If you are reading this you are probably endeavouring to become the next juicy pilot. Or just looking to improve. These tips outlined below will help you improve at a faster rate than those around you and really give your content that standout look.
Some maybe obvious. These are just the ones that I have found to benefit me the most!
I have now been flying for a year. I love my rig and fly whenever I can. I put together a video with some of my flights from over this time period. here it is now.
TIP 1 - Fly a lot
This is the most basic of them all. Its also doesn't require much explaining either. More stick time means more experience doing certain tricks and manoeuvres. When you nail one, move onto the next and continuously build a bank of them. Ready to string them all together in a juicy flight! For example, I improved at my fastest rate around march. However I had 70 flights in that month so its no real surprise. Although that is more than Two packs a day if you go and fly a session of 4 every other day you will soon rack up the stick time and your skills.
Tip 2 - Simulator practice
Simulators aren't just for noobs. Practice new tricks in the simulator before you do it in real life. With Liftoff having the betaflight rates and PIDs screen you can now put your numbers in to get a more realistic feel and experience. I find this really useful as I can practice tricks and build up a muscle memory without worrying about smashing my Gopro on the nearest wall. Simulators are a really good environment to experiment and push things to destruction. Ultimately, who cares. There is a reset button! Play games like KWAD with your mates. Push each other. You both benefit!
TIP 3 - Know your Gear
Ok. Now some banging new motors have just dropped and everybody is swarming over them. But you have got your rig flying smooth and the footage is looking good. Its maybe a good idea to stay away from them. Changing parts constantly is not a good idea (unless it doesn't work) because every time you do you have to relearn all your stuff. The feel is different. There is a good phrase, If it ain't broke, Don't fix it! This is a good attitude to have towards changing gear. I recently just changed motors. My old set I had been running from when I started a year ago. Still were great but the bearings had completely gone and one was vibrating all over so I upgraded. Like Steele says: If you cannot pick it up and be predictable every time you will never go anywhere. It has to be almost video game like.
TIP 4 - Spots
Do not fly spots that you are not comfortable flying! This will just annoy you when you stuff it and break something. You need to fly a variety of spots also. Tighter "proximity" spots are really good for boosting your accuracy and reactions. Some more open spots allow for a more juicy approach and you can open it up more. Sometimes more space looks good in the footage. Why does Willy not fly bandos but he flies Parks? There has to be method in his madness! The key is to be diverse. There is nothing wrong with the odd open field, it makes you really focus on the tricks rather than the next tree that is bearing down on you!
TIP 5 - Relax
THE best thing you can do as a freestyler is to relax and enjoy what you are doing. Get the Flow! If you feel hell bent on trying to do one thing, other things are going to luck shabby. It is important to feel free. It is freestyle after all. There is no pressure on you either to do anything. Just go with the flow, the wind direction for all I care. Enjoy what you are doing. It is a Hobby after all!
Some other Honorable mentions -
A well tuned, locked in quad
Flying with friends
Power of the flight edit (if you are uploading to You tube)
Lighting and aptmospherics
I want to thank you all for reading this article! I hope that this has benefited you in some way, shape or form! If you want to follow me I am on Youtube and you can also find me as Dan on the Butterflight Slack workspace.
Dan, AKA Smoke Out FPV
Log In to reply
Log In to reply