What’s the single most important factor to help facilitate a successful fixed-wing UAV flight? It’s a question we get a lot from UAV (drone) operators across the world. And while it would be great to point to just one thing you could do to ensure every flight is a success, the reality is that there are many factors that contribute to a successful flight.
Even when a flight plan is virtually perfect and flown by a capable operator, external factors, such as the effects of altitude, humidity and the local environment, including wildlife, can ruin a successful flight very quickly.
To help overcome these challenges, here are a variety of tips to increase your chance of success in different environments and flight scenarios.
Mapping large areas
When it comes to mapping large areas, it’s best not to put yourself through the unnecessary pain of planning numerous individual flights.
Instead, highlight the full coverage area in the drone’s flight planning software and divide this into several flight plans that can be uploaded to your drone one after the other.
If your flight-planning software has a mission resume option, such as eMotion flight-planning software, be sure to rely on that instead.
With the mission resume feature, the drone will automatically return and land when battery levels are low, giving operators the opportunity to swap out batteries. Once back in the air, it will continue its mission where it left off. This method reduces the number of images needed while providing enough overlap to process the dataset later.
High-altitude flying
Whether it’s a UAV or a more traditional manned aircraft, flying at high altitudes can be tricky.
Higher elevations mean a greater risk of higher winds, which can cause your drone to work harder (specifically the battery), thus reducing flight time.
Because of this, when planning out your mission, it’s a good idea to account for the greater strain on your battery and potentially shorter flight time. Having extra, charged batteries on hand is also recommended.
As mentioned above, you can alleviate some of the hassles if your fixed-wing UAV’s flight-planning software comes with a “mission resume” feature.
It’s also important to remember that because of the lower air density at altitude, you’ll want to give your take-off throw a little more force than usual, that way you can ensure a smooth lift-off.
When flight planning, plan your mission blocks above elevation data instead of above take-off, where you can use the provided SRTM model, or import your own.
For fixed-wing flights, it’s also important to ensure your mission’s flight lines run parallel to any inclines. Not only will this help protect your drone from potential ground collisions; it also helps to ensure the consistent ground resolution of your drone’s images, which means increased accuracy throughout your dataset.
Corridor mapping
Providing a safe and cost-effective method to monitor long stretches of terrain is one of the many benefits of using a fixed-wing drone. Combine that with a “corridor” mission block type, if your UAV supports it, and the results are even better.
For example, the corridor mapping block of eMotion 3 lets you define flight parameters, such as the width of your stretch, resolution and resp.flight altitude, which help optimise flight lines and the number of pictures taken. It also ensures enough overlap between sections.
Processing this kind of dataset is straightforward, especially when using the eBee X’s RTK/PPK capability because it allows you to have your outputs in absolute accuracy without having to layout GCPs before the flight all along the stretch.
Another helpful tip is to set the take-off point close to the first waypoint to minimise your drone’s flight time prior to starting image acquisition.
For very long stretches, plan flights that “leapfrog” along the corridor—launching at one location, mapping, then landing further down the corridor, which will help ensure the UAV is ready to continue the mission after battery swaps.
Cold climates
Let’s face it, you can’t always map in warm, welcoming conditions. Cold climate flights bring about their own unique challenges, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t ways to overcome them.
As with high-altitude flights, batteries are also affected by cold climates; their capacity can reduce as the temperature drops. That’s why it’s a good idea to pack spares. You might also consider packing camera batteries (if using a drone that does not power the camera directly).
Because the life of a lithium polymer drone battery will typically reduce by 20 percent in cold climates, it’s always a good idea to be conservative by reducing your planned flight time by five to ten minutes. To ensure optimal battery life, keep the drone batteries as warm as possible until prior to take-off.
When flying over snow, you can adjust the landing zone to make it easier to detect and land by flattening the surface and setting artificial landing markers to disrupt the ground’s uniform white surface.
Finally, use a towel to dry off your drone after landing.
Wildlife concerns
Angry birds—they don’t just exist on a phone app, which is why it’s good to remain vigilant to any potential aerial threats mother nature might throw your way.
Bird attacks happen, usually from above the drone during flight, and can cause real damage and delays to your mission. That’s why it’s always helpful to learn what type of birdlife exists around your project site. And, if possible, avoid flying close to nesting areas during breeding season.
Another tip is to always try to fly with an additional observer (in some countries, this is a legal requirement) to help avoid a first-strike from aerial threats; it’s usually this attack that does the most damage.
If working regularly in those types of areas, choose ground station software, such as AgEagle’s eMotion, that features built-in bird avoidance manoeuvers, such as “dive” and “fast climb”.
General tips
The above tips are helpful for certain flight conditions, but here are some quick general guidelines to remember when planning and flying your missions.
Do you have some flight tips of your own that you’d like to add? Be sure to share them in the comments section below!
Because of its sensitivity to the presence of flowers, the blue band present in the RedEdge-P, RedEdge-P dual and Altum-PT drone sensors is at the heart of flower counting or bloom density analysis. Flower count is notably important for fruit-tree growers since it has a direct link to yield. Flowers are the reproductive structure of flowering plants and will eventually become fruits after fecundation. Therefore, the bloom density of a tree can be an indication of how fruitful the subsequent harvest will be.
