DJI PRE-FLIGHT CHECKLIST

BEFORE DEP ARTING FOR SITE CHECK DATE:

Aircraft (AC) and Remote Controller (RC) batteries fully charged 

Tablet fully charged 

Portable Radio for communicating with manned AC fully charged 

Ensure SD card has free space and is inserted into the camera 

Ensure Firmware is updated on AC and RC(s) 

Cache location maps into all DJI Pilot app devices 

Check for frequency (FX) used by local manned AC (Skyvector.com) 

Check if flight location is in No-Fly Zone (Check here: airmap.io) 

Program local FX into portable radio 

Check for NOTAMs and Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) (FAA.gov/notamSearch) 

Check weather 

Precipitation less than 5-10% 

Winds under 20kts 

Cloud layer above 500' (152M) 

1 statute mile visibility 

KP index is 5 or less (Check here: UAVforecast.com) 

Check Sunrise, Sunset, Moonrise, Moonset 

Comprehensive maintenance check after 200 flights or 50 flight hours. (DJI Phantom 3 User 

Manual) 

LOCATION ON-SITE CHECK

Check flying area free of overhead obstructions 

Wires, low flying AC, trees, tall buildings 

Antennas that may interfere with compass and GPS reception 

Weather meets conditions 

Winds under 20 kts (23 MPH or 10 meters per second) 

Clouds above 500’ (152M) 

Visibility for 1 statute mile 
KP index 5 or less 

Confirm flight plan with camera operator and/or spotter

Note: Still perform step if by oneself, it adds clarity to decision making.

PHYSICAL AIRCRAFT CH ECK

Desired ND filter attached to camera 

Camera locked in place 

SD card in camera 

Motors clear of Foreign Object Debris (FOD) 

Note: FOD may cause motor burnout and complete AC inversion on take-off

Check propellers for any melting, misshapen, or cracks 

Propellers hand tight 

Prop locks firmly attached or 

Quick Release plastic base has no cracks or fissures. 

REMOTE CONTROLLER CHECK

Antennas oriented properly

Note: The broad side should face the AC and they should not touch each other.

Switch to P-GPS mode 

Landing gear switch oriented down (If applicable)

Check battery level of RC for minimum 75% 

DJI PILOT APP CHECK

Maximum Flight altitude set

Note: 121 Meters = 400’

Failsafe Mode, Set for 10M Clearance above lowest obstacle in flight plan

Note: 1 Meter = 3.3’

RC Signal Lost set to Return-to-Home 

Check Sensors 

Gyroscope between “-1.0 to +1.0” 

Acceleration between “-1.0 to +1.0” 

Compass MOD between “1400 - 1599” 
Check IMU 

Image Transmission Channel set

Note: Watch channels for 30 seconds to ensure selected channel is indeed stable

Battery Cells all 4.28V or greater 

At least 98% battery 

Ensure no greater than .2V between battery cells 

Adjust Gimbal Roll to make level 

Ensure enough Satellites are locked (recommend 16) 

Set Camera Orientation mode

Note: Recommend “Follow-mode” for solo and “free-mode” with camera 

Turn all devices to airplane mode 

Face AC into the wind

Note: This allows AC to float back to operator in case of emergency.

Check heading of Aircraft

Note: Ensure nose heading of red paper airplane is close to nose heading of actual aircraft.

Start Video recording 

Start Propellers using a Combined Stick Command (CSC) 

Ensure blue dot representing RC is accurately located on map 

Ensure home point is accurately set on map 

Ensure elevation reads 0 (zero)