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12-Week Programme

The FPV Pilot Training Curriculum

Simulator Foundations → Ground School → Supervised Real Flight. A deliberate progression built so you never touch a real drone until your hands already know what to do — 24 sessions, roughly 48 contact hours.

Programme philosophy. FPV drones are flown in full manual (acro) mode — there is no GPS hold and no auto-level to save you. The only safe and affordable way to build these skills is on a simulator first. Students log 20+ simulator hours before ever arming a real drone, so by the time they fly, the crashes have already happened on screen.

PhaseWeeksFocusEquipment
1. Simulator Foundations1–5Stick skills in acro mode, zero riskFPV radio + PC simulator
2. Ground School6–8Regulations, hardware, safety, planningClassroom + demo hardware
3. Supervised Real Flight9–12Micro-drones indoors → open-field FPVWhoops, 5-inch quads, goggles

Sessions: 2 per week, 2 hours each (24 contact sessions, ~48 hours). Phase 3 is delivered jointly with our KCAA-approved training partner — their instructors and approvals cover all real flights.

New to all this? Start with our beginner's guide: How to become an FPV drone pilot in Kenya →

Phase 1 · Weeks 1–5

Simulator Foundations

Simulators used: Velocidrone or Liftoff (primary), Uncrashable FPV Simulator (drills). Radios: Radiomaster Pocket / TX16S connected by USB — the same radios used on real drones.

Week 1

Welcome to FPV

Lesson 1 — The FPV World
  • What FPV is: freestyle, racing, cinematic — and career paths in Kenya
  • Anatomy of a quad: frame, motors, ESCs, flight controller, camera, VTX, goggles
  • Safety culture: props, LiPos, people — the three things that bite
  • Simulator setup: radio calibration, rates, camera angle
Lesson 2 — First Hover (Angle Mode)
  • Throttle feel: holding altitude in a 3 m box
  • Yaw-spin orientation drills, gentle forward flight and stopping
  • Homework: 2 hours of hover practice (free sim: FPV Freerider demo)
Week 2

Into Acro Mode

Lesson 3 — Throttle Discipline
  • Why acro: rate mode explained, why pros never fly auto-level
  • Acro hover drills: constant micro-corrections; climbs and descents on throttle only
Lesson 4 — Pitch & Roll Coordination
  • Forward flight in acro, holding a line; the 'dishpan' drift-and-correct drill
  • Controlled crashes: chopping throttle when it goes wrong
Week 3

Turning & Flow

Lesson 5 — Coordinated Turns
  • Banked turns: roll + yaw + pitch together; figure-8s around two flags, both directions
  • Maintaining altitude through turns
Lesson 6 — Slaloms & Orbits
  • Slalom courses through trees/pylons; orbiting a point of interest (the money shot in cinematic FPV)
  • Speed control: flying slow is harder than flying fast
Week 4

Precision

Lesson 7 — Gates & Tight Lines
  • Race gates: entry lines, apex, exit; flying through windows and gaps at low speed
  • Landing on a pad from a hover, every time
Lesson 8 — Recovery Drills
  • Throttle-cut recoveries from level flight; regaining orientation ('when in doubt, level out, punch out')
  • Wind simulation drills
Week 5

Freestyle Basics & Assessment

Lesson 9 — Freestyle & Race Lines
  • Punch-outs and controlled dives (simulator only at this stage); Split-S, 180° reversals
  • Following a race line lap after lap: consistency over speed
Lesson 10 — Phase 1 Checkride
  • Sim assessment: hover box, figure-8, slalom, gate run, spot landing
  • Minimum standard: complete the course with fewer than 2 crashes; progress reports and Phase 2 briefing
Phase 2 · Weeks 6–8

Ground School

Week 6

Law & Airspace (Kenya)

Lesson 11 — KCAA UAS Regulations 2020
  • Drone categories, registration, and the Remote Pilot Licence (RPL) pathway
  • What DroneVerse certificates cover vs what requires KCAA licensing; insurance requirements
Lesson 12 — Airspace & Operating Rules
  • Controlled, restricted and prohibited airspace; airport zones (Wilson, JKIA)
  • Height limits (400 ft AGL), distance from people and property
  • The VLOS rule and why FPV requires a trained visual observer; requesting KCAA authorisations
Week 7

FPV Hardware Deep-Dive

Lesson 13 — The Powertrain & Electronics
  • Flight controllers and Betaflight basics; ESCs, motors and props (KV, pitch, sizing)
  • Radio links: ELRS/Crossfire, failsafe configuration
  • Video systems: analog vs digital (DJI/HDZero/Walksnail), antennas, frequencies and spectrum etiquette
Lesson 14 — LiPo Battery Safety
  • Chemistry, C-ratings, cell counts; charging, storage voltage, disposal
  • Fire safety: LiPo bags, charging areas, what to do when a pack puffs; field battery management
Week 8

Airmanship & Written Exam

Lesson 15 — Planning & Emergencies
  • Weather for drone pilots: wind, rain, density altitude basics
  • Site surveys and risk assessments; pre-flight checklists
  • Emergency procedures: failsafe, flyaway, video loss, injury response; basic maintenance and soldering demo
Lesson 16 — Ground School Exam
  • Written exam: regulations, safety, hardware (pass mark 80%)
  • Issue of Foundations certificates (for Foundations-only students, this is graduation)
Phase 3 · Weeks 9–12

Supervised Real Flight

All flights are conducted under the supervision and approvals of our KCAA-approved training partner. Student-to-instructor ratio 2:1. Every FPV flight has a dedicated trained visual observer.

Week 9

First Real Flights — Indoor Micros

Lesson 17 — Whoop Day
  • Arming, disarming and failsafe checks on real hardware (65 mm micro 'whoops')
  • Indoor hover and box patterns in the netted training area; battery swaps, prop checks, flight logging
Lesson 18 — Indoor Circuits
  • Slow laps through indoor gates in angle mode, then acro; precision landings and controlled proximity to obstacles
Week 10

Open Field

Lesson 19 — Line-of-Sight & First Outdoor FPV
  • LOS hover and circuits on a 3.5-inch quad; first goggle flight: high, slow, wide circuits with an observer
  • Radio/video range awareness and returning home
Lesson 20 — Outdoor Circuits
  • Figure-8s and orbits around field markers; flying in light wind; energy management
Week 11

Precision & Emergencies

Lesson 21 — Gates & Precision Outdoors
  • Gate runs and slaloms on the training course; simulated video-loss and failsafe drills (instructor-triggered)
Lesson 22 — Scenario Flying
  • Mock cinematic task: orbit + reveal + landing, planned and briefed by the student
  • Crew roles: pilot, observer, spotter communication
Week 12

Checkride & Graduation

Lesson 23 — Final Checkride
  • Flight assessment: hover, circuit, figure-8, gate run, precision landing, failsafe response
  • Oral exam: regulations and emergency knowledge
Lesson 24 — Graduation Project
  • Film a 30-second FPV cinematic line, review footage as a class
  • Certificates; next steps: RPL pathway with our KCAA-approved partner, DroneVerse crew opportunities

Ready to start Week 1?

Cohort 1 begins 20 October 2026 — only 8 seats. Enrolment closes 17 October 2026.

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