In this section, you will learn how to plan and execute a safe flight with an SFE, so it’s a good idea to learn specific procedures so that you can avoid mistakes.

As a remote pilot, you have certain obligations before, during and after the flight. You also need to know where to find information about things that might affect your flight.

What are your responsibilities as a remote operator?

SFE operators, regardless of whether they use the SFE for professional or recreational use, must obtain a certificate of competence in accordance with the requirements of Implementing Regulation (EU) 2019/947. To obtain your certificate of competence, you must pass the online theoretical examination. Your certificate will be valid for five years from the date of issue. You must carry this Certificate of Competency with you, either in paper or electronic format, each time you perform a flight. It is your responsibility to keep it in good condition and to present it when requested by the inspecting officers.

It is very important to inspect the operating environment, check for obstructions and whether there are likely to be people in the area who are not involved in the flight. Check the morphology of the area and the airspace. Are there any restrictions on flying an SFE or can you fly freely?  You should check all of the above before your flight and be aware of them during the flight. For safety reasons it would be a good idea to plan a buffer zone around the area you intend to fly.

Something that may seem obvious, but is critical to accident prevention, is to ensure that the SSEA is working properly. At the end of this section, you will find examples of checklists. Adapt these checklists to your needs and use them before during and after each flight.

Important points  

• Have your certificate of competence with you.

• Make sure you are aware of any restrictions in the area where you are going to fly.

• Observe the surrounding area where the flight is to take place and check for obstacles or people.

• Make sure that the SMEE is working properly.

• Ensure that the weight of the SSEA does not exceed the maximum weight permitted for its category.

During the flight you must ensure that the SFE is within your line of sight throughout the flight.

Be careful not to disturb other airspace users. Remember that manned aircraft always have priority.

If you are in any way likely to endanger people, animals or the environment, you must immediately abort the flight in the safest and most controlled way possible.

It is important that you are well rested and free from any illness that could affect your flight control.

You should not fly if you are under the influence of alcohol or other psychotropic substances. Always use your SSEA in accordance with the manufacturer’s instruction manual.

Your obligations on the flight

• Do not use alcohol or other psychoactive substances

• Make sure you are rested and not affected by anything else that might affect your ability to fly.

• Cancel the flight if it poses a risk to other aircraft, people, animals or the environment.

• Make sure you are familiar with the rules and restrictions in the areas where you fly

• Use your SNF according to the manufacturer’s user manual.

• Do not fly near or within areas where an emergency operation is in progress unless you have been given permission by the emergency services.

What should you do before the flight?

Control of the flight path

Check the planned route. Make sure the take-off area is free of obstacles and people.

The remote pilot must wear a safety vest and, if possible, display a sign with information about the flight.

In the case of a team (crew) , it is important to clarify the role of each person before you start. Next to the operator, for example, there may be an observer who pays special attention to the surrounding area. The observer can help the remote pilot to identify hazards and ensure that there is no one in the area who is not involved in the flight – but also answer questions from passers-by, take phone calls, etc., so that the remote pilot is not disturbed.

It is important that you are rested and not under the influence of alcohol or other substances that will affect your judgment or attention. 

Inspect your SSEA

Before you get started, it is important to ensure that your entire SMEA is configured correctly and that its hardware and software are working properly.

First of all, you need to check the battery level – both the battery of the ground station (remote control) and the battery of the SMEE need to be fully charged before using them. 

Make sure that there is no frequency interference that could affect the communication of the SMEE and that the memory card (SD card) is in place and working properly. If a compass calibration is required, ensure that it has been done.

Open the tele-direction first and then the SMEE. If you do the opposite, you will have no control over the SMEE and an accident may occur in the event of a malfunction. 

Once SMEE is activated, it is time to start the camera and make sure that all the camera settings are correct: camera, video, FPS (frames per second), colour system (NTSC/PAL), etc.

Are all controls in neutral position? If the answer is yes, you are ready to fly!

Check the flight area

Make sure that the area you intend to fly has the required characteristics for the subcategory that your FLEA is allowed to fly. For example, if you are using a C3 (A3) class SFE, you cannot fly in a residential, recreational, industrial or commercial area and you must be at least 150 metres away from it.

Also make sure that your SFE does not exceed the maximum take-off mass (MTOM) of its category.

Before each new flight, you should check that you have up-to-date information about the relevant geographical area where you are going to fly.

