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DJI I1/P3/P2 V+ Quadcopter Pre‐Flight Checklist

1. At Home before going out to Flight Location, Do the Following:

1. Confirm the Latest firmware is installed on Aircraft, RC and all Aircraft Batteries

2. Confirm all Aircraft Batteries and RC are Fully Charged

3. Inspect Aircraft and Propellers for Any Damage; Discard any Damaged Propellers

2. Confirm the Battery Charge is Sufficient for Flight (Fully Charged Battery is Highly Recommended)

3. Install Battery in Aircraft

4. I1 only:  Place I1 on Flat, Smooth Surface, Power on RC, then Power on the I1 Aircraft Battery and Flip the

Transformation Switch Up and Down 4 Times to Take I1 out of Transport Mode; then Turn the I1 Aircraft

Battery Off and then Turn the I1 RC Off.

5. Remove Lens Cap, if any, from Aircraft Camera and Put it in Secure Location

6. I1 only: Remove Camera Gimbal Connection Protective Covers from Camera Gimbal and I1 Nose

7. I1 only: Install Camera and Gimbal on I1 Aircraft Gimbal Mount

8. P2 and P3: Remove Camera Gimbal Guard and Put it in Secure Location

9. Install Appropriate ND Filter on Camera Lens as Needed

10. Install Propellers on Aircraft

11. Check that Each Propeller is Tightly Screwed On

12. I1 Only: Install Prop Locks on all 4 Inspire Propellers (Not Needed if Using Quick‐Release Props)

13. Install Snap‐on Prop Guards, if using for this flight

14. Confirm that Prop Guards, if using for this flight, are Securely Attached

15. Turn on 3rd‐Party GPS Tracker and Mount/Attach it to Aircraft

16. Secure iPad (and Sun Hood, if used) in RC Mobil Device Holder (click holder firmly on iPad)

17. Adjust RC Antennae for Optimal Transmission Strength and Stability:

1. Antennae should point straight up if aircraft will be out in front of you; straight out (parallel to

ground) if aircraft will be directly overhead; adjust body position and antennae tilt as needed

during flight to maintain this optimal antennae orientation.

2. I1/P3 Antennae should be Parallel to each other with wide flat sides aimed at I1/P3 Aircraft  

18. Connect I1/P3 RC to iPad with USB‐Lightning Cable

19. P2 only:  Confirm S1 and S2 switches are in top position for normal GPS flight mode

20. I1 and P3: Confirm P‐A‐F Switch is in “P” position for P‐GPS flight mode

21. Turn on iPad/iPhone; set screen brightness to maximum; set volume at high level

22. Turn on RC (and P2 WiFi Booster, if applicable)

23. I1 and P3: Tap "Trust this Device" on iPad

24. Turn on I1/P3/P2 Aircraft Battery

25. P2 only: on iPad, in WiFi Settings: Forget any Nearby WiFi Servers

26. P2 only: on iPad, in WiFi Settings: Confirm iPad WiFi is Linked to Phantom Aircraft

27. P2 only: on iPad, Start 3rd‐Party FPV Booster App, and "Boost" P2 Tx Signal

28. Open DJI Pilot (or DJI Vision) App on iPad

29. I1 and P3: Calibrate iPad Compass if Needed (Compass Calibration Screen Pops up on iPad)

30. Open Camera Screen of DJI Pilot/ Vision App

31. Calibrate P2/P3/I1 Aircraft Compass

1. Start Calibration from DJI Pilot/Vision App; with two hands hold aircraft level in normal flying

position in front of you, slowly rotate Aircraft 360 degrees. The rear lights should turn from

yellow to solid green if this calibration step was successful;  

2. Then hold Aircraft in front of you with nose pointing down, rotate 360 degrees. The rear lights

should turn from solid green to flashing green (P‐GPS mode) or flashing yellow (P‐ATTI mode).

32. Attach RC Harness to RC.

33. Confirm "Safe to Fly" Message is Displayed at the Top of App Camera Screen
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34. Confirm Camera Live View is Working

35. Confirm at Least 8 Satellites are Being Monitored (7 is minimum for GPS mode)

36. Switch to Map Screen and select  Satellite or Hybrid View Mode  

37. Confirm That Position of Aircraft (Red Arrow) and RC (Blue Dot) shown on App map screen in Satellite/

Hybrid View are Accurate within 10 feet or so (If not accurate, pick up aircraft and walk around in 25+

feet diameter circle; then repeat this Step.)

38. Use iPad Apps such as Hover, Hi‐Def Weather Radar, Other Weather Apps and/or Other Means to

confirm wind speed, weather, humidity, temperature and Kp Index are safe for flying.

39. Confirm Micro SD card is Installed in Aircraft Camera

40. Turn on Propellers (Perform CSC Stick Maneuver on RC)

41. Confirm That Positions of Home Point (Green Circle with 'H') and current Aircraft Position (Red Arrow)

shown on App Map Screen in Satellite/ Hybrid View are Identical and Accurate within 10 feet or so.  

