0.2 Before You Fly (JROTC ed.)

A good pilot always checks their environment, performs an inspection of the hardware, and reviews the safety rules and recommendations before even turning on the drone.  Watch the safety video below and then proceed to the flight checks.

Note: Although CoDrone EDU (JROTC ed.) may be a different color, all the information presented in this video still applies.

Fly Indoors

CoDrone EDU (JROTC ed.) is designed for indoor flight only. This means no flying outside! The drone is not built to withstand strong winds or other weather patterns. There are also certain rules to follow when piloting a drone outside. If you don’t follow those rules, it can be a safety hazard for you and others. For these reasons, keep your drone indoors.

Clear Out Obstacles

Maintain a Safe Flight Height

CoDrone EDU (JROTC ed.) can be damaged by any falls or crashes higher than 10 feet. It is recommended to stay in an environment with lower ceilings, as opposed to gymnasiums or large auditoriums. If this is not possible, pilots should be cautious to stay within safe flight heights.

Check Connectivity Strength

Radio frequency is obstructed by walls, especially glass or metal ones. Water will also obstruct signal strength (this means people too!). For best connectivity, make sure you have enough space to aim the controller directly at the drone.

Find the Best Floor for Flying

The optical flow sensor on CoDrone EDU (JROTC ed.) works best with a patterned floor that is well-lit. If CoDrone EDU (JROTC ed.) is drifting uncontrollably during flight, try flying over a different material.

Take your drone out of the box. Without powering the drone on, check the following to make sure your drone is in the proper condition for flying. If the drone is not in proper condition, it can cause a failure in flight that can damage your drone.

The following rules and best practices should be kept anytime you are using your drone. It is the safe and responsible way to fly. We will review these rules one more time before your first flight!

If your drone motor stalls during takeoff and is not spinning, immediately emergency stop the motors to prevent motor burnout.

Once stopped, please review the information found in our Help Docs article “What do I do if one of my CoDrone EDU propellers isn’t spinning?”

If your drone and controller do not already have labels, we’ve included a set of stickers for you to use. Label your drone and controller with the same label so you can keep them together for future flights.

Note: If you are in a classroom or your drones already have labels on them, make sure to ask your teacher or coach before re-labeling any drones.

Occasionally there are firmware updates for your CoDrone EDU (JROTC ed.) drone or controller. Periodically check that your hardware is up-to-date, especially if this is your first time using the drone.

Note: The firmware for CoDrone EDU (JROTC ed.) is not the same as CoDrone EDU.

Instructions for updating the drone

Instruction for updating the controller

Did you complete this checklist? Let’s review:

1. Check your environment
2. Check your drone for any damages before flying
3. Study the rules of operation
4. Label the drone and controller together
5. Check firmware

Whenever you are about to fly, make sure to go through each item above again. In the next lesson, you will learn all about the drone and controller hardware and how to maintain them.