Last Updated on February 4, 2022 by Markeyus Franks
The most common reason a drone flies sideways is because the propellers are not properly installed or are damaged in some way. This will cause an imbalance and force the drone to fly sideways.
Some drone pilots experience their drone flying sideways. Why is this? why does your drone fly sideways when you’re trying to fly it straight? Typically, your drone will fly sideways because:
- You’re an inexperienced pilot and don’t know how to properly fly
- Your propellers are improperly installed or damaged.
- GPS Module/ added accessories could be mounted in the wrong area causing an imbalance.
- You have a bad motor
- Bad weather
- Throttle on the controller is malfunctioning
Over the last decade, more and more people have purchased drones for recreational and commercial purposes. Drones are literally being flown all over the place, but just like learning something new, there may be a small learning curve when it comes to learning how to pilot your drone.
1. Inexperienced Pilot
The first reason why your drone would fly sideways is that you don’t know how to properly fly it. Drones nowadays are fairly easy to fly, but there’s still a learning process when it comes to getting used to flying an unmanned vehicle. Many beginners will fall into this realm, where they may experience their drone flying sideways or flying somewhere they didn’t attend it to go. An easy way to fix this is to check☹raper flight settings to make sure you’ te flying correctly 4 as to get more experience. Flying a drone is more like an art, you’ll just naturally get good at it over time.
2. Your Propellers are damaged or on Wrong
The Second reason why your drone fly’s sideways is that your blades are either damaged or on your drone the wrong way. This is one of the first things you should check when running into flying issues. A warped or damaged blade can easily make your drone fly sideways. If you suspect the problem is with your blades then try to switch the propellers to a different motor and cheek to see if flight quality improves. If the propellers happened to be damaged in any way then your best bet is to use your backup propellers
or purchase some from Amazon.
Check this video out on how changing your propellers to another engine can make all the difference.
3. Your GPS module is in the wrong place
Many drones that are purchased online or from the store will come with a GPS module already installed and properly balanced for flying, but hobbyists who choose to build their own drones may run into this problem. Failure to properly set the GPS module could very well result in your drone flying sideways. When it comes to flying a drone, weight and center of gravity are crucial factors to consider, so
it’s important to make sure you have all added accessories balanced. To check your drone’s center of gravity, place your finger underneath the drone’s belly and try to balance it. If the drone leans to one side, then the center of gravity is off. At this point, you need to adjust accessories accordingly.
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4. Bad Motor
Another reason why your drone fly’s sideways is because of a bad motor. Drones have four motors operating at the same time and for proper flying and hovering each motor need to be operating at an efficient level. If you have a bad motor then most likely the drone will fly sideways or flip over in flight. So make sure each motor is running at the same rate. If you come across one of the propellers moving slower than the others, then that one is the culprit. You’ll most likely have to replace the drone’s motor.
5. Bad Weather
Another reason why drones fly sideways is because of bad weather. Most drones weigh approx etch making them sect storms. A nice gust of wind can not only take you off course but can also cause a crash. Unless you’re a drone photographer or an experienced pilot, we don’ recommend flying your drone in bad weather. So check the forecast before you decide to fly.
6. Joystick Malfunction
Another reason your drone fly’s sideways is because the controller’s joystick module may be malfunctioning. Your joystick’s controller’ sends out relay signals to the drone’s flight controller. If the joystick relays are not working correctly, then your joystick may send too many relay digits or not enough causing your drone to fly sideways. The best way to fix this is to re-calibrate the joystick with the flight controller.
Tips to avoid your Drone flying sideways
1 Never take off from an unbalanced platform. ( Your flight controller will constantly try to balance itself, but if you take off from an unbalanced platform, then your drone could adjust to that platform and thus fly sideways.
2 Practice flying with your drone in normal mode. ( Many new pilots fly sideways because they can’t distinguish the front of their drone from the back. The only way to overcome this is to practice more and learn to know when your drone’s nose is in front.)