(If not accurate, pick up aircraft and walk around in 25+ feet diameter circle; then repeat this Step.)

42. Confirm Aircraft Orientation (aircraft nose facing direction) shown on map is accurate and orientation of

aircraft relative to the RC position shown on Compass dial is accurate. (If not accurate, perform a

compass calibration and repeat this step.)

43. Check Camera/Video Settings are Appropriate for Current Shoot

44. Confirm DJI Pilot App confirms that a Micro SD card is Installed in Aircraft Camera

45. Confirm Sufficient Available Memory Space Exists on Memory Card for Flight

46. Start Video Recording on DJI Pilot/Vision App

47. Confirm Return to Home Height Setting is Safely above highest tree/structure in entire planned/potential

flight path area (remember this is height above Home Point take‐off location)

48. Ensure Area around Aircraft is Safe to Fly (Free of Pedestrians, Pets, vehicles, etc.)

49. Take‐off and Raise Aircraft Altitude to 10‐25 Feet Height Above Ground for RC Control Checkout

1. Confirm Hover Stability (with both sticks at center position, Aircraft should hold position within

a 2 to 6‐foot diameter circle if in GPS flight mode; much less drift is possible if using VPS.

2. Test Responsiveness and Accuracy of Aircraft Flight to Left/Right Yaw Stick, Ascend/Descend

Throttle, Left/Right Roll, and Forward/Backward Pitch Stick Moves

3. Confirm Camera Gimbal Tilt Wheel Control is Working and Tilt Speed and Performance are

Appropriate for Planned Video Shoot

50. Adjust/Confirm Camera/Video Settings as Needed for Optimal Performance for Planned Video Shoot

51. Begin Planned Flight

  

End of Flight Procedures

1. Safely Land Aircraft

2. Hold Left Stick Fully Down until Propellers Turn Off

3. Stop Video Recording on DJI Pilot/Vision App

4. Turn off I1/P2/P3 Aircraft Battery

5. Turn off RC (and P2 WiFi Booster)

6. If Flying Aircraft Again: Replace I1/P2/P3 Aircraft Battery and Restart Quadcopter Pre‐Flight Checklist

  

If Finished Flying this Quadcopter for the Day:

1. Turn off iPad and Remove from RC Mobile Device Holder

2. I1 only:  Uninstall the Camera and Gimbal Assembly from the I1 Aircraft and Place in Storage Box

3. I1 only:  Place Gimbal Connection Covers on the Camera‐Gimbal Assembly and on the I1 Aircraft

4. I1 only:  Place I1 Aircraft on a flat, smooth surface, Power on the RC, then Power On the I1 Aircraft, and

then flip the Transformation Toggle Switch up and down 4 times to move the I1 Aircraft Prop Arms into

Transport Mode
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5. Remove  I1/P2/P3 Aircraft Battery

6. I1 only: Remove I1 Prop Locks, if any, and Store

7. Remove 4 Propellers and Store  

8. Remove 3rd‐Party Snap‐on Prop Guards and Store

9. P2 and P3: Re‐install Camera Lens Cap

10. P2 and P3: Place Gimbal Guard on Camera

11. Remove 3rd‐Party GPS Tracker from Aircraft and Turn it Off

12. Safely Store I1/P2/P3 Aircraft, RC and Accessories in Travel Case

13. Police Area for any Overlooked Items

Procedures During Flight

1. If your intent is to record the entire flight, make sure video record time counter is increasing.

2. Maintain Line of Sight (LOS) with I1/P3/P2 Aircraft at all times.

3. Monitor Remaining Battery Life; watching for any unexpected, sudden drops in remaining battery life;

if sudden loss of battery life occurs, bring aircraft back to home point immediately and/or land at

current location if safe to do so.

4. FAA guidelines are to remain below 400 feet elevation

5. Do not fly over crowds of people, government facilities, schools, or private property (unless permission

was received from property owner).

6. If the video image on the mobile device screen starts to break up, pixelate, or freeze multiple times:

a. You may be getting signal interference

i. In the DJI Pilot App HD Menu page, change Channel from “Auto” to “Custom” and select

an unused (low interference) channel between 13 and 20. (Note: watch Signal Noise

graph for a minute or so and choose the channel with the least amount of activity.)

b. Your iPad/iPhone device may be getting TOO HOT

i. This is likely the issue if you also notice that response to DJI Pilot app menu commands

has also slowed considerably.   

ii. DON’T PANIC – remember, the iPad does not control the aircraft, the RC controls the

aircraft; continue to control aircraft as usual with RC stick controls and bring it home.   

If you are recording video with the aircraft camera, it will continue recording.

7. If your iPad shuts down, goes black and/or displays warning: “Temperature (thermometer graphic)

iPad/iPhone needs to cool before you can use it”

a. I1 and P3:  DON’T PANIC – remember, the iPad does not control the aircraft, the RC controls the

aircraft; continue to control aircraft and bring it home by flying it as normal.

b. If the status light on the RC (single LED to left of battery strength white LEDs) is GREEN, the RC

is still connected to the aircraft and you can control it as usual.

c. I1 and P3:  Contrary to what you might expect, an IPad shutdown will NOT automatically trigger

a Return‐to‐Home! Why? Because the RC is probably still in control of the aircraft.   

