After mastering the rectangular flight path, soccer drone beginners will move on to practicing the figure-eight flight path—but a common mistake stands out: many new pilots accidentally turn the figure-eight into a messy S-shape, with asymmetric arcs on both sides, jittery curves, or inconsistent rhythm. In truth, the figure-eight flight path is not just about “flying two connected circles”; its core lies in continuity, smoothness, and symmetry. In this lesson, we will break down the key objectives, step-by-step practice methods, and common errors of the figure-eight flight path, helping you fly a standard, stable figure-eight trajectory and lay the groundwork for competitive maneuvers.
The figure-eight flight path is an advanced extension of the rectangular flight path, focusing on enhancing beginners’ ability to control continuous curves, maintain symmetry between left and right arcs, and keep a steady rhythm and altitude. It also serves as the foundation for all competitive moves, such as pole circling, goal entry, and breakthroughs. This lesson will clarify the key points of each practice step, correct frequent mistakes, and help you master figure-eight flight skills with ease.
1. Define the Goal: Fly a Continuous, Smooth, and Symmetric Trajectory
Coaches should explain to students: A figure-eight flight path consists of two connected arcs, and the goal is to fly a continuous, smooth trajectory with no jitters. Unlike the sharp corners of the rectangular flight path, the figure-eight requires seamless transitions between curves—no obvious pauses or shakes are allowed.
Figure-eight training hones three core abilities:
Ability to control continuous curves (smooth transitions between left and right arcs)
Symmetry of left and right arcs (consistent size and smoothness)
Stability of rhythm and altitude (uniform speed and consistent height throughout the flight)
Tell students: The figure-eight flight path is the foundation for all pole circling, goal entry, and breakthrough movements. Mastering it solidly will significantly improve your competitive operation skills.
2. Set Up Two Poles to Visualize the Figure-Eight Structure
Place two poles on the ground, approximately 80 centimeters apart. These poles act as visual references to help students understand the structure of the figure-eight trajectory.
Coaches should explain:
One complete figure-eight is made up of a left arc and a right arc.
The poles serve as the approximate centers of the two arcs.
When flying, circle close to the poles to keep the trajectory compact and stable.
Emphasize to students: You must first “understand the trajectory structure” to fly a correct figure-eight. Flying without clear references will easily result in messy paths.
3. Take Off in Tail-In Orientation and Stabilize at Knee Height
Consistent with previous lessons, the basic requirements for takeoff and stabilization remain the same, but more emphasis is placed on hand coordination:
After takeoff, hover steadily without any movement.
Maintain a height around knee level—no fluctuations are allowed.
The drone’s tail must face you throughout the flight.
Help students understand: Straight flight relies on right-hand control, while figure-eight flight depends on “coordination of both hands”—the right hand controls the curved trajectory, and the left hand stabilizes height and rhythm.
4. Practice Clockwise Pole Circling to Train Small-Radius Arc Stability
Start with a single pole (either left or right) to focus on training the stability of small-radius circling, which is the basis for flying a compact figure-eight.
Coaches demonstrate:
Circle the pole clockwise while keeping the tail-in orientation unchanged.
The arc must be round—avoid sharp corners (to break the habit formed during rectangular flight practice).
Keep the radius as small as possible while maintaining control (avoid overly large arcs that lead to messy trajectories).
Use small, continuous pushes on the right joystick—do not push sharply or pause.
Use the left hand to stabilize height—no fluctuations are allowed during circling.
Tell students: The more stable your small-radius circling is, the easier it will be to fly the figure-eight. Practice this step repeatedly until you can circle stably without jitters or deviations.
5. Practice Counterclockwise Pole Circling to Adapt to Reverse Curves
Continue circling the same pole, switching to a counterclockwise direction. This step is critical to ensuring symmetry between the left and right arcs of the figure-eight.
Key goals for this step:
Consistent arc size between clockwise and counterclockwise directions.
Consistent flight rhythm (same speed, no sudden acceleration or deceleration).
Consistent flight height (no fluctuations when switching directions).
Emphasize: This is the most important step before starting figure-eight practice. If you cannot circle stably in both directions, the figure-eight trajectory will inevitably be messy and asymmetric.
6. Official Figure-Eight Practice: Connect Left and Right Circles into a Continuous ∞ Trajectory
At this point, students should have mastered two core abilities:
Coaches ask students to start official figure-eight practice:
Begin with the left circle (or right circle—keep it consistent for all practice sessions).
Smoothly switch to the right circle after completing the left circle (no pauses between transitions).
Switch back to the left circle after the right circle to form a continuous ∞ trajectory.
Maintain continuous movements and a steady rhythm (no sudden speed changes).
Keep the two circles the same size (left-right symmetry).
Maintain stable height and no drift throughout the flight.
Note: No commands or pauses are needed. Let students naturally develop a “continuous flight logic” and get used to seamless transitions between left and right arcs.
7. Individual Practice with Targeted Mistake Correction
Students take turns flying the figure-eight with a real drone, while the coach patrols to correct common mistakes using concise commands. Key correction points include:
Overly large circles → Command: “Circle closer to the pole—smaller radius!”
Asymmetric left and right arcs → Command: “Both circles must be the same size!”
Jittery curves → Command: “Small, smooth joystick movements—no sharp pushes!”
Uneven speed → Command: “Steady rhythm—don’t rush!”
Flying an S-shape instead of a figure-eight → Command: “Close the arcs into full circles!”
Height fluctuations → Command: “Stabilize with your left hand—stay on trajectory!”
Coaches should continuously emphasize two key words to students: Round + Continuous — these are the core of a standard figure-eight flight path.
8. Empty Remote Control Simulation to Strengthen Trajectory Awareness
To further consolidate flight rhythm and trajectory awareness, coaches lead students in empty remote control simulation (no power on—only joystick movements):
Simulate a left arc (small, continuous pushes on the right joystick).
Smoothly switch to a right arc (continuous joystick adjustments, no pauses).
Switch back to a left arc to form a continuous figure-eight movement.
The purpose of the simulation is to help students build a “rhythm model” in their minds. When flying a real drone, their movements will be smoother and more stable, and they will be less likely to panic.
9. Lesson Summary and Preview: Next Up — Formal Goal Entry Training
After the lesson, coaches summarize the core content for students:
Through figure-eight flight practice, you have mastered three key abilities: continuous trajectory control, arc stability, and flight rhythm. These skills are critical for subsequent competitive movements.
At the same time, inform students: The next lesson will start “straight-line goal entry training”—a core scoring movement in competitions. Mastering the figure-eight flight path well will make it easier to control the drone’s trajectory during goal entry and improve the success rate of scoring.
