From Surviving to Learning
After sharing in my last entry how I almost threw my Xbox controller (and myself) out the window, a period of calm followed. The “click” moment on July 8th was crucial, however, it only meant I wasn’t crashing immediately. It didn’t mean I could fly yet.
Therefore, I spent the next few days in the tunnel. My goal was simple: Training – Learning to Fly.
The Grind: Onboarding Missions
I started right at the beginning. In the “The Drone Racing League Simulator“, there is a “Beginner Mode,” a series of onboarding missions. Here, all assist functions are still active. The drone stabilizes itself, and the physics feel dampened, almost like being on rails.
Was it exciting? Not really. Was it necessary? Absolutely.
It was a challenge to execute the instructions precisely, but for the first time, it felt never impossible. Each mission was a small building block. Applying throttle, holding altitude, understanding turn radius. In essence, it was the difference between “mashing buttons” and “understanding what the stick does.
The Switch: Enter the Goldberg
Once I had completed the beginner mode, I felt ready for the next step. I switched the virtual model. I chose the Goldberg Drone.
This is the exact model I still use in the simulator today. It felt heavier, more direct, less like a toy. With this new setup, I loaded a map that would replace my living room for the next few hours: “Campground Freestyle”.
The Milestone at the Campground
I stood virtually on this campground. Trees, tents, caravans, open meadows. No glowing gates showing me the way. No tutorial text telling me what to do. Just me, the yellowed controller, and the Goldberg.
I started the motors.
My goal wasn’t to look cool. No crazy tricks. No flips, no rolls.
Instead, I just wanted to fly straight. I wanted to turn gently around a group of trees and put all that training from the missions into free practice. I wanted to see if I could steer the drone where I wanted it to go – not where chance blew it.
I flew over the virtual tents. I drew wide circles over the meadow. And then, that moment of clarity returned.
It was my second major milestone in FPV. The first was the realization “It is possible.” This one went deeper. It was the realization: “I can control a drone.”
It was no longer a blind reaction to panic situations. It was action. I gave the input, and the drone followed. Consequently, this flight on the campground was unspectacular to any spectator, but for me, it was proof that I am on the right path.