If you have no knowledge of the flight area, you should check in advance how the area looks on a map or satellite images and check whether a NOTAM has been issued for the flight area for the day and time you want to fly. 

Don’t fly without permission, in Prohibited or Restricted areas or wherever there is a prohibition on flying in an SMEE and don’t break the rules in any way.

If the flight is to take place in an area where there is a ban, you must request permission before the flight by sending an email to A.P.A. (A2d) and Y.P.A. (D4b) with your request, with an attached map of the area, coordinates, flight radius, altitude, day and hours of operation and the telephone number where someone can contact you. Only if and when you request and receive permission may you operate a flight in a restricted area. 

Read in the user’s manual of the SMEA about how to switch off the engines in the air in case of an emergency, to prepare yourself if you need to use it.

Remember that the infrared sensors of the SIEA can be disturbed by reflections from surfaces such as water, glass or mosaic. This can result in the SMEE losing control of its position and altitude, which, in turn, can lead to a collision or crash. If you are going to fly over sea areas, lakes or other water accumulations, you should disable the sensors located on the underside of the SMEE.

How to choose the take-off position

Be careful when selecting the take-off position so that take-off and landing can be performed safely. The surface must be even, there must be plenty of space and the place must be away from obstacles and people. Surfaces with fine sand or gravel should be avoided. If this is not possible for some reason – use a take-off surface.

Check and select alternative landing areas in case you need to make an emergency and unplanned landing.

Check the weather

Before you start, check the temperature, wind, fog and cloud cover and note that if the temperature drops below the freezing point, this can have a negative effect on the batteries. At low or very high temperatures the batteries are affected. Make sure you know how your batteries work in these conditions. 

It is a good idea to keep the batteries in a protected place and at a suitable temperature (e.g. in your car) before using them.

In cooling temperatures and humid air, ice can accumulate on the propellers, altering their performance characteristics and dramatically increasing the risk of falling or crashing.

Also note that wind speed often increases with altitude.

Important points before take-off

• Control of the flight path: Who is the pilot and what are the roles of other people involved in the flight? What do you want to achieve with the flight?

• Check the SSEA: propellers, battery levels, safe transport, compass calibration. Set RTH and altitude and check for any error messages.

• The flight area: carry out a risk analysis. Are there any obstacles, trees or people nearby? Are there any sources of interference? You must be able to ensure safe distances from people and buildings in accordance with the rules of the category you are flying in. You should also consider whether you need to block access to the flight area, post signs or if you need assistance to maintain safety.

What to consider during the flight

Starting the flight

If your SFE is a multirotor (MR), you should check its behaviour while in the air at low altitude before the first main flight. Raise the SFE above your head height (2 – 3 meters) and then let it hover in this position. Listen for unusual sounds and make sure it responds normally to commands (forward – back, left – right, up – down), that battery levels are adequate and finally, make sure the GNSS (satellites) are “locked” and working properly.

During the flight

As a remote pilot, it is important to keep your fingers on the ground station at all times. Also, make sure that the remote control antennas are properly pointed towards the SMA for the best signal reception – transmission capability. This is especially important for long distance flights. 

Never fly more than 120 metres above the ground and always keep your SFE within visual line of sight (VLOS). You must also be aware of the morphology of the terrain over which your SFE is flying, as well as constantly checking the airspace surrounding it. Try to raise the Semi-EMS to the appropriate altitude to reduce hazards and noise and avoid flying over animals, power lines and buildings as much as possible. In most cases, you are not allowed to fly over people. Check what applies to the category to which your SFE belongs.

Also, you should not fly to ongoing activities or emergency operations unless you have been given permission by the emergency services. Immediately land the SSEA if a helicopter or other aircraft flying low approaches the area.

If you become aware of people or animals moving towards your flight area, move the SFE to a safe area. If this is not possible – abort the flight and land the SFE.

Be prepared for emergencies

Emergencies usually happen when you least expect it and therefore you need to be prepared. Emergencies can be the result of faults in the system or the construction of the SSEA, but they can also be caused by natural forces. 

Let’s look at some examples of what can happen.

• Compass interference

Compass operation may be interrupted or altered in areas with high levels of electromagnetic interference, for example where there are electrical wires, antennas or larger metal objects. 

Give height to the SMEA. The interference can then be reduced and the SMEE can find its magnetic direction. But remember, we never fly above 120 meters.

• Engine malfunction

Depending on the number of engines (motors) of a SFE, there will be a different reaction during an engine malfunction.

