Skip to end of metadata
Go to start of metadata

You are viewing an old version of this page. View the current version.

Compare with Current View Page History

« Previous Version 31 Next »

📋 Flight Preparation

Requested by:

Required Sub-teams

  • Mech
  • Electrical
  • EFS
  • CV
  • Operation
  • Sys-Int

Requested Date

Location and Time

WRESTRC, 10:00-14:00

Summary & Goals

  • Range testing for the RFD900x on Houston in a controlled manner

  • ZP Testing for passthrough during flight

Approved?

Yes ✅ / Pending 🟨 / No 🛑

👥 Required Persons During Test

Name

Phone #

Role

Reason

Hamza Ali

437-265-3533

Flight Test Lead

  • Creating documentation

  • Booking the test flight

  • Creating a thread in #flight-staging

 Hamza Ali

 Pilot in Command

  • Aircraft preparation

  • Filling out documentation

@Ayoung Eun

Safety

  • Making sure everyone is safe

  • Bringing Med kit

@Suraj Srivastava

RFD900 testing rep

  • In charge of coming out with a testing plan and setting up the equipment relavent to RFD 900

@Ayoung Eun

ZP testing rep

  • In charge of coming out with a testing plan and setting up the equipment relavent to PPM

👥 Other Attendees

Name

Role

@Hardy Yu (maybe)

flight test coordinator

Aidan Bowers (Deactivated)

providing vehicle and insight

Hardy Yu

Aidan Bowers (Deactivated)

Daniel Puratich

Joe

📊 Success criteria

Tests

Success Criteria

Requirements

Outcome

Range Test

  • No failsafe/link loss from flying houston at opposite ends of the WRESTRC training grounds

  • RFD900x should be tested and ready to fly on Houston before flying

PPM Passthrough

⏲️ Testing Timeline

Date/Time

Action

Aircraft Assembly

Houston should be ready to go with the RFD900x as well as with any relevant hardware for testing ZP

9pm

Pre-flight Preparation

  • Ensure checklists for Houston

  • Ensure all items in checklist are followed

9am

Flight brief from flight test lead

10am

Loading onto the Car

Take your water bottle with you. Go washroom before we leave!

10am

Drive to the test ground

10am-2pm

Flight Testing

2:15pm

Debrief

🧯 Aircraft Incident Procedures

Incident

Procedure

Crash

Outline the procedure for who will go to handle the aircraft in the event of a crash, what should be done, were emergency equipment is, etc.

Flyaway

Outline the procedure for flyaways. List relevant contact information for local authorities and plans of action to recover control of the aircraft

Configuration Error

Outline steps to take in the event of a configuration issue with the aircraft

Injury

Property Damage

🔧 Week-Before To-Do List

 Week Before Checklist
  • Flight test location booked
  • Pilot scheduled
  • Test Plan (What we are testing)
    • This should also include the flight path where applicable
  • Subteam action items (for flight readiness)
  • Transportation logistics finalized
    • Booking SDC vehicles
    • Assigning drivers

🔧 Day-Before To-Do List

 Day Before Checklist
  • SDC Vehicle key collected (if required)
  • Batteries Planned for (DON”T LEAVE CHARGING OVERNIGHT)
    • Drone batteries & spares
    • Transmitter batteries
  • On-site kit together
    • First Aid Kit
    • Ground station / Laptop
    • Antenna / Receivers
    • Transmitter
    • Extra Water
    • Power cords / Extension cables
    • Wrenches
    • Allen keys
    • Knives
    • Tape
    • Rope/string
    • Zip/Velcro ties
    • Radios
    • Safety goggles
    • Fire extinguisher
  • Airfame assembled
  • ESCs/flight controller wired
  • Radio equipment tested
    • Channel mappings
    • Flight modes
  • Motors tested
  • Wiring secured (Harnessing)
  • End to end test (neglecting props)
  • All components not on the airframe that are required should be in the flight box (e.g. props & prop nuts)
  • Airfame payload
  • Spare parts
    • Props
    • Airframe components (landing struts, arms, etc)
    • Hardware to assemble these components
    • Flight Code Flashed
  • Ground station Software updated

