Welcome to your FPV Journey!

Before we get into the nitty-gritty it would be good to answer some Frequently Asked Questions

We then recommend all groups of people go down the simulator or Ready To Fly option.

Is FPV flying similar to DJI/Autonomous flying?

Although some similar traits, most people will not be able to pickup a FPV drone and fly it without lots of practice. We recommend 10 hours on a simulator or 2-3 hours on a micro drone to get the hang of it as its vastly different to any automated drone.

Can I buy a cinewhoop and start filming commercially and have amazing smooth footage?

You may have seen Clifford on Instagram or others flying very smooth footage through tight locations – This takes at least 6-12 months of practice and experience.

Can I buy a kit, open it up and start flying

Yes you can, see the recommend kits further down this page.

However unlike DJI kits that you buy, the FPV racing drones you see are not packaged in a similar way. For example when buying a 5 inch drone you need a charger, batteries, props, radio, and there is many many options and knowledge that has to be aquaired before you jump straight in.

How much should I Spend?

If you buy higher-end gear you will find it much easier to resell later if you ever leave or give up on the hobby. Not many people will pay much 2nd hand for low end gear.

In saying that, you can buy a Betafpv radio for $60, play on the simulator or buy a cheap quad to go with it and have a lot of fun and see if the hobby is for you before you invest in buying the top end gear.

As an example

$350 – Gets you basic kit and into the hobby
$1200 will get you mid-range gear setup.
$2000-$2500 will get you the bees knees setup.

Simulator or Ready To Fly Kit (RTF)?

This is the main question when looking to start your FPV journey and its quite a decisive question in the community as it comes down to personal preference. Some people have the patience to sit down and spend 10 hours at a computer playing a simulator, and some prefer to me more hands-on and have the real experience of FPV. It depends what you prefer and how you learn best and what you can sustain.

NOTE: Do not use a XBOX/PS4 Controller to rely on learning to fly FPV. You will have to relearn all the muscle memory, fine motor skills again. The resolution on the sticks, the placement of the sticks and how the gimbals move are vastly different. Don’t get us wrong, you can download a simulator and have a go, see what it feels/looks like, but try to get a real remote asap to learn on instead.

But don’t just take our word for it, we asked the community what their thoughts are…. Here is what they said

Simulator

RTF Kit

1000% recommend buying a decent transmitter and play a simulator like velocidrone or even drl simulator. You’ll learn to fly and not have to spend hundreds of dollars in repairing crashes. I did about 20 hours on DRL sim before I flew fir the first time in real life and it was a super smooth transition.

Rob C, Phaser FPV Customer

I don’t think anyone should buy a rtf as a first quad.

They break and backwards learning is far harder.

Start by going to a local club and seeing what it’s about then learning about batteries.

If your still keen after all that, buy a controller and sim. If you are still keen after all that make a quad from one of your favourite YouTube channels.

I have mates that still wouldn’t know what a vtx looks like years later and can’t fix their stuff and so it justs sits there

Jeremy B, Phaser FPV Customer

I think simulator creates better pilots. iv even got mates that learnt on the sim and went STRAIGHT into racing and are killing it on the track.

Demon FPV, Phaser FPV Customer

If I was starting out today I would invest in a digital rtf, with DJI controller. Knowing that I could get at least 2/3 of the investment back by reselling the controller and goggles.

Richard T, Phaser FPV Customer

If I was starting out again. I’d get the newbeedrone rtf full kit

Mitch S, Phaser FPV Customer

Micro RTF. Some of the radios aren’t that bad, and it’s waaaay less investment whilst still getting the IRL flying of quads. Plus, if you don’t kill the quad you can fly it with whatever new gear you buy. Good radio and simulator misses the IRL bit. I think you’d be hard pressed to find someone who can control the impulse of wanting to fly an actual thing in spite of risk of losing money, fingers etc.

Also not forgetting that you’ll need to get on the simulator the second you start flying cause you realise how rubbish you are. But you’ve had a taste of the real thing to keep the fire whilst simming

Pete P, Phaser FPV Customer

I think starting with whoops and moving up is the way to go. The damage and danger ratio is low while learning and there is no shortage of RTF options.

Bill B, Phaser FPV Customer

Pros

Get the best remote to start with, Will last you forever and no wasted cost on cheaper remote in a kit.
No Money wasted crashing and repairing quads

Cons

Not as fun
Have to have a computer

Pros

Experience real FPV and get adrenaline rush
More fun than simulator
Quicker to learn as you experience the real thing.
Can be cheaper outlay than remote

Cons

If you crash heaps and damage stuff it will cost you more and time consuming for repairs. Some people get frustrated.
Goggles are basic and you need to upgrade if you take FPV seriously.
The transmitter is cheap, but you can still do a lot and go far with it, However, you will want to upgrade it eventually.