground, make a square about 8' in size. lift off from the middle of the square. then fly to each cone without rotating the quad hovering about a foot off the ground. Go clockwise several times, then counterclockwise, do this with the Phantom facing you then facing away. Then go from cone to cone turning 90 degrees at each corner, repeat this forward, then backwards. Once that becomes easy make more difficult patterns, but try and do them with precision, especially if you plan to do video work. Make a course to follow, maybe around the yard, between several trees then loop back, follow that course, slowly picking up the pace, keep running laps. The goal is not to crash...
 
Funny you made this post today.... I just set-up my Fatshark so this is new territory to me as well. Did some flying earlier with the goggles and it does take time to get use to. The video feed was crisp and clear very easy to see where I'm at, can't wait till the gimbal arrives.

This may sound funny but I plan to suspend my phantom from a pole I can hold out in front of me, then simply walk around wearing the goggles while lifting and lowering the phantom around plants and other objects. this way I have no worries about battery life or any other unexpected happenings. Just simply looking like a blind fool with a puppet dangling from a pole, so I can spend more time adjusting to them.

At least that way I won't damage much hitting stuff and it will allow me to get a feel for distance. You really need a spotter since it's so easy to run into stuff, might just get a 7" monitor as a ground station.
 
I like the idea of a "mock" Phantom FPV flight. Anything to save the Phantom from yet another hard knock. But, instead of a pole I think I'll ask my wife to do the honors. Dare I ask her to wear it on her head? :D

Sure, why not? What could possibly go wrong?

I'd like to hear details about your FPV gear. I've ordered the Fatshark Predator and a 7 inch monitor. I'm hoping that this will actually be plug & play and not solder & sweat!
 
I like the idea of a "mock" Phantom FPV flight. Anything to save the Phantom from yet another hard knock. But, instead of a pole I think I'll ask my wife to do the honors. Dare I ask her to wear it on her head? :D

Yes, Yes, and YES. :D

You have to mount the FPV camera to her head, (may require shaving a 1.5 inch section for double sided tape).
Then give her verbal commands via cell phone, as if you're using the transmitter.
It may actually give you more pleasure than flying the Phantom. We just may see it in the classified section. ;)
 
No shaving required, GoPro makes a head strap for the camera. Thought about that too, wear the camera and goggles, then simply walk around. Reminds me of Nicholas Cage in the movie Fire Birds, where Tommy Lee Jones strapped a periscope to his head and him drive around camp, till he got used to it.
 

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