What is an FPV Drone?
In the world of drones, FPV stands for First Person View. Traditionally, pilots fly RC aircraft while looking at them, called “line of sight” (LOS) flying. However, thanks to technological advances, we can now fly unmanned aerial vehicles by streaming real-time video from the camera on the drone to goggles.
FPV Drone Safety
We recommend you try flying first in an FPV Drone simulator and get connected to your local FPV hobbyist community.Flying in a simulator first means you build skills and confidence without worrying about crashing a real drone. Once you’ve spent enough time learning in the simulator, you can consider buying a premade FPV Drone or building your own.
Different FPV Drones
There are so many different types of drones; let’s take a quick look at some of the main differences that may influence what kind of drone you want to pilot and how you want to fly your drone. There are two primary ways to distinguish FPV Drones; first, by their propeller size, and second, by their flight styles.
FPV Drone sizes
- Small: Anything with less than 4-inch propellers is considered small to mini.
- Medium: FPV Drones with 4-inch to 6-inch propellers can be considered medium-sized. With 5-inch propellers currently being the most popular size for most FPV drones.
- Large: Large FPV Drones that fly longer distances use 7-inch and above propellers.Pilots can fly their FPV Drones how they want, regardless of size. However, pilots generally participate in three main types of flight with drones of different sizes.
FPV Drone Flying styles
- Racing: There’s racing for the competitive FPV Drone pilot, which offers pilots the chance to test their skills on a designated course against other pilots, like F1, but for drones. Racing pilots often fly mid-sized drones due to the speed-to-size ratio.
- Filming: FPV Drone pilots who want to capture epic scenery will focus on flying that enhances their ability to capture crisp, breath-taking footage. Usually small to mid-sized drones, but not strictly limited to these drones.
- Freestyle: Freestyle is a blend of racing’s speed and precision coupled with filming’s focus on capturing creative footage. Often Freestyle FPV pilots try and creatively fly through a space in new and unique ways. Drones of any size can fly freestyle.
FPV Drone Systems
Every FPV Drone consists of two major systems: the body and the brains.The body consists of the frame, propellors, motors, and other small components like screws and wires. Companies like iFlight make high-quality parts that you can use to build the body of your FPV Drone. The brains consist of the Camera, Air Unit, Goggles, and RC Controller. DJI has been advancing FPV Drone technology to better suit the actual needs of the FPV community and enhance the FPV experience.
DJI’s Latest FPV System – DJI O3 Air Unit
There’s never been a better time to get into FPV Drones now that DJI has released the O3 Air Unit FPV system. The O3 Air Unit leaps forward in imaging performance without sacrificing flight performance by maintaining a compact and lightweight body. The O3 Air Unit system fits beginners because it’s compatible with a wide range of products. The upgraded DJI FPV system also supports up to 10 km of signal transmission so that you can control your drone with crisp responsiveness further than before.