If you want your drone to perform for years to come, then it's critical that you follow proper care, maintenance, and storage procedures. Thankfully, it's pretty easy to keep your drone in tip-top shape. We'll walk you through the essential pre- and post-flight checks, touching on all of the things you should do (and accessories you can buy) to maximize the odds of a successful flight that results in stunning aerial footage.
Inspection & Cleaning
Clean the Drone: This step should really happen before you put the drone away from the last trip, but just in case you skipped it or missed a spot, take some time to clean the drone. Specifically, pay close attention to the motors, gimbal, and camera. We suggest using microfiber clothes, soft brushes, a pipe cleaner, and an air blower or canned air, plus a lens cleaning kit.
Inspection: When it's nice and clean, give your drone a visual once over. Look for loose or damaged components that can become an issue in the air. Look out for cracked or chipped propellers, loose wiring (especially on FPV racing drones), and loose screws, repairing and replacing components as needed.
Prepare for Takeoff
Firmware Everywhere: The drone, payload, and remote can each have its own firmware. Connect them to your PC and make sure they're all up to date. If your remote works with your smartphone, head to the app store and update your piloting app too. When you're done, perform a test to make sure the functions you need are still working properly.
Charge It: Running out of power on location is one of the worst ways to end your day early—mainly because it's so preventable! Take the time to charge your drone batteries and the batteries in your connected peripherals, including your smartphone, tablet, remote, and laptop.
Get Packing: If you haven't done so yet now is an opportune time to create a checklist of items as you pack them so you have it handy for your next session. A good rule of thumb is, if you have the room, take it with you. Here are some sample checklist items to get you started: extra flight batteries (as many as you can carry), battery charger, charger cables, memory cards, extra propeller blades, cleaning supplies, spare screws, screwdrivers, and a landing pad.
As far as what to pack it into, we highly recommend a weather-resistant hard-shell case that's dedicated to your specific drone. They have foam inserts with compartments specifically made for each item.
Cleaning & Storage
Rinse & Repeat: This is pretty much the same as our "Inspection & Cleaning" section. The only difference is that most of the cleaning should happen now, before you pack away your gear and while it's still easy to get any dirt off. When you're done cleaning, inspect the drone and make repairs as needed.
Drone & Non-Battery Storage: The hard-shell cases we mentioned are the ideal way to store your drone and accessories, but any container will work, just as long as it protects your drone and other gear from physical damage and moisture. Before packing your drone, grab some hook-and-loop straps and a gimbal cover to secure the propellers, arms, and gimbal in place.
Battery Storage: Lithium-based batteries can be dangerous and shouldn't just be thrown into a case or box. You will typically need to discharge them first. Down to 40-60% capacity for short-term storage or fully discharged for long-term storage. We say "typically" because not all batteries are made the same. This is just a suggestion, and we highly recommend you adhere to the manufacturer's guidelines within the documentation that came with the batteries.
One Last Tip: Don't close the lid just yet. If you live in an area that's humid or gets humid during the summer, grab some desiccant packs/packets and throw them into the case or box as room allows. If you have never heard of them, these are the small packets you get with new products that have "Do Not Eat" printed on them. They're filled with silica gel beads that will absorb moisture from the air and reduce the chance for condensation.
That covers all of the essential maintenance and care suggestions we have right now. Whether you're a newcomer or seasoned pilot, we hope you found it helpful, but we do have one last-last tip for you: read your manuals. Those manuals will contain care instructions that specifically apply to your drone model. With that being said, if you think we left out anything important or have some other general tips of your own, please share them in the comments section below.
