Quadcopter Drone Orientation Tips for Distant Flying 

You deserve 100 thumbs up for this video. I watched this video yesterday for the first time then went out and flew my micro quad in windy weather and practiced this technique. It worked. A few flights later the wind took my copter a long way from me in aflash, so I applied what I had learned and got it back safely. I am sure if it hadn't been for this video I would have lost my Copter. A BIG THANKYOU for sharing this knowledge. Sandy

Well i never did practice like you recommend and i found myself in a situation with my bugs 3 out over some water down wind and i lost my orientation. I did exactly as you instructed here and was able to bring it back. Seems like a miracle looking back i had given it up as gone but i remembered this video and it is the only reason i still have my favorite drone .Thanks 101,great video all beginners should watch it

Thank you so much for this video! I know it's almost 2 years old, but obviously this technique will never change, so the video is as valid now as it was when you filmed it. After watching this, I decided to try it out on a simulator. Works as advertised! A little forward pitch, then yaw in the direction the quad is moving...brilliant! Got myself purposefully far away and disoriented myself, then tried it...and flew it right back to myself, matching the direction as it would alternate between right and left! Turns out it works in the real world as well. :-) With fear and trepidation (and a bit of confidence too because of this video) I took my MJX X600 out tonight on a breezy stormy night between rain showers, and this trick saved it from blowing into the neighbor's yard. A couple times. :-) So yeah...thank you!

I'm flying quads for more than a year now and i've never seen a tip this good on orientation problems. Thank you very much Quadcopter 101 Subscribed.........

I would also like to add one big THANK YOU post. I almost lost my brand new Bugs 3 when I flew it away at night without the headlight on. I could not understand the orientation from ~300 meters away and after paniking a bit for loosing it, my action cam and a 64GB memory card, I remembered your video. And It worked! The little white-blueish dot in the sky gradually came back to me! Thank you very much!!

This tip although so simple just saved me! I had my Dromida Ominus so far out it was just a small spec in the distance and I thought of this video straight away and followed your tips. For a good 10 seconds I couldn't tell if it was coming back or going further away but I just stuck with it and was such a great moment when the old dragonfly flew above me! Although I stayed calm, it was scary as hell but I also felt good that I had it so far out and got it back! Thanks!

Having watched your videos for years it's my belief that without a doubt this video is the most valuable educational video that you have ever put out! Thank you for your service and being the best at doing what you do. You're like a friend I've never met.

Been flying CP Helis for a long time. Just now transitioning to Quadcopters... this tip just clicked in my head. Thank you so much for your very concise, no BS reviews. Really enjoy your channel.

Thank you so much for the tips. I am new to the hobby and have watched a lot of You Tube Videos from various people, but you are the first one that actually explained what to do and how to do it. I have also watched some of your other training tips. I feel I can go out and enjoy flying now instead of always losing control, crashing and just getting frustrated.

Thank you for your awesome videos. I'm 27 and just got hooked on quadcopters about a year ago. Actually saved up and got the dji phantom 2 for my first and haven't had a single problem. Now thanks to you, I have ventured into the smaller quadcopters, which are actually more challenging (and possibly more fun) to fly! I learn a ton from each video of yours, as I want to improve my skills. Thanks for the channel!

I just happened on this video today - linked from a discussion group. I'm so lucky I watched it because my beloved Bugs3 was caught in a gust and ended up uncomfortably far away. I was almost ready to just cut the engines and hope for the best and then I remembered this video. I gently eased it back around and I'm happy to report that I was able to navigate the quad back home. Thank you!

Of all the hundreds of drone tips I have watched this is the ABSOLUTE BEST! This is awesome! Thank you many times over!

You saved my quadcopter. I flew it too far away l.o.s. and started to panic but then I remembered your video and got it back safely :D

Hey there This is a really great tip for all RC aircraft pilots - drones, aircraft - helicopters. It applies to them all, and yet despite having been flying RC aircraft for rather more years than I care to admit to, this is one of the best video tips I have come across for recovery of an aerial vehicle when you do not, as the pilot, know it's true orientation, which is of course, the anathema for all RC pilots. You have demonstrated a very easy and yet (less than obvious) way to be able to recover from most "unusual attitude scenarios" that we all (RC pilots of whatever type of aircraft, ) encounter from time to time,and it often results in loss of the aircraft being flown. Thanks guy - great idea/thought/ concept, but very well presented

I've done this, but never formalized in my mind what I was doing. Also, I wasn't always consistent in applying it. I will never forget this video, because it is really simple to remember AND implement. I'd sometimes used a test roll input which I got from other folks, but your method works much better, even in wind. Thanks so much.

