So, @Chaosrider@brilliantfrogs got me thinking about the different viewing angles we FPV pilots can fly at. He's starting out in Manual Mode flying at -20° viewing angle, which I think threw a few of us for a loop... a NEGATIVE viewing angle to fly FPV, why would you do that? In all my FPV flights, I've never attempted to fly with a negative view angle, and wondered what it would be like. Would you even be able to fly the drone, while looking down? How hard would it be to control? Would it be harder or easier to hover? Hmmm, how about we just test the different angles and see, that seems like a good idea.
So I went out and did 7 loops around a field, flying from -30° to +30° and every 10° in between. Now, I'm no expert FPV pilot, and I still count myself as a young (old) padawan when it comes to FPV, but I was fairly surprised by the results. At -30°, it felt almost impossible to fly and felt like to gain any speed, I was looking straight at the ground. However, at -20° it was actually quite easy to fly, although a lot slower than I'm used to and no real good view of the horizon. I think the easiest viewing angle to hover at was -10°, with a decent view of the horizon and ground. Took me a moment to get my bearings, but then the hover was fairly easy.
With all that said, even though a neutral or positive viewing angle is the norm, I don't think there is a 'right' way to fly FPV, when it comes to angles. The viewing angle is all depended on what the individual pilot wants to get out of the experience. If you want to putter around and fly cautiously, than a negative viewing angle will work just fine. If you want speed and want to zoom around at over 70mphs, than a negative viewing angle just isn't going to cut it. Although I initially thought flying at a negative viewing angle was ridiculous, I have come to realize that it's not and is a perfectly acceptable way to fly, based on what the pilot wants.
Anyhow, thought I'd share my experience with you and have a video below of the different viewing angles. There are chapters in the description if you want to skip to a particular angle to watch. My apologies on the telemetry overlay, it is a little bit off, but close enough. It was late and I was angrily watching poor Tampa Bay lose to New York. Any feedback, thoughts or discussion are welcome.
So I went out and did 7 loops around a field, flying from -30° to +30° and every 10° in between. Now, I'm no expert FPV pilot, and I still count myself as a young (old) padawan when it comes to FPV, but I was fairly surprised by the results. At -30°, it felt almost impossible to fly and felt like to gain any speed, I was looking straight at the ground. However, at -20° it was actually quite easy to fly, although a lot slower than I'm used to and no real good view of the horizon. I think the easiest viewing angle to hover at was -10°, with a decent view of the horizon and ground. Took me a moment to get my bearings, but then the hover was fairly easy.
With all that said, even though a neutral or positive viewing angle is the norm, I don't think there is a 'right' way to fly FPV, when it comes to angles. The viewing angle is all depended on what the individual pilot wants to get out of the experience. If you want to putter around and fly cautiously, than a negative viewing angle will work just fine. If you want speed and want to zoom around at over 70mphs, than a negative viewing angle just isn't going to cut it. Although I initially thought flying at a negative viewing angle was ridiculous, I have come to realize that it's not and is a perfectly acceptable way to fly, based on what the pilot wants.
Anyhow, thought I'd share my experience with you and have a video below of the different viewing angles. There are chapters in the description if you want to skip to a particular angle to watch. My apologies on the telemetry overlay, it is a little bit off, but close enough. It was late and I was angrily watching poor Tampa Bay lose to New York. Any feedback, thoughts or discussion are welcome.