Pre-Flight Procedures & Checklist – Heavy Lift Drones

Before any flight, perform a number of pre-flight checks. Refer to the table below and the checklist sections before each operation.

Mission Preparation

Define Mission Area: Set takeoff and landing, configure waypoints, and verify terrain levels.
Emergency Planning: Define emergency landing and rally points for power loss or failsafe scenarios.
Weather & Airspace:

Personnel: Station visual observer(s) (VO) to maintain visual line-of-sight (VLOS).
Safety Awareness: Notify all personnel in the area and establish a Crew Resource Management (CRM) plan.
Equipment & Power:

Site Selection: Select a flat area for takeoff/landing free of obstructions like tall grass or trees.
Flight Mode: Verify aircraft is in "Loiter" flight mode before arming.
Arming the Vehicle: Confirm "ARMED" status in the HUD. Use the following GCS options:

Initial Climb: Ease throttle control up until takeoff and monitor climb out.

Disarm: Hold throttle control down for 10 seconds until propellers stop. Confirm "DISARMED" status in the HUD.

The takeoff and landing area is clear of debris or tall grass.
Use the included Capacity Controller to verify the charge of each battery, and there are no faulted cells (EFI and Hydrone Only).
All related equipment is present, which includes if applicable: Ground Control Station and power supply, Remote ID, Carrier Link, Laptop.
The Ground Control Station is charged, or powered with a power supply.
C-GCS throttle set to "low" (C-GCS only).
Center of gravity is balanced with payload.
GPS stands are locked upright.
Antennas are secured and undamaged.
All booms and legs are securely locked out.
Propellers are fully extended, the orientation is correct, and propellers are undamaged.
Motors spin freely without resistance.
Payload and mount are secured.
Fuel Tank, Hydrogen Tank, or Battery Rack are secured, and plunger assembly is locked.
Fuel Tank or Hydrogen tank is filled and its cap is secure (EFI or Hydrone only).
Fuel lines or gas lines are free of kinks, and are not leaking (EFI or Hydrone only).
Backup batteries are secured into their mounts (EFI or Hydrone only).
Generator or Fuel Cell mounts are secured (EFI or Hydrone only).
Air filter and temperature sensor are secured (EFI only).
Batteries connect with no sparking.

Pixhawk initializes properly (chiming). Do not move the aircraft after initialization.
GPS lights up and flashes yellow.
GPS position acquired.
LEDs light up (green in front, red in rear).
Carrier Link connectivity verified.
HA-QGC or Mission Planner connect.
Verify Remote ID connectivity.
Verify that the Ground Control Station is working properly.
Verify battery voltages (48.5V–49.5V).
Check for error messages and pre-arm messages in the log.
Telemetry window loads (EFI only).
Fuel level has been set (EFI only).
Verify flight modes.
Verify RTL altitude.
Verify the FPV camera is streaming.
Perform a motor test.
Verify flight mode is "Loiter" before takeoff.

Generator fuel lines have been primed.
Set engine control (C switch) to "Idle".
Start the engine with the pull start.
Allow the engine to warm up for 1 minute (60 celsius).
Check for error messages or pre-arm messages.
Set engine control (C switch) to "Run".
Verify that voltage is between 49V–49.9V, and amperage is no more than 10A.
Monitor voltage after take-off, if it falls below 48V, land the aircraft and report it to support@harrisaerial.com
After flying, allow the generator to cool down in "Run" for 1 minute, switch to "Idle" and cool for another minute.