Becoming a Better Drone Pilot – The Preflight Checklist

[CP Anson]

This is an article I wrote for photofocus.com. The article is based upon my own experience and an approach I use with friends and clients who are learning to fly drones.

Photofocus | Becoming a Better Drone Pilot – The Preflight Checklist

I have also included a pdf version you can download and modify for your own use.

Chris

 

[NickU]

Good set of checks Chris, only one thing I'd take issue with.... I was taught to always power on the RC first. Then it can take a baseline 'quiet' reading of the rc channels and choose a quiet one, and it's (in theory!) ready & connecting as the drone powers up...in case the aircraft does anything crazy as it powers up. Once the RC is fired up, then power on the tablet/drone.

Good set of articles you've done though...kudos for putting them in writing and sharing them

 

[CP Anson]

Good set of checks Chris, only one thing I'd take issue with.... I was taught to always power on the RC first. Then it can take a baseline 'quiet' reading of the rc channelsand choose a quiet one, and it's (in theory!) ready & connecting as the drone powers up...in case the aircraft does anything crazy as it powers up. Once the RC is fired up, then power on the tablet/drone.

Good set of articles you've done though...kudos for putting them in writing and sharing them

Thanks @NickU for your insights and your kind words. I'm going to explore the order startup further. Since I have done it both ways, I am curious if there is an official method. Does @Advexure or @Florida Drone Supply have any feedback for us in this regard?

 

[NickU]

In all honesty, the stuff about the wifi channels is probably waaaaaaayyyy outdated these days with the channel hoping capabilities of the more recent drones. The main thing is that the rc is on and binding with the drone immediately the drone powers up - then if the drone starts up the motors or does something crazy, you might (!!!) stand a slight chance of shutting it down or controlling it.

Only reference I could find in Dji's manuals is for a flight test (pg 63 of the I2 manual)....

Takeoff/Landing Procedures

1. Place the aircraft in an open, at area with the battery level indicators facing towards you.
2. Turn on the remote controller and your mobile device, then turn on the Intelligent Flight Battery. 3. Launch the DJI GO 4 app and enter the Camera page.
4. Wait until the Aircraft Indicators blink green. This means the Home Point is recorded and it is now safe to fly. If they flash yellow, the Home Point has not been recorded.
5. Push the left stick up slowly to take off or use Auto Takeoff.
6. Shoot photos and videos using the DJI GO 4 app.
7. To land, hover over a level surface and gently pull down on the left stick to descend.
8. After landing, execute the CSC command or hold the left stick at its lowest position until the motors stop.
9. Turn off the Intelligent Flight Battery rst, then the Remote Controller.
[\quote]

 

[CP Anson]

In all honesty, the stuff about the wifi channels is probably waaaaaaayyyy outdated these days with the channel hoping capabilities of the more recent drones. The main thing is that the rc is on and binding with the drone immediately the drone powers up - then if the drone starts up the motors or does something crazy, you might (!!!) stand a slight chance of shutting it down or controlling it.

Only reference I could find in Dji's manuals is for a flight test (pg 63 of the I2 manual)....

Thanks! I'll modify the article to reflect this.

 

[NickU]

Looking thru the Dji manuals and quick start guides makes you realise that they're actually all a bit random in how they present the information - there's no clear-cut guide among any of them!

 

[CP Anson]

Looking thru the Dji manuals and quick start guides makes you realise that they're actually all a bit random in how they present the information - there's no clear-cut guide among any of them!

Yes, it does look a bit inconsistent. It will be interesting to see if @Advexure or @Florida Drone Supply have an feedback from their doing support for the DJI drones.

 

[Advexure]

We are not sure if DJI has any "official" start-up method that they publish but with all UAVs we have always instructed and informed to power on your RC first and then the aircraft. This was always the standard in other radio controlled vehicles as well and personally I just objected that practice with the very first drone I built.

With Inspires, Phantoms, Mavics, Sparks it is pretty safe to say that any start-up order works without issue. We've found that on the Matrice 210 running dual payload, Cendence and CrystalSky it is very important to have our Cendence powered on first with CrystalSky running your respective app and then powering on the aircraft from there.

There's some good discussion regarding start-up procedure on the MavicPilots forum here: Confusion over start-up procedure and this would be just as applicable to Inspire as well.

Here's a nice graphic from @AlanTheBeast over there. App before RC could really go either way in our opinion.



We will add that every time we've flown with DJI reps it has always been RC before aircraft. We've also seen DJI reps online confirm RC before aircraft but as for an "official" publication from DJI we are not aware of any document or instruction guidelines for this subject.

We hope the above information helps, good discussion, and don't hesitate to ping back with any further questions.

Safe flying, all!
–The Advexure Team

 

[CP Anson]

We are not sure if DJI has any "official" start-up method that they publish but with all UAVs we have always instructed and informed to power on your RC first and then the aircraft. This was always the standard in other radio controlled vehicles as well and personally I just objected that practice with the very first drone I built.

With Inspires, Phantoms, Mavics, Sparks it is pretty safe to say that any start-up order works without issue. We've found that on the Matrice 210 running dual payload, Cendence and CrystalSky it is very important to have our Cendence powered on first with CrystalSky running your respective app and then powering on the aircraft from there.

There's some good discussion regarding start-up procedure on the MavicPilots forum here: Confusion over start-up procedure and this would be just as applicable to Inspire as well.

Here's a nice graphic from @AlanTheBeast over there. App before RC could really go either way in our opinion.

View attachment 18017

We will add that every time we've flown with DJI reps it has always been RC before aircraft. We've also seen DJI reps online confirm RC before aircraft but as for an "official" publication from DJI we are not aware of any document or instruction guidelines for this subject.

We hope the above information helps, good discussion, and don't hesitate to ping back with any further questions.

Safe flying, all!
–The Advexure Team

Thanks for your information!

 

[budwiser27]

This is an article I wrote for photofocus.com. The article is based upon my own experience and an approach I use with friends and clients who are learning to fly drones.

Photofocus | Becoming a Better Drone Pilot – The Preflight Checklist

Chris

do you have a downloadable pdf of that?

 

[CP Anson]

do you have a downloadable pdf of that?

I have updated the post to include one as well as added here.

 

[STKNRUD]

We are not sure if DJI has any "official" start-up method that they publish but with all UAVs we have always instructed and informed to power on your RC first and then the aircraft. This was always the standard in other radio controlled vehicles as well and personally I just objected that practice with the very first drone I built.

With Inspires, Phantoms, Mavics, Sparks it is pretty safe to say that any start-up order works without issue. We've found that on the Matrice 210 running dual payload, Cendence and CrystalSky it is very important to have our Cendence powered on first with CrystalSky running your respective app and then powering on the aircraft from there.


Safe flying, all!
–The Advexure Team

Interesting. I have seen where the issue of lost button assignments with Cendence/Crystal Sky doesn’t happen if you power up the I2 first...

 

[budwiser27]

This is an article I wrote for photofocus.com. The article is based upon my own experience and an approach I use with friends and clients who are learning to fly drones.

Photofocus | Becoming a Better Drone Pilot – The Preflight Checklist

I have also included a pdf version you can download and modify for your own use.

Chris

Thank you sir

 

[STKNRUD]

‘Kick the tires...light the fire...push throttles forward”