You can read below if you want, but we know what you’re here for. The free stuff!
Download our free FAA compliant Drone/sUAS Pre-Flight Checklist. The downloadable files is a word doc so can easily be edited in Microsoft Word or Google Docs so you can customize it how you please.
Tag us if you use our Drone Pre-Flight Checklist!
We’re not in the social media/online influencer game, making money from ads or trying to have 1M likes on Instagram. We’re busy working. However, if you do end up using our checklist, tag us on social and let us know just so get an idea of who out there got some use from this.
Personally, we use this log when hired onto commercial projects by outside firms or other production companies to give them for their record. We keep a separate log book in our drone kit as well for our own recrods. It also adds redundancy and also makes it easier for them to have all info they may need if questioned by the FAA or if a network is preforming QC on drone footage while still having our own record. If you work on projects for large networks, be it for ABC, Discovery, or streamers like Netflix’s, they all do thorough vetting of any aerial drone footage so they know content hitting their platform is complaint with FAA laws for commercial drone work.
Being organized when hired on major productions is sure to leave a good impression as well. Given every checklist we found on the internet makes you sign up for their newsletter, is a paid web app, or is a online document that requires a subscription, we thought we’d make ours free with no strings attached. Our aim is to help and support other licensed Part 107 drone pilots in the US and promote responsible, legal, and compliant commercial drone videography and photography to make the skies safer for everyone to enjoy.
If you’re bored, you can read all the nonsense below which we selfishly put up for the SOE, so again, download the checklist and enjoy the rest of your day. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ haha.
Unnecessary Fluff About Prep-Flight Checklists To Boost SEO :-)
If you want to get started with drone photography, make sure you add this pre-flight checklist to your gear kit.
The popularity of drones has exploded over the last few years as the cost and size of consumer drones keep shrinking. Although drones have many uses, both commercial and recreational, the popularity of drone photography has become one of the main factors in the growth of the Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) market in the US and around the globe.
With this increased interest in drone photography has produced some negative consequences as there are no prerequisites for buying a drone and knowledge of the laws around flying them for recreational use only isn’t as commonplace as the rules and requirements for commercial, Part 107 are.
There are no mandatory tests to purchase one, only does getting the FAA Part 107 drone pilot certificate, for commercial use is required in the US and other major countries. Local laws are also limited as the FAA is the sole regulator of air traffic, so your town can’t outlaw flying drones, they can only outlaw launching them.
This is great for the large majority of pilots who are responsible and considerate. Unfortunately, there are always a few who ruin it for everyone else.
Our team has always had a licensed Part 107 pilot in command for all our areal video project needs, and we advocate for more education, and legal commercial use so future regulations that are made are still approachable, and not enormous hurdles for those looking to get into the business of commercial drone operating.
Given the majority of sUAS/Drone incidents are mainly due to their pilot’s failure to prepare correctly and know their equipment, there are a few things that absolutely every drone pilot must do when flying a drone for the first time.
Know the laws that regulate sUAS/Drone use in your country.
Read the manual.
Put the drone in beginner mode and practice flying in a safe area before progressing your skills.
These are not recommendations to help you get better drone photos or video, but it’s essential to get in the habit of using a checklist (which is required by the FAA) in case you ever are requested to provided paperwork from a flight. The FAA has no specific requirements of what this pre-flight checklist looks like, just that you checked the weather, the drone is checked for maintenance, time, date, location, and I think if you had to get clearance. We have a lot more on our checklist for good measure, but again, what the FAA requires if current vague.
At The Studio
Before you leave the house or your studio to head to your filming location, you need to do some planning and preparation. This is less about composition and subject and more about safety. There are also some things you must do that simply can’t be done on location.
Weather
Flying a drone in wind and rain is not only bad for your electronics, but it’s plain dangerous. It may not feel windy on the ground, but 400 feet in the air it can be dramatically different. There are also regulations that can change how high you can legally fly. For example, if cloud can reduce your 400ft limit to 200ft. Or you know, the wind is too strong for your drone and you can’t get it back up wind and it’s lost forever. Check the weather forecast and don’t fly in the wind or rain. We use the app UAV Forecast for iOS along with just a standard weather app. We’ll also check METARs at nearby airports.
Time
If you’re planning on flying your drone around either end of the day, you need to know when the sun will rise and set. This isn’t just for photographic purposes. You cannot legally fly (yet) your drone at night. 30 mins before Sunrise or 30 mins after Sunset is what’s allowed in the US (check the FAA regulations for exact requirements).