I have been an avid r.c. enthusiast for 3 decades took up flying multi rotors abut four months ago .I am having a blast you're tutorials are very helpful and the flight reviews are as well. you do a great job and have inspired me to create some videos of my own .keep the blades turning and the landing gear down look forward to you're next one.

Thanks quadcopter 101, you saved me a crash. I now fly with more confidence and panic much less when my quad blows away Have a nice day.

This technique saved my quad more than a couple of times. The first time I lost orientation and pretty much panicked. The only reason I got my quad back was this video. Thanks a ton.

i am so glad to have you here on you tube ..thank you so much for your time spent making these learn to fly vids you do an awesome job explaining things like "what to do" and the " how to do's " .and so forth .you are someone i can learn from and that's saying a lot being i learn SLOW .keep up the good work and thanks :)

Probably the most useful quadcopter flying tutorial on RU-vid! Thanks!

For only my 3rd flight with a quad, This tip made my flying today so much better! I want to thank you for all your videos! Today, I did not panic and just throttle down the quad when it got to some distant away. I'm still learning but this was a big help!!

I've been flying for a while now and this is one of the best tips I've come across. Thanks for posting!

Extremely valuable and easy to learn skill. Saved me this morning, when my FPV system glitched and the quad was way out there. Thanks, Quadcopter101!!

mucho gracias...I have been learning quadcopter flying on my own with no previous rc flying experience so tips like this are so appreciated...feel like a dummy for not figuring it out on my own but I didn't....now I am able to fly with much more confidence and no longer fear losing orientation...

Another good video.... I told my wife that my perception when flying doesn't know how to understand the copters orientation when it turns, so I've been doing a lot of practice. Now I can send it across the street ...lol, turn it and bring it back (30 feet). Again, your beginner videos really help, not just to buy but to really learn, thanks again.

Thank you for the video. I used your lesson the other day with my v686 that I put a antenna mod on. Windy day and got away from me about 3 football fields away. Normally would have panic, but not after your video. (Well not as much) I am thankful for your lesson I got it back. So thank you again and keep posting GREAT videos.

Great advice! I'm a new quadcopter flyer and there's been more than one time that the lesson learned in this video would have come in really handy. Thanks for all of your great videos!!

After watching this video yesterday, it saved me today. Great advice and thank you for sharing your knowledge. Happy flying!

makes sense! thanks for the tip. I have spent hours looking for quads after losing orientation, freaking out and pushing them even farther away from me.

So obvious and simple yet so useful. Starting to build my first ever quad, and the thought of losing it is probably the scariest. I'm sure this will come in handy once I get in in the air. Thanks.

Thanks, Your tips and ideas probably saved my Eachine Wizard x220 today. I was doing some higher altitude line of sight tricks in horizon/air mode, big wind took it about 100 yards the wrong way and I remembered this trick.. snapped it up into angle mode, circled real quick, found my bearings and brought her back to me slicker than a dream lol. You the man, thanks again :)

Vital and simple to follow ( when enough space ), this works great to avoid panic crashes. Envy your location and like you're approach, newby myself, but learning quick, not in the least via Mr. 101 !! I owe you and enjoyed a great flying day yesterday with not a single crash or mishap, feels good, thanks from Holland

@Quadcopter 101 Watched this video about 4 months ago, then practiced for a while. This week, I used this technique to save an almost fly away gps drone that was acting up. Coming back to say thank you and I think this is a basic skill for everyone to learn. More info if you are interested. I discovered later that the drone transmitter gimbal was actually broken. When I gave a pitch forward command, it also did a full left roll command (self level mode so it didnt flip over). However, I still saved it because full pitch forward and full roll left still makes the quad move in some lateral direction. I just watched to see it was moving left and gave it some left yaw until it finally came back. Awesome. Later, I took the transmitter apart and resoldered a bad wire. Thank you again for saving my quad.

Thank you very much! I lost orientation on my Holy Stone X 401h and panicked. luckily I found it after a brief search. You give excellent flying tips! I will try this before upgrading to anything more than a toy quad.

