Best Drills for Beginner Drone Pilots

It was 2015, and just a few seconds after taking off, an epic meeting between my drone and the side of the garage occurred. Luckily, other than the propellers shattering, the drone and camera were fine. It was a clear sign to me that I better see if there was someone who can teach me how to fly before wrecking the drone again.

No one is born knowing how to fly drones. It takes instruction and practice to become a good pilot. Surprisingly, there is no flying requirement to earn your drone license. So, it’s up to you to learn how to fly. While everyone is different and some people develop flying skills faster than others, with practice, everyone can become a safe and proficient pilot. 

One of the best methods for improving your drone pilot flying skills is working through drone practice drills. Practice training is easy to learn and reinforces the skills you need to get better at maneuvering UAVs. With a little practice, you'll be good enough to become a commercial drone pilot in no time.

When learning to fly drones, you should focus on the basics. Everyone wants to fly high and fast, but your focus needs to be on the maneuvers that are foundational to move advanced aerial movements. 

We are going to share the five top practice drills that will serve as the building blocks for more advanced flying. Our training will help you in the following ways:

Let's dive into practice drill No. 1. Remember to take your time with all of these. It's best to fly in an open space away from people, trees, and other obstacles, like a park. Also, when you first begin, there is no need to spend tons of money on a drone. Look for beginner models like those in our FLYING guide.

Unless you manually change the setup for the remote controller, most off-the-shelf drones operate in the same manner. The left stick controls the throttle (moving up and down vertically) as well as the yaw (rotational movement around a vertical axis). The right stick controls pitch (moving forward and back) and rolling (moving left and right). The first drill is meant to help you learn the use of the left stick.

Start by turning your drone on and making sure it is safe to take off. The airspace should be checked every time you fly. If you want to take a deep dive into knowing all the rules, you can learn the material to get your Part 107 license through online platforms like Altitude University, the Pilot Institute, or through study materials at stores like Sporty's Pilot Shop. At a minimum, apps like Aloft should be used to make sure the airspace is clear to fly in and that there are no people or obstacles in the area.

When it is safe, power on the drone's rotors and move the left stick gently forward to raise the drone to about 25 feet off the ground. Once at the desired height, release the left stick. Now move the left stick from right to left. You will notice the drone stays at the height you left it at but spins on its vertical axis. Move it around the axis a few times, and then pull the left stick slowly back until the drone has safely landed. Repeat this exercise several times.

Now that you understand what the left stick does and how to use it, the next drill helps you learn how to use the right stick. Remember that the right stick controls pitch and roll. Just like drill No. 1, start by powering on the drone, making sure it is safe to fly, and raising the drone to about 25 feet off the ground. 

Without touching the left stick, move the right stick slowly forward and back. You'll notice the drone moves away from you or towards you, depending on the direction it is pointed in. Now try moving the right stick to the left and right. The drone now flies from side to side. When you are comfortable with the use of the right stick, land the drone and turn off the power. Repeat this drill until you feel like you are comfortable using the right stick.

Our third drill for beginner drone pilots is designed to take the skills learned in the first two drills and put them to use. The square drill is one of the best for new pilots. Before you turn on your drone, you'll want to set up some markers to indicate the square's four corners. It's best to use cones for the square, but anything that makes it easy to see the square's boundaries will work fine. Each side of the square should be around 50 feet in length.

Once the square is set up, place your drone just outside of the bottom left-hand corner of the square. Make sure the drone is far enough away from the cone that the propellers will not hit it when turned on. Power the drone on and use the left stick to raise the drone to about 25 feet off the ground so it is hovering above the cone. Now, use the right stick to move forward to the next cone. Once you reach it, use the right stick to move left to the cone in the far corner. At that cone, you will use the right stick to move backward, and finally, you will use the right stick to move right, coming back to the starting position. Once here, repeat the drill in the opposite direction and return to your starting point.

You can now use the left stick to safely lower the drone and power it off. Run through this drill several times until you can complete it smoothly while keeping your eyes on the drone at all times. If you need a good practice drone for this drill, check out the DJI Flip.

The yaw square is very similar to the square drill, but it relies more on the use of the left stick. The setup for the yaw square is the same as the square. Once you take off, head forward toward the first cone, just as you did in the previous drill. Once you get to the cone, instead of using the right stick to move the drone, you will use the left stick to spin on its axis (yaw) and face the direction of the next cone. You'll then use the right stick to move forward to the next cone and repeat the process with a yaw turn until you are back at the beginning.

Once you are back at the starting cone, fly the drone in the opposite direction. This will provide you with some experience making a yaw spin in the opposite direction. When finished, land the drone and repeat the drill until you feel comfortable with it.

The final drill may seem basic, but it covers a skill that helps new pilots always end their flights safely. When you are new to flying drones, it is easy to take off and send them far away from where you are in control. Bringing it back safely can be a challenge. Many drones now come with a built-in return-tohome (RTH) function. In the event the drone loses the signal to the remote or the battery starts to run low, it will automatically come back to where it took off from. That's a great safety feature to have, but nothing is safer than a well-trained pilot.

This drill helps you to manually learn how to bring the drone back to you and land it without the help of a RTH function. Practice sending the drone out in different directions and different heights, always making sure you can visually see the drone. Once it is a good distance away, bring the drone back to you without looking at the remote. Practice this until you are sure you can bring the drone back safely every time.

Mastering these drone practice drills will help you build the foundational skills to become a safe and proficient UAV pilot. In addition to these drills, here are a few tips for getting the most out of your practice drills:

Flying drones can be a fun and rewarding experience. No one is born knowing how to fly a drone. It takes practice to become a safe and proficient drone pilot. If you master our five practice drills for beginner drone pilots, you'll be well on your way to becoming an aerial ace.

What is the best type of drone for practicing these drills?

A small, inexpensive drone with basic flight controls, like the DJI Mini series or a budget-friendly trainer drone, is ideal for beginners.

How can I practice flying a drone indoors safely?

Use a lightweight drone with propeller guards in a large, open indoor space, away from people and fragile objects.

What should I do if my drone starts drifting while hovering?

Check for wind interference, recalibrate the drone's sensors, and ensure the GPS and compass are properly set before flying.