Drone Flight Operations and Imaging

This unit develops hands-on operational skills and safety practices for small unmanned aircraft used in agricultural GIS applications. Students will assemble and maintain drones, practice controlled indoor and outdoor flight and imaging workflows, and learn regulatory, battery, and emergency procedures to support safe and compliant data collection.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze preflight safety procedures, weight-and-balance considerations, and emergency protocols to identify and mitigate risks that could lead to drone crashes.
• Apply step-by-step assembly, gimbal stabilization, camera resolution selection, and LiPo battery handling techniques to prepare a drone for agricultural imaging missions.
• Demonstrate directional control and standard-mode flight maneuvers, including indoor and outdoor operations, and capture stable aerial images and video suitable for GIS analysis.
• Evaluate regulatory and operational requirements for commercial drone use, including approval processes and international law considerations, and implement monitoring strategies to maintain compliance.