Decoupled hand controls for aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing and forward flight capabilities

1. A system, comprising:

a first hand control, wherein:

the first hand control controls an altitude of a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft;

movement of the VTOL aircraft within a plane defined by a roll axis and a pitch axis is independent of the first hand control; and

the first hand control is provided on a first hand side of a pilot's seat included in the VTOL aircraft;

a second hand control, wherein:

the second hand control controls the movement of the VTOL aircraft within the plane defined by the roll axis and the pitch axis;

the altitude of the VTOL aircraft is independent of the second hand control; and

the second hand control is provided on a second hand side of the pilot's seat that is opposite from the first hand side.

2. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein the VTOL aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors.

3. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein:

the VTOL aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors;

each of the plurality of rotors is attached to the VTOL aircraft at a roll angle within a range of −7° and 7°; and

each of the plurality of rotors is attached to the VTOL aircraft at a pitch angle within a range of −10° and 0°.

4. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein:

the first hand side of the pilot's seat on which the first hand control is provided is a left hand side; and

the second hand side of the pilot's seat on which the second hand control is provided is a right hand side.

5. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein:

the first hand control includes a thumbwheel; and

the second hand control includes a joystick.

6. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein:

the first hand control includes a spring-centered first hand control;

in response to release of the spring-centered first hand control, the spring-centered first hand control is centered by a spring; and

in response to the spring-centered first hand control being centered by the spring, the VTOL aircraft transitions to a constant altitude.

7. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein:

the second hand control includes a spring-centered second hand control;

in response to release of the spring-centered second hand control, the spring-centered second hand control is centered by a spring; and

in response to the spring-centered second hand control being centered by the spring, the VTOL aircraft transitions to a constant position within the plane defined by the roll axis and the pitch axis.

8. The system recited in claim 1 further including a flight controller, wherein:

the flight controller receives the altitude of the VTOL aircraft; and

the flight controller sets a maximum velocity associated with the VTOL aircraft based at least in part on the altitude of the VTOL aircraft.

9. The system recited in claim 1 further including a low pass filter, wherein:

the low pass filter receives a raw signal from the second hand control;

the low pass filter generates a slowed signal based at least in part on the raw signal; and

the slowed signal is used by a flight computer to generate a rotor control signal that controls a rotor in the VTOL aircraft.

10. The system recited in claim 1 , wherein:

the VTOL aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors;

the system further includes a flight computer;

the flight computer determines a pitch offset based at least in part on a forward velocity of the multicopter, where the pitch offset changes monotonically with the forward velocity of the multicopter;

the flight computer determines a desired pitch based at least in part on the pitch offset and a pitch angle specified via the second hand control; and

the flight computer determines a plurality of control signals for the plurality of rotors based at least in part on the desired pitch.

11. A method, comprising:

providing a first hand control, wherein:

the first hand control controls an altitude of a vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft;

movement of the VTOL aircraft within a plane defined by a roll axis and a pitch axis is independent of the first hand control; and

the first hand control is provided on a first hand side of a pilot's seat included in the VTOL aircraft;

providing a second hand control, wherein:

the second hand control controls the movement of the VTOL aircraft within the plane defined by the roll axis and the pitch axis;

the altitude of the VTOL aircraft is independent of the second hand control; and

the second hand control is provided on a second hand side of the pilot's seat that is opposite from the first hand side.

12. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein the VTOL aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors.

13. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein:

the VTOL aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors;

each of the plurality of rotors is attached to the VTOL aircraft at a roll angle within a range of −7° and 7°; and

each of the plurality of rotors is attached to the VTOL aircraft at a pitch angle within a range of −10° and 0°.

14. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein:

the first hand side of the pilot's seat on which the first hand control is provided is a left hand side; and

the second hand side of the pilot's seat on which the second hand control is provided is a right hand side.

15. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein:

the first hand control includes a thumbwheel; and

the second hand control includes a joystick.

16. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein:

the first hand control includes a spring-centered first hand control;

in response to release of the spring-centered first hand control, the first hand control is centered by a spring; and

in response to the first hand control being centered by the spring, the VTOL aircraft transitions to a constant altitude.

17. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein:

the second hand control includes a spring-centered second hand control;

in response to release of the spring-centered second hand control, the second hand control is centered by a spring; and

in response to the second hand control being centered by the spring, the VTOL aircraft transitions to a constant position within the plane defined by the roll axis and the pitch axis.

18. The method recited in claim 11 further including:

receiving, at a flight controller, the altitude of the VTOL aircraft; and

using the flight controller to set a maximum velocity associated with the VTOL aircraft based at least in part on the altitude of the VTOL aircraft.

19. The method recited in claim 11 further including:

receiving, at a low pass filter, a raw signal from the second hand control;

using the low pass filter to generate a slowed signal based at least in part on the raw signal; and

using a flight computer to generate a rotor control signal that controls a rotor in the VTOL aircraft using the slowed signal.

20. The method recited in claim 11 , wherein:

the VTOL aircraft includes a multicopter with a plurality of rotors; and

the method further includes:

using a flight computer to determine a pitch offset based at least in part on a forward velocity of the multicopter, where the pitch offset changes monotonically with the forward velocity of the multicopter;

using the flight computer to determine a desired pitch based at least in part on the pitch offset and a pitch angle specified via the second hand control; and

using the flight computer to determine a plurality of control signals for the plurality of rotors based at least in part on the desired pitch.