Betaflight setup: What to check before your first FPV drone flight

Betaflight installation and first connection

First, you’ll need the Betaflight app. The easiest way to use it is directly in your browser at app.betaflight.com. Because it’s a Progressive Web App (PWA), you can also install the web app and use it offline. If you prefer a traditional desktop application, Betaflight is also available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. However, that isn’t necessarily the best option, as the web version gets the latest features first. You probably won’t need most of them for your first few flights, but in future guides you’ll see why they can be useful. By the way, the version of the Betaflight app doesn’t necessarily have to match the Betaflight firmware version installed on your FC, although very old and very new versions may not be compatible with each other.

Once you’ve installed and opened the app — or simply opened the web version — connect the drone’s FC to your computer with a USB cable using the USB-C or Micro-USB port on the FC.

Once the FC is connected, Betaflight should give you the option to connect to it. Select the detected FC and click Connect. If everything works, the main Betaflight interface should open with your drone’s configuration. If the FC doesn’t appear in the list or you get an error when trying to connect, continue to the next section.

There’s one important thing to understand about powering the FC. When the drone is connected only by USB, the FC itself and some of the components connected to it receive power, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the entire drone is powered. Depending on the specific FC and how the drone is wired, the ELRS receiver, GPS, and other small components may receive power over USB, while the ESC, motors, and some VTXs may still require the main battery. So it’s completely normal for Betaflight to work over USB while, for example, your goggles show no FPV video or the motors won’t spin in the Motors tab. Some of the checks later in this guide will require the drone’s battery to be connected as well. But we’ll get to that later. For now, let’s talk about problems.

USB is already in use

One of the simplest problems is that something else is already using the FC’s USB connection. If that’s the case, Betaflight will likely show a “Failed to open USB device” error when you try to connect. Do you have another browser window with Betaflight open and already connected to the FC? Maybe another application is using it? My recommendation is to completely close any programs you don’t need and try again.

Missing or incorrect drivers (#usb-drivers)

At home, I mostly use a Mac, and I haven’t personally had to deal with many driver problems. On Windows, however, driver issues can sometimes prevent Betaflight from detecting an FC or accessing it correctly in DFU mode. If the FC doesn’t appear at all, or Windows shows it as an unknown or problematic device, a driver issue is one of the things worth checking.

Betaflight itself provides links to the required drivers on its initial Welcome screen. In the lower-right corner, you’ll find a Hardware section with links to several drivers. I’d recommend starting with the ImpulseRC Driver Fixer.

Of course, not every Windows computer will have this driver problems. For example, my old Windows 10 PC recognizes a drone FC as soon as I connect it, and I’m pretty sure I never installed any additional drivers on it.

FC is in DFU mode

You’re unlikely to run into this with a BNF or PNP drone, but if you built the drone yourself, it’s entirely possible. Many FCs have a Boot button that can put the FC into DFU (Device Firmware Upgrade) mode. DFU mode is used to flash firmware onto the FC — whether that’s another version of Betaflight or completely different flight controller firmware such as iNav or ArduPilot. While the FC is in DFU mode, you won’t be able to connect to it normally through Betaflight.

I’ve actually run into this “problem” myself. At the beginning of the flying season, I couldn’t figure out why I was completely unable to connect to one of my drones. The strangest part was that I could connect to it using the SpeedyBee mobile app — SpeedyBee FCs often have a built-in Bluetooth module. The app connected to the FC over Bluetooth without a problem, but over USB? Nothing.

Eventually, I noticed that one of the drone’s side plates was touching the FC — right where the Boot button was located.

Betaflight configuration backup

Before we start changing or checking individual settings, let’s begin with the Presets tab and save a backup of the current Betaflight configuration.

Over time, you’ll almost certainly change a setting or two. And at some point, something may get messed up. That’s why, before changing anything, I strongly recommend saving a copy of your current drone configuration. Even if you only plan to look around Betaflight for now, having a copy of the original settings won’t hurt. If you later change an important parameter by accident, click the wrong button, or decide to experiment with the settings, you’ll have a backup that could save you a lot of time.

