The Arizona STEM
Acceleration Project
Grades 4 - 8 UAVs/Drones
Forces, Flight, and Learning with UAVs: Lesson 2 of 4
Safety, Skills, and Better Flying
Forces, Flight, and Learning with UAVs
Getting the UAVs (Drones) Into the Air!:
Lesson 2 of 4
A 4th-8th Grade STEM Lesson
Rob Lynch
3.14.2023
Notes for Teachers
This set of 4 lessons in all will take students from how UAVs fly through how to fly them. Links to lessons are in the Speaker Notes below.
Ideally students will also take the TRUST license (link enclosed) to enhance their learning even more.
While students would prefer jumping into flying, the lessons are designed to build upon each other. Patience is encouraged.
List of Materials
Standards
Physical Science:
7.P3U1.4 Use non-algebraic mathematics and computational thinking to explain Newton’s laws of motion.
7.P3U1.3 Plan and carry out an investigation that can support an evidence-based explanation of how objects on Earth are affected by gravitational force.
Crosscutting Concepts:
Patterns; Cause and Effect; Scale, Proportion and Quantity; Systems and System Models; Energy and Matter; Structure and Function; Stability and Change
Core Idea for Using Science:
U1: Scientists explain phenomena using evidence obtained from observations and or scientific investigations. Evidence may lead to developing models and or theories to make sense of phenomena. As new evidence is discovered, models and theories can be revised.
Objective(s):
Today we will learn how to confirm the UAV is ready to fly and how to clear the flight area.
Today we will learn how to control the drone by learning basic controls from a controller or a computer.
Today we will be able to define how to take off and land using throttle control.
Today we will practice flying the drone forward and backwards using pitch control.
Today we will be able to define how to rotate the drone left and right using yaw control.
Today we will practice flying the drone left and right using pitch control.
Agenda
This lesson could take a few class periods if you decide to have students launch and fly their UAVs in addition to the class discussion and video watching.
First activity is reviewing the UAV safety guidelines.
Established by the FAA utilizing a CBO (Community-Based Organization) and their safety guidelines.
Reviewing basic safety guidelines and the myriad of acronyms that come with the guidelines.
There are a few videos to watch:
I will be placing each video link on a separate slide along with highlights broken down for each video.
Introduction
This lesson will help you to better understand how to safely and effectively fly your UAV/drone in a controlled fashion while also learning some skills that will make you a better recreational flyer.
We will start with a short discussion determining if the operator is prepared to fly the drone.
Then we will discuss how to create a safe space to operate the UAV/drone.
Lastly, we will be shown several videos that demonstrate how to get started or improve your existing skills while using a UAV/drone.
Hands-on Activity Instructions
Students should work together in pairs as the operator and the VLOS (Visual LIne Of Site) participant.
Students should take turns being the operator and the observer.
Students should practice successful take off and landings prior to moving on to more advanced skills.
An open space should be sought that will allow for a few mistakes before the UAV/drone has a chance to crash.
Using B4UFly app to check airspace restrictions prior to launching (if you are flying outdoors).
Understanding the difference between controlled and uncontrolled airspace.
Pre-flight Checklist FAA
Link to expansive rules/guidelines
Brief overview of the rules and guidelines:
A designated adult with several hours of flight time hours should be present for all flights.
The drone should be registered with the FAA.
Don’t fly the UAV/drone in a reckless manner.
Perform a complete precheck of the drone (this link should be clicked on to review all of the pre check items).
Give way immediately (or don’t launch) around manned aircraft.
Establish a reasonable safety area between operators and expected UAV/Drone flight area.
Know your airspace (which type of airspace you are about to launch into: controlled vs uncontrolled airspace).
Pilots must keep their UAV/drone in VLOS (Visual Line Of Site).
In the case of loss of signal or unplanned departure from flight, an emergency landing is the proper action to take.
10 Rookie mistakes you may be making - Video Link
Highlights:
:47 Takeoff procedure wrong
1:43 Flying beyond the safe ceiling
3:01 Where did my UAV/drone go?
3:45 How do I get home?
5:21 Did my drone hit a tree?
