my approach to drone flying

[old man mavic]

my approach to drone flying ,is really no different to any other pilot
it does not matter whether you are flying a MM or a manned aircraft,the procedures are very similar
just because our drones are controlled from a position on the ground ,does not mean that we should not adopt many of the good practice procedures, that are the norm in aviation circles
(1) preflight walk around = check the drone for any damage or parts that have to be removed before flight ie gimbal cover
(2) flight plan = any airspace restrictions that may be in place at the time of flight
(3) weather local to destination= mostly local in our case,and a visual check on wind speed
(4)if flying from a unknown remote landing strip =check the surroundings for obstacles
(5)finally this applies to all pilots of any type of aircraft ,you are the PIC and the buck stops with you

 

[Olav van Gerven]

When I started drone-flying, I was taught to let the drone hover in about 2 m hight and make a 360 to see if anything unusual was visible at the drone. I still do this, just a habit.
What I started doing since I have my MA is, that I plan my flights. Depending on what I want more or less detailed, sometimes using waypoints to do an automated lfiht using Litchi, but almost never without at least checking the area on the maps before I leave the house. To me, it is almost as much fun to plan the flight, think about what I want to achieve and how to achieve it as the lfight itself.

 

[Lurch003]

(1) preflight walk around = check the drone for any damage or parts that have to be removed before flight ie gimbal cover

The one most of us forget!!! ? ? ?

 

[Olav van Gerven]

The first time I used Litchi to fly, I was so concentrated on the software, that I wondered why the video on the tablet was such a disaster. I blamed Litchi, until the drone returned...

 

[Ramjam61]

Excellent advice from the "old man" It is all too easy to forget when you have things like auto take off. Press and go so to speak.

 

[Motorcycle Rider]

And remember that just like going to fly anything else, check your mental state, and make sure you are not drunk or stoned.
People see them as a toy, but you still need to be exact in how you fly it, to not hit someone or something.
If you are angry, just drank a 6 pack, or smoked a fattie with Cheech, simply leave your drone alone. When I pull the helicopter door open, to check the logs before a flight, I just started a half hour process to get it ready for the days flight, but a part of the process is a self diagnosis. How is my own mental health condition today, am I safe to fly, or dealing with too much in my own life. Being distracted, mad, depressed, or in a rush because I am running 5 minutes late, can impair my ability to fly safely. When my wife died, I should have been more self aware, and taken care of my own mental health, and stopped flying for a while. At the time I didn't, I was young, and in my head invincible. I flew every chance I could to help distract myself from the situation, I was a single dad suddenly, and missing the love of my life!
Thank God I didn't crash, or hurt somebody.
So please everyone, check your own mental status, before you fly your drone. If you just argued with the wife, boss, kids, or something, leave the drone on the shelf.

 

[Rchawks]

My condolences my friend. Excellent points on the pilots state of mind before flights.

 

[PhantomFandom]

my approach to drone flying ,is really no different to any other pilot
it does not matter whether you are flying a MM or a manned aircraft,the procedures are very similar
just because our drones are controlled from a position on the ground ,does not mean that we should not adopt many of the good practice procedures, that are the norm in aviation circles
(1) preflight walk around = check the drone for any damage or parts that have to be removed before flight ie gimbal cover
(2) flight plan = any airspace restrictions that may be in place at the time of flight
(3) weather local to destination= mostly local in our case,and a visual check on wind speed
(4)if flying from a unknown remote landing strip =check the surroundings for obstacles
(5)finally this applies to all pilots of any type of aircraft ,you are the PIC and the buck stops with you

Yes, YES, YES !!!!!

Thank you for posting this. How often do we see these simple tasks not done and then seeing a post-crash report from someone wondering why the drone "flew away" or "crashed on its own".

I have seen a completely different mentality between drone pilots and aircraft pilots. When I was a student pilot, the safety aspect was drilled into me every single day. Safety comes first. If it doesn't, it could cost you your life and could also kill others. Many drone pilots don't seem to grasp that a drone can endanger others and take a cavalier attitude towards taking risks.

