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Before leaving home
Open your mission platform app — review mission brief, deliverable requirements, altitudes, overlap %
Confirm mission type — roof inspection, mapping, progress photo, video walkthrough
Confirm equipment required — check brief for any specific drone, camera, or resolution requirements
Note job ID / order number — needed for upload and platform completion
Download or screenshot mission brief — for offline reference if signal drops on site
Check weather forecast — wind speed, gusts, cloud cover, precipitation
Check airspace — use B4UFLY, Air Aware, or your preferred airspace app to confirm class and restrictions
Check TFRs at tfr.faa.gov
LAANC — check if authorization required and apply; allow time if manual approval needed
LAANC — check if authorization required and apply; allow time if manual approval needed
Check NOTAMs at notams.aim.faa.gov — look for notices affecting your flight area
All drone batteries fully charged
Batteries inspected for damage — check for swelling, cracks, or corrosion
Controller fully charged
Strobes charged and packed
Storage ready — confirm sufficient space available on SD card or internal storage
Drone firmware up to date — check drone app before leaving home
Part 107 certificate in wallet
Self check — am I physically and mentally fit for this flight?
On site — pre-flight
PPE — put on safety vest, hard hat, steel toe boots as required for this site
Contact site coordinator if required by mission brief
Insurance — confirm coverage is active for this flight
Check actual wind speed and direction on site
Check radar for approaching weather
Survey site — note hazards (power lines, trees, antennas, structures)
Note structure heights — tallest obstacles near flight path
Identify safe takeoff and landing zone
Secondary landing zone identified — know your backup before arming
Note bystanders — establish safe perimeter if needed
Inspect drone body — no cracks, damage, or debris from last flight
Gimbal lock and lens cap removed — confirm before powering on
Gimbal check — movement free, no obstruction, calibrated
Props attached and locked — no damage or debris
Strobes — attach if flying near dusk, dawn, or low visibility conditions
Power on controller first, then drone — confirm link established
Wait for GPS lock — good satellite count (10+) before arming
Confirm active lens — if your drone has multiple cameras, verify the correct lens is selected
Confirm recording format — color profile and file type per mission brief
Filters — select and attach appropriate filter based on conditions: ND (bright sun), CPL (glare/reflections), UV (haze), or specialty filters as needed
White balance — lock manually before flight; do not leave on Auto
Compass calibration — calibrate if in a new location or near large metal structures
Load waypoint/mission file in your mission planning app
Review mission path on map — confirm no conflicts with obstacles
Flight mode — set to Normal for autonomous missions
Custom buttons — verify C1, C2 and any other programmable buttons are mapped correctly for this flight
Obstacle avoidance — enable and set sensitivity appropriate for your environment
Confirm RTH altitude set above tallest obstacle
Max altitude — set to mission altitude + buffer, within 400 ft (120m) AGL or your regional limit
Loss of signal action — set to RTH (not Hover or Land)
No drone app warnings or errors — clear before arming
During flight
Hover check at 10ft (3m) — confirm stability, no drift, no warnings · briefly test all four directions (forward, back, left, right) before proceeding
Check wind at altitude — hover at mission height briefly and confirm conditions before proceeding
Monitor battery throughout — confirm RTH battery level set
Monitor signal strength — maintain awareness of connection quality
Watch for airspace conflicts — manned aircraft, other drones
Confirm mission is capturing — SSD writing, image count incrementing in drone app
Post-flight
Safe landing confirmed — props stopped before approach
Review captured images on controller — confirm coverage, no gaps
Transfer/back up data before leaving site — copy all files to a backup drive before leaving
Upload deliverables via platform portal — your platform portal
Confirm upload complete and submission accepted in platform app
Mark mission complete in platform app — do not leave job open
Pack drone properly in case — confirm all parts undamaged and stowed securely
Log flight time in records
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Mission planning (before leaving home)
Define mapping area — confirm boundaries in DJI Pilot / mission planner
Set flight altitude appropriate for desired GSD (ground sample distance)
Set overlap — frontal 80%+ and side 70%+ for quality ortho
Estimate image count and flight time — confirm batteries sufficient
Check weather — winds under 15mph ideal, no rain, good visibility
Check Air Aware for airspace restrictions
Check TFRs at tfr.faa.gov
LAANC — check if authorization required and apply; allow time if manual approval needed
Check NOTAMs at notams.aim.faa.gov — look for notices affecting your flight area
Storage ready — confirm sufficient space available on SD card or internal storage
All batteries fully charged — bring spares for large areas
Batteries inspected for damage — check for swelling, cracks, or corrosion
Controller fully charged
Strobes charged and packed
Part 107 certificate in wallet
Self check — am I physically and mentally fit for this flight?
