© Fabio Tischler
Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to fly? Whilst FPV drones are the best way to experience and immerse yourself in the freedom of flight, they are certainly no easy feat to master. We sat down with Australian-based FPV drone pilot, Fabio Tischler, who has cemented himself as one of the best in his field. He explains why he opts for FPV over regular drones, practicing with simulations, and where to start with your first drone.
From the 9-5 grind, to traveling around the world for work, Fabio Tischler says pursuing an interest in FPV is the best thing he could have done for his career. After losing his job in finance during COVID, what started as a side hustle with a regular DJI Phantom 4K, soon turned into an FPV journey backed by a huge community of fans. Fabio’s Instagram account alone now boasts over 200,000 followers and counting.
Just a couple of months into his journey, Fabio had brands like GoPro and RedBull knocking on his door and went on to win the GoPro HERO11 Million Dollar Challenge. Fabio says this further cemented his decision to turn his passion for FPV flight into a career.
“Being one of the winners felt like a big high five from the universe. They have really supported me since day one, and I’ve since traveled for the GoPro Creator Summit to shoot in Switzerland, winning four awards for my content. This was another huge mental check for me that I was on the right track, connecting with all these amazing, like minded people.”
After hearing Fabio’s success story, you may be thinking, where do I sign up? We pick his brains on all things FPV, from tips and tricks when starting out, to important considerations when you’re ready to jump into content creation.
WHY OPT FOR FPV OVER REGULAR DRONES
When deciding whether to invest, it’s important to understand what separates FPV or “First Person View” drones from regular drones, namely, the ability to fly with goggles for a more immersive experience. You can see exactly what the drone camera can see, rather than through a phone or remote control screen which can cause a sense of disconnect for many pilots.
For Fabio, this was the main draw to FPV. “You’re really becoming one with the drone. Sometimes I don’t even realise what’s around me anymore, I disconnect from the real world like someone’s plugged me into the matrix,” he laughs. “It’s the ultimate feeling, you can be completely in your creative zone, eliminating any distractions from the outside world.”
With a racing background, FPV drones afford pilots unmatched speeds and flight capabilities in Acro Mode that regular drones in Horizon Mode can’t physically do. “I have full manual control with FPV, I can fly upside down, sideways, do rolls and loops, all of this is what makes the content look so cool” says Fabio. “Not to mention the speed, these things can go over 130 km/h, whereas a regular drone might push 60km/h – it’s insanely fast.”
Finally, Fabio suggests FPV may be for you if you’re feeling a little stuck as a creator, as a way to level up your content. “We all go through creative blocks sometimes, and picking this up may fulfill you in a new way as it is quite unique. It’s a feeling that’s hard to describe until you try it yourself.”
DON’T BUILD YOUR FIRST DRONE
When starting out with FPV, you may be tempted to build your own drone, with the ability to customise everything from frames, controllers, transmitters and receivers, to motors, batteries and propellers.
However, Fabio holds an unpopular opinion, that is – don’t build your first drone.
“Whilst you don’t have to be an engineer to build a drone, you need to have some sort of knowledge. It won’t be easy at first, and you will spend a lot of time building it, only to crash it over and over in the beginning,” he says. “In my opinion, you can lose motivation to learn quite quickly, as it will no doubt be disappointing to see the time you have invested destroyed in seconds.”
Instead, Fabio recommends starting with a BNF Drone which stands for ‘Bind and Fly’. It’s as simple as plugging your battery in and taking off, which can save you a lot of time, whilst hitting those flight milestones quicker. “Ultimately you need to get that dopamine hit, you need to see results in order to stay consistent with it and I think this is easiest to achieve with something like the iFlight Nazgul Evoque.”
MAKE SURE TO ESCAPE THE SIMULATION
Whilst a regular drone in Horizon Mode can self-level and stabilize in strong winds and gusts, the thrill for FPV pilots is to fly in Acro Mode for full control of flips and rolls. Naturally, this makes crashing unavoidable for beginners, and mastering this can be very time intensive.
Fabio encourages those starting out to practice on a computer simulator beforehand to understand the physics of FPV flight. “There’s one simulator I’ve been using from day one called VelociDrone. It’s a $30 download software that you can hook up your FPV controller – I actually started with a PlayStation controller. It mirrors very similar physics to the real world, so it allows you to practice beyond hovering a normal drone.”
In saying this, Fabio cautions against spending too much time in a simulator, as it can actually hinder your progress. “Flying a simulator is like gambling with fake money,” he says.
“You take risks that you wouldn’t usually take outdoors, because you know you can crash as many times as you want in the simulator. In the real world, you want to limit crashing so you have to hone those skills with real practice.”
Interested in learning more? Click HERE to read Part II.
Fabio Tischler
FPV Drone Pilot
Fabio Tischler is an Australian-based German content creator and FPV pilot with an impressive portfolio of work, including collaborations with renowned brands such as GoPro, Red Bull, Toyota, and many others.
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