How to prepare before each drone flight

Transcript

As a responsible drone pilot, make a checklist that you can use each time you prepare for a flight.

A drone flies around the screen, a tablet screen reveals a pilot icon and a checklist with 5 items.

Text on screen:

Drone pilot

Make a checklist

  • 1. Check the weather
  • 2. Carry the appropriate documentation
  • 3. Know your airspace
  • 4. Know your surroundings
  • 5. Have an emergency plan

And before each take-off, make sure to conduct an effective Drone Site Survey.

1: Check the weather

Text on screen:

Drone site survey

  • 1. Check the weather

Learn the manufacturer recommendations for your drone’s ability to operate in different weather conditions and look up the weather forecast for the entire duration of your flight.

A drone pilot is reading the weather section in the operating manual. A rural landscape appears.

Text on screen:

Weather

Look up the weather forecast for the duration of your flight

Windy or bad weather conditions can cause you to lose control of your drone.

The landscape becomes windy and the trees shake in wind.

Rain can impact your drone’s ability to fly; and cold weather can reduce your battery life.

The landscape transitions to a rain storm. Then the landscape transitions to winter.

2: Carry the appropriate documentation

Text on screen:

  • 2. Carry the appropriate documentation

When operating your drone, you must always have the following items available in print or digital format:

  • your proof of drone registration,
  • your pilot certificate,
  • your proof of recency, and
  • your drone’s operating manual

A paper document icon and a mobile device icon appear. Icons of the 4 items that drone pilots must always carry appear.

Text on screen:

When operating your drone, you must always have the following items in

Print

Digital

Proof of drone registration

Pilot certificate

Proof of recency

Operating manual

3: Know your airspace

Text on screen:

  • 3. Know your airspace

When you are planning your flight, determine the class of airspace that you will be flying in and if it requires permission for you to fly there.

The drone pilot is at home looking at a tablet showing location markers on a city map.

Identify any airports or aerodromes in the area and remember to respect minimum distances. And always make sure to stay well-away from other aircraft.

The drone pilot clicks on the airport marker on the map. The tablet zooms to a map of the airport and a “no drone” symbol flashes over the map. A rural landscape with a small airport appears.

Text on screen:

Identify airports and aerodromes

Respect minimum distances

Stay well away from other aircraft

4: Know your surroundings

Text on screen:

  • 4. Know your surroundings

Make note of obstacles that could interfere with your flight or your visual-line-of-site including buildings, trees and wires. Also determine the horizontal distance to any bystanders.

A rural landscape appears. Obstacles such as trees, animals, buildings are highlighted. A new rural landscape appears. Power lines and bystanders are highlighted. A horizontal dotted-line appears next to each bystander.

5: Have an emergency plan

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  • 5. Have an emergency plan

Develop a plan to handle a fly-away or loss of control.

The screen on a drone-controller shows that the drone has lost control.

Text on screen:

How to handle a loss of control

Remember that many drones have features that can help you manage your drone, but you need to know when it is safe to use them.

The pilot uses the controls on the drone-controller to stabilize the drone. An infographic appears with 3 icons of drone feature that can be used to regain control of a drone.

Text on screen:

How to handle an emergency situation

Return to home

Emergency stop

Automatic stop

Know before you go!

Text on screen:

Know before you go!

For more information about flying drones safely and legally, please visit our website.

Text on screen:

For more information about flying drones safely and legally, please visit our website.

Canada.ca/drone-safety

The Government of Canada FIP screen and then the Canada Wordmark screen appear.