I will expand on your list just a bit:

• Use a checklist. Private pilots use them. Commercial pilots use them. Flight instructors use them. Military pilots use them. ATPs use them. It doesn't matter how much experience you have or how often you've done it. We all have "brain farts" and something slips by. Use a checklist so nothing is forgotten or left to chance.
• Know your equipment inside and out. A pilot would never fly an airplane without knowing about its systems extremely well. Yet we have drone pilots that take it out of the box and just start flying without a clue of what they are doing. Read the manual. Read these forums. Look up tutorials on YouTube. Read the manual. Fly with an experienced pilot your first time. Read the manual. Take a lesson. Oh did I mention READ THE MANUAL?
  Drone pilots are taking off without knowing how RTH works, what the difference is between calibrating the IMU and calibrating the compass. Even knowing how the mobile device, controller, and drone all interact and what each one does. It's important!
• Land with plenty of battery charge left. In airplanes you always make sure you land with plenty of spare fuel in the tank. Yet we see drone pilots always wondering why their drone never made it back from a mile out when they still had a whopping 10% battery left. Try to be on the ground before you hit 30%. It's better for the battery storage. It prevents stressful situations when running low, and it allows ample time to deal with emergencies.

So yes you are totally correct. Take the same precautions as you would with an aircraft. Be safe. Be smart. Live to fly another day.

 

[RonW]

The first time I used Litchi to fly, I was so concentrated on the software, that I wondered why the video on the tablet was such a disaster. I blamed Litchi, until the drone returned...

Gimble lock still on then??? Happems to us all!

 

[Order66]

I have a fairly large master checklist that I keep in iPhone Notes that I copy and paste into a new note for each job and flight covering everything from preflight planning/mapping, shots needed/pricing agreements, firmware updates, due maintenance, map caching, weather, risk assessment, airspace/LAANC, physical preflight, flight app settings, flight, return, post flight debrief, charging, asset offloading and delivery, to AirData sync and organization. Each of these has their own sub-check boxes.

I find it all keeps me honest and secure knowing I did everything right should there be any kind of incident or confrontation or failure. Peace of mind, too.

 

[old man mavic]

Yes, YES, YES !!!!!

Thank you for posting this. How often do we see these simple tasks not done and then seeing a post-crash report from someone wondering why the drone "flew away" or "crashed on its own".

I have seen a completely different mentality between drone pilots and aircraft pilots. When I was a student pilot, the safety aspect was drilled into me every single day. Safety comes first. If it doesn't, it could cost you your life and could also kill others. Many drone pilots don't seem to grasp that a drone can endanger others and take a cavalier attitude towards taking risks.

I will expand on your list just a bit:

• Use a checklist. Private pilots use them. Commercial pilots use them. Flight instructors use them. Military pilots use them. ATPs use them. It doesn't matter how much experience you have or how often you've done it. We all have "brain farts" and something slips by. Use a checklist so nothing is forgotten or left to chance.
• Know your equipment inside and out. A pilot would never fly an airplane without knowing about its systems extremely well. Yet we have drone pilots that take it out of the box and just start flying without a clue of what they are doing. Read the manual. Read these forums. Look up tutorials on YouTube. Read the manual. Fly with an experienced pilot your first time. Read the manual. Take a lesson. Oh did I mention READ THE MANUAL?
  Drone pilots are taking off without knowing how RTH works, what the difference is between calibrating the IMU and calibrating the compass. Even knowing how the mobile device, controller, and drone all interact and what each one does. It's important!
• Land with plenty of battery charge left. In airplanes you always make sure you land with plenty of spare fuel in the tank. Yet we see drone pilots always wondering why their drone never made it back from a mile out when they still had a whopping 10% battery left. Try to be on the ground before you hit 30%. It's better for the battery storage. It prevents stressful situations when running low, and it allows ample time to deal with emergencies.