Skip ad
8:33 not updating software/firmware
9:19 What is a gimbal?
10:45 Gimbal speed set incorrectly
13:00 Panning too quickly
14:19 Photos blurry
15:38 Wrong SD Card get a U3 Micro SD card!
16:38 Why is my drone drifting
17:54 Bring extra battery(ies) and props
19:08 Outro
15 Drone Training Exercises To Learn How To Fly A Drone
0:00 Introduction
1:30 Hovering at eye level
2:01 Hover and Yaw
2:46 Target Practice
3:30 Flying in a square pattern with no yaw
4:01 Flying your drone in a circular pattern with no yaw
4:44 Out Back and Land
5:51 Square Pattern with Yaw
Warning: these next maneuvers are only to be attempted with permission and a skilled drone pilot working directly with you!
6:16 Flying at maximum altitude
6:52 Birds eye view or top down
7:37 The orbit effect
8:37 Triggering the Return To Home feature
9:12 The Dronie
9:28 Flying Close to Objects
10:17 Flying drone in tripod mode
11:23 Flying your drone without a GPS signal
13:00 Outro
15 Beginner Drone Maneuvers Video Link
1:09 Straight Flight
2:48 The vertical box
4:19 Climb and travel
5:55 Reverse Sensing
9:04 S Turn
10:05 Rectangular course
13:12 Rectangular course Rounded Corners
16:34 Vertical Triangle
18:34 Following a road or other man made path
From here on the emphasis is camera and drone working in synch and should be skipped for beginners.
21:26 Orbit
24:27 Reveal
26:26 Corkscrew
28:27 Zoom Reveal
29:43 Yaw and Reveal
30:37 Tracking Sideways
32:05 Pilot Institute Promo
Assessment
This lesson deals primarily with students actually flying the drones (perhaps for the first time under these conditions). Assessing their beginning abilities can be done by watching a particular segment of a training video then going outside (into a gym) to first practice then evaluate the skill.
You (and/or the students) could create a checklist for each skill detailing the skill to be learned and what the completion of that skill would look like.
I have my students create their own checklists, then I laminate them and put them on a clipboard with a dry erase marker on a string so they can read the skill expectations, and the VLOS participant can watch the maneuver then after the drone has landed, evaluate the skill with the checklist.
Additionally, the students and I read through the FAA drone flight rules and guidelines and created abbreviated checklists for both pre-flight and flight area. These are also laminated and attached to each container that holds a drone. This way they are easy to verify that all of the necessary steps have been done before students begin flying.
Differentiation
The intent behind having the students learn to fly drones is to have them learn skills and concepts while reinforcing your particular standard(s). Having multiple crashes and many close calls will be par for the course.
In an attempt to mitigate the cost of replacing drone pieces or entire drones a suggestion (although costly) would be to invest in a copy of RealFlight - RFL2000.
RealFlight Evolution RC Flight Simulator with InterLink DX Controller
This allows for students to practice on at a time throttling up a drone, and flying a drone all with the understanding that they can rest the drone at any time without any damage. Rewatching the videos paying attention to the stick controls would also be helpful.
Remediation
Extension/Enrichment
If you are able to get the flight simulator, your students can do some of the obstacle courses that are available in the map section. Then pressing the C key or the F key on the keyboard should allow you to cycle through the camera views until they find a view that lets them fly through the obstacles, (airborne rings) with a greater sense of where the drone is when they try to fly through the rings.
Citations
Slide 8 VLOS
VLOS, EVLOS and BVLOS – what is the difference? - FIXAR
B4UFly App
B4UFLY airspace awareness tool is now available via browser
Drone Preflight Checklist
(ChatGPT, personal communication, March 24, 2023)
Snell, Greg. “Use These 15 Drone Training Exercises to Learn How to Fly a Drone.” YouTube, YouTube, 22 Mar. 2021, Use These 15 Drone Training Exercises to Learn How to Fly a Drone.
Miller, Carson. “10+ Rookie Drone Mistakes You May Be Making Right Now + How to Prevent Them!” YouTube, YouTube, 19 May 2021, 10+ Rookie Drone Mistakes You May Be Making RIGHT NOW + How To Prevent Them!
