# Safety Checklist - SkySurv

Contents Area & Environment ................................ ................................................... .................................................. 1 Equipment / UAV / Drone ........................... ................................................... ............................................... 2 Mission Plan ...................................... ................................................... ................................................... ...... 3 Public Awareness .................................. ................................................... ................................................... .. 3 Pre-flight / Run-up ............................... ................................................... ................................................... ... 4 In-Flight ......................................... ................................................... ................................................... .......... 5 Post-Flight ....................................... ................................................... ................................................... ........ 6



### Area & Environment

o Hazards / Site Selection o Check for wires / cables o Animals o People / bystanders o Property in the vicinity o Site is away from nonessential participants o Ability to maintain adequate buffer zones between a ircraft and personnel; o Minimize departures and landings over populated are as o Take into account local topography, ensuring a visi ble line of sight towards the UAV at all times. Ensure the telemetry connection i s not obstructed. o Investigate potential alternative landing sites in case take-off site is obstructed. o Psychological consideration (are you well rested, rushed, “get there-itis”, ar e you being pressured by client) o Weather considerations o Temperature o Visibilityo Precipitation

o Wind Speed o Upper winds / at altitude o Rotor (lee side of large objects) o Notify

any bystanders or nearby property owners of your i ntentions (permission) o Discuss flight plan with your co-pilot or spotter o If flying in controlled airspace, have you notified airspace authority o NOTAMs o Can you reach authorities o Do you need to maintain communication? o First Aid Kit stocked, readily accessible and visible to anyone in the area. 

### Equipment / UAV / Drone

o Walk-around o Crack in joints and structural members o Loose or damaged screws, ties, fasteners, straps o Loose or damaged wiring o Loose or damaged connections (solder, plugs, etc.) o Inspect prop mounts and screws and apply slight cou nter pressure on arms to check for loosened components o FPV , inspect / clean FPV (Camera) Lens and insure it is secured and connects are firmly attached o Camera settings are correct (still images, video, f ramerate) o Battery / Batteries are fully charged, properly sea ted and Secured o Fail-safe equipment functioning o RTH (return to home) o Recovery chute o Firmware Airport Proximity Detection Functioning o Props are smooth and free of damage / defect (check blade, surface and hub)o Prop adapters are tight / secure

o Ensure voltage alarm is connected o Ensure arming / idle timeout is properly configured o Correct model is selected in transmitter (if applic able) o Check RC transmitter shows the right range and cent ering for all sticks o Perform range test



### Mission Plan

o All actions and contingencies for the mission plann ed. o Contingency planning should include safe routes in the event of a system failure, degraded performance, or lost communication link, i f such a failsafe exists. o Mission plans and flight plans should be shared wit h other operators in the vicinity.



### Public Awareness o Be courteous and polite o You are an ambassador and your actions will affect other pilots and the industry in general o Be professional / appear professional

### Pre-flight / Run-up

o Verifying all transmitter, on-board aircraft and ca mera batteries are fully charged; (confirm voltages) o Ensure no frequency conflicts with both video and t ransmitter / receiver o Checking all control surfaces for signs of damage, loose hinges, and overall condition; Looking over the wing/rotors to ensure t hey are in good structural condition and properly secured; o Check motor/engine and mounting attached to the air frame; o Study propellers / mounting hardware (tight) / roto r blades for chips and deformation; o Check the landing gear for damage and function o Test electrical connections, plugged in and secure o Ensure photo / video equipment mounting system is s ecure and operational. o Check location of GPS equipment controlling the aut opilot. o Check the IMU movements in the ground control softw are. o UAV in stabilization mode, ensure control surfaces move towards the correct positions o UAV / Drone is in a level location safe for takeoff o FPV / Power up ground station o FPV / Power up Video receiver / goggles o If using Video recorder turn on camera system o Camera settings are correct (still images, video, f ramerate) o SD camera memory clear and inserted into the camera o Action / Start filming o All transmitter controls move freely in all directi ons o All transmitter trims in neutral position o All transmitter switches in correct position( typic ally away) o Transmitter throttle to zero o Radio transmitter on o Connect / power on battery to airframeo Ensure led indicators and audible tones are correct

o Timer on (if applicable) o FPV, confirm video is in monitor / goggles o Scan for nearby cars / people / animals o Say “CLEAR!” o Arm flight controller o Increase throttle slightly listening for any abnorm alities o Short 20-30 second hover at 3-5 feet (listen for vi brations / loose items) o Confirm Voltage levels are correct 

### In-Flight o Basics: If flying manually, always keep your finger s on the controller/transmitter. o Never let the UAV out of your sight even for a seco nd. o Climb to a safe altitude away from potential hazard s and to reduce noise pollution. o Keep aircraft at a safe operating distance from peo ple, electric utility lines and buildings. o If the UAV must be flown over buildings or people, use a lightweight UAV and maintain a safe altitude for recovery and make ever y effort to minimize exposure. o Spotter: Use a spotter whenever possible and approp riate, especially when flying by First Person View (FPV). o Do not fly UAVs within distance defined by local la ws of any private/commercial airport/helipad o Do not fly around a pre-existing UAV flying site wi thout a frequencymanagement agreement. o Do not interfere with operations and traffic patter ns at any airporto Landing: Regardless of whether of a manual or autom ated UAV landing, scan

landing area for potential obstruction hazards. o Announce out loud “Preparing to Land”. o Carefully land the aircraft away from obstructions and people. 

### Post-Flight o Shutting Down: Turn the power off to the aircraft a nd/or disconnect the batteries. o Turn off the transmitter. o Turn the power off to the photo equipment. o Visually check aircraft for signs of damage and/or excessive wear. o Remove the unused fuel if applicable. Secure the ai rcraft. o Check pictures: Verify that the UAV camera actually took the pictures. o LOG FLIGHT