This is our list of drone flying essentials
You drive an hour or a half, get lost in the middle of nowhere, take the drone out of your backpack and, through a stupid oversight, discover that you left something at home that will make you want to come back, you’re missing something from our list of things you need to fly your drone. For a reason normativemost drone operations involve long trips to remote areas where they do not disturb other people or interfere with controlled airspace.
It sounds corny, but force of habit can make you overlook some important details, whether it’s while flying a drone or performing any other activity. Just as everyone quickly checks what they have on their person (keys, cell phone, wallet) before leaving the house, one of our best recommendations for all drone pilots is to have a checklist items to check and take with you before you go on an adventure.
unmanned devices
A drone is not just a piece of plastic, carbon fiber and chains that flies thanks to scientific influence, it is an instrument that requires all its components to be in optimal conditions in order to function. Don’t forget the following:
Our recommendation for whatever drone you fly is to have multiple batteries for your drone. Keep in mind that most quadcopters have a range of less than 30 minutes, so investing a little more in doubling or tripling your drone’s flight time will be crucial. We always carry three extra batteries with us, and while we don’t always use all of them, this has allowed us to record in places we didn’t originally plan to record and make every pass necessary to get the perfect shot. And of course, before you close the backpack with the batteries, make sure they are fully charged, otherwise it’s like you’re not carrying them.
- Ready and spare screws:
Many drones have removable propellers for easy transport, which is obviously absolutely necessary for flight. When you’re in a hurry, don’t forget to check that you’ve put them on, otherwise when you get to your destination you’ll find that you’re all set but can’t take them off and it’s all for nothing.
SD, micro SD… Another important part for drone operation is video storage support. The day before your flight, you’ll want to grab your SD drives, make sure everything on them is backed up to your computer’s hard drives, and format them if you haven’t done so before. Also, keep in mind that the technology of these memory cards is imperfect and they often fail, so again, be safe and carry at least one spare card.
Do not forget! Both the controller and the tablet or mobile are your connection to the drone. If your tablet runs out of battery while in flight, you’ll be in trouble because you’ll be flying it blind, with no telemetry and no way to control many of its features. If the battery is dying in the controller, we have an even bigger problem. Although today’s drones have sophisticated autonomous return-to-home systems, losing control of your drone can end in a simple scare or tragedy, so you don’t want to leave everything in the hands of technology. In addition, we must emphasize that you must not forget the cable of the tablet or mobile that connects it to the controller, otherwise you would not have it.
front-stated, if you don’t have your documents with you, you can get into a lot of trouble, so I think this is just as important as any of the previous items: that you don’t drive without insurance or driver’s licence, make sure you have up-to-date drone third party liability insurance, as well as your medical certificate, your theoretical and practical pilot rating and your owner’s manual. Keep in mind that not only do you have to fly safely, but you also have to make sure you have everything you need to prove you’re doing it at all times.
If you want to be 100% sure that you are flying legally and not endangering others, have official and up-to-date navigation charts and a list of nearby airfields and heliports handy. Also, remember to consult the NOTAMS where you intend to fly. In this aspect, ENAIRE has launched its batteries and you can consult a lot of useful information in its web application Badge
flight accessories
They are not key components of the drone and you can usually fly without them, but they are very useful and if you don’t take them, it is more than certain that you will miss them at some point:
Every drone behaves differently in the air, but they all have limits on the intensity of the wind they can withstand. Although wind and direction information is usually included in weather reports, it may not be completely accurate. You can always consult the METAR of the nearest airfield, because if you know how to interpret it, you will get very useful data about the meteorology at that point. There are also scales, such as the Beaufort scale, that will help you estimate wind speed with an ojimeter. That said, one of the easiest ways to find out the wind speed is to measure it with a small anemometer, which will give you more or less accurate and precise measurements of the wind where you are.
It is very useful if the telemetry offered by the remote control does not show the current battery charge, as you do not want to suddenly see your drone fall to the ground from a height of 120 meters.
The new law This allows you to operate in controlled airspace if you first obtain permission from the Ministry and have a radio operator’s certificate to be able to communicate with the appropriate air control authorities in each area. But even if you don’t intend to fly in controlled airspace, it doesn’t hurt to have the equipment to be able to communicate with other airspace users who may not be able to see you, to minimize potential risks.
A simple Phantom might not require a lot of tinkering and maintenance, but when we get into the more serious categories, it’s not uncommon to have to tighten or loosen a nut, which requires you to pull out ridiculously small hex keys. Anticipate these needs so you don’t regret it if you face a setback.
Personal care
When it comes to flying, it’s more than that drone, but also the pilot and that he is in optimal conditions for flight. I guess it’s the same basics as those who go on tours or hikes, because if experience has taught us anything, it’s that flying drones can be enough too. Here are some of the main points that we should never forget:
And creams and sunglasses. One of the first things I learned how to a drone pilot was that the sun burns, and if you are going to be under it for long hours, it is necessary to wear a cream with a high protection factor and sunglasses.
- Suitable footwear and clothing:
Good shoes or sneakers for walking and traversing rocks and mud, and warm clothes in case things get ugly. This seems true, but just as we protect ourselves from the sun, it is good to anticipate that wherever we fly, it may be colder or hotter than expected.
You don’t know how long you’re going to be outdoors, and while it’s unlikely you’ll die of thirst after spending several hours in the sun, it’s best to stay well hydrated, have water, and have something handy.
- Portable battery for your mobile:
Especially if you’re going to rely on Google Maps to get home and you’re going to be out all day.
Do you remember that video on YouTube that explained how to change a tire? You’ll want to take a look at it a couple of times anyway, so why not practice and make sure you know how to put the chains on. Once you control your drone, you will find that you will often have to hit trails, goat trails, random snowfalls… So you should prepare to keep up. Carrying a full tank of fuel and some spending money doesn’t hurt either.
It’s a flying essential that we’ve needed for a long time, and for that reason, we use the same checklist every time we fly. We go through it the night before we leave to charge all the batteries in the morning and we go through it again right before we leave so we don’t leave anything behind. Most of these elements are common sense, but often because they are obvious, they are easy to overlook. However, some of the properties mentioned in the list were included later after being missed at some point. We assume that each pilot, according to their experience, adjusts their protocols to their needs, but I think this is the type of list that I would like to find in my first flights, so I hope that new pilots will find it useful.
And you? Do you include flight essentials on your pre-flight lists that we’ve overlooked?
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