Learn to Fly the Next Horizon in Aviation - Fixed Wing Drones!
Drones are in many ways no different than full-scale aircraft, including the differences in how to fly rotorcraft versus fixed wing aircraft. When you fly full-scale, you have to pick a "track" to learn to fly- fixed wing or rotary. This is because the skill sets aren't exactly the same.
Interestingly enough though, the skill sets between fixed wing full-scale airplanes and fixed wing drones are very similar in many ways- most people just don't know it or know how to fly fixed wing drones!
We are at a super exciting turning point in the Aviation and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) industry, as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) formalizes rules for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) (flying past what the unaided eye can see) so the Amazon’s, Walmart’s/Flytrex’s, Zipline’s, etc., of the world can start logistics flights (AKA delivery!) with drones.
When we ask people what they think of when they hear the word “drones”, they automatically think of quadcopters. Little emphasis has been given to fixed wing iterations of drones- or how to actually fly them.
This is why we're so excited to be bringing you the first-of-its-kind Fixed Wing Drone Ground School- so you can learn all the tactics, tradecraft, and technique to fly smart, safely, and have fun doing it too!
Your Fixed Wing Drone Pilot Skills Await Your Future Successes!
This course is designed to provide you with the insights on the necessary flight concepts for flying fixed wing drones.
Unlike rotorcraft with their current “hover” technology, fixed wing aircraft require much more precision flight and understanding of aerodynamics and flight principles.
Therefore, this course focuses on the necessary and critical details for successful fixed wing flight, adapted from concepts for fixed wing manned aviation principles, fixed wing RC flight concepts, and our experience at Xelevate's Unmanned Systems Center of Excellence in instructing others on how to learn to fly drones and RC airplanes. Such concepts include but are not limited to how to fly in straight level flight, what is a pitch, roll, stalls; efficiency in battery usage in fixed wing operations, and beyond. So buckle up for a fun ride!
It’s also important to note that this course will provide videos and images of flight in action, so you'll be able to easily learn how each different movement affects the maneuverability of a fixed wing drone.
By taking this course, you will be able to understand all the fundamental concepts necessary to fly a fixed wing drone and becoming the incredible drone pilot you always dreamed you could be!
You will also be setting yourself apart from everyone else with this invaluable skill set, making yourself more marketable and knowledgeable!
Filled with Videos, Visuals & Useful Resources
“I liked having assistance and the patience there was with us. The wealth of knowledge and experience and resources provided for further study and practice was great too.”
-Course Attendee
Be Immersed in the Experience
“Staff went out of their way to make us feel at home and welcome and make it a positive experience for us.“
-Course Attendee
Safety & Professionalism First Always
"We are also impressed with what appears to be a genuine interest in safety, and the culture of regulatory compliance. It was a professional and open setting!”
-Federal Government Employee
Fun, Factual, and Filled with Fixed Wing Flight featuring Aerobatic Champion Rob Holland!
In this course you will also get to see Aerobatic Champion Rob Holland learning how to fly a fixed wing drone and some of his super cool craft in his full scale incredible fixed wing aerobatics!
Rob's incredible full-scale aviation accomplishments include:
- Ten-time, consecutive, U.S. National Aerobatic Champion*
- Five-time, consecutive, World 4-minute Freestyle Champion*
- Eleven-time, U.S. 4-minute Freestyle Champion*
- 2015 World Air Games Freestyle Gold Medalist
- 2012 Art Scholl Award for Showmanship Recipient
- 2008 World Advanced Aerobatic Champion
- Eight-time U.S. Aerobatic Team Member
- 28 Medals in International Competition (14 Gold)
To demonstrate concepts, we'll use a series of videos, including fixed wing drones, even including a model MXS drone!
While we'll be flying a fixed wing model MXS drone in this course, we'll even show you videos of Rob in his full scale MXS-RH to demonstrate how similar the concepts are between fixed wing flight and full scale flight!
Rob continually pushes the envelope in flight maneuvers, including his incredible tumble- you'll get to see this and many other amazing aerobatic maneuvers not only in Rob's aircraft, but executed by Rob and Xelevate on fixed wing drones!
Course Curriculum - Chock Full of What You Need To Know and Nothing You Don't
- Intro to section: A look at the basic parts of an RC Remote control (1:29)
- RC Remote Control- Throttle: The Power Plant's Sidekick (3:35)
- RC Remote Control- Rudder: Yaw is Your Friend (2:26)
- RC Remote Control- Ailerons: Why Banking is More than Money (3:04)
- RC Remote Control- Elevator: How High and Low Can You Go? (3:07)
- Let's Get Flying!: Applying Aerodynamics To Fly (0:58)
- Straight and Level Flight: Your Straight Up First Level Flight Skill (3:47)
- Climbing & Descending: How to Get Down with Soaring These New Skills (9:45)
- Performing Turns: How to Turn Up These Skills (6:19)
- Keeping Control of Your Transmitter Controls to Avoid Stalling (8:31)
- How to Take Off with a Traditional Fixed Wing vs. VTOL Fixed Wing/Rotorcraft (5:54)
- How to Taxi a Traditional Fixed Wing Drone (3:32)
- How to Take Off a Traditional Fixed Wing Drone (5:15)
- How to Land a Traditional Fixed Wing Drone Straight On Approach (4:38)
- How to Land a Traditional Fixed Wing Drone Pattern Style (9:10)
- Notes of Encouragement for Landing- One of the Most Difficult Maneuvers to Accomplish in this Course! (2:24)
- BONUS! Checklists: Your Key to Maximizing Safe Flights (1:03)
- Intro to Smartly Identifying the Right Flight Environment Needed for Traditional Fixed Wing Drones Operations
- Factors to Assess and Determine an Acceptable Location for Flight Operations (3:45)
- Weather Factors to Be Cognizant of for Best (and Worst) Flight Operations (5:58)
- The Wind Beneath Your Wings: Tips to Find Out Wind Direction (3:29)
- Tying Factors Together to Determine if an Operation is Safe to Fly (2:04)
Ground School Concepts Relayed in a Fun and Relatable Way!
Why learn about ground school concepts or anything ever again without a cool wow factor that makes it fun?
This course gives you the skills to fly, but also shows you how even full scale aviation royalty 28 international medals and aerobatic champion Rob Holland learn to fly drones just like anyone else!
Plus you get to see:
- A Transcript for every module, with videos too!
- Videos that demonstrate flight principles so you can practice them too!
- Bonus modules with takeaway checklists, information, and next steps to get you set on your flying career!
- Additional flight videos with the remote control movements directly related to how the drone reacts to the movements
- All the footage from Rob learning how to fly a fixed wing drone!
- Full-scale footage of Rob Holland in his incredible aerobatic craft for even more inspiration- you'll get to see why he's the reigning 11-time consecutive aerobatic US national champion!
- Footage of Xelevate pilots flying aerobatics with drones to show you it's very possible to build the skills to becoming a proficient fixed wing drone pilot that wows everyone with your newfound craft!
- A blooper reel! (What course is really fun without one?!)