Pre-flight Checklist?

[Buel]

Hi all.
Wondering if anyone has a sort of pre-flight checklist that would be good to adhere to?

 

[WShade]

How to Prepare a Pre-Flight Inspection Checklist for Drone Flight - Pilot Institute

If there’s one thing we can pinpoint as the biggest reason for drone crashes, it’s the failure to check if the drone is in proper working condition before starting flight operations. For this reason, the FAA and most of the drone community highly recommend having a pre-flight inspection...

pilotinstitute.com

 

[Max Headroom]

I always check the prop screws before i fly but i don't have a written pre flight check list basically i go through all the stuff that could cause a crash and that's it.

 

[DISC]

How to Prepare a Pre-Flight Inspection Checklist for Drone Flight - Pilot Institute

If there’s one thing we can pinpoint as the biggest reason for drone crashes, it’s the failure to check if the drone is in proper working condition before starting flight operations. For this reason, the FAA and most of the drone community highly recommend having a pre-flight inspection...

pilotinstitute.com

Make sure the antennas are folded out on the RC controllers and you have a memory card installed. These are the two I most often miss

 

[msinger]

Wondering if anyone has a sort of pre-flight checklist that would be good to adhere to?

You can find lots of existing threads on that topic here:

Search results for query: checklist

mavicpilots.com

I don't think a single checklist can work for everyone's workflow. Instead, consider reviewing checklists created by others and selecting the elements that best fit your own workflow.

 

[Winston Bull]

This is what I use as a bullet-pointed note so that I can actually check things off. The second part seems a little redundant, but I also don’t crash…..

The thermal section won’t apply to everyone: I use that for DSAR (Drone Search & Rescue)

Preflight checklist

Pre-Flight

• Check weather—
  • Maintain 500’ below clouds
  • Maintain 2000’ lateral separation from clouds
  • Check Wind Direction in order to know best flight direction and what your approach path should be on way home
• Check flight restrictions
  • NOTAM’s
  • TFR’s
  • Use multiple sources—Airmap, B4UFLY, FAA

On-site—

• Safety inspect for trees, power lines, buildings

Remote Control—

• Check battery level
• Check phone battery level
• Unfold antennae
  • Keep flat side of antennae facing drone: angle them as necessary

Aircraft—

• ND Filters?
• Check battery level
• Confirm memory card installed
• Remove gimbal cover
• Check gimbal for damage or damage obstruction
• Check propellers for damage and secure/locked fit
  • Run fingers along edges

Power-on sequence—

• A/C on safe take-off/lndng area
• Power on remote
• Power on A/C
• Launch flight app

Final Check—

• Ensure connection between remote devices and A/C
• Enable obstacle avoidance
• Check connection signal strength
• Check GPS Status
  • How many satellites? 9-10 minimum
  • Make sure red triangular drone Indicator in DJIGo4 (or other flight app) is pointing the correct/same direction you are.
    • This can avoid a fly-away if the compass is off
• Set proper RTH altitude as appropriate
• Check camera settings—focus, white balance, etc
• CHECK YOUR FOCUS!
• Test start and stop of motors
• Select camera mode
• Beacon on
• AFTER TAKE OFF
  • Hover for a few seconds to ensure props are on securely
  • 3-4 quick ascents and descents to verify same
  • Test Roll, Pitch & Yaw
  • Start video
  • Aim drone at self to get thermal readings from you and team
  • Draw thermal rectangle
  • Set thermal alarm for 5-10° cooler than you (or as necessary)

Flight Site Assessment—

• Before Flight—
  • Review Flight Objective
  • Look at Areal maps--Google, etc.
  • Determine Airspace for the area
• Complete General Aseessment on site
  • ID Take-off/LZ
  • Weather Assessment, including wind speed and direction
  • ID Hazzards in the area—
    • trees
    • structures
    • causes of LLWS
    • power lines
    • non-participants
    • birds
    • bodies of water
• Finalize the flight plan with that information in mind
• VERIFY your assessment after takeoff

 

[Phantomrain.org]

Most Important : Sign in and Update before you leave the house ? We have all taken a hit on this in the field.
Carry a Spare SD Card in the car

One more thing ! Do a quick recorded perimeter Flight Check;

This means a quick flight up and around your flight path and then immediately come back a watch the video,

1. This will give you so much more insight than any checklist and provide you with where to Focus on the master flight.

To many pilots go up on a single flight, Do about 20 takes up there and then come back an look at the video at home only to realize they had no idea what to focus on and what was possible. I would say 99 % of them try to do a one flight charlie. . Perimeter flights are a game changer.



Phantomrain.org
Gear to Fly your drone in the Rain and Capture the Storm.

 

[Arnold LeVine]

I noticed there was no aircraft battery integrity test in addition to charge level.
Check battery for swelling. Make sure battery is inserted properly and locked securely in place.

 

[Meta4]

One of your checklist items is incorrect.

• Check GPS Status
  • How many satellites? 9-10 minimum

The number of sats is not the guarantee of GPS status you might think it is.
There is no single number of sats that ensures that you have full GPS reception and the drone has recorded a home point.
You need to wait until the drone shows you that it has full GPS data and recorded a home point.

In the DJI Fly app, watch the colour of the satellite icon and wait until it turns white.

Note how the number of sats to get white can vary.

If you fly with DJI Go 4, the sat number is always white.
In that app, you need to wait for the green banner, top left of the screen which is self explanatory.

 

[MS Coast]

Whatever checklist you use, always verify that the compass reading on the screen agrees with reality.

If you start the drone in an area with ferrous metal or a strong magnetic field, the compass can be biased and you'll take off into a situation that can result in an uncontrollable flight event, aka crash.

If the drone is facing north and the onscreen compass says it's facing northeast, shut down and move to a new location before powering up again.

 

[adamyoung90]

Hope this helps! I used ChatGPT to create SOPs for drone activities, which included the pre- and post-flight checklist.
I plan to make an Excel file to complete on my phone or a printed version to use in the field.
Each day, I'll record my flights.