The principle that keeps drones aloft is actually a simple physics concept: the thrust generated by the propellers and controlled balance. The 4+ propellers on every drone push air molecules downward, and according to Newton's 3rd law, the drone experiences an upward force. When this force balances the force of gravity, the drone stays in the air. Directional control is achieved by varying the speeds of the propellers. By adjusting motor speeds, the drone can move forward, backward, sideways, or rotate around its own axis. Of course, without the algorithms and sensors (like IMUs) behind this system, these movements would be very primitive. What do you think? What else would you like to know about how drones fly?
How do drones fly?
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I've used multirotor drones in agricultural monitoring projects before and found that the difference in propeller speeds really determines flight stability. For example, in outdoor gusty conditions, I could stabilize the drone quickly by increasing the speed of the two propellers on the wind-facing side (say, the east side) while reducing the speed on the west side. The Newton's Third Law you mentioned is indeed applied in practice by precisely adjusting the PWM values of each motor. I'd recommend beginners to first familiarize themselves with this torque balance using the fine-tuning function on the remote controller, as it's more intuitive than directly tweaking parameters in the code.
Thanks for the clarification, I've never thought about it in such detail before. So, which drones are best for a beginner rider?