How to Fly a Drone for the First Time – Simple Guide for Beginners

How to Fly a Drone for the First Time – Simple Guide for Beginners

New to drones? Don’t worry! In this blog post, we’ll show you how to fly your Picoq Labs drone step-by-step. Even if you’re a complete beginner (or an 8-year-old), you’ll be flying like a pro in no time!


Step 1: Connect Your Drone to the Remote

Before flying, we need to make sure your drone and remote controller are talking to each other.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Put your drone on the floor (flat surface).
  2. Hold the drone’s power button for 2–3 seconds. Lights will turn on.
  3. Turn on the remote. Make sure the power switch is on the side facing YOU.
  4. Push the left joystick up, then down  in F198. A17 Aerial Connects automatically once remote and drone are turned ON.
  5. When the lights stop blinking, your drone is connected!

Step 2: Calibrate Before You Fly

Calibration tells the drone which way is “forward.”

How to calibrate:

  1. Put the drone on a flat surface.
  2. Make sure it’s already connected to the remote.
  3. Move both joysticks to the bottom corners at the same time.
  4. You’ll hear a beep and see flashing lights. That means it’s calibrated!

Step 3: How to Take Off and Land

Let’s fly!

To take off:

  • Press the "Take-Off" button on your remote.
    OR
  • Push the left joystick upward slowly.

To land:

  • Press the "Landing" button.
    OR
  • Push the left joystick downward slowly.

Emergency Stop: If anything goes wrong, carefully hold the drone and invert its's body to power it off.
(Be careful not to touch spinning propellers!)

Step 4: How to Fly the Drone

Your remote has two joysticks.

Left Joystick (Throttle):

  • Push up/down to go higher or lower.
  • Push left/right to rotate the drone.

Right Joystick (Direction):

  • Push up/down to move forward/backward.
  • Push left/right to move sideways.

Fine-Tuning:
If your drone drifts in one direction, use the small trim buttons near the sticks to fix it.

Step 5: Do a Cool 360° Flip

Want to flip your drone in the air? Here’s how:

  1. Fly the drone at least 3 meters high.
  2. Press the Flip button on your remote.
  3. Push the direction joystick in the direction you want the drone to flip (left, right, forward, or backward).

So cool, right?

Step 6: Use Headless Mode (Beginner Mode)

This mode is super helpful for new flyers!

What is Headless Mode?
When Headless Mode is ON, the drone moves based on your direction, not the drone’s. Even if the drone spins around, “forward” is always away from you.

How to Use Headless Mode:

  1. Make sure your drone is facing away from you before takeoff.
  2. Calibrate the drone.
  3. Take off.
  4. Press the “Headless Mode” button on your remote. Now, the drone flies based on your point of view. Easy!

Quick Summary:

  • Connect the drone: Power ON → Up & Down the left stick twice
  • Calibrate: Both sticks to bottom corners → Wait for beep
  • Take off: One-key or left stick up
  • Land: One-key or left stick down
  • Flip: Flip button + Direction stick
  • Headless Mode: Press HM button after takeoff

Charging Instructions:

  • Charge the drone battery for 2–3 hours until the red light turns off.
  • The remote control uses 3 AA batteries (not included in the box).

Final Flying Tips for Beginners:

  • Fly outdoors or in an open area.
  • Start with slow speed and control it using the speed switch.
  • Keep the drone at eye level until you get confident.
  • Don’t fly too high at first.
  • Try Headless Mode to make things easier.

Now You’re Ready to Fly!

Flying a drone can be easy and fun. With this simple guide, you’ll be soaring in no time. Remember to fly safe, start slow, and enjoy your new adventure with Picoq Labs drones.

Let us know how your first flight goes! 🚁✨

Back to blog