15 Drone Maneuvers with stick controls
Reverdiau, Greg. “15 Beginner Drone Maneuvers (Sharpen Your Skills).” YouTube, YouTube, 20 Oct. 2021, 15 Beginner Drone Maneuvers (Sharpen Your Skills).
Simplified STEAM Standards
Used with permission from droneBlocks.
Universal Standards & Skill Development Guide
SCIENCE
Understand that force acts on an object and includes strength and direction, causing the object to move.
Objects that appear to not be moving have multiple forces compiling to create zero force on the object.
The motion of an object can be observed and measured.
Synthesize information from a variety of sources to support ...understanding/testing Evaluate solutions, taking into consideration safety, reliability and impact.
Observe, question, collect and evaluate data.
Universal Standards & Skill Development Guide
TECHNOLOGY
Technology can be created and improved by the interconnection of Science, Mathematics, and Engineering.
Utilize a variety of technology and resources to better understand concepts and solve problems.
Develop comprehension of the logic and syntax that goes into building or coding a program through engaging in and elaborating upon activities.
Simulate solutions to real-world problems using models and/or computer simulation. Program variables that represent quantities in mathematical problems.
Write conditional expressions to create program logic using if-else statements.
Universal Standards & Skill Development Guide
Improve and optimize results by identifying errors and using mathematics and technology to redesign and solve problems.
Evaluate, use prior knowledge such as scientific processes and real-world problems, and troubleshoot to develop a solution.
Discuss, explain, and collaborate to improve a product through iteration.
Design a device that converts one form of energy into another by building, testing, and refining. Determine the best solution to accomplish a given challenge.
Plan and carry out investigations...gain feedback through design process (design solutions)….construct arguments that provide a convincing explanation of solutions created through programming.
Engineering
Universal Standards & Skill Development Guide
ART
Make, design, and create using a variety of materials to develop a concept or learning experience. Brainstorm ideas through modeling and sketching.
Compile works of art to relate knowledge.
Universal Standards & Skill Development Guide
MATHEMATICS
Measure distances, width, length and speed to gain data for interpretation and refining engineering and design.
Integrate data analysis to collaborate and gain feedback.
Solve mathematical problems with numbers in any form, strategically using applicable tools.
Determine the probability of events and compare data from observed models. Explore and evaluate possible reasoning for discrepancies between models.
Observe an object’s motion, providing data and evidence to evaluate and predict future motion.
Develop and expand knowledge of geometry, understanding the concepts of measuring angles, and geometric constructions.
Understand how variables can be used to represent quantities in a real-world or mathematical problems.
Additional Content
How do Newton's three laws relate to a drone flying?
Newton's three laws of motion are fundamental principles of physics that describe how objects move and interact with each other. These laws have a direct relationship to the flight of a drone and can help explain the physics behind its motion.
In the context of a drone, this law explains why the drone remains in the air when it is not being controlled or affected by any external forces. Once the drone is set in motion by the propellers, it will continue to fly forward until it is acted upon by another force, such as a change in wind direction or a command from the controller to change its flight path.
Additional Content
In the context of a drone, this law explains how the drone is able to change its speed and direction when it is being controlled by the user. By adjusting the amount of force applied to the propellers, the drone can accelerate, decelerate, or change direction. The mass of the drone also affects its acceleration - a lighter drone will be able to accelerate more quickly than a heavier one, given the same amount of force.
Additional Content
In the context of a drone, this law explains how the propellers generate lift and keep the drone in the air. As the propellers spin, they push air downward, creating an equal and opposite reaction that propels the drone upward. This lift force must be greater than the force of gravity pulling the drone down in order for it to remain in the air.
Overall, Newton's laws of motion help explain the fundamental principles of flight for a drone, including how it remains in the air, how it changes direction and speed, and how lift is generated to keep it aloft. By understanding these laws, drone pilots and enthusiasts can gain a deeper appreciation for the physics behind the technology and become better pilots as a result. (ChatGPT, personal communication, March 24, 2023)