FLIGHT OPERATIONS AND PROCEDURES MANUAL

VERSION: AUGUST 2015
TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. RULES FOR OPERATIONS

2. PREFLIGHT CHECKLIST

3. POSTFLIGHT CHECKLIST

4. AIRCRAFT RECORDKEEPING

5. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

6. PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) REQUIREMENTS

7. VISUAL OBSERVER (VO) REQUIREMENTS

8. UAS TECHNICIAN REQUIREMENTS

9. AIRFRAME CERTIFICATIONS
1. RULES FOR OPERATIONS

1. sUAS will not be operated above 400 feet AGL at any time. PIC must verify correct altitude 

readout function on groundstation equipment prior to takeoff. 

2. sUAS will not be operated above persons or property deemed non-participants in the flight. 

Non-participants must be located a minimum of 200 feet from the flight area. 

3. Persons deemed participants must sign acknowledgement of operation form if they are to be 

located within the designated flight area as marked. Only people necessary to the flight are 

to be located within the flight area as marked.

4. Flights must be conducted within daylight hours only.

5. Flights must be conducted 500 or more feet below and 2000 or more feet horizontally from 

any clouds.

6. Flights will not be conducted when visibility is less then 3 statute miles from PIC.

7. Accidents or incidents must be reported to the UAS Integration Office and NTSB within 24 

hours as per NTSB guidelines

8. sUAS must always see and avoid any other aircraft operating in the NAS

9. PIC must maintain visual, unaided, contact with sUAS at all times, except when aided by a 

VO. In this case, VO must maintain visual, unaided contact at all times, and the PIC must 

maintain the ability to regain visual contact with the aircraft at any time. 

10. sUAS will land immediately upon loss of GPS function. Aircraft will not takeoff until GPS 

function is locked and confirmed as per the preflight checklist.

11. sUAS will never be operated at greater then 45 miles per hour ground speed. 

12. Flights will not exceed 20 minutes of duration, or exhaust more then 75% of available 

battery power, whichever occurs first.

13. No aircraft will be operated with a total all up weight of greater then 55 pounds.

14. Aircraft will never be operated with 5 miles of an airport.
2. PREFLIGHT CHECKLIST

 Ensure environment meets all Rules for Operations criteria outlined above

 Inspect aircraft propellers for tightness, integrity, and damage

 Inspect all motors for debris or binding, loose magnets, bearing play, and damaged coils

 Inspect speed controllers for damage or loose attachment

 Inspect airframe for damage and loose or missing hardware

 Inspect power system cables for damaged insulation, loose connectors, or signs of thermal 

stress

 Inspect batteries for thermal stress (puffing), damage to heatshrink, or damage to cables

 Inspect transmitter for signs of damage

 Power on transmitter and check battery level

 Power on aircraft and confirm control link with transmitter

 Conduct range test on ground to confirm transmitter control link

 Connect aircraft to ground control station software via USB (where applicable) and confirm 

no warning messages exist

 Verify aircraft status LED displays proper flight mode

 Verify ground control station display shows aircraft voltage is at acceptable level

 Calibrate flight control compass in a suitable location

 Verify GPS function and satellite lock with no fewer then 8 satellites in view. 

 Arm aircraft motors and perform light-on-gear test

 Aircraft is now safe to fly
3. POSTFLIGHT CHECKLIST

 Power off aircraft

 Power off transmitter. Stow transmitter

 Remove batteries from aircraft and inspect for deficiencies. Stow batteries in firesafe case

 Remove propellers from aircraft and inspect for deficiencies. Stow propellers

 Log flight duration time, battery end voltage, and cycle number in aircraft logbook

 Inspect entire aircraft, to include propulsion system, for any damage that may have occurred 

during flight. Document any damage found in aircraft logbook.
4. AIRCRAFT RECORDKEEPING REQUIREMENTS

All aircraft operated by LMA will have a dedicated logbook assigned to them where the following 

information is recorded:

1. Airframe serial/N Number

2. Date commissioned

3. Flight Control System firmware version 

4. Individual flight count

5. Flight hours

6. Parts replaced, part numbers, and cost

7. Overhaul specifications (ie, hours at which component replacement is required)
5. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

The following conditions constitute an emergency situation and require an immediate landing or 

controlled descent. The list is not all inclusive.

1. Wind speeds sustained exceeding 15 miles per hour at ground level, or gusts exceeding 25 

miles per hour. These are cap levels, and if individual airframes are affected at lower wind 

speeds, those aircraft will not be flown. 

2. Visual sighting of another aircraft, manned or otherwise, operating anywhere in the flight 

area. In this event, the LMA sUAS will be landed and the flight suspended until the other 

aircraft is no longer visible. 

3. Entry into the flight area of people who are non-participants.

4. Loss of visibility as a result of weather or other causes.

5. Loss of GPS aided navigation. Aircraft will be landed under manual flight modes and will 

not be used again until the cause of the signal loss is determined.

6. Aircraft battery voltage drops below 25% of total capacity.

7. Transmitter battery voltage drops below 25% of total capacity.

8. Any system warning (compass abnormal, gimbal error, etc) given to the ground control 

system.

9. Motor total failure or intermittent failure of one or more motors (if needed, parachute 

recovery system, if equipped, should be used).

10. Absolutely any unusual aircraft behavior.
6. PILOT IN COMMAND (PIC) REQUIREMENTS

1. Must possess 20/20 corrected vision

2. Must successfully pass LMA pilot certification exam with a minimum score of 90%

3. Must possess a Sport Pilot Certification at minimum

4. Must complete 200 flight cycles and 25 hours flight time as a UAS rotorcraft pilot 

5. Must complete at least 10 hours flight time in a similar or same UAS type as currently 

piloting

6. Must have 3 takeoffs and landings in the previous 90 days to keep certification current
7. VISUAL OBSERVER (VO) REQUIREMENTS

1. Must possess 20/20 corrected vision

2. Must successfully pass LMA pilot certification exam with a minimum score of 90%

3. Must be able to successfully control the aircraft he/she is observing in case of an emergency 

which renders the PIC unable to continue his/her duties. In this event, the VO becomes a 

limited PIC and must land the craft as soon as safely possible

8. UAS TECHNICIAN REQUIREMENTS
1. Must successfully pass LMA pilot certification exam with a minimum score of 90%

2. Must demonstrate proficiency in UAS construction techniques and component function

3. Must demonstrate proficiency in flight controller software use and programming

4. Must correctly troubleshoot and resolve issues with UAS and maintain aircraft logbook with 

all parts replacement, software/firmware updates, and scheduled overhaul data

9. AIRFRAME CERTIFICATIONS
LMA maintains datasheets and/or user manuals for all aircraft certified for use in commercial 

applications. In the case of custom-built aircraft lacking manufacturer datasheets or manuals, such 

documents are assembled from component datasheets and physical characteristics. LMA currently 

has certified the following aircraft for operations:

1. DJI Phantom 3 Professional

- Reference Phantom 3 User Manual and Quick Start Guide

2. Tarot TL8X Octocopter with DJI A2 Flight Control System

- Reference TL8X Datasheet