Drone firmware up to date — check drone app before leaving home
Save mission file to controller — confirm it loads correctly
On site — pre-flight
PPE — put on safety vest, hard hat, steel toe boots as required for this site
Check in with property owner / site contact
Contact site coordinator if required by mission brief
Insurance — confirm coverage is active for this flight
Check actual wind speed and direction
Check radar — no weather approaching for mission duration
Walk perimeter of mapping area — note all hazards
Identify and record tallest obstacles (trees, structures, power lines)
Select safe takeoff/landing zone — level ground, clear overhead
Secondary landing zone identified — know your backup before arming
Inspect drone body — no cracks, damage, or debris from last flight
Gimbal lock and lens cap removed — confirm before powering on
Gimbal check — nadir position, no obstruction
Filters — typically not needed for mapping; remove all filters for accurate exposure
Props attached and locked — inspect for damage
Power on controller, then drone — wait for strong GPS lock before arming
Confirm GPS — strong signal, good satellite count before launch
Load waypoint mission file — review path on map against actual site
Verify mission altitude clears all obstacles on flight path
Confirm active lens — if your drone has multiple cameras, select WIDE for consistent photogrammetry coverage
Set camera — nadir (straight down), correct resolution, exposure
Confirm file format — RAW (DNG)
White balance — lock manually; consistent WB critical for photogrammetry
Compass calibration — calibrate if in a new location or near large metal structures
Disable HDR — consistent exposure critical for photogrammetry
Flight mode — Normal (required for waypoint missions)
Custom buttons — verify C1, C2 and any other programmable buttons are mapped correctly for this flight
Obstacle avoidance — enable and confirm it will not interrupt waypoint path at mission altitude
Confirm RTH altitude set well above tallest obstacle
Max altitude — confirm set at or above mission altitude
Loss of signal action — RTH
No drone app warnings or errors — clear before arming
During flight
Hover check at 10ft (3m) — confirm stability, no drift, no warnings · briefly test all four directions (forward, back, left, right) before proceeding
Check wind at altitude — hover at mission height briefly and confirm conditions before proceeding
Confirm mission starts correctly — drone following planned path
Confirm images capturing — image count incrementing on controller
Monitor battery — plan battery swaps for multi-battery missions
Note where mission paused if swapping battery — ensure no coverage gap
Watch for manned aircraft and airspace conflicts
Monitor signal strength throughout mission
Post-flight
Safe landing — props stopped, drone secured
Review image count — matches expected total for coverage area
Spot check images on controller — sharp, correct angle, no gaps
Transfer/back up data before leaving site — copy all files to a backup drive before leaving
Import all images to backup drive — verify file count matches SSD transfer
Upload to Maps Made Easy or processing platform
Pack drone properly in case — confirm all parts undamaged and stowed securely
Log flight time and mission details
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Before leaving home
Check weather — wind under 23 mph (37 km/h), no rain, good visibility
Check airspace — use B4UFLY, Air Aware, or your preferred airspace app to confirm class and restrictions
Check TFRs at tfr.faa.gov
LAANC — check if authorization required and apply; allow time if manual approval needed
Check NOTAMs at notams.aim.faa.gov — look for notices affecting your flight area
All batteries fully charged
Batteries inspected for damage — check for swelling, cracks, or corrosion
Controller fully charged
Strobes charged and packed
Storage ready — confirm sufficient space available on SD card or internal storage
Remote ID — if your drone requires an external module, confirm it is charged and attached
Part 107 certificate in wallet
Self check — am I physically and mentally fit for this flight?
Drone firmware up to date — check drone app before leaving home
Drone and props inspected — no cracks, no damage from last flight
On site — pre-flight
PPE — put on safety vest, hard hat, steel toe boots as required for this site
Notify property owner or site contact if applicable
Assess the area — obstacles, people, animals, power lines, trees
Choose a clear, flat launch spot — away from people and obstacles
Secondary landing zone identified — know your backup before arming
Inspect drone body — no cracks, damage, or debris from last flight
Gimbal lock and lens cap removed — confirm before powering on
Gimbal check — movement free, no obstruction
Filters — select and attach appropriate filter based on conditions: ND (bright sun), CPL (glare/reflections), UV (haze), or specialty filters as needed
Props attached and locked — inspect for chips or cracks
Strobes — attach if flying near dusk, dawn, or low visibility conditions
Power on controller first, then drone — confirm link established
Wait 60 seconds for GPS lock — do not rush arming
GPS satellite count — confirm strong lock (10+ satellites) before arming
Set RTH altitude — above the tallest obstacle in the area
Confirm active lens — if your drone has multiple cameras, verify the correct lens is selected
Set camera — resolution, frame rate, exposure mode for the session
Confirm recording format — color profile (Normal / D-Log / D-Log M) and file type (RAW, JPEG, or RAW+JPEG) set for intended use
White balance — lock manually before flight; do not leave on Auto
Compass calibration — calibrate if in a new location or near large metal structures
Flight mode — Normal for general flying; Sport only in open areas clear of people and obstacles
Custom buttons — verify C1, C2 and any other programmable buttons are mapped correctly for this flight
Obstacle avoidance — enable and set sensitivity appropriate for your environment
Max altitude — set a sensible ceiling for the location
Loss of signal action — RTH
No drone app warnings or errors — clear before arming
During flight
Hover check at 10ft (3m) — confirm stability, no drift, no warnings · briefly test all four directions (forward, back, left, right) before proceeding
Check wind at altitude — hover at mission height briefly and confirm conditions before proceeding
Stay within visual line of sight at all times
Stay at or below the maximum altitude allowed in your country/region — 400 ft AGL in the US
Monitor battery — begin return by 30%, land by 20%
Watch for manned aircraft — yield immediately
Be aware of people entering your fly zone — pause or land if needed
Post-flight
Safe landing — props stopped before approaching drone
Inspect drone after landing — props, body, gimbal, no damage
Power off drone, then controller
Transfer/back up footage if needed — copy files to backup drive
Put batteries on charger when home — don't leave discharged
Pack drone properly in case — confirm all parts undamaged and stowed securely
Log flight time in your records