(Note: I have not experienced this situation with my P2V+, so I don’t know if it an iPad

shutdown triggers a RTH of the P2V+ or not.)

d. Allow iPad to cool – put it in the shade if available.

a. I1 and P3: If in moment of panic, you have lost sight of aircraft and/or orientation, consider

triggering a Return‐to‐Home (RTH) using the dedicated button on the RC (right button below

control sticks).  Press and HOLD the RTH button for two seconds (until it beeps) and watch for

aircraft as it returns. DON’T PANIC – remember, the iPad does not control the aircraft, the RC

controls the aircraft; use RC sticks to bring aircraft home.
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b. I1 and P3: Remember – you can cancel the RTH at any time by pressing the RTH button one

time while an RTH is in progress.

c. I1 and P3: Even with an RTH in progress, you can control forward/back, left/right position, and

rate of descent of aircraft with the RC sticks.

d. I1 and P3 only:  When the iPad cools sufficiently that the screen comes back on, put in your

passcode and get back into the DJI Pilot app.  You may be able to regain video link and

telemetry with your aircraft (this has been my experience).

Firmware Update Instructions

1. To Update Aircraft/Battery Firmware (I1 and P3)

1. Download latest firmware from DJI.com website, extract and place .bin file in root directory of

micro SD card and insert it in Aircraft camera gimbal

2. With RC turned OFF, turn ON the Aircraft Battery and wait for D‐D‐D‐D beeps (update in

progress) to change to D‐DD beeps (update is successfully completed)

3. Remove micro SD card from aircraft camera gimbal; place it in a USB card reader; insert USB

stick in and PC USB port; check .txt file in root directory of micro SD card for confirmation of

SUCCESS in updating aircraft and/or battery.

2. To Update RC Firmware (I1 and P3)

1. Place micro SD card with .bin file in root directory in a USB stick card reader, place USB stick in

the USB port on the RC and turn on the RC.  

2. After ~60 seconds the firmware update of the RC should begin – the RC will continuously beep

and the RC status light will turn solid blue throughout update.  

3. It will take 3‐10 minutes for RC firmware update to complete.   

4. If the status LED on the RC turns solid green and beeping stops, the update was successful

(check .txt file on SD card).  If status light turns solid red, the update failed; try again to update

the RC.

3. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:  After updating aircraft firmware, perform an IMU Calibration.

IMU Calibration Procedures

1. To perform an IMU calibration, the P3 and the remote controller (RC) must be turned on with the DJI

Pilot app running on the Apple IOS device, which is connected with a Lightning cable to the RC's USB

port.  (An Android device and appropriate USB cable can also be used ‐ but I only have experience with

Apple IOS devices.)

2. From the DJI Pilot app main menu screen, select Camera.  There are several ways to get to the correct

settings menu ‐ the fastest is to select the "Mode" button in the upper left (to right of home symbol).  

This will bring up the "MC Settings" screen. Use your finger to scroll to the bottom of the MC Settings

screen to reveal the "Sensors" menu item.  Select "Sensors" menu item.  Scroll to the bottom of the

Sensors menu screen to reveal "Check IMU" and "IMU Calibration" choices.

3. PRECAUTIONS: Before starting an IMU Calibration, the P3 should be "cold" (i.e., not recently flown) and

must be sitting on a firm, level surface with no vibrations, other electronics, magnets (e.g., stereo

speakers) or metal nearby (this includes rebar in your concrete driveway).  I use a perfectly level

ceramic floor tile in my family room. Also, you must not touch, bump or move the P3 during the IMU

calibration and you should minimize/avoid any floor vibrations (people walking nearby, doors

slamming, spouse vacuuming in next room, etc.).  

4. P3 only: To minimize/eliminate getting the “IMU Warming Up” message for more than a few seconds

after each initial aircraft power‐on, you should cool the aircraft with the battery removed BEFORE
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performing an IMU calibration by placing it in front of an A/C vent in your home or car for 5‐10

minutes. Some P3 owners suggest placing P3 in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

5. With the Remote turned on, an iPad connected to the RC and turned on, and the DJI Pilot app opened

to the IMU Calibration menu, insert a fully‐charged battery in the chilled P3 and place the P3 on a level

surface (ensure the gimbal clamp is removed).  

6. Start the IMU Calibration immediately after powering on the P3 ‐ as soon as the “IMU Calibration”

menu choice becomes active (not grayed out). Click through the message and warning screens.  The

IMU Calibration takes 3‐10 minutes ‐ there is a status bar that will eventually go to 100% ‐ it may take a

minute or two before it changes from 0%.  Ensure you get an IMU Calibration Complete message.

7. Perform a Gimbal Auto Calibration immediately after the IMU Calibration is finished with the P3 still

sitting on the same level surface. Together the cold IMU Calibration and Gimbal Auto Calibration

should correct any tilted horizons you may be seeing in your videos.