Soccer Drone Figure-Eight Flight Path: Beginner’s Practical Guide
After mastering the rectangular flight path, soccer drone beginners will advance to practicing the figure-eight flight path—but the most common mistake is obvious: many people always fly the figure-eight into a messy S-shape, or the arcs on both sides are asymmetric, the curves are jittery, or the rhythm is uneven. In fact, the figure-eight flight path is not just “flying two circles”, but focusing on continuity, smoothness and symmetry. In this lesson, we will break down the core goals, step-by-step practice methods and common mistakes of the figure-eight flight path, helping you fly a standard, stable figure-eight trajectory and lay the foundation for competitive movements.
The figure-eight flight path is an advanced extension of the rectangular flight path, focusing on improving beginners’ continuous curve control ability, symmetry control of left and right arcs, and stability of rhythm and height. It is also the foundation for all competitive movements such as pole绕, goal entry and breakthrough. This lesson will clarify the key points of each practice step, correct frequent mistakes, and let you easily master the skills of figure-eight flight.
1. Clarify the Goal of the Figure-Eight Flight Path: Draw a Continuous, Smooth and Symmetric Trajectory
The coach explains to the students: A figure-eight flight path is composed of two arcs, and the goal is to fly a continuous, smooth and non-jittery trajectory. Unlike the angular corners of the rectangular flight path, the figure-eight requires smooth transitions between curves without obvious pauses or jitters.
The figure-eight training improves three key abilities:
- Continuous curve control ability (smooth transition between left and right arcs)
- Consistency of arcs on the left and right sides (same size and smoothness)
- Stability of rhythm and height (uniform speed and consistent height throughout the flight)
Tell the students: The figure-eight flight path is the foundation for all pole绕, goal entry and breakthrough movements. Mastering it solidly can greatly improve your competitive operation level.
2. Place Two Poles to Let Students See the Complete Structure of the Figure-Eight Path
Place two poles on the ground, about 80 centimeters apart. The poles serve as visual references to help students understand the trajectory structure of the figure-eight.
The coach explains:
- Left circle + Right circle = One complete figure-eight
- The poles are the approximate centers of the two arcs
- When flying, you need to circle close to the poles to make the trajectory compact and stable
Emphasize to the students: You must first “understand the path structure” before you can fly the correct figure-eight. Flying without a clear reference will easily lead to messy trajectories.
3. Take Off in Tail-In Orientation and Stabilize the Drone at Knee Height
Consistent with the previous lessons, the basic requirements for takeoff and stabilization are unchanged, but more emphasis is placed on the coordination of both hands:
- After takeoff, hover steadily first, without any movement
- Maintain the height around the knee, with no fluctuations allowed
- The tail of the drone always faces yourself throughout the flight
Let the students understand: Flying straight depends on the right hand’s control, while flying a figure-eight relies on the “coordination of both hands”—the right hand controls the curve trajectory, and the left hand stabilizes the height and rhythm.
4. First Practice “Clockwise Pole Circling” to Train Small Radius and Arc Stability
Start with a single pole (either the left or right pole is acceptable) to focus on training the stability of small-radius circling, which is the basis for flying a compact figure-eight.
The coach demonstrates:
- Circle the pole clockwise, keeping the tail-in orientation unchanged
- The arc must be round; do not turn it into a square corner (avoid the habit formed in rectangular flight)
- The radius should be as small as possible, but still controllable (do not be too large to avoid messy trajectories)
- Use small, continuous pushes with the right joystick; do not push sharply or pause
- The left hand stabilizes the height, with no fluctuations allowed during circling
Tell the students: The more stable the small-radius circling is, the easier it will be to fly the figure-eight. Practice this step repeatedly until you can circle stably without jitter or deviation.
5. Practice “Counterclockwise Pole Circling” to Adapt to Reverse Curves
Continue to circle the same pole, switching to counterclockwise direction. This step is crucial to ensure that the left and right arcs of the figure-eight are symmetric.
The goals are:
- The size of the arcs in clockwise and counterclockwise directions is consistent
- The flight rhythm is consistent (same speed, no sudden acceleration or deceleration)
- The flight height is consistent (no fluctuations when switching directions)
Emphasize: This is the most important step before starting the figure-eight practice. If you cannot circle stably in one direction, the figure-eight trajectory will definitely be messy and asymmetric.
6. Officially Start the Figure-Eight Flight Path: Continuously Circle Left and Right Circles to Form an ∞ Trajectory
At this point, students have mastered two core abilities:
- ✔ Small-radius circling ability
- ✔ Control ability in clockwise and counterclockwise directions
The coach asks students to start the official figure-eight practice:
- Start with the left circle (or right circle, consistent for all practices)
- Continuously switch to the right circle after completing the left circle (smooth transition, no pause)
- Switch back to the left circle after the right circle, forming a continuous ∞ trajectory
- Continuous movements, stable rhythm (no sudden speed changes)
- Maintain the same size of the two circles (symmetric left and right)
- Maintain stable height and no drift throughout the flight
Note: No commands or pauses are needed. Let students naturally form a “continuous flight logic” and get used to the smooth transition between left and right arcs.
7. Students Take Turns Flying, and the Coach Targets Common Mistakes for Correction
Students take turns performing real-drone figure-eight flights, and the coach patrols the scene to correct common mistakes in a targeted manner with concise commands. The key correction points are as follows:
- Circles are too large → Command correction: “Circle close to the pole, small radius!”
- Left and right arcs are asymmetric → Command correction: “The two circles must be the same size!”
- Jittery curves → Command correction: “Small movements, do not push the joystick sharply!”
- Uneven speed (too fast or too slow) → Command correction: “Stable rhythm, do not rush!”
- Flying into an S-shape instead of a figure-eight → Command correction: “Arcs must close into circles!”
- Fluctuating height → Command correction: “Stabilize with the left hand, keep the drone flying along the trajectory!”
The coach continuously emphasizes two key words to the students: Round + Continuous — these are the core of a standard figure-eight flight path.
8. Students Perform “Empty Remote Control Simulation” to Strengthen the Trajectory Sense in the Brain
To further consolidate the flight rhythm and trajectory sense, the coach leads students to perform empty remote control simulation operations (no power on, only joystick movements):
- Simulate left arc (small continuous pushes with the right joystick)
- Switch to right arc smoothly (continuous joystick adjustment, no pause)
- Switch back to left arc to form a continuous figure-eight movement
The purpose of the simulation is to let students form a “rhythm model” in their brains. When flying the real drone, their movements will be more smooth and stable, and they will not easily get flustered.
9. Summarize the Course and Explain That the Next Lesson Will Enter Formal Goal Entry Training
After the lesson, the coach summarizes the core content of this lesson to the students:
Through the figure-eight flight path practice, you have mastered three key abilities: continuous trajectory control, arc stability and flight rhythm. These abilities are crucial for subsequent competitive movements.
At the same time, inform the students: The next lesson will start “straight-line goal entry training”, which is the core scoring movement in competitions. Mastering the figure-eight flight path well will make it easier to control the drone’s trajectory when entering the goal and improve the success rate of scoring.