The easiest way to do this is to connect to the FC in Betaflight and use Presets → Save backup. This saves a backup of the FC configuration to a file, which you can later use to restore the settings with Presets → Load backup. I recommend giving the file a name that will still make sense six months from now — for example, include the drone model, Betaflight version, and the date the backup was created. If you start experimenting more with Betaflight later on, it’s worth creating a new backup before every major configuration change.

If the Save backup button isn’t available for your FC or firmware version, you can also save the configuration through the CLI. Open the CLI tab and enter “diff all”. This command shows the settings that differ from the defaults for the Betaflight version you’re using. You can copy the output and save it to a text file. Another option is the “dump” command, which provides a much more complete view of the FC configuration. In practice, diff all is usually the more convenient way to keep an easy-to-review copy of your drone settings, while dump can be useful for troubleshooting or when you want to see the entire configuration.

It’s important to understand that a configuration backup isn’t a universal “copy of the drone” that you can restore to any Betaflight version or any other FC. As Betaflight versions change, settings, their names, and their available values can change as well — even on the same drone. That’s why it’s worth keeping a note of which Betaflight version was used to create each backup. After updating the firmware, you also shouldn’t blindly restore an old configuration without first checking whether it’s compatible.

At this point, the most important thing is simple: don’t change anything yet. First, save the drone configuration exactly as you received it from the manufacturer. If something stops working later, you’ll always have the original settings to compare against and, if necessary, a way to return to the starting configuration.

Ports tab – is the hardware assigned to the correct UARTs?

Next, let’s take a look at the Ports tab. This is where Betaflight defines which devices connected to the FC use its different UARTs. Put simply, UARTs allow the FC to exchange data with the radio receiver, GPS, video system, and other peripherals. An FC may have several UARTs, shown in Betaflight as UART1, UART2, UART3, and so on. Each UART-based device needs to be configured on the UART it is physically connected or soldered to.

On the FC, you’ll often see pads labeled TX1/RX1 (or T1/R1), TX2/RX2 (T2/R2), and so on. The number indicates which UART the device is connected to. For example, an ELRS receiver using the CRSF protocol might be connected to one UART. In that UART’s row, Serial RX should be enabled. A GPS receiver connected to another UART may have GPS selected under Sensor Input. Yet another UART may be used by the video system or for VTX control. The exact Ports configuration depends on the drone, FC, and installed hardware, so it’s completely normal for two different drones to look very different in this tab.

Don’t change anything in the Ports tab just because you don’t know what a setting means. Disable Serial RX on the wrong UART and the FC may stop receiving commands from the radio receiver. Change the UART used by the GPS and Betaflight may stop seeing the GPS. Change the port used by the video system or VTX control and you may lose some of its functionality. So if you see a setting in the Ports tab that you don’t understand, for now it’s best to leave it exactly as the manufacturer configured it.

At this stage, it’s enough to make sure the main peripherals have UARTs assigned to them. We’ll check whether the radio receiver, GPS, and other devices actually work in their respective Betaflight tabs later. A Ports tab that looks correct doesn’t necessarily mean the device itself is connected and working properly.

Modes tab – assigning functions to controller switches

Now that we’ve checked that the controller sticks and switches are reaching the FC, we can define what those switches should actually do. That’s what the Modes tab in Betaflight is for. Here, you can assign different drone functions to the controller’s AUX channels. When you flip a switch on the controller, the value of its AUX channel changes, and Betaflight uses that value to activate or deactivate the corresponding function. On a BNF drone, several functions will usually already be assigned, but I strongly recommend checking them anyway.

The most important one is ARM. Until the drone is armed, Betaflight firmware won’t allow the pilot to control the motors. Arming the drone puts it into a flight-ready state in which the motors can start spinning and the drone can respond to Throttle and other pilot commands. For safety, I recommend assigning ARM to a dedicated physical switch that you’re unlikely to flip accidentally while flying. A common choice is a two-position switch on the left side of the controller, usually assigned to AUX1.

