To make sure excitement doesn’t turn into disappointment, take this moment step by step. This starts even before you take off.

First, pick a suitable location. The best option is a large, open field without people, animals, or obstacles like trees or power lines. Asphalt or concrete isn’t ideal because a hard landing could damage your copter or the props.

Before powering up the drone, double-check that everything is correctly connected. Are the propellers tight and spinning in the right direction? Is the battery secured? It’s also worth quickly checking the Flight Controller in the Betaflight Configurator: are your radio signal, flight modes, and failsafe settings active? Only then can you be sure the copter will respond as expected.

Powering Up

• Place your drone on a flat surface so the gyro sensors can calibrate correctly.
• After the usual startup tone, check that the receiver and OSD have a clean connection.
• Arm switch is crucial: only when it’s activated and the throttle stick is at the bottom will the motors start. They should spin smoothly at a low idle speed.
  • If a motor hesitates or doesn’t spin, abort the takeoff and check wiring.
• Once all motors run correctly, gently move the pitch and roll sticks in all directions and verify the drone reacts as expected.

First Hover

For the first lift-off, always keep Angle Mode enabled. This stabilizes the drone so it doesn’t tip over if you move the sticks too hard.

• Slowly increase throttle until the drone rises a few centimeters from the ground.
• Don’t attempt large maneuvers yet; just hover close to the ground.
• If you feel slight drifting, correct it with the sticks. Small deviations are normal—no drone hovers perfectly still.

Testing Safety Features

• Beeper: briefly activate it to confirm it works in case the drone lands in tall grass.
• Failsafe: safely turn off the transmitter while the drone is still on the ground. This ensures the motors stop correctly in an emergency.