An FPV (First-Person View) drone is a small, fast, remotely piloted aircraft that transmits live video from an onboard camera directly to the pilot, allowing them to fly as if they were inside the drone. Unlike camera drones designed for stabilized aerial photography, FPV drones prioritize manual control, low latency, and agility, making them popular for racing, freestyle flying, and increasingly for research and engineering applications. FPV flight traces its origins to the early 2000s, when hobbyists began mounting analog cameras and video transmitters onto RC aircraft to achieve real-time video feedback. The field expanded rapidly in the 2010s as lightweight electronics, LiPo batteries, open-source flight controllers, and affordable 5.8 GHz video systems became widely available, transforming FPV drones into a mature ecosystem driven by maker communities, competitive racing, and technological experimentation.

Assembling an FPV drone begins with mounting the frame and securing core components like the flight controller, ESC, and motors, ensuring that wiring paths are clean and unobstructed. Most electronic connections are made through soldering, which involves carefully tinning pads, attaching motor wires to ESC pads, and connecting the battery lead and power distribution lines. Signal wires for the receiver, camera, and video transmitter are soldered or plugged into the flight controller according to its pinout, with heat-shrink tubing and electrical tape used to insulate exposed connections. Once the electronics are installed, components are soft-mounted with rubber spacers or foam to minimize vibration, and firmware such as Betaflight is flashed to the flight controller before calibration and testing. The final steps include attaching the propellers, checking motor direction, and performing a safety test to confirm all systems function correctly before the first flight.

Before flying a newly built FPV drone, most pilots practice on FPV simulators, which accurately replicate real-world flight physics and controls. These programs let you connect your actual radio transmitter to a computer and build muscle memory for throttle control, orientation, and recovery techniques in a risk-free environment. Simulators are especially valuable for beginners learning acro (manual) mode, since crashes in software cost nothing and help shorten the learning curve dramatically. They also allow pilots to experiment with tuning, weather conditions, and track layouts, making them useful even for experienced flyers who want to refine maneuvers or prepare for racing. By investing time in a simulator before the first real flight, pilots greatly reduce the chance of damaging equipment and build confidence for transitioning to actual outdoor flying.

When I flew the drone for the first time, I couldn’t have picked a worse spot: right next to the water. It was the only open area I knew where I had enough space to practice, so I went for it. I started it up and, after a few short flights, I felt like I was getting the hang of it. Confidence kicked in, I got more aggressive with my maneuvers—and suddenly the drone spun out and plunged straight into the water. I searched for it as long as I could, but in 40-degree weather I eventually had to give up and head home, planning to return when I was better prepared.

A few days later, I went back with a metal detector, plus a video frame we had captured of the splash to help pinpoint the crash site. With guidance over walkie-talkie, I swept the area until the detector beeped. I reached down, felt something solid, and pulled the drone from the water—I couldn’t believe it.

Back home, I started testing the damage. Aside from the shrimp and tiny crabs that had apparently moved in, most of the components had survived five days underwater. The problem was one of the motor's screws were not tight enough and it broke off. Only the flight controller, ESC stack, and battery were unusable; the motors, camera, video transmitter, and radio receiver were all still fully functional. I swapped out the dead parts, reassembled everything, and the drone was flying again shortly after.

I soon upgraded to  iNav to begin adding autonomous capabilities, incorporating a GPS module and additional sensors so the drone could maintain position, return to home, and follow basic waypoint routes. This marked a shift from purely manual FPV flight to a more robotics-focused platform, where the flight controller handled navigation tasks and stability while I explored higher-level autonomy and data-driven decision-making.