14 Reminders for Being a Safe Spray Drone Operator

Spray season is gearing up and we're starting to see quite a bit of action across the U.S.!

As things heat up (and with the copious amounts of rain a lot of areas are getting), we're sure to see a busy spray season (bring it!). We wanted to take a second and remind folks of some best practices to keep in mind - things every pilot should understand and be familiar with. 

One of the key takeaways from our own Operator Education Sessions --> be cautious, and practice.

#1 Practice manual and autonomous flight.

• Practice flying the drone with different tank volumes manually to understand the battery life and flight characteristics at different tank volumes.
• Spray water or just turn off spray under the route tab and you can fly in auto empty. Do this in an open field with no obstacles.

#2 Always map your obstacles (and watch out for pivot wires).

• Regardless of what system you're operating, it's always best practice to map out your obstacles, and use obstacle avoidance settings as a fail safe rather than a primary mode of operating.

#3 Be conservative and cautious with making missions and operating.

• Stay 30+ feet away from obstacles. Autonomous obstacle avoidance should be a last resort. 
• Remember, the drone operates in 3 dimensions, so obstacles can be above and below the drone as well. 
• Check your settings, especially perception/radar settings and battery settings.
• Mapping and mission planning starts in your head, not on the remote.

#4 Make sure everything is updated.

• The CPU/Co-Controller needs to be powered down and plugged in to update.
• Each battery needs the power package updated in the UAV tab.
• If you are updating multiple drones, just do one at a time.

#5 Don't fill the tank all the way up if you don't need to, especially when it's hot.

• Everything runs cooler and better if you only run with the payload that you need. 
• When it's hot, the motors have to work harder to provide lift.

#6 Let the drone fly autonomously as much as possible. 

• It will fly a straighter line than you can. 
• It will maneuver more smoothly at takeoff and at home point than you can.
  

#7 If landing manually especially on a trailer, don't use combination movements. 

• Go straight down and straight up, if the drone needs moved laterally then stop descending, move it over, then descend straight down.
• Always supervise autonomous landing, and be ready to take over if needed. 

#8 Maintain line of sight with the drone and make sure the RC has a clear line of sight with the drone. This will decrease signal loss instances.

#9 Follow proper battery use

• Power off batteries before going into the drone and before coming out of the drone. 
• Wait for batteries to finish charging before pulling them out of the charger.
• Always takeoff with a full battery, especially when there is payload in the tank.

#10 Always have your eyes on the drone and hands on the remote during take off, RTH, and landing. 

• Take offs and landings when the drone is close to you are the most critical times; never trust it 100%.
• When landing close to you or other operators, make sure there is a barrier between you and the drone, just in case.

#11 For EAVision J100 operators - don't hold two remotes together (a common occurrence could be carrying two remotes in one hand as you're moving about).

• This can lead to the drone disconnecting from the remote 

#12 Follow chemical labels; they are there for a reason.

#13 Make sure your operators are trained.

• We've got a couple of great opportunities - the J100 eLearning course and our Spray Drone Operator Education Sessions 
  

#14 Be cautious, slow down, and practice.

• Yes, this made the list twice for a reason ;)
  

Last but not least - it's important to be prepared in the event something does happen. Checkout our warranty page so you know what's covered and what to do for next steps.

Thanks for reading, have a safe spray season!