Mavic Pre Flight Checklist

[AlanTheBeast]

Add: night before:
-Verify batteries are charged or are placed on charge (Phone and controller too!)
-Verify firm/software updates

Add: post flight checklist
-Clean and inspect

-Remove, clean and inspect the blades - order new blades !
-Inspect the motor/prop interface for cracking
-Verify spring tension
-Inspect motor air inlets for debris
-Inspect air inlet behind gimbal
-Inspect air outlets at tail
-clean the lenses (all 5)
-verify ultrasonic array for dirt - clean with ... (alcohol?)​

-Install gimbal lock
-Install gimbal cover
-Let batteries cool before storing
-Tape over battery connector on stored battery
-Decide on re-charging batteries up to at least 50% (storage) or to 20% (travel/airline)
-Extract data and video if needed
-Make log book entries

 

[Pancaro77]

"Smiley DJI Ty guy"

This nickname is awesome!!!

 

[Redbart]

Excellent. Thanks for sharing!

 

[flybuyphotos]

take blades of and psychical check for:
- no deformation on top and bottom surface
- no damage on end of blades
- no deposit/debris
- no cracks in base attachment part

- clean blades with alcohol-only wipes

blade mounts on drone:
- spring has no fatigue (gently pull spring to check)
- no cracked plastic, loose screws, metal fatigue (if damaged, replace with new (metal) mount)

Removing and replacing all four blades before each flight may present new risks. Suppose one of the blades is not completely re-attached. Suppose a left-hand blade were swapped with a right-hand blade. Flexing the springs and locking mechanism so frequently may be the very thing that induces a premature fatigue failure that could happen immediately after re-attachment, just before flight.

I support removing an individual blade for inspection immediately after the slightest potential defect causing incident. Suppose you snagged a blade removing the Mavic from its bag, a blade got trapped during folding or unfolding of those aft 'legs,' or you clipped a tree branch during your last flight.

I would buy into periodic removal inspections of all four blades where the risk lines cross on the graph. But where do they cross?

Collecting empirical data for such a graph is not my idea of a good time. I am thinking that every flight is too much, then wondering how frequently would be just right, now I am wondering if never at all might be best, (sans an incident or periodic replacement.) "If it ain't broke don't fix it?"

 

[lookatbowen]

Hi All,

Anxiously awaiting a Mavic along with everyone else here, while waiting I have been pouring over this site, DJI's site and the FAA UAS site trying to find info on a pre-flight checklist. I referenced Adam Savage's Inspire 1 checklist, the Mavic user guide, quick start manual and quickly put this together.

Lets add/remove/modify this document and post back here for all to use.

Link to docx and PDF files

Excellent checklist, and thanks for including the warning messages. Very helpful indeed.

 

[cmallarino]

Hi everyone, I want to share with you my version of the Mavic Pro checklist. This is a mix between the checklist presented by "Glim1000" on this post, and the Mavic Pro checklist app available for Android. Is available as PDF and as a Word document so we can modify It.

Lets add/remove/modify this document and post back here for all to use.

Word file: Mavic Pro Checklist - Google Drive

 

[SuperMouse]

Hi everyone, I want to share with you my version of the Mavic Pro checklist. This is a mix between the checklist presented by "Glim1000" on this post, and the Mavic Pro checklist app available for Android. Is available as PDF and as a Word document so we can modify It.

Lets add/remove/modify this document and post back here for all to use.

Word file: Mavic Pro Checklist - Google Drive

Made it into more compact form - print it on one A4 sheet of paper. Print on both sides obviously.

 

[montanacurt]

What about "Make sure SD Card is in Drone"

 

[Ken Schmidt]

Should probably add a line to remind the forgetful about "Touch Screen to Focus"

That's Me on several occasions!

 

[Digitaldias]

"If not filming - reinstall gimbal cover"

Remove this. The gimbal cover sits on top of the gimbal AND air intake for cooling. You can risk overheating your mavic in warm days. I wouldn't.
Here is mine:

Pre-flight checklist

• ü Unfold arms and remove gimbal protectors
• ü Place mavic on contrasty take-off point for best HP. Sand, dust and Grass kills propellors!
• ü Check battery levels on RC, Phone, Mavic
• ü Connect Phone to RC, start app, start RC, start Mavic
• ü If previous footage has been transferred – format SD card
• ü Check GPS signal strength and ensure wind speed is less than or around 15Km/s
• (~4-5m/s). Gusts can be up to twice that.
• ü Verify/confirm your camera settings
• ü Slide to take off.
• ü Tap Screen to focus
• ü Rise to 10m for setting precise home point before flying off

Post-flight checklist

• ü Turn off the Mavic
• ü Protect your gimbal again!
• ü Turn off the RC
• ü Smootch with Mavic for luck and prolonged life

Sorry about the german characters in the checklist. It's a paste from Word

 

[AlanTheBeast]

"If not filming - reinstall gimbal cover"

Remove this. The gimbal cover sits on top of the gimbal AND air intake for cooling. You can risk overheating your mavic in warm days. I wouldn't.
Here is mine:

Pre-flight checklist

• ü Unfold arms and remove gimbal protectors
• ü Place mavic on contrasty take-off point for best HP. Sand, dust and Grass kills propellors!
• ü Check battery levels on RC, Phone, Mavic
• ü Connect Phone to RC, start app, start RC, start Mavic
• ü If previous footage has been transferred – format SD card
• ü Check GPS signal strength and ensure wind speed is less than or around 15Km/s
• (~4-5m/s). Gusts can be up to twice that.
• ü Verify/confirm your camera settings
• ü Slide to take off.
• ü Tap Screen to focus
• ü Rise to 10m for setting precise home point before flying off

Post-flight checklist

• ü Turn off the Mavic
• ü Protect your gimbal again!
• ü Turn off the RC
• ü Smootch with Mavic for luck and prolonged life

Sorry about the german characters in the checklist. It's a paste from Word

That's a pretty old thread. I've been referring people to this instead:
Preflight Checklist

Which has the gimbal cover removed before flight.

 

[Digitaldias]

Sorry, new user

 

[Explorer]

What about GPS? On or Off?

 

[AlanTheBeast]

What about GPS? On or Off?

Outdoors, GPS should always be receiving and the position checked on the map (if possible according to coverage) before starting the motors, IMO.

 

[Dumps]

Hi All,

Anxiously awaiting a Mavic along with everyone else here, while waiting I have been pouring over this site, DJI's site and the FAA UAS site trying to find info on a pre-flight checklist. I referenced Adam Savage's Inspire 1 checklist, the Mavic user guide, quick start manual and quickly put this together.

Lets add/remove/modify this document and post back here for all to use.

Link to docx and PDF files

Great list, hopefully getting Mavic within weeks.

 

[joejoseph]

Good work
Maybe we should add that piot should go up to about 10 m before flying in order to get the right Return to home point.
and to check the imu stats(green) in the go4 app, cause if imu needs calibration you shouldn't fly the drone