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Informatics and GIS Program

Drone Skill Checklist and Control Instructions

Basic to Advanced Skills Checklist

Flight Safety

  • Basic safety & pre-flight checks
  • Controller & flight app GUI orientation

Basic Controls

  • Doing nothing (tail in hover) 
  • Forward/backwards
  • Side to side (left/right)
  • Up/down
  • Hover yaw controls (turns left/right) 

Intermediate Controls

  • Takeoffs & landings (target practice)
  • Flyout & return
  • Horizontal rectangle (square with no turns with the yaw)
  • Vertical side to side rectangle (facing away from you)
  • Vertical forward and backward rectangle (facing away from you)
  • Horizontal rectangle (using yaw to turn drone for forward flight at each corner)

Advanced Controls

  • Reverse and side orientation flight (facing you and facing to the side)
  • Determining orientation of aircraft at a distance
  • Circles, orbits, figure-8s 

Photography and Videography/Cinematography

  • Camera Controls
  • Framing oblique targets
  • Find a target on the ground not visible to pilot, using the camera looking down
  • Smooth flight movements (for videography/cinematography)


CSUMB Beginning Movements

CSUMB Intermediate Movements

CSUMB Advanced Movements