Drone Technology in Architecture, Engineering and Construction

CHAPTER 7Best Practices for Flying Drones

So far, Part 2 of this book has explained how to develop a plan for a drone program, “sell” it to your company, and choose your equipment and software. You have also learned about the legal requirements for flying a drone commercially. The last remaining piece of the puzzle is learning to fly the drone.

Although drones are notoriously easy to fly (this is, in fact, one of the reasons they have gained such widespread use so quickly), there is a big difference between flying a drone, and flying a drone for efficient business practice. For a business, flying a drone requires an on-going interest in bettering your flying skills, establishing company-wide standards of practice, and standards of recording (Figure 7.1).

The Flying Mindset

Learning to fly a drone responsibly involves more than simply starting up the drone and taking off. It requires the mindset and awareness of all the different pre-flight checks and planning. This is similar to a standard airplane pilot's pre-flight checklist and training.

For example, prior to any flight, it is important to identify the purpose and parameters of the flight. While this may seem obvious for project specific flights, it also holds true for training flights, even your very first flight. Prior to taking off, time should be spent researching the drone's controls, how the flight controller app works, and what to expect during the flight.

Some basic considerations that are part of learning to fly ...