Am I familiar with NOTAMS that may have been issued for this area?.Do I require a visual observer and/or security for this location?.Do I have the permissions or certification required for flights in this airspace?.How about the weather forecast? Is it favorable?.Is the firmware up-to-date for your app and your drone?.Are the propellors all properly affixed and in good shape with no chips or cracks?.Are the physical batteries in good shape? No cracks, swelling, or puffiness?.Obviously, there are some things you need to check that should be very obvious for each and every flight. Some of this is obviousīecause we went into fairly extensive detail about some of the issues you might face in this post, we’re going to keep this story relatively bite-sized. Failure to do so could lead to something very nasty during flight – and none of us wants that to happen. And while we can’t tell you what to do, we can certainly let you know that it’s an undisputed best practice to carefully check out everything from the weather forecast to the condition of each and every propeller prior to a flight. I now routinely check my gear super thoroughly prior to a flight. I learned this from personal experience, and it was a powerful lesson. Remember: our intent is to find a problem either on the ground or at low altitude before something develops over the mission area.We just finished writing a fairly exhaustive piece about why it’s worth checking your drone carefully prior to flight – and what mishaps might befall you when you don’t. Conduct a brief test check at low altitude to verify system performance before proceeding downrangeĮach individual make and model sUAS will require specific steps for a safe flight, so be sure to familiarize yourself with both the manufacturer instructions and also best practices followed by other operators.Īlso, if you are flying as part of an organization, the Director or Chief Pilot should establish a standardized inspection checklist to follow ensuring that all members are conducting the same level of safety checks.Start the UAS to look and listen for any potential problems.Verify GPS lock for the Unmanned Aircraft and the Control Station.Flight termination systems, if installed.Verify control links to the UAS (control station, vision systems, etc.).Check UAS compass calibration (usually automatic).Avionics, such as the control system, communications/navigation equipment, and antennas.Propulsion systems (specifically motors, propellers, rotors, etc.).Flight control movement, security, and proper orientation.Includes servos and attachment points, as needed.Airframe structure, flight control surfaces, and linkages.All onboard equipment securely attached (remember weight and balance shifts and their effects).Visual condition inspection of all components.Note any potential obstructions that could affect the UAS.Required documents ( Remote Pilot Certificate, Registration Certificate, airspace waivers as appropriate).Verify all control and vision systems have sufficient battery power.Check fuel or battery levels for the aircraft.Confirm that all software settings are correctly updated.However, the following is a demonstration inspection checklist that you can modify or use in the event one is not provided with your aircraft: Ideally, you should be able to find a preflight checklist in your UAS Flight Manual provided by the manufacturer. When I scraped the parts back together, I found that the plastic rotors had developed fatigue marks around the mounting screws, and one of the rotors finally disintegrated while in flight.įortunately, the only casualty was my aircraft.Īdmittedly in my hurry to set up a flight demonstration for some potential customers, I skipped the process of conducting a thorough preflight inspection of the aircraft. In the middle of my demo, I added power to climb and get a better view of the empty parking lot when suddenly, there was a quiet but sinister *POP*, with the aircraft tumbling into the asphalt from about 150’ Above Ground Level (AGL). I had added a series of extra equipment to the aircraft-including a First Person View (FPV) camera, video transmitter, and an On Screen Display (OSD) that provided real time navigation, altitude, and battery info to my FatShark goggles. Several years ago, I was conducting a demonstration flight for a group of customers on my highly-customized Blade 350QX at the local hobby store. There are any number of potential areas that a Remote Pilot In Command (RPIC) or drone pilot needs to examine before conducting a professional sUAS flight, and all these areas can have serious impacts on both safety and mission effectiveness.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |