Mission 1
The Perfect Hover
Balance thrust against weight — by hand.
Difficulty
Briefing
The flight controller’s height hold is switched off. It will keep the aircraft level, but the throttle is yours: too little and it sinks, too much and it climbs. Find the balance and hold 2 m.
Objectives
- Climb to 2.0 m
- Hold within the band for 20 seconds in total
- Keep it smooth: small throttle corrections
Physics in play
Weight W = m·gThrust = weight in a steady hoverNet force and acceleration
Hampton’s .02 cents
a hover isn’t “no force” — it’s two big forces that exactly cancel. Every bump of the throttle is a net force, and a net force is an acceleration. Make small corrections and wait for the result.
Instructor insight
It would behoove you to predict the hover throttle before you fly. If you know where balance lives, you only have to find it once.