Before your first flight, you need to know not only how to arm the drone but also how to disarm it instantly. After a crash or when you lose control of the drone, this can be one of the most important reactions you develop as a pilot. If your drone “ends up” in a tree, it would be a shame to have the motors keep spinning while trying to cut through a dozen branches.

To check the ARM setup, find ARM in the Modes tab — it should be right at the top — and see which AUX channel is assigned to it. For example, if ARM is assigned to AUX1, flipping the ARM switch on your controller should change the AUX1 value. The Modes tab also shows the activation range for the selected channel. With the switch in the ARM position, the channel value indicator should move into that range. Betaflight will then visually indicate that the function is active. If flipping the switch changes the AUX value but the indicator doesn’t enter the activation range, the function won’t activate — in that case, you’ll need to adjust its activation range.

Common Betaflight modes and functions

Besides ARM, you’ll find quite a few other functions in the Modes tab. Before your first flight, it’s worth knowing at least a few of the most commonly used ones:

• ACRO — a flight mode in which you have full control over the drone’s movement. When you release the sticks, the drone maintains its current orientation instead of automatically leveling itself. This is the mode used for freestyle tricks and other aerobatic maneuvers. Beginners may find it more difficult than ANGLE or HORIZON, but over time, most FPV pilots eventually move to ACRO. Don’t be surprised if you can’t find a mode called ACRO in the Modes tab: ACRO is Betaflight’s default flight mode and is active whenever no self-leveling mode, such as ANGLE or HORIZON, is enabled.
• ANGLE — a stabilized flight mode in which the drone automatically returns to a level attitude when you release the sticks. The maximum tilt angle is also limited.
• HORIZON — another stabilized flight mode in which the drone automatically returns to a level attitude when you release the sticks. However, unlike ANGLE mode, the maximum tilt angle isn’t limited. It’s essentially a middle ground between ACRO and ANGLE.
• BEEPER — activates a buzzer connected to the FC or, depending on the configuration, uses the motors to produce an audible signal. It’s extremely useful when you’re trying to find a crashed drone in tall grass or another place where it’s difficult to see.
• FLIP OVER AFTER CRASH — often called Turtle Mode. If the drone crashes and ends up upside down, this mode lets you use the motors to try to flip it back onto its feet. Use it carefully: if the propellers are caught in grass, branches, or other obstacles, trying to flip the drone over can damage the propellers, motors, or even the ESC.
• PREARM — an additional safety feature used together with ARM. I like assigning it to a momentary button — one that returns to its original position when you release it. PREARM needs to be activated before ARM, adding a second step to the arming sequence. That way, accidentally flipping the ARM switch alone won’t arm the drone. Not every pilot uses PREARM, but if safety matters to you, I recommend it. And yes, I use it even on tiny, relatively harmless tinywhoops — mainly to maintain the same safety habits across all of my drones.

It’s also good to know that if no other flight mode — such as ANGLE or HORIZON — is active, the drone will use ACRO mode by default. In the example shown above, ANGLE mode is active when AUX2 is approximately between 1700 and 2100, while HORIZON is active from around 1300 to 1700. The AUX2 range below approximately 1300 is left empty, so neither of these modes is active there and the drone defaults to ACRO.

When you’re just getting started, there’s no need to assign dozens of Betaflight functions to switches right away. For your first flight, the most important thing is to have an ARM switch that’s easy to reach and to know its ARM and DISARM positions by heart. If you’re not yet confident flying in Acro mode, it’s worth assigning ANGLE or HORIZON to another switch. BEEPER is another one of those functions that’s better to set up before your first crash than after the drone is already lying somewhere in tall grass. One of my first flights with the first 5-inch drone I built was without BEEPER. What happened? Here’s the video:

Failsafe tab – what happens if you lose the control link?

