Open-source flight · Choose software

Match the flight stack to the aircraft

Use Betaflight for manual FPV, INAV for simpler navigation, and ArduPilot or PX4 for more complex aircraft and missions. Choose the software for the aircraft and job before you download firmware.

VEHICLE · MISSION · TEST

By Joel Kelly

Flight software guide

Start with the aircraft you are trying to control

Choose the stack that supports your aircraft, mission, team, simulation tools, and maintenance needs. A tutorial for another aircraft is not enough.

I want manual freestyle, racing, or a cinewhoop.

Acro and racing flight controller

Betaflight

2026.6.1; Betaflight App 2026.6.1

Use it for: Manual multirotor acro, freestyle, racing, cinewhoops, receiver and video-system integration, and blackbox-guided tuning.

Poor fit: Do not use it in place of a mature survey autopilot, a complex fixed-wing mission system, or unattended autonomous control.

Configuration: Betaflight App plus CLI for documented advanced settings
Navigation: GPS Rescue and limited Flight Plan groundwork. The 2026.6 Flight Plan release note describes the new autopilot path as simulation-only.
Simulation: Official Software In The Loop targets are used for the 2026.6 Flight Plan groundwork.
Protocol: MSP for configuration and display; CRSF and other receiver protocols; 2026.6 adds MAVLink telemetry and waypoint mission transfer groundwork.
Hardware: FPV-oriented flight controllers supported by the exact Betaflight target. Back up the target, version, and diff before flashing.

Betaflight 2026.6 release notes Betaflight 2026.6.1 release

Navigation and mission features do not grant permission to fly beyond visual line of sight, outside approved airspace, without required Remote ID, or without a responsible remote pilot. Test the behavior in simulation and a controlled field test before relying on it.

Airframe guide

Fixed-wing and VTOL setup

Control surfaces, sensors, launch and recovery, transitions, power reserve, and checks before flight.

Simulation guide

Simulation, MAVLink, and field testing

SITL, ground stations, MAVLink 2 signing, failure practice, bench hardware, and staged flight tests.

3D printing guide

Print mounts, prototypes, and workshop fixtures

Choose material for the job, record the exact fit, and treat printed frames or arms as experimental structures.

Flight rules

Autopilot software does not change the flight rules

In the United States, each flight must still fit Part 107 or the recreational exception. Registration, Remote ID, airspace authorization, and visual-line-of-sight rules still apply unless the FAA grants the needed waiver or authorization. A remote pilot remains responsible when software moves the controls.

FAA Part 107 overview FAA Remote ID FAA Part 107 waivers

Reviewed 2026-08-23. This is educational technical guidance, not legal advice or an airworthiness approval.