How long should a Blackbox test flight last?

Aim for 1 to 3 minutes of active flying. That's enough to capture plenty of movement on each axis without producing a huge log. Too short and you lack data; too long and it gets diluted.

What manoeuvres should I do during a PID test flight?

Sharp, crisp inputs on each axis (roll, pitch, yaw): flips, rolls, rapid direction changes, vertical climbs/descents and a few power bursts. The analysis needs pronounced commands to evaluate the response.

Should I fly in Acro or Angle for Blackbox?

Fly in Acro (rate). Stabilized modes (Angle/Horizon) add a correction loop that masks the true PID response and skews the step response analysis.

Nailing your Blackbox test flight

A good log starts with a good flight. Here's how to record rich, usable data for reliable PID tuning.

Why it matters

The analysis measures how your drone responds to your commands. Without sharp, varied inputs, the step response, noise and PID error aren't measurable. A smooth, cruisy flight produces a poor log: to tune, you need to push the drone.

Flight duration

1–3 min

of active flying per battery is enough. Plenty of data on each axis without a giant log.

Log at 2 kHz minimum (ideally 4 kHz+) to properly capture gyro noise and filter analysis.

Make sure you have Debug = GYRO_SCALED (or RPM Filter) if you want to analyze noise and filters.

Manoeuvres to perform

Work each axis separately, with sharp, fast inputs (crisp stick punches, not soft transitions):

Roll & Pitch

Full flips and rolls, rapid left/right and forward/back reversals. These are the key axes for step response.

Yaw

Sharp rotations left then right, on their own and combined with roll/pitch. Often overlooked, yet important.

Throttle / power

Vertical punch-outs, fast climbs and descents, a few full-throttle bursts to reveal oscillation and noise under load.

Combinations & varied speed

Fast combos, abrupt direction changes, at low and high speed. The more varied the input, the richer the analysis.

Best practices

Fly in Acro (rate), never Angle/Horizon.
A well-charged battery for steady sag.
Sharp, pronounced inputs on each axis.
Fly in calm weather (little wind) to isolate the drone's behavior.
One change at a time between two compared logs.
Props and frame in good shape (no spurious vibration).

Avoid

Smooth, gentle cruising: no load at all, unusable log.
Flying in Angle/Horizon: skews the step response.
Flying in strong wind: spurious corrections.
Damaged / unbalanced props: misleading noise.
A nearly empty battery: unstable power and behavior.
Changing several settings between two compared flights.

Quick checklist

Blackbox enabled, ≥ 2 kHz, flash memory erased.
Acro mode, full battery, calm weather.
Take off, then 1 to 3 min of sharp manoeuvres on roll, pitch, yaw and throttle.
Land, grab the .BBL file.
Load it into the analyzer and read the recommendations.

Analyze my Blackbox log