Basic Forces of Flight

Every drone, like any flying machine, is subject to four main forces:

Lift: The upward force created by the drone’s propellers. Lift must overcome the drone’s weight to achieve flight.
Weight (Gravity): The force pulling the drone down towards the ground.
Thrust: The forward (or backward) force generated by the drone’s motors and propellers, which allows it to move in a specific direction.
Drag: The resistance the drone faces as it moves through the air. The faster you fly, the more drag you’ll encounter.

Balance of Forces:

In steady flight (hovering), lift and weight balance out, meaning your drone stays at a constant altitude.
To ascend, lift must exceed weight. To descend, weight must exceed lift.
Thrust overcomes drag to move forward. More thrust results in faster forward flight, but drag increases as speed increases.

Example:

When flying in GPS Mode, the drone automatically adjusts lift and thrust to maintain position. However, in manual modes, you’ll need to control these forces yourself to maintain stable flight.