So yes you are totally correct. Take the same precautions as you would with an aircraft. Be safe. Be smart. Live to fly another day.

thanks for your post its nice to see that its not only me who feels this way, and i am sure the majority of drone flyers on this forum have a similar approach to their drone flying ,if the comments i and others make on this forum help to save members from drone loss or damage, then it will have been a worthwhile exercise

 

[Motorcycle Rider]

thanks for your post its nice to see that its not only me who feels this way, and i am sure the majority of drone flyers on this forum have a similar approach to their drone flying ,if the comments i and others make on this forum help to save members from drone loss or damage, then it will have been a worthwhile exercise

Your posts are awesome OMM, I make a real effort to read them all.

 

[PBDawg]

Here's one I haven't noticed in the conversation yet... Don't forget to tap the record button! I've put round red stickers on my RC antennae as a reminder. Too many times I had a spectacular flight with none of it saved for posterity!

 

[old man mavic]

thank you all for the replies, my post was really an attempt to show that whenever we take to the air ,that we need to do so in a safe and responsible manner
over time we all develop our own form of preflight checks that we do before take off,and they dont have to be all the same ,do whatever works for you whether its remembering to remove the gimbal clamp checking to see if you have pressed record ,looking at the battery cell levels checking if anyone is approaching the list goes on and on ,and although a lot of these things seem obvious and maybe time consuming they all help to have a successful flight ,and after some time flying they become second nature and we do them without thinking like anything worth doing well it takes time but its well worth the effort

 

[RonW]

thank you all for the replies, my post was really an attempt to show that whenever we take to the air ,that we need to do so in a safe and responsible manner
over time we all develop our own form of preflight checks that we do before take off,and they dont have to be all the same ,do whatever works for you whether its remembering to remove the gimbal clamp checking to see if you have pressed record ,looking at the battery cell levels checking if anyone is approaching the list goes on and on ,and although a lot of these things seem obvious and maybe time consuming they all help to have a successful flight ,and after some time flying they become second nature and we do them without thinking like anything worth doing well it takes time but its well worth the effort

OMM, your note reminds me of the time way back in 2014 when I had my first drone, (Hobby Horizon Chroma).
Packed everything away after charging batts, sorted flying location, got to destination, took Chroma out of backpack and fitted landing legs. Went to get props out of backpack, you've guessed it, no props! It was one of those 'Oh, sh**' moments. Had to drive all the way home again without a flight!
Tell you what, I didn't do it again - made myself a checklist! Only a novice those days, but made up for it since.
Regards

 

[old man mavic]

@RonW we have all had those moments ,i still go over all my gear the evening before i go flying next day, to make sure i have everything i need ,and also check for any updates you can bet that the one thing you forget will ruin your day

 

[WDKZoom]

When I started drone-flying, I was taught to let the drone hover in about 2 m hight and make a 360 to see if anything unusual was visible at the drone. I still do this, just a habit.
What I started doing since I have my MA is, that I plan my flights. Depending on what I want more or less detailed, sometimes using waypoints to do an automated lfiht using Litchi, but almost never without at least checking the area on the maps before I leave the house. To me, it is almost as much fun to plan the flight, think about what I want to achieve and how to achieve it as the lfight itself.

I have adopted an eye level walk around as well looking to see if the props have any bit of a wobble and I also listen to the motors for any strange sounds before sending it away......I have always done this with my RC heli's so it came natural but I think its more crucial to a drone because of the distance and height of most flights.

WDK

 

[lookout]

Pointing the camera up if you are a distance away from the drone before take off?

 

[stratum01]

The one most of us forget!!! ? ? ?

i've forgotten to remove the gimbal cover more times than i would like to admit, and i've only had the drone for a month.

 

[Lurch003]

i've forgotten to remove the gimbal cover more times than i would like to admit, and i've only had the drone for a month.

taped a short section of ribbon to my gimbal cover- haven't forgotten to remove it since !!! Added bonus- it looks even better with a pretty ribbon ? ? ?