When watching TV these days, I often see footage from the sky using drones. Drones are also sold at home appliance mass retailers, but can even a beginner buy one and operate it immediately? This time, we interviewed Mr. Shimpei Hayakawa, a drone pilot who handles 200 projects a year for drone photography for TV, movies, commercials, etc. I was given a lecture on the basic technique of drone operation, which is also used in workshops.
Recommended toy drone for beginners
──There is an image that drones are strictly regulated and difficult to operate, but do you need a license to operate them? “Some countries have a registration system overseas, but in Japan, no licenses or qualifications are required. Basically, anyone can fly a drone as long as they do not fly in areas where drones are prohibited or in prohibited flight methods. Accidents have become a social problem, and the number of schools that teach drone piloting is increasing.” ──If a beginner wants to fly a drone, what should they do first? “For beginners, we recommend toy drones, not full-fledged drones. Ordinary drones are heavy and their propellers rotate at high speeds, so safety must be considered. There is also the risk of injuring other people due to improper operation.Also, when flying, you must remember not only the laws on the ground but also the laws of the sky (aviation laws).Considering these, it is important for beginners to learn the usual Drones have a high hurdle, so I think a toy drone would be better.” ──I see, what is your budget if you buy one? "Toy drones can be purchased at a low price of 5,000 yen to 10,000 yen, and since they do not break easily even if they hit a wall, they are recommended for practice. Many regular drones are sold for 100,000 yen or more. However, they are difficult to operate. If you are unfamiliar with it and hit it against a wall, it will be a pity if it breaks.” ──Is this a toy drone? It's very small and light. “Toy drones weigh less than 200g, so they are not subject to the Civil Aeronautics Act. Therefore, you can basically fly anywhere, such as your home garden or a friend's property. It's better to get permission first.Compared to normal drones, it doesn't hurt as much when it hits people, and it won't break easily even if it crashes into a wall.Depending on the model, there are sturdy propeller guards, It has an 'altitude hold function' that automatically keeps the flying height, so I think it's easy for beginners to use." ──Will it be possible to shoot video while flying? "You can also shoot videos, but the image quality is about the same as the old flip phone, so you can't enjoy the shots. Also, the whole image will be shaky. Rather than shooting and enjoying it... , it's better to focus on enjoying the drone flight." ──Can you fly outside? “You can fly it in your home garden or on a friend's property, but outside it is strongly affected by the wind. We recommend that you fly toy drones indoors, as they may get caught on trees."
"Sense of distance" and "law of inertia" important for drone operation
──I would like to know how to fly a toy drone. "When flying, just turn on the power and press the takeoff/landing button, and it will automatically surface. When you land, you can land with just this button, so it's pretty convenient for beginners." Models equipped with the "altitude hold function" will maintain the same altitude. All you have to do is move the sticks back and forth, left and right, so why not give it a try?” ? Be careful not to break it! "Even if it crashes into a wall, it won't break so easily, so don't worry. Besides, I think you'll get a better sense of it if you actually try it, rather than just listening to an explanation. (Give me the remote control.) Well then, let's levitate it first." ──Oh, the drone moves even if I don't operate it! ? "Yes, even the wind from the air conditioner can affect it, so even if you don't do anything, the aircraft will be drifting away. So, operate the front, back, left, and right sticks with subtle sensations, and be conscious of staying in a certain place. Stopping and floating in the air like this is called 'hovering', and it's an essential operation for piloting a drone."──If you can't hover, you can freely It means you can't fly. "That's right. I'd like to be able to freely turn the drone and fly it in circles, but if I can't control the drone properly, I won't be able to fly it voluntarily." is not it. But if you do it a few times, you'll get the hang of it! "You've gotten pretty good. Once you're comfortable with hovering, the next step is to fly forwards and backwards. First, hover, control the aircraft firmly, then let the drone go straight and stop near the wall. Easy. It may look like that, but I think this also requires practice until you get the hang of it.” ──Mr. Hayakawa! Even if you try to stop the drone, it will not stop! "Like a car, if you don't apply any force to a drone moving forward, it will continue to move. This is called the 'law of inertia.' First of all, it's important to get a feel for whether the drone will stop." ──Oh, this time it stopped quite short of the wall... “Another important point is to grasp the sense of distance between the drone and the obstacle. In our daily lives, humans rarely move something while being aware of the three-dimensional sense of distance. If so, it would be about ball games such as golf (laughs).Therefore, it is necessary to constantly try to grasp how far the drone is progressing, and to grasp the sense of distance from the wall.Once you can move back and forth, left and right Let's learn to master the movement of
What is "face-to-face flight" that most beginners stumble on! ?
──I'm getting used to flying forward, backward, left and right! Is turning the next step? "No, no, it's about two steps ahead, so don't rush (laughs). Before that, let's test whether you've mastered what you've learned so far. A chair about 10 meters away. Try moving the drone so that it can land on the platform.It has all the technology for hovering, forward/backward/left/right movement, and takeoff and landing.I'll show you a sample first." Way to go! You can do this at home, so it looks like it's going to be a good practice. "We teach the steps up to this point in a workshop lasting 1.5 to 2 hours. Most people improve quickly, but it's the next step that people tend to stumble on." Does that mean you need a difficult technique? "I think it's a little difficult intuitively. Until now, the drone was facing the same direction as you were facing, but the next step is 'face-to-face flight' where you and the drone fly facing each other. ── Isn't it the same as before, just with the drone pointing this way? "I think you'll understand when you actually try it. Try flying it with the drone facing you." "By turning the drone toward you, the front, back, left, and right of the remote control will be reversed. This is completely different from what you usually do, so almost everyone who experienced it was confused." what should i do? "It's just like riding a bicycle, so I think you just have to practice and get used to it. When I first started, I watched TV while hovering face-to-face, and when the battery ran out, I would replace the battery over and over again. However, if you become too accustomed to face-to-face flight, when you fly in a normal direction, the front, back, left, and right will be reversed in your mind, so you need to devise ways to fly normally, such as occasionally.” ─It looks like it will take some time to get used to, but if you master it, you will be able to fly more freely. “Once you master face-to-face flight, you will also be able to make turns. The reason why turning is a later step is that the front, back, left, and right of the drone will be reversed when you turn around. Once you get used to it, you will be able to control the drone even if it turns and the direction of the drone changes.”──I want to be able to pilot the drone as soon as possible! What can you do when you're good at it? "Then, let's pass over that curtain rail. When doing this kind of operation, the sense of distance I talked about earlier is also very important." There are so many ways you can have fun indoors! “You can play with the feeling of a radio control, so I hope you can feel free to experience it. There are also battle-type toy drones, so first you have fun and get used to the operation, and then challenge yourself with a full-fledged drone. Isn't it better?" [Profile] Shinpei Hayakawa, CEO of Drone Enterprise Co., Ltd. Engaged as a creator for more than 10 years in advertising production and PR support, and has been active since 2015 to provide new excitement with drones. We value "comfortable images" unique to creators, and specialize in PR fields such as corporate PVs, movies, TV, MVs, advertisements and events. All over Japan drone flight permission approval has been obtained from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism. [Photography cooperation] Drone Enterprise Co., Ltd. Address: 4F, 17-2 Nihonbashi Kabutocho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Phone number: 070-6462-1201