Seat belts? Check. Mirrors? Check. When you operate a car, there's a set of tasks that you perform in order to get to your destination safe and sound. It's no different when it comes to piloting a drone. Pilots, like drivers, have a responsibility to ensure the trip is safe for everyone. In this article we'll go over some drone dos and don'ts, you'll get a couple of pre-flight checklists that you can follow before every flight, and we’ll touch on some safety accessories you can get for your drone to help make every flight as safe as possible.
Common Sense Isn't That Common
Sure, a lot of what you're about to read will sound like common sense. That’s because it is. However, when it comes to drone safety, it’s better to sweat the small stuff than assume we have everything covered. Missing one thing as a pilot can come with some serious consequences.
These tips and lists are provided to minimize the chances of a mistake, so no one gets hurt, property doesn’t get damaged, and you can enjoy a fun and trouble-free day of flying. With that being said, let's start off by mentioning some basic drone dos and drone don'ts!
Drone Dos
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Do check the weather. Remember that your drone has a maximum wind rating and temperature threshold. As a pilot, the last thing you want is to lose control.
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Do keep an eye on your drone. It can be easy to focus solely on your remote or phone screen, so always keep your drone within view in order to maintain situational awareness.
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Do know where you are. Unless you have authorization, flying into restricted airspace is against the law and it's up to you to know where that airspace is.
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Do use a landing pad. When taking off and landing, this will minimize the chance of loose debris from damaging the drone or being thrown towards bystanders.
Drone Don’ts
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Don't fly too close. Whether it's people, animals, or structures, the closer you are, the better the chances of an accident.
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Don't interfere with other aircraft. Your drone is not the only thing in the air. Never get in the way of the flight path of other aircraft, such as helicopters and drones that are already airborne.
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Don't fly over emergencies. It's critical that first responders not be distracted from doing their jobs during an emergency, so never fly too close or above them without authorization.
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Don't fly under the influence. This should go without saying, but it always bears repeating. Do not pilot a drone if your ability to do so safely is compromised.
Check & Double Check
What to do and what not to do can be maintained and mitigated by simply being a responsible pilot. To make sure you’re doing the right thing each and every time you fly, it's a good idea to get organized and follow pre-flight checklists. If you cover all your bases beforehand, you greatly minimize the chances of something going wrong during a flight.
These types of checklists are not set in stone and we recommend always updating yours as you gain experience in flying. Below you'll find a couple of examples to get you started. One is geared towards, well, your gear, and the other addresses the environment in which you’ll be flying. To make your life easier, we suggest doing as many of these tasks as possible the day before you plan to fly.
Preflight Checklist (Equipment)
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Pack your documentation, such as proof of a passed TRUST, pilot license, waivers, and authorizations.
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Fully charge everything, such as flight batteries, controller batteries, a phone, tablet, and/or power bank.
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Pack all drone accessories, especially spare propellers and the tools to replace them.
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Perform updates to your piloting apps and firmware.
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Inspect all drone components and tighten all propellers.
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Clean all drone sensors.
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Remove the gimbal and lens covers.
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Pre-takeoff, turn on your drone and controller to pair/bind them and ensure proper control and camera functionality.
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Set your RTH (Return-to-Home) location and the altitude the drone should fly at if it's triggered. (note the height of nearby structures)
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Test any attached accessories, such as strobe lights, spotlights, and loudspeakers.
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Take off and hover for 30 seconds, then fly vertically. During this test, watch and listen for any abnormalities and confirm proper control.
Preflight Checklist (Environment)
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Check the weather to make sure wind speed and temperature are within the drone's tolerances.
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Note any environmental or industrial hazards, such as trees and power lines.
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Load up a B4UFLY-compatible app to brush up on local drone regulations and find out if there’s any restricted airspace nearby. Note that if you’re flying a DJI drone, DJI Fly and Pilot apps will notify you if you approach restricted airspace.
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Make sure there is no one currently in, or who may enter, your flight path.
Read More: Preflight Safety Tips for Drone Pilots
Safety Equipment
How well you're prepared for a day of flying is a huge part of effective flight safety, but that can always be augmented with some cool gear. Spinning propellers are a common cause of damage and injury, but that can be mitigated to a significant degree with propeller guards. They’re simple accessories that fit to the drone and extend past the propellers, becoming the first point of contact instead of the blades.
When night flying, anti-collision lights are a great idea, giving everyone the ability to more easily spot the drone in the sky. Some attach via adhesive, so they can be used by most any drone.
For serious safety on professional drones, look to parachutes. During a catastrophic failure, these systems are designed to automatically fire a parachute, turning a dangerous projectile into a (relatively) harmless floating drone.
If your goal as a drone pilot is to have a fun and productive day of flying, we promise that putting in the work to be safe and prepared will almost guarantee you'll have a blast each and every time you fire up those propellers. We hope the guidelines and products we mentioned here will be of help and we encourage you to incorporate as much of it into your piloting routine as possible. If you have any other tips and suggestions, we'd love to hear from you. As always, for all your drone, accessory, and safety gear needs, visit B&H.