Thank you for these videos and for the instruction. I no longer panic when I cannot tell which way my MJX X400 is facing. This video was very helpful.

Thank you so much for all you do here on your channel. I just recently (within the last year) entered the quadcopter scene, and I love it. I have a Cheerson CX-10 and a Hubsan X4 H107D right now. I love them both. They are so much fun to fly, and I thank you for making videos like this. By watching these, I can learn and practice, all the while saving money for the big boy toys like a Parrot Bebop Drone or a DJI Phantom 2 Vision. That way, when I get there, I have the skills I need. Thanks so much!

love when u find guys like this gentleman that truly want to help this tip is awesome thanks brother :)

Thank you so much! What an awesome tip for us newbies! Thanks for taking the time!

I love watching these videos you do and also the reviews of the different flyers . I wish you could redo this video and not send the quad out so far. There was a perfect background with the sky and mountains, but I found it hard to watch as the copter was so far out. Would love to see another video on this with the quad a little closer. I am a noob flier but getting better at it.....

Great tip... I also put two bright white LED's on the front only oriented like headlights. This helps a ton to confirm when it is pointed toward me.

It's amazing how common sense gets thrown out the window when panic sets in. I lost my first quad this way. I panicked flew it further away and lost it. Great tips in all of your videos.

so smart, this should be a mandatory video for any quad owner to watch.

Absolutely brilliant mate, so simple, so effective.

This is the most useful and practical drone tip I have seen. Thank you.

Super advice. I haven't gone long distances with it yet but will use your advice for return flights as soon as we start getting better weather to take it to a long flight location. Thanks

i just built one and flew it first time keeping it arround 50 ft and closer, I am glad I got to see this video and suddenly I have more confidence. I Thank you so does my Quad.

Wow! Awesome tutorial and very helpful. Thanks for sharing! These are excellent videos for beginners and for folks like me who are thinking of getting into Quads.

Your videos and tutorials are very informative, especially for a beginner like myself. I made all the classic newbie mistakes on my first V252. Too high, down wind and momentarily took my eyes off of it. Gone. Because of your other vids, I've added a couple of V262's, a little harder to lose due to the size. I bought the second one because it was quicker than waiting for my dozen replacement motors to arrive. Needed one for the first bird after about ten flights. Thanks again for time to make these videos.

gotta thank you for this video as i lost control of my quadcopter the other day and i remembered this video which brought it back to me twice, thumbs up dude....

this technique is as fantastic as it is simple, great video, great information that is actually useful in daily flying. I now use this everyday.

Really appreciate this tip, I am a novice and ran into this issue resulting in a lost quad copter Will start practicing this technique with my new one.

This is such a simple tip but it's so effective! Thanks for making the video!

Thanks. Its incredible to me how simple a solution can be sometimes. I always overcomplicate things in my head. Thanks for the tip!

I watched this video and the next day I let my uncle fly. He had it so far away it was a glowing dot. I took over and brought it back. it took a long time because the battery was hanging out the back and it was moving slow. I didn't panic and did what you said and it came back eventually. it was exciting.

Taking chances when practicing can be expensive and I have been there. Wish I had seen this demo first. Thanks for the demo and this is now how I will practice!

Excellent tip! Can't wait to go and try i out.

This is my main fear in flying not the loss of the Quad but the loss of my MONEY!!Great video for nubes like me that and the fact that you illustrate this well is cool I'm sure if we weren't scared to crash our first quad would b the phantom .practice will make weeelllll,better happy flights

You are amazing!! I recently got me a rc drone to substitute for my mavic air 2 whenever I just wanna have fun:) THANK U!!

Thank you for showing me that tip. I will use that from now on before I use my RTH button.

Thank you for the good flying tip on returning a drone Ron

very straight to the point. Thankyou. I just hope I don't run into wind that can cause a contrary move.

Great tips. Will keep in mind!

Yep, this is the main issue as a beginner that caused most of my problems. However, I worked this one out as I became more competent, but I do it the other way round. When losing control, I pull the stick 'back' to me and then 'yaw' the copter one way or the other and observe it's response just like you say until it's heading to me.

Nice tip. I usually panic and slap it in headless mode and pull it back but I'm gonna practice this technique and stop flying like a noob.

Thanks for the tips. Will practice (at close range) this weekend. Newbie to RC UAV's

HAPPILY Subscribed ! Thank you for sharing ! !

