Abstract The paper considers basic control problems in the nonlinear model of a quadrotor-type helicopter. Simple and robust output-based stabilizing controllers are presented for the attitude and the attitude/altitude subsystems. Closed-form feedback controllers have been established for solving the set-point and the trajectory tracking control problems in the considered model that accounts for the nonlinear couplings between attitude and position. The concept of flatness is applied for motion planning for the autonomous quadrotor aerial vehicle.