17 Useful Tips to Fly Better at DJI FPV

If you’ve just got your dji fpv quad, you need to read this beginner guide before you fly. The DJI FPV drone is an exciting new quadcopter that gives pilots a true first-person view (FPV) flying experience.

With its low-latency HD video transmission, intuitive controls, and incredible speed, it’s easy to see why this drone creates so much buzz.

However, the DJI FPV is also quite different from the more common camera drones like the Mavic and Phantom series. It requires some new skills and knowledge before you take your first flight.

In this in-depth beginner’s guide, I’ll cover the top 17 tips before flying your DJI FPV drone.

Follow these essential pointers, and you’ll be able to avoid crashes, get better footage, and have way more fun in the air.

1. Fully charge batteries before each flight

The DJI FPV is an absolute speed demon capable of reaching 90 mph. This insane performance comes at the cost of battery life.

You can expect a maximum of 10-15 minutes of flying time per charge. However, this number will come down dramatically if you fly aggressively or start with a partially charged battery.

Before every flight, make sure to charge your Intelligent Flight Batteries to 100%. Never take off if you see less than 4 LEDs lit on the battery. Trying to squeeze in extra moments of airtime on a low battery is a recipe for disaster.

Charging to full and taking off with a “full tank” also ensures your battery percentage estimate in the goggles/app will be accurate. This is key for managing your power consumption and making it safely back to your home base.

2. Double check propellers before takeoff

One of the easiest mistakes to make with the DJI FPV is taking off with a loose propeller. The quick-release build of this drone means props can detach if they weren’t clicked firmly into place before the flight.

You absolutely do not want a propeller falling off mid-flight, so get in the habit of checking them every time before takeoff. Give each prop a gentle tug to confirm it’s securely locked onto the motor.

Inspect the propellers themselves, too. Make sure none of them have any cracks, chips, or bends. Any damage could throw off performance and lead to instability. Replace damaged props immediately.

3. Confirm flight mode before leaving the ground

The DJI FPV drone has 3 flight modes you can switch between:

• Normal Mode – Default mode with basic flight assistance like position hold. Top speed limited to 15 m/s.
• Manual Mode – Disables stabilization and other assists for pure FPV flying. Top speed boosted to 27 m/s.
• Sport Mode – Hybrid of the first two modes. Some assists enabled and a top speed of 27 m/s.

Before getting airborne, double-check that your desired flight mode is actually selected. You can see the current mode in the top left corner of the FPV goggles.

Starting in Normal is recommended for beginners. You can always switch to Manual or Sport later once at a safe altitude. Changing modes while still on the ground prevents any mode-related surprises.

4. Set camera angle prior to liftoff

The DJI FPV drone has a single-axis gimbal that lets you adjust the tilt of the 4K/60fps camera from 0 to 90 degrees.

Like flight modes, take a second before you fly to double-check that your camera is tilted to your preferred angle. The last thing you want is to take off and realize the framing or horizon is totally off from what you expected.

Generally, lower angles like 15-30 degrees are best for smooth video. Higher angles like 60-90 degrees enable more dramatic first-person views. Find what works for your location and goals.

5. Know where the emergency stop button is

One of the most important buttons on the DJI FPV remote controller is the emergency stop. Tap this once, and the drone will immediately brake and hover in place, regardless of speed or flight mode.

This is useful if you ever get disoriented or lose control. Quickly stopping the aircraft gives you a chance to regain spatial awareness before catastrophe strikes.

Before flying, take a few seconds to locate the emergency stop button. It has a red pause icon and sits near the top center of the remote. Memorize where it is so you can find it by feeling once wearing the goggles.

6. Have a visual observer present

Most countries legally require you to have a Visual Observer (VO) present when flying an FPV drone. Besides keeping you legal, having a VO is hugely beneficial for awareness and safety.

A Visual Observer acts as an extra set of eyes on the surroundings while you fly by FPV. They can keep watch for potential hazards like people, animals, or objects entering the flight zone.

Your VO can also monitor your gear left on the ground, so nothing gets stolen while your vision is occupied by the goggles. And if any trouble arises, they can assist you however needed.

7. Acquire GPS lock before flying

The DJI FPV relies on GPS in addition to its visual positioning system for stability and orientation. GPS helps it hold its position if vision positioning fails or gets confused.

Check the top left corner of the FPV goggles/app screen before taking off. Wait until you acquire at least 11 satellites for adequate GPS connection.

Flying without sufficient satellites could lead to drifting and make it impossible for the drone to stabilize or precisely Return to Home if required. Better safe than sorry when it comes to GPS lock.

8. Sit or stand comfortably when flying

Once you begin actually flying the DJI FPV drone, the freedom and immersion provided by the goggles make it easy to forget about your own body.

Before getting airborne, take a moment to find a comfortable standing or sitting position. Sitting in a chair, you can lean back against is ideal. This will help avoid fatigue and any stumbles or falls while wearing the goggles.

