Birdseye Cinema

Flight Safety and Operational Procedures

Safety is at the forefront of our operations. For this reason we have developed this safety 

and operational procedures guide.

General Information

 We fly a battery-operated, Radio Controlled Multi-Rotor Aircraft fitted 

with a gyro stabilized camera gimbal. The gimbal carries a compact body DSLR 

camera with wide-angle “pancake” lens. 

 Our flight times average 10-15 minutes but will vary depending on 

several factors such as outside temperature, payload and battery capacity. We 

carry spare batteries and a rapid charger that allows us to recharge on site (110V 

AC electric outlet required). Access to a continued power source may be required 

for recharge. 

 A two-person crew always operates our system. One crewmember is in 

charge of operating the craft, while the other is in charge of the camera operation. 

If necessary, a third crewmember will be onsite to act as a client liaison, and 

safety coordinator. 

Our Rules and Procedures

 Prior to every takeoff a proposed flight plan/path will be determined. 

This flight plan can be agreed upon with the client onsite or prior to each takeoff. 

Our Crew will evaluate any special shots or requests made by the client and will 

determine if these are safe and within our guidelines. Any request that does not 
abide by our safety regulations and is considered by our team to put any property 

and/or people at risk will not be executed. 

 We will survey the area of operation; look for obstacles that might not 

have been considered previously, such as power lines, overhead wires, etc. The 

flying area must be clear of all utility poles and power lines. The craft will not be 

flown closer than 100 feet to any above-ground electric power lines. 

 Before takeoff and after landing we will perform a preflight and post 

flight operational and safety check. 

 We require a stable; flat surface for takeoff and landing that is free 

from dust, debris and is at least 50ft away from people and structures. 

 We always fly our craft at a safe distance from people and/or property. 

Operating sites cannot be in heavily populated areas. 

 While the craft is in flight, the camera operator will communicate 

directly with the craft operator. Therefore, any direction and/or change in the 

flight plan need to be communicated solely to the camera operator. 

 While the craft is in flight it will be kept line-of-sight while 

maintaining an altitude below 400 feet and a distance of less than 300 yards. 

We always keep craft at least 25 feet of any individual, except for the craft and camera 

operator.



 We never fly in rain and/or in strong winds above 13 mph. 

 We never fly our craft near airports or in controlled airspace. 

 If at any point during flight a situation is deemed to be unsafe, the 

flight plan will be aborted immediately. 

Pre-flight safety check Thoroughly check the craft before every

flight...

 All components: RC Receiver, Flight Control Board, GPS module 

ESCs, FPV and telemetry, are mounted properly and secure. Arms and frame tight 

no wiggles or misalignment 
 Power distribution system. Check all wires and or solder connections 

for broken connections, cracked solder joints, and frayed wires with no exposed 

bare wires. 

 Batteries: 

 Install and secure battery

 Check voltage before each flight. Never fly the craft with a low voltage 

reading on your transmitter (check with the manufacturer of your equipment for 

minimum and maximum voltage readings). 

 Connect the battery to your craft’s FC inputs and wait for the engine 

controller beeps to stop. 

 Transmitter & Receiver:

 Always turn your transmitter on before connecting the battery to the 

craft...and always disconnect the battery from the craft before turning your 

transmitter off Check that the transmitter antenna is not damaged. 

 Check that the craft receiver module is well connected and that the 

antennas are properly positioned. 

 Set your transmitter timer to 80% of the known battery duration 

 Motors & Esc:

 Check for any dirt or grit in the motors 

 Motor mounting screws tight and mounts aligned 

 Motor wires and connectors are secure and tight with no frayed wires. 

 Escs are secured in mounting and wires are secured to both motors and 

power distribution connectors. 

 Propellers:

 Check the propellers nuts or bolts are tight to motors. Check for marks 

and nicks 

 Check that they are balanced 

 Check the motor mounts and the bolts and nuts for tightness 
 Check overall craft:

 Hold the craft in a controlled hover directly in front of you about 1m 

off the ground away from “ground effect” prop wash to ensure everything is 

operating properly. 

 Take a good look over the craft from all sides to make sure that 

nothing appears unusual or out of place. 

 Check your flight perimeter 

 GPS: Reset GPS if it is first time on location. Check GPS signal and flight mode 

(ATTI or GPS)  Camera:

 Check the camera equipment is on and functioning properly 

 Check for any dust particles in lens 

 Check if there memory card is empty and recording correctly

 Survey surrounding area: Survey the area; look for obstacles that you 

might not have seen previously, like power lines and overhead wires. 

 Assess weather condition: Assess the weather conditions, wind 

direction and speed. An anemometer (hand held wind speed meter) is a good tool 

to have otherwise use some dry grass or a tissue, throwing in the air to gauge the 

wind direction. Do not fly in gusty and turbulent conditions. 

Overall Check at beginning of flight day:

 Radio Control - radio range check do before start of every flight day. 

 Landing gear is securely mounted and not bent out of alignment. 

 Check aerial photo/video (none FPV) is mounted securely and working 

properly. Check system cabling.