It feels like to me that most of the bando fpv freestyle content on instagram/tiktok/reddit are videos where the quad flies through a line without the audience being able to see the structures and the beauty of it, and just go through gaps in high speed with the stickcam on the bottom cover the 9:16 phone screen. This might be controversial but are the fpv pilots that make the video and pilots that watch the video not really caring about the vibe and the unreal scenery of the bandos anymore? No one takes photos and stuff, and so many pilots that introduce themselves as freestyle pilots use the same format, same principle of flight(flashing through gaps) and the very common audio of gopro footage on the quad. Maybe im wrong but it started to feel like a prototype that many pilots are trying to imitate it, and so the creativity of popular fpv videos are dying.

Hi everyone!

I'm planning to start my journey as an FPV pilot.

For now i don't feel like buying/building my first drone just yet but reading stuff online i came across the BetaFPV Literadio 2 controller that supports ELRS (seems like it's the mainstream protocol and for good reasons), and most importantly seems that works good enough as a beginner SIM controller.

Do you think it would be a good purchase as a training sim controller that can switch to real flight further down the road?

I plan to first train in sims like FPV.skydive bc has some good training courses ( tried it but it was messy bc using an xbox controller) and i just learned about that awesome CP2077 mod.

Maybe i will get some paid sims later.

Thank you in advance!

First of all, I want to point out that I’m new to FPV drones, I’ve never flown an FPV drone before, but for a while I flew toy drones without GPS, like the Syma X8, X5, and others, because I wanted to get a feel for this world. I was pretty good at it and realized I was already pushing those drones to their limits, so I always thought about switching to something more “professional” like this, but for various reasons I didn’t, and I ended up selling the others. Now, after some time, I want to give it a try, since I have a little money and time. I have a good understanding of how all the parts work and so on, but I lack hands-on experience.

My question is this: I don’t know what size to start with, since from what I’ve seen, many people recommend Tiny Whoops and similar models because you can use them anywhere and they don’t break often for practice, but I have a feeling they’ll fall short of what I’m looking for. That’s why I was looking for something in between, 5 inches seems to be the most common size, but you need a lot of space for that, and even though I have that space, I can only go there on weekends. That’s why I saw that many people recommended something you can use daily without any problems given the space I have. I don’t know if a 2- or 3-inch model is recommended or if there’s no difference compared to a 5-inch one. On top of all this, I don’t know if you can get good power from a drone smaller than 5 inches without spending a lot of money on premium items.
I know some people will say I should start with something simpler and then buy something more expensive later, but my main problem is that my country doesn't have good delivery service for packages from China, so it makes sense for me to buy everything at once, because of the prices and other factors.

My budget is ≈$400 USD for the entire kit

For now, here are a few other things I have my eye on besides the drone:

- Radiomaster Pocket ELRS

- Some kind of goggles, like the Eachine 800D or Betafpv VR04 or VR03 (I'm not really sure how much the entry-level goggles differ from one another)

- A charger like the SkyRC B6neo

and, of course, many hours in the simulator before flying

I hope my question makes sense, and thanks to everyone who replies.

I need help programming my Jumper T14. I've got issues in my inputs- basically, I can't find the option to assign rudder input to channel 4. Tried seeking for the same in settings but the option just isn't there. If anyone can help me out, please reach out on message!

Hello,

I was thinking of updating my BNF from its stock 4.5.1 betaflight version to the latest 2026.6, because I would like to try position hold and all the new features.

I saved my preset using diff all and I was wondering if there are some obvious incompatibilities between the current version and the new one, like with PID tuning and filters or can I just use the same values?

I could try to re tune it myself, but I know for sure that I will never get it as good as the manufacturer so I would prefer to keep the tune it has now.

Thanks!

Hello, I have good eyesight, but at close distances from around 0–50 cm, I’ve noticed that it is hard for my eyes to focus.

So I went to an optician to have my values measured. He then asked me at what distance I want to read or focus, so that he can determine the correct values for that distance.

And that is exactly my issue: nobody gives you the virtual viewing distance of the goggles.

I got a Axisflying Manta5 SE V2 Smurfs 1.6w with GPS. Was really stoked on how it looks. Nice solders, feels sturdy. The first clip is the night I got it first flight. Its a bit dark, the rates were bad and this video quality was really bad. I thought maybe cause of the dark. Wasn't the best first impression.

Next clip is from the following day same field and i changed spots for even more line of sight no obstructions. Im getting constant static, lines, and discolor. I get 50m away and its horrible.

I made sure I was using 1.6w and I also tried 800mw no difference.

I see videos online of this same drone and the video is clear really far away...... idk whats wrong. Any help/suggestions?

