Preflight Checklist

shark&minnow will use this checklist as a guide to prepare Solo for flight. Since it is easier to 

troubleshoot issues at the office as opposed to out in the field, we will perform a handful of 

checks at the office first.

Before leaving home, check...

1. Battery charges: Check that the flight battery, controller battery, and your mobile device 

are charged up and ready to go. Make sure the video camera battery is fully charged as 

well.

2. Flight equipment: Check for damaged or loose components. Inspect each propeller 

carefully for damage. Discard and replace any bent or chipped propellers.

3. Filming and streaming equipment: If you plan on using your GoPro® with Solo, attach 

your GoPro® and establish a live feed through the Solo App to make sure everything is 

communicating properly. Now is also a good time to make sure your Micro SD card has 

enough available storage to record your upcoming flight. GoPro® and Micro SD Card —

Optional for flight

4. Packing up: Now that you have made sure everything is in good working order, pack all 

your items carefully in your Solo carrying case. Make sure each item is snug and 

secure—it would be a shame to make it to the field to find something has broken during 

transportation. In the field, check your flying location for...

a. People: Whether you are a veteran pilot or new to flying, never fly around people! 

Unforeseen flight hazards can occur at any time and you are ultimately 

responsible for the safety of yourself and others.

b. Inclement weather: Solo is not designed for harsh weather conditions. If it is 

windy, snowing, raining etc. pack up and wait for calmer skies.

c. Surrounding airports: Stay at least five miles away from surrounding airports.

d. Interfering Wi-Fi networks: Stay clear of crowded Wi-Fi environments. If you are 

in an area with many different Wi-Fi networks, your connection to Solo will not be 

as reliable. Also, tall objects such as telephone poles and cell towers cause Wi-Fi 

interference; so make sure that you are clear of these as well.

Setting up to fly, final checks...

1. Propellers: Check that the propellers are correctly attached and spin smoothly without 

obstruction when turned. Once again, check the propellers to be sure they are not bent or 

chipped as damage can occur during travel.

2. Antenna configuration: Angle the antennas down and away from the controller so they 

are approximately perpendicular with Solo in flight. Tilt each antenna out and away from 

one another at a 20° angle.

3. GoPro® configuration (optional): Before attaching your GoPro® to Solo, make sure to 

insert your Micro SD card and check that you’ve applied the recommended GoPro® 

settings. Once you’ve attached the camera, establish a live feed make sure the Solo App 

is registering the GoPro® feed. warning_triangle Double-check that your GoPro®’s Wi-Fi 

is disabled before taking flight. Failure to do so can lead to unexpected behavior.

4. Level takeoff surface: For a smooth takeoff, Solo requires a flat and solid launch surface.

5. Safe takeoff/landing area: Make sure Solo has 20 ft of space in each direction to take off 

from and land on. Depending on the GPS strength at your location, Solo’s Return Home 

feature might require a little extra room.

6. Return Home accuracy: Since GPS strength can vary from location to location, the exact 

landing point of a Return Home call can differ slightly from the original launch point. Just 

so you know where exactly where Solo will land in the future, take off with Solo, fly out a 

small distance, and test the Return Home feature to see where Solo has pinpointed to 

land.

Give your surroundings one last check!
A good amount of time has probably gone by since beginning your preflight checks, leaving time 

for people to have wandered into your flying area while you were busy making your way down the 

list. Give your surroundings one more good look for any potential flying hazards and just 

remember to use common sense for safe flying.