Before your first flight, it’s also worth checking the Failsafe — what happens to the drone if it loses its connection to the controller. And I’d like to think you won’t be testing the maximum range of your drone on your very first flight. With the default Drop configuration, if the control signal is lost and doesn’t recover during the initial failsafe period, Betaflight will eventually enter Stage 2 Failsafe, disarm the drone, and stop the motors. You can test this on the workbench with the propellers removed. Arm the drone, briefly raise the Throttle so the motors respond, lower it again, and then turn off your controller. With the default Drop procedure, the drone should eventually enter Stage 2 Failsafe, disarm, and stop the motors.

And again: the propellers must be removed when testing Failsafe. After the test, don’t forget to turn the controller back on before connecting the battery for the next check.

The Failsafe tab really deserves an article of its own because, depending on the hardware installed on the drone — a GPS receiver, for example — there are several different ways a drone can be configured to respond when Failsafe is triggered. If you don’t understand these settings yet, don’t change the Failsafe configuration blindly. Betaflight uses Drop as the default Stage 2 procedure, which disarms the drone and stops the motors. Other options, such as Landing Mode or GPS Rescue, should only be used once you understand how they work and have tested them properly.

OSD tab – the most important information in front of you

OSD (On-Screen Display) lets you see important information about the drone and your flight directly in the FPV video feed. Before your first flight, you definitely don’t need to build a HUD that looks like the cockpit of a spaceship — a few essential indicators are enough to get started. I recommend enabling Battery Average Cell Voltage, flight time (Timer 1), consumed battery capacity (Battery Current mAh drawn), Warnings, and radio link information — Link Quality (LQ) and RSSI dBm value.

When using ELRS, LQ and RSSI dBm value are particularly useful for monitoring the quality of the control link. LQ indicates how many of the expected data packets successfully reach the receiver, while RSSI dBm indicates the strength of the received radio signal.

You can always customize the OSD layout later to suit your preferences. Before your first flight, the important thing is simply to have the information you need to notice a low battery, a deteriorating control link, or a warning from Betaflight before it becomes a problem.

Why won’t Betaflight let the drone arm?

But what if the drone still won’t arm? Don’t panic. You can check the reason by reconnecting the drone’s FC to Betaflight and looking at Arming disable flags under System info in the Setup tab. MSP means the FC has an active connection to Betaflight, so we can ignore that flag while the FC is connected to the computer. Other flags point to problems that may be preventing the drone from arming. I won’t cover every possible flag in this article, but Betaflight has a detailed page explaining all of them.

Some of the most common Arming disable flags you may encounter are:

• MSP — the FC has an active MSP connection, for example because it’s connected to Betaflight. This is normal when working over USB. 
• CLI — you’re currently in CLI mode.
• RXLOSS — the FC isn’t receiving a valid signal from the radio receiver.
• THROTTLE — the Throttle value is too high, so the drone isn’t allowed to arm. You’ve probably encountered the same thing in an FPV simulator, where you need to lower the Throttle all the way before starting a flight. The same idea applies in real life — you don’t want the drone shooting into the air like a bullet the moment you arm it.
• ANGLE — the drone is tilted too far to arm. Place it on a level surface.
• CALIB — sensor calibration is currently in progress or hasn’t finished yet. Let the calibration complete.
• NOPREARM — PREARM is required but hasn’t been activated or toggled as required.
• RUNAWAY — Runaway Takeoff Prevention has been triggered because Betaflight detected an unsafe response during takeoff. Common causes include incorrect motor order or direction, incorrectly installed propellers, or incorrect FC orientation. Check the entire setup before trying to arm again.

Jei viskas tvarkoje, galime atjungti USB ir bateriją bei uždėti propelerius. Nuo šio momento su dronu elkitės kaip su skrydžiui paruoštu įrenginiu – prijungus bateriją motorai jau turės galimybę įsukti propelerius.

Grąžinkite propelerius, pagal anksčiau pasidarytą pasižymėjimą, kurį atlikote prieš nusiimdami juos. Jei visgi nepasižymėjot – nieko tokio. Kitas straipsnis greičiausiai bus apie propelerius.