[batata003]

Hi my friends! I am amazed when I see some videos on youtube of guys flying their quads using yaw all the time. Those guys use cameras (mainly FPV) and fly around always keeping the front of the quad pointed to the front of the trajectory.

When I am flying I think it's very difficult that's why I rarely use yaw, I just move around using roll and pitch and that's all. But I would like to fly keeping the front always in front.

I know how I can achieve this, I will have to use lots of yaw. But I have a question: people who fly like that use the MODE 2 in their radio, I mean, throttle/yaw on the left stick and roll/pitch on the right? Or it's easier to fly like that using a different mode?

[Xviews]

long time of training to fly professional. You can use SIM on PC to train it or look at the movie

[batata003]

I've watched a few videos and I think I need to change my radio to have throttle/roll on the left stick and pitch/yaw on the right to fly easily keeping the front of the drone always at the front. Can anyone confirm this?

[proctoidpaul]

I know how I can achieve this, I will have to use lots of yaw. But I have a question: people who fly like that use the MODE 2 in their radio, I mean, throttle/yaw on the left stick and roll/pitch on the right? Or it's easier to fly like that using a different mode?

Although I'm in the US I was originally trained to fly Mode 1 (though that was on fixed wing).  After a few years, I "retrained" myself to Mode 2 just to be more "like everyone else" around the field and so I could get "help" when needed.  I found the transition took some work and fortunately never caused any crashes, but I don't necessarily know that one mode was necessarily easier than the other.  But again, that was way before quads were even in our dreams. 

You can use some of the mixing features, either on your transmitter or in LP itself to help mix some yaw into your roll.  If you fly in very predictable manners and conditions this might work or at least help.  For example if you programmed "half" of the yaw that you really need for a typical turn, then you only have to manage the other half with your stick.  But to keep maximum control capability (ie: ability to "slide" left or right without any yaw) I have chosen not to try to use any mixing. 

In my experience, after a while, with enough flight time, it will become pretty 2nd nature but will leave you full capabilities when you want (or need) to roll without yaw.  Oddly enough I now find that using yaw on my quad is 2nd nature while using it on my fixed wing still requires concious effort. 

Final comment... although I've flown fixed wing RC for nearly 40 years, it took me 20-30 flights under FPV with my quad before I felt like I was reasonably in control of things.  Stick with it... you'll get there!

Paul

[batata003]

Paul really good reply, you made me confident! Despite you took so many flights to master it, I am sure I will take at least 5x that, so probably I will take a year or so to master this type of flying. I will try to learn it and hopefully I will not crash too much, but at least what you said made me confident that I can make it work!

I will try to learn MODE 1 and hope I like it more than MODE 2 Thanyou so much!

[TheOtherCliff]

I also started with Mode 1 on fixed wing and still fly Mode 1 fixed wing.  I started flying helis on Mode 1 but eventually switched to Mode 2 for multicopters when they came out.

Learning Mode 1 and switching to Mode 2 (fixed wing) is much easier than the other way.  That way to fly Mode 2 you just put your left hand behind the transmitter so you are not tempted to use it.

Mode 1 has the two main fixed wing controls; roll (aileron) on one stick and pitch (elevator) on the other stick.  Mode 2 puts both of them on the same stick.

Mode 2 with both roll and pitch on the same stick (the right side stick) is the natural way to fly copters if you are right handed.  That way to bank back and left you pull one stick to the back left position instead of two sticks (one back and the other left).

[batata003]

@TheOtherCliff good to know that. As your last paragraph, I think I will stick with MODE 2 since you said it's the more natural way to fly. MODE 1 is tempting but I dont wanna crash any more quads soon, had too much down time recently so I will keep what I already know since you said MODE 2 is already good enough. Thank you @TheOtherCliff

[paulj]

I learned to fly mode 1, when a two channel set was £50 (back in 1979!!), and mode 1 was the only option. 4+ channel sets were out of my price range, and for the gliders I flew, they were unnecessary. I still fly mode 1 for everything including quads. I can fly mode 2 models if I need to, as long as I don't do something which requires a reflex response (in other words I still have to think about it to control the model). I think there is a lot of merit flying the same mode as others on your flying field, but I don't think mode 2 gives any more control than mode 1 for quads. FinalGlideAus uses mode 1, and I think you would agree that he has pretty dialed-in flying skills!

Probably the key to getting "Professional" flying skills is stick time and practice.

[TheOtherCliff]

I am mainly a mode 1 pilot, but fly mode 2 on quads.  I really should try mode 1 on quads again.  When flying mode 1 fixed wing I find myself questioning what has been smooth unthinking reflex for decades.

It's interesting to know that there are some mode 1 quad pilots out there.  I asked when getting into copters and it didn't seem like there were any.

Edit: Still, some current googling seems to say:
- Most RC (heli, multi) copter pilots use mode 2
- Some copter stunts may be easier with mode 2

[paulj]

These days, most people (in the UK at least) learn mode 2. With a single stick for pitch and roll, it is of course similar to full size control and since everyone buys a Tx with at least 5 channels, there are no issues with the hardware. Mode 1 flyers seem to be predominantly people like me who started with two channel sets where the sticks only moved in one axis each. Moving later to "full house" transmitters didn't change the choice of primary control. For each mode, there are people who will swear that their mode is the best. For example, mode 1 flyers will tell you that having the roll and pitch on separate sticks reduces the risk of control input when it's not needed! However, I don't personally think there is any disadvantage in using any mode and in my opinion, the fact that there are top class pilots using mode 1, 2, 3  and 4 backs this up. So I think the best option for beginners is to go for the most popular mode on the local flying field, in order for others to be able to support them. For those like me used to one mode, I would recommend staying with it. Finally, there are two additional advantages from mode 2: i) you can fly those simple quads and helicopters which come with transmitters. They seem to be 95% mode 2, and ii) you don't need to reconfigure your new transmitter when you buy it!

[TheOtherCliff]

I've been flying mode 1 fixed wing for decades.  Now days (here in the USA) most newer pilots fly mode 2.  Having the two main functions (aileron and elevator) split on two different sticks allows you to do things like very low inverted flights with a pattern ship where you have to hold a fixed amount of down elevator.  If I need a little aileron correction I can do it without moving the elevator at all.  Nobody on mode 2 will try it.  3D foamies can do it at 5mph, but that is a different thing where a tiny unwanted stick movement is not disastrous.

On the other hand, mode 2 is best for copters.  If you want to bank and fly diagonally and modulate your bank angle and thrust accurately it is more difficult on mode 1.  The task breaks down naturally into heading and bank steepness, not roll amount and pitch amount.  Also there are some cycling stunts where it is easier to make a circular motion on a single roll/pitch stick than to make sine and cosine on separate sticks.  (Not that I can do any of these on a copter.  )

A case can even be made that thrust is more critical than pitch for the low inverted flight scenario.

Oops, am I helping turn this into another mode1 vs mode2 thread?  Now how about that downwind turn? 

[jhm5z588]

batata003 Do you fly FPV if you want to learn to use yaw that will definitely teach you, I believe that is the main reason people fly with the front forward then you have to yaw. It also makes flying a whole new experience which to me is way more than worth learning, I find myself flying every chance I can get now just to see what I can learn next. At first it seems impossible but get on a good sim that will help you learn how to move the sticks the way you need to?