Preflight preparation is good for all drone flying, here's some of mine, bottom checks are mainly used for commercial jobs but carrying similar and pre checking before all flights will greatly help all drone users.

1/ Never calibrate Compass unless prompted to. Your compass will always prompt to calibrate if it needs it .

2/ start AC leave until you receive enough gps lock ,

3/ if you get Compass interference turn off AC and move to another location,
without interference.

4/ In bottom left hand corner on your map you will see small red triangle, check to make sure that this triangle is pointing in the same direction (heading) as your AC, this will show good compass on the ground.

Raise AC to height of 8ft
Hover for 20 seconds
Fly forward 2ft
Backward 2ft
Left 2ft
Right 2ft
Up 2ft
Down 2ft
Yaw left
Yaw right
Each time returning to hover position
If you have a good horizontal each time, you will then know you have good GPS good IMU and good Compass, and your ready to fly.

This exercise takes less than 2 minutes and is worthwhile doing before every flight,

Good post!

Good tips.

Montfrooij Posted at 5-26 02:53
Good post!

Cheers.....

+1 great post, pre flight a must.

Very Useful - Thanks

One thing I would add is checking with an app such as UAV Forecast to see if the conditions are suitable for GPS flying. Where I am located, more than half of the remaining daylight hours today will have marginal to poor GPS coverage.

Cheers for the good information. That's a proper way of pre-checks prior flying.

MisterFrag Posted at 5-26 10:35
One thing I would add is checking with an app such as UAV Forecast to see if the conditions are suitable for GPS flying. Where I am located, more than half of the remaining daylight hours today will have marginal to poor GPS coverage.

I use UAV myself mostly for long term planning , I find it’s gps a bit hit and miss, so I wouldn’t recommend it for gps you have receiver on the drone which gives both signal and gps health and it’s very reliable .
The app is good but it’s not something I would completely depend on, just my opinion.

hallmark007 Posted at 5-26 07:46
Cheers.....

My pleasure!

hallmark007 Posted at 5-26 10:54
I use UAV myself mostly for long term planning , I find it’s gps a bit hit and miss, so I wouldn’t recommend it for gps you have receiver on the drone which gives both signal and gps health and it’s very reliable .
The app is good but it’s not something I would completely depend on, just my opinion.

I don’t use it in lieu of the GPS lock display in DJI Fly, I use it to plan my flights in advance. If UAV Forecast tells me there are fewer than 11 locked satellites expected to be available, I don’t normally fly. Conversely, I try to wrap things up before coverage degrades — yesterday I knew I could fly between 11:00am and 4:00pm, so I planned around that window. Just because you have 13 satellites when you take off doesn’t mean you’ll still have them 20 minutes later. Terrain occlusion can also be an issue if you fly in a valley or near mountains.

MisterFrag Posted at 5-26 14:10
I don’t use it in lieu of the GPS lock display in DJI Fly, I use it to plan my flights in advance. If UAV Forecast tells me there are fewer than 11 locked satellites expected to be available, I don’t normally fly. Conversely, I try to wrap things up before coverage degrades — yesterday I knew I could fly between 11:00am and 4:00pm, so I planned around that window. Just because you have 13 satellites when you take off doesn’t mean you’ll still have them 20 minutes later. Terrain occlusion can also be an issue if you fly in a valley or near mountains.

Well if you find it good for gps great it’s a good app.

Phorevar Posted at 5-26 10:38
Cheers for the good information. That's a proper way of pre-checks prior flying.

Your welcome....

Hallmark, this is a 2020 year post. Very new.
I have a question.
Could you further detail what do you mean of the red triangle must be pointing in same vector, on screen, as the direction drone is moving?
An illustrate graphic comparing "ok" & another graphic " not ok"

cutis Posted at 5-31 13:54
Hallmark, this is a 2020 year post. Very new.
I have a question.
Could you further detail what do you mean of the red triangle must be pointing in same vector, on screen, as the direction drone is moving?

Ok will try do it for you tomorrow.

hallmark007 Posted at 5-31 14:07
Ok will try do it for you tomorrow.

I keep visualizing that aircraft nose's red triangle as the forward obstacle detect scanner looking forward.
But you are talking about something different.
It is the radar chart I believe you refer to.
But I do not understand what you are trying to direct alignment true to.
Does it have anything to do with how you are pointing antenna to the visualized drone in the sky?
If so, I can tell you pointing antenna directly to the drone in the sky clearly shows incongruence.
The drone appears in radar chart "off-set" regardless antenna are truly pointed towards the drone in sky.
If this is what you are aligning sensory to, please advise
and thank you hallmark
in advance

cutis Posted at 6-5 16:38
I keep visualizing that aircraft nose's red triangle as the forward obstacle detect scanner looking forward.
But you are talking about something different.
It is the radar chart I believe you refer to.

Sorry completely forgot about this. No I’m not referring to radar which depends on compass in your device.
I’m referring to red arrow on your map bottom left hand corner, when you turn on your craft check arrow it should be pointing on the same heading as your craft. For instance if you put your craft directly on a steel object or something that will cause mag interference, this arrow will pick up interference and will no longer be on same heading as craft. So using this as a direct reference that your craft and compass are both on a good heading once aligned. If people only checked this reference before taking off it is your best indicator that your compass is free of interference.

hallmark007 Posted at 6-5 17:07
Sorry completely forgot about this. No I’m not referring to radar which depends on compass in your device.
I’m referring to red arrow on your map bottom left hand corner, when you turn on your craft check arrow it should be pointing on the same heading as your craft. For instance if you put your craft directly on a steel object or something that will cause mag interference, this arrow will pick up interference and will no longer be on same heading as craft. So using this as a direct reference that your craft and compass are both on a good heading once aligned. If people only checked this reference before taking off it is your best indicator that your compass is free of interference.

Got it this revealer compass check great

hallmark007 Posted at 6-5 17:07
Sorry completely forgot about this. No I’m not referring to radar which depends on compass in your device.
I’m referring to red arrow on your map bottom left hand corner, when you turn on your craft check arrow it should be pointing on the same heading as your craft. For instance if you put your craft directly on a steel object or something that will cause mag interference, this arrow will pick up interference and will no longer be on same heading as craft. So using this as a direct reference that your craft and compass are both on a good heading once aligned. If people only checked this reference before taking off it is your best indicator that your compass is free of interference.

okay I see what you mean.
however the degree of resolution is plus minus many degrees of angle that our eyes can not resolve accurately enough being our eyes are comparing the drone vector collinear to that red dart on screen.
you could be off as much as plus minus five to ten degrees?

Another tip

Fly into the wind on the outward leg so that you have a tailwind coming home

What's the last part of your routine for pre flight? " The Irish Jig??? ;) Im kidding with ya hallmark. How have u been  lately?

$gambino$ Posted at 7-2 22:16
What's the last part of your routine for pre flight? " The Irish Jig??? ;) Im kidding with ya hallmark. How have u been  lately?

I’m fine thanks, lockdown for 3 months over now and CV almost gone I hope. Backyard flying but I’m lucky.


My backyard

Impressive work mate - think I'll print this off

Good tips.!