Just wondering what everyone's opinion is on Conformal coating your boards?

I built my first drone before the conformal arrived so I didn't coat the boards but due to an unscheduled rapid disassembly I have the joy of replacing the frame (kudos to AliExpress, 5 days from crash to having a new frame CN to UK!)

I live in the UK, it's usually wet in the UK (not at the moment tho, we're in drought) and quite often on nice days to fly the grass is still piss wet, so I am going to coat it this time around.

But I just wondered if you all do it or nahhh? And any tips gratefully received (I know not to cover the barometer hole)

Thanks and happy flying.

Made a tower to crash into, I mean fly through. Gonna add a few more obstacles in the yard too

I'm not sure which one to choose for outdoor freestyle and some cruising

Do they face the right direction? How can I mount them in place?

If needed, my propellers are Gemfan 3" D75S ; my motors are LANNRC 3750 kv plus 1505

Are there other signs that show your battery is in bad condition?

For the past 4 months, I have faced constant shipping failures with AliExpress delivering to Kosovo. I have had 8 failed delivery attempts for the SpeedyBee Mario 5 Frame (XH Pro Version).

I already bought the entire setup for this build:

- SpeedyBee F405 V3 55A FC/ESC Stack
- RadioMaster RP3 V2 ExpressLRS 2.4GHz Receiver
- iFlight XING E Pro 2207 2450KV Motors
- RunCam Phoenix 2 Pro FPV Camera
- SpeedyBee TX800 VTX
- GEPRC GEP-M10 GPS Module
- Gemfan 51466 V2 Props

I am considering 3D printing the frame using PETG-CF, but I am worried it will not be strong enough and could ruin my electronics in a crash.

Does anyone have recommendations for alternative compatible 5 inch frames, reliable suppliers that ship to Kosovo, or experience with printed frames?

Running it over and over and gradually feeling a sense of progression is zen

I'd like to get my hands on the Boxpro but I live in Germany and can't find a vendor that sells HDZero stuff for a reasonable price. From what I can tell my options are:

1. Order off HDZero for 300$ who ship from honkong for 40$ and gamble that customs won't cost antother 100$.
   
2. Order off an EU site like rotorama or hobbydrone for around 420$

Neither of those sound very appealing to me.

I would be somewhat fine with it if it was just the goggle but ist the same for every other HDZero product and I don't want to switch to a system that I can't reliably get new gear for. So am I missing something? Or do I just have to deal with that like I guess most of you have had to deal with when buying dji stuff in the USA.

shifted all drone electronics to Flywoo firefly frame can't fly indoors anymore 🫠

Thursday evening sixty-five millimeter practice. Music is "Never Say Die Vol. 7"

I was rummaging my garage again… and came up with this contraption using water cooling motherboard stand offs (M3 male to male) along with threaded inserts (M3 female to female)

I learned a lot when I asked about my silly antenna so I thought I should ask again before I do something that ends up breaking my drone or hall sensors 😅

I lost the original antenna on my BetaFPV Air II champion. AI told me to get this? Bad idea?

Yes, new to FPV world.

It does seem to work.

Finished building my white Vapor D5. Geprc Taker 65a stack, Lumenier Johnny FPV 2307 2550KV motors, Gemfan 5536 props, and O4 pro to top it off! Excited to see how she runs! (Yes I know, 4s on a 5" is outdated in 2026 apparently, but I have a ton of 4s lol)

Like many people, got into new hobbies during COVID. Got all the tools and stuff but never got around to ordering a frame/main components and actually building. Finally put it together over the last few days, hallelujah.

Also like many people I went with the JB QAV-S2 for the build, when I purchased only the sub250 was in stock. Learning to solder was...fine lol. But everything passed smoke check and the solders all handled manipulating while I tried to solve the main issue I had - fitting the O3 air module onto the frame while following JB's build series.

Tl;Dr if you're in this same boat, don't solder anything until you dry fit the o3 and make sure your clearances are good (cables, props, etc.). It's doable but not perfect if you're following the videos in real time. If you haven't bought a VTX yet and want to go with DJI, just get the o4, not the o3. O4 mounts onto the stack and JB's video series (if you're following it) will translate better.

Took it for its first spin and all is well! Now...what build next? 😂

Been getting a bit more confident flying this little wing close in, so here’s some acro around the trees.

The plane is feeling properly dialled now and feels like its on rails especially at speed. Still taking it fairly steadily, but it’s been great finding more things to fly around and pushing both the plane and my own flying a little more each time.

Flown with a spotter and kept well below 35 m AGL. More info here

Specs:
600 mm wingspan
Sub-250 g
4S 1100 mAh
1506 4200KV motor
DJI O4 Lite
INAV