Pre-Flight Guide – Before Leaving For Field

1. Flight Checklists

1.1 Preflight Checklist – Before Leaving for Field

1.1.1 UAS accessory list

❏ Transmitter

❏ Radio with USB cable

❏ UAV batteries and battery chargers

❏ Extra set of propellers/wings

❏ Toolkit (wrench set, propeller hex-key, camera mount screws and screwdriver etc.) (Figure 1.1a)

Figure 1.1a: Tool keys, screws and screwdriver.

❏ Camera gimbal

❏ Camera(s) with fully charged batteries

❏ SD cards with CHDK installed

❏ Multimeter (optional)

❏ Color calibration panel

❏ Ground Control Points installed (optional)

1.1.2. Things to check before leaving for field

❏ An updated version of Mission Planner Software is installed on the field laptop.

❏ Has the field map been cached in the Mission Planner program? Details on map caching procedure are discussed below in section x.x. (Note: This step is required only once per phenotyping field.)

❏ Does RC Transmitter have enough voltage? FrSky transmitter should have ≥ 9.4V charge.

❏ Are UAV batteries charged? 3-cell batteries should charge up to 12.6V.

❏ Is the laptop charged? Do you need/have a laptop charger?

❏ Ensure that you are familiar with the laws and regulations related to flying UAVs in your country/area. General laws in the United States require 400 Feet maximum height and within line-of-sight flying.

❏ Make sure you have watched all the UAV manufacturer recommended tutorials before your first flight.

❏ When first flying your IRIS+, make sure to fly it away from populated areas and only in an open area.

❏ Before the first flight, make sure to perform a compass calibration otherwise this could lead to a bad behavior in GPS enabled modes. You can perform the compass calibration through APM or Mission Planner programs following this youtube video[1].