You want to be able to focus 100% of your attention on controlling the drone, not dealing with an uncomfortable stance. Take care of yourself so you can fly safely.

9. Listen to the drone’s sound for power management

The DJI FPV is quite loud when flying at top speed. Although you may not consciously notice the sound while wearing the goggles, listening to the motors can provide helpful feedback.

The louder the drone’s sound, the more power it consumes and the battery it drains. Loud screaming means you’re pushing the limits.

Being aware of the volume and tone changes can help you manage your remaining battery percentage more conservatively. Listen in and fly smoothly to extend flight times.

10. Fly on bright, sunny days

To capture smooth, professional-grade FPV footage, you need plenty of light. The DJI FPV camera sensor performs best in bright, sunny conditions. Overcast days or low light cause issues like grainy footage and poor stabilization.

The Visual Positioning System underneath the drone also depends on adequate environmental light to function properly. Without it, stability and hovering precision suffer.

For these reasons, only fly and record on sunny days with clear skies. Overcast weather may be fine for line-of-sight practice, but save the HD video captures for ideal conditions.

11. Don’t ignore the low battery warnings

When your DJI FPV battery hits 25% remaining, the drone will automatically trigger Return to Home (RTH) to ensure it can make it back safely. At this point, you’ll also get low battery warnings in the goggles and on the remote.

It may be tempting to cancel RTH and keep flying on a low battery. But this is extremely risky with the DJI FPV! You could easily over-discharge the battery and cause it to plummet out of the sky.

Respect the warnings and default battery thresholds programmed by DJI. Pushing the limits will also damage long-term battery health, reducing longevity. Land safely, and you’ll live to fly another day!

12. Bring extra batteries to extend flight sessions

Speaking of battery life, you’ll definitely want to invest in extra DJI FPV Intelligent Flight Batteries. Each one provides approximately 10-15 minutes of flying time, depending on how aggressively you fly.

To have a satisfying flight session, bring 3-4 charged batteries. Even veteran FPV pilots routinely carry 6 or more batteries to the field along with a charging station.

It may seem excessive at first, but trust us when you taste the DJI FPV experience, you’ll crave more airtime once your packs run dry!

13. Upgrade the FPV goggles’ foam

One common comfort complaint is the cheap foam face padding of the DJI FPV Goggles V2. It allows light leakage and can irritate skin after prolonged wearing.

Luckily, simple and inexpensive replacement foams are available from third-party manufacturers. Most users find these upgraded goggle foams improve comfort drastically and enhance immersion. If you plan to fly for more than a few minutes at a time, upgrading the face foam is a smart move.

14. Fly conservatively in manual mode

The DJI FPV offers Manual mode for unrestricted flight, but beginners should still fly cautiously. Removing flight assists like collision prevention is thrilling but also dangerous.

When flying in Manual mode, avoid sudden stick inputs and high speeds close to the ground. Start in Normal mode until you have a feel for the controls.

Build muscle memory at safer heights before attempting any radical maneuvers near the surface. The manual is designed for experienced FPV pilots who understand how to recover from dives and falls. T

ake your time mastering essential control before you try to go full throttle like the pros.

15. Compensate the throttle when turning

One flying characteristic to understand is that the DJI FPV naturally loses altitude when banking and turning aggressively. Beginners may find this unexpected if accustomed to camera drones that hold position and altitude more strictly.

The key is increasing the throttle whenever turning to maintain or gain height as desired. With practice, this becomes an unconscious habit. But first, you must consciously remember to compensate with the extra throttle so you don’t unexpectedly drop toward the ground.

16. Land cautiously to avoid battery damage

The DJI FPV batteries serve double duty as the landing gear. While convenient, this means they take the force of all landings and crashes. Too many hard or awkward landings will quickly destroy these expensive batteries.

When returning to land, descend gently, hover stabilized, and set down softly on a flat, clear surface. Never perform risky moves like shutting off motors in midair. You want controlled, predictable landings to avoid introducing any shocks or surprises.

Take care of your Intelligent Flight Batteries, which will last many flights. Keep smashing them into the ground, and you may be buying replacements sooner than expected.

17. Record to both drone and goggles

Finally, one easy way to protect your aerial footage is recording to both the 8GB internal storage in the drone and the microSD card slot in the FPV goggles.

This provides an instant backup if one recording fails or the drone is lost or damaged. The drone footage also contains useful metadata like GPS coordinates and altitude. While recording to both places takes up more space, storage is cheap, and losing your epic FPV video clips is a far worse fate!

Final words

New pilots will immediately notice that the DJI FPV drone provides an entirely different (and exhilarating) flying experience compared to a standard GPS camera drone.

Mastering this quadcopter requires paying attention to battery management, control precision, and learning how to leverage the various flight modes safely.

Follow the 17 essential tips in this guide when starting, and you’ll avoid frustration while progressing up the FPV learning curve.

Taking the time to practice the basics means you’ll be equipped to perform amazing freestyle and racing maneuvers sooner than you think! Just remember to fly responsibly, observe all regulations in your area, and happy flying!