↪️ Pre-Departure Checklist

 Pre-Departure Checklist
  • Check battery status
    • Charge if required, otherwise place into flight box
  • Systems test
    • Check flight controller orientation
    • Check motor spin & rotation direction
    • Check transmitter mappings
    • Verify communication links (VTX/RX, Controller, Groundstation)
    • Verify the mission planner is logging data
  • Only attach props directly before flight (keep off at all other times)
  • Get snacks
  • Mission Briefing
    • Read the flight plan to the team (that was made a week ago)
    • Purpose of flight
    • Plan of action
    • Success criteria
    • Delegate and brief on flight line roles
    • Safety Briefing
    • Key flight characteristics to observe
    • Key system characteristics to observe
    • Measurements to be made

🚩 Pre-flight Safety Checklist

 Pre-Flight Inspection
  • Air Frame
    • Check all antennas, ensuring they are secure and in good condition
    • Check the battery emplacement and secure attachment and ensure there are no cracks
    • Check that all lights are operating normally
    • Check that all sensors are secured and clear of any obstructions
    • Check that the GPS is receiving satellites and providing a navigation solution
    • For rotary aircraft:
      • Inspect top and bottom of air frame arms for cracks, loose parts, or signs of damage
  • Propellers / Rotors
    • Ensure propeller is secured
    • Check for nicks, chips or cracks
    • Ensure prop direction is correct
  • Batteries
    • Inspect to ensure there is no signs of swelling, external leaking or other defects
    • Battery wiring and connectors from the battery are connected securely
    • Batteries (and spares) are adequately charged
    • Wires are not pinched
  • Control Station / Receivers / Transmitter
    • The battery and spare batteries if required are adequately charged
    • Control Station device and cables are properly connected and functioning
    • All flight interfaces are functioning normally
  • Safety
    • Good visibility and safe wind speed
    • Surrounding is free of obstacles
    • Crew far from drone
    • General Site Survey
      • Are there other people on the property
  • Ground Recording / drone footage on
  • Autopilot
    • Control surfaces respond to autopilot in the correct manner
    • Transitions between flight modes have expected effect
    • Return-to-home systems, if present, have been configured

😎 Post-Flight Checklist

Item

Owner

  • Use Flight-Post Mortem to Debrief

Aidan Bowers (Deactivated)

  • Discard of damaged batteries

N/A

  • Discharge used batteries to storage voltage

Hamza Ali

Flight Test Post Mortem

  • Autopilot was swag

  • All systems functioned well (RTL, Land, etc)

  • Our RFD900x worked well

  • Battery lasted a long time (at least 8 minutes, exact time tbd)

  • Failsafe (Lost link) went to RTL

  • Roughly 600m range tested (though we had historically done a 3km test)

  • Nobody got hurt (physically or mentally)

  • We weren't rigorous in our testing methodology

  • It was difficult to view the ground-station due to glare and short usb-cable to antenna tower

  • Key to WRESTRC was forgotten and we had to go back

  • No safety briefing

  • Roles were not well defined

  • Timelines were not followed

    • and they were incorrect

  • Flight Controller configuration was not complete by the day before

  • Nothing was conformal coated

  • Houston was not registered and PIC phone number was not on the aircraft

  • Trusting the autopilot too much

    • not paying attention to the aircraft when near ground/people

  • No fire extinguisher

  • We messed up prop directions initially

  • The battery test was not added to the list of things to test

  • The entire premise of doing this RFD range test was misfounded

    • We had previously tested the RFD to 3km with worse antennas so the entire point of this range test was pointless

    • Last Cornflakes (Frostedflakes) flight test had an RTL (Return to land)

      • though this occurred when it wasn’t flying…

  • ZeroPilot PPM didn’t get tested

    • We wanted to test this but it wasn’t done in time

  • We didn’t drain a full battery

    • So we did not test battery life

    • This was another goal of the flight test that wasn’t listed

  • We crashed into snow and there was no liquid protection

    • Including RCA for crash

    • We did not know what to do when the crash occurred

  • Flight test didn’t validate anything

    • This flight test cost us a ton of money and didn’t validate anything

      • We didn’t test the ZP PPM

      • We didn’t test range (which was already tested)

    • Clearer flight test plan should have been done in advance

      • We made out 2km test waypoint mission on the spot

RCA for Red Items

Create a RCA and keep it as a child page.

Action Items

Hamza Ali Discharge batteries

Hamza Ali Interpret logs of flight test (Try to get some battery life metrics ??)

Wait for all electronics to dry out for a while

After drying we need to validate hardware and reassemble it

Put things away

Other Resources

Booking WRESTRC Field

How to Book the Flight Grounds

  • No labels