DRONEPILOT BASIC (A2) - Chr1st0h1/PHI-Copter GitHub Wiki

OPEN A2 - Course Checklist

  1. Meteorology Weather assessment o Is essential during your pre-flight preparations and on-site observations o Geographic weather effects – Costal Breeze, Orography and Regional winds o Atmospheric stability – stable air (cirrus/stratus, long rain) /unstable air (nimbus, cumulus, showers of rain)

Wind o Endanger safety and decrease flight endurance o Visual inspection is often most effective as wind/turbulence is invisible and impossible to predict o Key terms : convection, weather applications and limitations, tools - Anemometers o Indicators: convective clouds - microbursts, wind shears, storm outflows, up-draughts and down-draughts o Effects : urban patterns - mechanical up and downdrafts, height speed effect, counter rotors and/or venturi effect

Temperature o Has a major impact on the UAS performance > check remaining flight time and user manual limitations: v Cold air - lower UAS battery performance, icing (cold air) v Hot air - lower engine performance, air turbulence, Urban Heat Island Effect

Visibility o VLOS depend on the size of the UAS and weather conditions. o Main rules: See position and orientation, check for other traffic and distance from uninvolved people, anticipate weather and visibility o Main disturbance factors: dew point, precipitation, mist, fog (radiation/advection), haze Air density o Factors: temperature, altitude, humidity, decreasing pressure

Weather forecast o Useful for pre-flight planning; on site observe your environment – trees, grass, flags o Forecasting applications are very accessible but have obvious limitations - No alerts for rapid changes in wind, lack of short-term forecast, do not use the same location and frequency update, do not take into account local environment (obstacles, topography…) o METAR/TAF > observation stations are located along the airport runways and may not be relevant at even 20km away o Weather elements summary - Always check your environment, wind, temperature and visibility!

  1. Performance

Drone anatomy o Fixed wing, Multicopter, Hybrids - complex anatomy - do not modify the UA home! o Parts of the drone system: v Drone / Flight computer (brain of the drone) / Remote controller v Transmitter / Antennas / Receiver v Components of the drone itself: IMU, GNSS Unit, compass, barometer, ESC, engines, propellers, battery, sensors, camera/gimbal, servos for fixed-wings. Page 2 OPEN A2 Checklist V1 - 16 FEB 2023 o The flight computer (brain) is capable of multiple advanced safety functions such as Flight envelope limitations, Flight area limitations, Geo-awareness, Geo-fencing / Geo-caging, Obstacle avoidance systems (via sensors), aid and support systems (ex: Loiter, Hover, RTH) o Frequencies : 2.4GHz for flight control and 5.8GHz for video transmission and FPV o C2 link - radio command signals emitted and the telemetry signal received by the remote controller

Batteries

o Li-Po are the most common drone batteries > very high specific energy and C-rate o Terminology: Capacity (Amps./hour), Voltage (Volt), Energy (Watt / hour), C-Rate, Memory effect o Batteries may be made of several cells that can be combined in Series or Parallel o Remember safe use rules > The colder the battery, the healthier it is! Always use the drone manufacturer charger and follow their recommendations.

Signal Interference o GHz band (C2 link) is sensitive to physical obstacles and electromagnetic interference (Wi-Fi routers, cellular network towers, high-voltage power lines, thunderstorms, solar flares) o GNSS - Geometric Dilution of Precision, Atmospheric Refraction and Earth's magnetic field o Compass - magnetic fields (Earth's magnetic field, metal objects, power lines) o Mitigate - prepare and plan ahead

Flight performance and envelope o 4 forces - lift, drag, thrust and weight; o The joystick mode determine commands for the pitch (lateral axis), throttle, yaw (vertical axis) and roll (longitudinal axis) o The Flight Envelope (FE) is defined by technical limits set by manufacturers - max. wind speed, bank angle, temperature … (https://wiki.ivao.aero/en/home/training/documentation/Flight_Envelope)

o The Load Factor is lift divided by the total weight of the drone; when banking the Load Factor is increased

o The V-n diagram shows the link between speed (FE limitations) and load factor (https://wiki.ivao.aero/en/home/training/documentation/Flight_Envelope)

Payloads and performance o Payload is the additional weight a drone can carry > Empty mass / Basic mass / Payload mass / Take-off mass (TOM) / Max. TOM o Center of Gravity (CG) - balanced point on the drone body where the force of weight drags it downwards o Center of Pressure (CP) - balanced point on the drone body where the force of lift pulls it upwards o The Moment (tendency of rotation) is directly proportional to the distance between the CG (weight) and the CP (lift) o Stability/Controllability/Maneuverability - heavy payloads may cause a delayed drone response to commands o Maximum Payload = MTOM – Basic mass o Power to weight ratio - more powerful drone = better performance = heavier the payload it can carry o Payload effect on performance – drag, shorter endurance, lower rate of climb, load factor increased… o Secure payload – no rope (pendulum effect) nor homemade solutions; maintain CG/CP balance as per the user manual and use manufacturer accessories. o OPEN A2 category drones are not designed for large payloads; they may invalidate the class conformity / set the operation into the

Specific category.

  1. Ground Risk Mitigation

Regulations & the 1:1 Rule o To minimize risks, the Regulation foresee: v 'C' labeled drones (C0, C1, C2) with harmonized safety features (remote ID and geo-vigilance systems, lights, and low-speed mode) v Min. horizontal safety distances from uninvolved people: C/Normal Speed (30m), C/Low Speed (5m), NonC (always 50m) v The 1:1 rule: the drone must fly at a lateral distance from uninvolved people that is not less than the height the drone. How to evaluate your distance from people o Factors affecting distance from uninvolved people – wind gusts, lack of visibility due to the distance of the drone from the pilot, drone background o Tools to evaluate distance – thumb method, mapping or X meters technique, continuous practice of skills; however it is still very difficult to estimate distance, height and speed by eye and even more in case of: precipitation, topography, obstacles, very high/low level of light,