Yup, this is definitely a good lesson for all of us multi-copterists. When I lost orientation, it was a long ways off, so I had no choice but to dump it on the grass before it got out of range. It's so easy to get into a panic, but your method would have seamlessly won the battle :) .

A simple but great trick. I'm going to give this a try when I'm out in the open.

Great tips! Thank you so much for sharing!

Another great informational video Thank You, Trying to practice these move but it ratter cold this week 1 Degree today.

Excellent tip thanks! Now I shall practice this!

Simple and easy to remember, thanks!

Wow it works whether it's going towards our ad from you as it's moving left and right. Cool. This has always bugged me. To the RTH, or FPV point. Which are not always there. Great tip.

very good tip! i flew mine out of sight at night it landed on top of a walgreens lol. luckily i got my 100$ drone back safe!

One of your best videos. helped me a lot when i was learning

Thank you!!! It really helped me to fly my drones/quads a lot better in the distance! Again, thanks fir the advice😉

Thank you very much for doing these videos. I am new to Quadcopter flying and your videos have helped alot. I see that you have done this video over a year ago. Is there any way possible to do another video with the Tarantula X6 showing your movement on the remote control? It would be nice to see the actual hand movement. Thanks.

i am really enjoying your videos and this exciting new hobby....quadcopters....much fun!

Excellent tips! Thanks!

Excellent advice. Every quad flyer should watch this video. But this lesson applies to all RC aircraft as well even a 12 ft glider where the challenge is often knowing if it is moving away from you at a distance or coming back towards you where turning right or left tells you your heading. If it turns right with right stick then you know it's moving away from you, but if it turns left with right stick you know it's moving back towards you. Your memory of what it's doing keeps you in focus so the further away you fly the more important it is to pay close attention and not look away and expect to have the sensation of it flying backwards when it's flying forward as your senses get turned around when you eyes lose visual reference and it becomes a dot in the sky. Staying relaxed and having confidence in your flying ability is half the battle. Not getting over confident is the other half. Fly safe... protect the hobby. And remember, there are many people using the Internet being funded by lobbyists to have RC aircraft banned so when you see someone like glassdogangle breaking every rule in the book flying like a fool over people's homes and swimming pools showing off how many cameras he has put on his trainer aircraft dropping water bombs and landing on bike paths where children ride to get people to copy him be aware of what you are watching and the phycology of authority to allow you to do what you would normally never do. Remember the managers of Mac Donald's that did as they were told to do when the guy faking to be the police called them and told them to do it because deep down their emotions wanted to do it. You can often tell the fake anti-RC videos right off if you look at what's real rather than being shown because the ego involved showing off how easy it is to fool people often gives it away. People who care about flying RC aircraft don't put up fake videos that threaten the hobby. And to say the Internet would not be used to do so is to ignore the history of how politics are carried out.

Thanks for the post keep them coming.

This was actually very helpful. Thank you sir!

Very useful information. Thanks for the video.

Yet another great tip, thanks!

Thank you so much for pointing me to this video.

Great practical tip! Thanks.

Almost lost my quadcopter the other day coz I couldn't figure out the orientation. This helps a lot. I'm gonna practice it. Great video. Thanks!

Awesome been testing this out on the simulator and it works a treat a big thumbs up !

Wow ! great answer to my question, you are the best!

Thanks much for this one Helps me keep my head when I go farther than i intended

Cool mate! Thanks a lot for the tips!

You are a great instructor I will try this technique.

This is a great tip, i'm always affraid to lose my Blade 350QX. I often use return to home, when i'm stressed. I'd just pratice with your tips on the AeroFly RC 7 simulator and catch the practice. Now i' will apply it in real. Thanks

So simple! Thank you for the great tip.

Thanks ! Very simple to do , great tip ! I am a beginner and have pushed my quad out too far or too high and had trouble getting it back. I will certainly practice this ! I built my own 400mm quad , I ended up installing different color led lights on each side , which has helped me greatly , but with my old eyes even this has a limit to being able to exactly determine quad orientation. Thanks again ! Take care

Thanks a lot for this! i'm learning to fly a drone and I'm afraid that this could happen to me, now I'm more confident and will even try to do it myself.

That is great! Thanks for the video...super helpful!

I loved that ,I wish I could have seen your hands ,too,it was a great learning tool Thanks still learning.

Genius trick!! Thanks for the help dude!!

today evening I worked it. it's really amazing. thank you!