The primary goal of multispectral imaging in agriculture is to detect subtle variation in plant health before visible symptoms appear. For instance, a grower could spot a small reduction in a plant’s chlorophyll content before the leaves start to turn yellow.
Ultimately most Micasense series RedEdge users want to calibrate raw images from the camera into reflectance maps. This can be done using off-the-shelf software from third parties, but you are here because there is no fun in that! While we know multispectral sensors and agricultural data analysis, we know that you’re experts in your field too. So we’ve written a tutorial to show programmatically-minded users how to convert RedEdge data from raw images to radiance and then to reflectance.
The ideal way to charge a drone’s battery? Inside a battery-safe LiPo guard bag.
If you know you’re going to be flying, plan ahead.
Correct disposal of damaged batteries.
Methods for capturing and processing data with low overlap have recently garnered some attention in the agricultural drone industry. The idea is that by reducing the amount by which images overlap, overall flight time is reduced, ultimately saving drone pilots time and money. While it’s true that this method does save time, the bottom line is that it presents an important tradeoff: it sacrifices accuracy, resolution, and valuable outputs to save an extra five minutes in the field.
At MicaSense, we believe in delivering more than pretty pictures. We believe in providing scientific solutions that address real problems. Whether it’s designing multispectral sensors that does not compromise or creating analytics that translate to dollars saved, focusing on solving real problems is how we bring value to our customers. Here is some of the science that powers our beliefs.
On June 21, 2016 the FAA published the final version of its small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) regulations, which will come into effect on August 29, 2016. This guide explains what these long-awaited rules mean for existing and future commercial operators. (Don’t see your question? Please add it in the comments below.)
Since 2012, the FAA has been working to clear the path for the wider use of drones for governmental and commercial purposes. This work saw the FAA propose a full set of rules in February 2015. Then on June 21, after much anticipation, the FAA’s drone regulations were finalised in the form of Part 107 of Chapter 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
Once these drone rules take effect on August 29, 2016 (60 days after the rule is published in the Federal Register), they will ease the administrative burden of commercial and governmental drone operators across the United States. Small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) operators will not be required to pass a medical exam, or have liability insurance. No Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) will need to be filed prior to commencing a drone operation, and operators will only need to pass an aeronautical knowledge test rather than acquire any form of pilot’s license.
The key difference between the FAA’s previously proposed draft rules and this week’s part 107 rules? The maximum above-ground flight height permitted. This has been set at 400 feet, rather than the widely expected ceiling of 500 feet.
Also, with Part 107, there no longer is a minimum distance required to fly near airports/airfields. Instead, it is determined by airspace Classes, which is beneficial for U.S. operators considering the large amount of airfields/landing strips accessible in the country in Class G. Identifying airspace is easier now as well since it is based on existing maps and data.
To learn more about Part 107, browse our Q&A below. You can, of course, also browse the FAA’s own Part 107 resources, listed at the end of this post.
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The content on this page is offered only as public general information. This page does not provide legal advice of any kind, and we cannot guarantee that the information is accurate, complete or up-to-date. This page should not be used as a substitute for obtaining legal advice from an attorney licensed or authorised to practice in your jurisdiction. You should always consult a suitably qualified attorney regarding any specific legal problem or matter. ————-
Part 107 refers to the part 107 of Chapter 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Known more informally as the FAA’s ‘small UAS rule’, Part 107 is designed to allow the use of sUAS weighing up to 55 lbs without the need for a Section 333 exemption (a previous requirement for commercial usage).
Part 107 will come into effect on August 29, 2016.
Part 107 states that commercial operators of small UAS must the following requirements:
Aircraft
Operator (A.K.A. the ‘Remote Pilot in Command’ or RPIC)
Operational limitations
In case of an accident
Existing Section 333 holders can simply continue as they are, operating under their 333’s constraints, or follow Part 107 with less constraints than previously:
The vast majority of the several thousand outstanding Section 333 exemption applications will transfer directly to Part 107 or will be transferred into the FAA’s waiver process. However some exemption applications will still need to be processed separately. (And some operators, in rare cases, will continue under Section 333 exemptions.)
At one of the FAA’s Testing Centers, listed here.
Following Part 107’s implementation date on August 29, 2016.
Yes. Learn how via this FAA page.
Yes, using the unique identifier obtained during the drone registration process.
Each country has a different policy on drone use. For example, not all regulators make a hard distinction between commercial and non-commercial use, and some require a pilot certificate or license while others do not. That said, like Part 107, UAS regulations do often specify visual line-of-sight operation, a maximum flight height, not flying over people/crowds or within restricted airspaces etc.
Providing you hold a non-student Part 61 pilot certificate there is no need to take this test. Instead you must complete an online course. This will be available following part 107’s implementation in late August at www.faasafety.gov.
The applicable regulation is section 336 of Public Law 112-95 (model aircraft usage). This generally permits operations in remotely populated areas away from airports, persons and buildings, below 400 feet AGL, and operated within visual line of sight.
