calibration safety operations pre-flight

Calibrations and Flight Checks

Proper calibration and pre-flight checks are critical for safe and successful drone operations. This guide outlines our standard procedures for ensuring the drone is properly configured and ready for flight.

Radio Calibration (in Mission Planner)

To calibrate the radio system of the drone using Mission Planner:

  • Navigate to INITIAL SETUP > Mandatory Hardware > Radio Calibration in Mission Planner
  • Click on the green “Calibrate Radio” button located at the bottom right corner
  • When prompted, confirm that:
    • The transmitter is turned on
    • The battery is disconnected
    • The propellers are not attached
  • Click “OK” to proceed
  • Move all control sticks, knobs, and switches on the transmitter to their maximum and minimum positions. Red lines will appear on the calibration bars, representing the range of input values received
  • Once all channels have been moved to their limits, click “Click when Done”
  • A window will appear asking to ensure all sticks are centered and throttle is at minimum
  • Ensure the throttle is pulled all the way down and the other sticks are centered
  • Click “OK” to finalize the calibration
  • Mission Planner will then display a summary of the calibration data

ESC (Electronic Speed Controller) Calibration

  • Move the throttle stick to the maximum (full up) position
  • Connect the Battery:
    • Connect the LiPo battery to power the flight controller
    • The flight controller now enters ESC calibration mode
  • Listen for a musical tone, followed by a number of beeps indicating the battery cell count (e.g., 12 beeps for a 12S battery)
  • The ESCs will emit a long tone confirming that minimum throttle has been captured and calibration is complete
  • Disconnect the battery to exit ESC calibration mode

Accelerometer and Compass Calibration (in Mission Planner)

  • Navigate to SETUP > Mandatory Hardware > Compass in Mission Planner
  • Click to begin onboard calibration for all compasses
  • A tone followed by short beeps (once per second) will indicate the calibration is active
  • Hold the drone in the air and rotate it slowly, so each face (front, back, left, right, top, bottom) is pointing downward for a few seconds
  • Perform a full 360-degree rotation for each orientation
  • This results in six full rotations, possibly more if the calibration needs to retry
  • As the drone is rotated, green bars on-screen will grow, indicating successful data collection
  • When done, the system will emit three rising tones
  • A window will appear prompting to reboot the autopilot
  • Reboot the autopilot to complete the calibration and allow the system to arm

Pre-Flight Checks

Failsafe Settings

  • Ensure all failsafe settings are correctly enabled in Mission Planner (Battery, Radio, GPS, etc.)

Level and Compass Calibration

  • Confirm that the level calibration and compass calibration have been successfully performed and saved

Mission Planner Settings

  • Double-check flight parameters, including failsafes and flight speed settings

Power Systems

  • Ensure batteries are fully charged and securely fastened to the frame using straps or mounts
  • Check the transmitter battery level

GoPro/Camera Setup

  • Ensure the GoPro camera is fully charged
  • Make sure the camera has a properly inserted SD card

Hardware Integrity

  • Confirm all propeller blades are mounted correctly and sit at 180°
  • Ensure the landing gear is vertically aligned and firmly attached
  • Check that all electronic components (Pixhawk, Jetson, radios, etc.) are securely mounted
  • Verify that all connections are correct and no loose connectors exist
  • Confirm that all screws, bolts, and standoffs are properly tightened (Loctite to be applied as needed)
  • Ziptie all loose or excess wires, including receiver antennas, to prevent interference or entanglement

Final Safety Check

  • Ensure the safety switch is OFF before flying
Back to all resources