Location
When planning your drone photos, you also need to consider whether flying in that location is safe and legal. Every country has different laws regulating how far you must be from airports, etc. They’re not there to ruin your fun, but to keep aircraft safe. Don’t be the like the guy flew a drone over a forest fire that stopped aircraft’s dumping water from putting the fire out from being able to operate. We use B4UFLY for checking Airspace and KITTYHAWK for getting clearance. There is likely something similar in your country.
Plan Your Flight-Path
Take a look at a map and figure out the path your drone needs to take to get from its home point to where it will photograph from and back. Often this won’t be a straight line, so make sure you’re able to keep the drone in sight the whole time from where you’re standing as line-of-sight is the law! Also check the distance to make sure the battery will have enough juice to get there and back with time to photograph or video, and still have some to spare. You don’t always need a exact flight path but thinking ahead is smart flying.
Update Your Drone
DJI Drones automatically check for updates at every startup. It’s a good idea to check for updates to your drone’s firmware and device app before you leave the house. Seriously, do this ALWAYS! Nothing worse than your drone loosing it’s mind over a river in a deep gorge in the middle of nowhere and almost having it nose dive into a rapid.
Format Memory Cards
This isn’t a safety issue, but you know, also just remember to put a memory card in to begin with.
Charge Batteries
Maybe just remember to do this the night before you plan to fly. :-D
On Location: Pre-Flight
Visual Inspection
Take your drone out of it’s bag and check it over. Make sure everything is tight and correctly attached. Check the propellers for damage or wear, check the gimbal and any lens filters that might be loose or might have smudges on them.
Calibrate Compass
After turning on the controller and drone, calibrate the compass if prompted. I make a habit of doing this before any new flights or in places that I don’t have cell service at. Magnetic fields can vary a lot from one location to the next, so don’t assume that because you calibrated it yesterday it’s okay today.
Check GPS And Set Return To Home Point
Make sure the drone has GPS location then check the satellite strength. Set the home point, including the Return To Home (RTH) settings. Don’t ever take off until the drone has a strong GPS signal.
Verify Communication
Check that the remote is communicating correctly with the drone. Check the signal strength and don’t take off until it’s good. If they’re not communicating effectively at three feet, it won’t be any better at 3,000 feet.
Flight Mode
Check which flight mode you’re using. Some flight modes are better for flying, while some are better for taking photos and filming. You may want to change flight mode while in the air, in which case make sure you know how to do it before you take off. If you’re flying commercial jobs, you should spend time practicing and learning every setting on your drone long before you’re flying for clients.
Re-Check Wind Speed
Don’t assume that the weather forecast that you checked last night was right. Look for signs of wind at higher altitude by looking at the movement of the clouds or trees. Use your phone to check current wind speeds at your location. Remember, just because you can’t feel any wind doesn’t mean there isn’t any. We carry a pocket sized Anemometer (wind gauge) so we can just hold it up and see the exactly ground wind speed at any location versus just making loose guesses.
Visual Inspection of Location
Look around and above and make sure there aren’t any obstacles that you may not have seen. Static objects such as power lines can easily be missed, but also check for objects in the area that may be moving like aircraft. Even with obstacle avoidance, don’t assume that your drone will detect and avoid them. It’s your job to know where they are.
On Location: Take-Off
Start Propellers
Many drones have a auto-launch function that will start the propellers and hover just above the ground. This is fine, knowing now to start the propellers yourself and check they’re working properly before it leaves the ground is a good thing to know. Listen to the propellers and if they’re more noisy that usual, stop them spinning and check them again.
Hover
If you’re satisfied that the propellers are functioning correctly, take off and let the drone hover for a few seconds. Check that it’s stable first, then use the controls to check that it’s responding correctly including the gimbal. If the drone is functioning as expected, it should be safe to fly.
Monitor Conditions
Never assume that because you went through this pre-flight checklist it will continue to be safe to fly. Conditions can change quickly. Monitor the weather and light and be ready to land your drone if necessary. Keep on the lookout for hazards that might move into the area while you’re flying. You also need to monitor your equipment and battery level. Bring it back sooner than you think is necessary and never ignore any warnings that your equipment might give you.
Have Fun
Drone’s are a lot of fun, but being unprepared can have disastrous consequences. As drone pilots we have a responsibility to fly safely and know when conditions require us to stay grounded. Read the rules and regulations, practice often, don’t take more risks just because you get better, keep improving your safety and situational awareness so you become a zero incident pilot. Happy flying!