A smaller LCA with fewer engines crashes if one engine fails, while a LCA with many engines (six or more) can continue to fly and land safely. A fixed-wing (FW) SMEV can use its wings and the flight phase they create to land smoothly in the event of a failure, even without engines.

Some helicopter-type SFEs have an auto-rotation function that is activated in the event of engine failure. This means that the SFE will start spinning instead of falling straight to the ground – and so it lands more gently. It also gives you and others in the area more time to take cover from the fall.

So find out how your SSEA works in the event of an engine malfunction and what handling is appropriate.

• Icing can cause a crash

Icing is the accumulation of ice on the propellers. If this happens, the propellers will not generate the necessary power for a safe flight, which, in the worst case, can lead to a crash. Some SFEs have safety functions that are activated in icing conditions and land the SFE automatically.

During an auto-landing, you cannot control the vertical speed of the SFE, but you can control its flight path to avoid any obstacles.

• If the tele-director loses contact with the SSC

Communication between the SEM and the ground station is achieved by means of radio waves. Radio waves require a line of sight between the transmitter and the receiver, so when an obstacle interferes in this path, communication may be lost.

If the C2 link (communication between the HMI and the remote control) is interrupted then the HMI waits a few seconds for the communication to resume and then enters failsafe mode.

The most common factory setting for failsafe is Return to home (RTH), i.e. the automatic return of the FMS and its landing at the take-off point. RTH is factory set to take place at a specific altitude, but it is advisable to set this altitude yourself with a view to it being higher than the highest obstacle in the flight area. 

In addition, it is important to have the failsafe settings that best suit your specific flight. For example, if the SSEA is flying over water while you are in a moving vessel, it is advisable not to let it return back to its original position, which would mean it would land in the water. In this case, a better idea would be for the SMEE to remain in hover position, or to follow the position of the remote control. 

• SemeA and birds 

Birds (seagulls, swallows, eagles, hawks, etc.) are often curious, sometimes wanting to defend their space they may even become aggressive, disrupting flight and creating real danger. If you are flying over water, you should keep in mind that birds like to fly low, close to the water surface.

In any case where your Semi-EMS is surrounded by strange or aggressive birds, you should seriously consider landing and aborting the flight.

Landing

Your SMEA can land automatically or manually. A common way is to activate the RTH and let the FMS land automatically at the home position or if you have selected it (dynamic landing) close to the ground station.  You can also choose to manually take over the landing.

In any case, you should check whether there are obstacles or other hazards in the landing area. Once you have checked, land your SFE at a safe distance from any obstacles and people.

If your FW is fixed-wing (FW), a larger landing area without obstacles and away from trees and houses is required.

Finally, turn off your Semi-EA Battery and landing is complete!

Important points during the flight

• Start the flight: listen carefully for unusual sounds, make sure the remote control and GPS are working properly and that the battery levels are sufficient.

• When flying: keep the remote control direction correctly, do not fly more than 120 metres above the ground, avoid flying over animals, people or buildings. Do not fly if emergency operations are in progress.

• Be prepared for emergencies: Fly higher if the compass is interfering. If your aircraft is too low, try to fly higher if the altitude is too high or if there is a hailstorm, try to find out how your SSE reacts if an engine fails or if ice builds up on the propellers. Make sure you have the correct settings for RTH and maintain a safe distance from birds.

• Landing: land either manually or automatically, at a safe distance from obstacles and people.

After the flight

Check the SSEA

Perform a visual inspection for any damage and abnormal wear on and around the fuselage, cables and propellers. All moving parts, such as arms and joints, should be thoroughly inspected. If you rotate the propellers, you should not hear any resistance encountered. If you hear noise it may indicate debris in the motor bearings. Check the temperature of the battery. If the temperature is not tolerable to the touch, it probably means the battery has a problem. If the propellers are damaged in any way, they should be replaced.

In the “Checklist” section you will find an example of a visual inspection checklist that you can follow both before and after the flight.

Batteries

Batteries require careful maintenance. After each landing, remove them from the SMEA and charge them as soon as possible. The batteries should then be stored in a dark, cool and secure place in a fireproof safety envelope.

If you don’t plan to use them soon, then they should be charged to about 50% which is the “storage level” of the battery. If you leave them with too low a charge (below 10%), then they can be permanently damaged and dangerous to fly.

Important points after the flight

• Check the SFE: clean the SFE if necessary, check the propellers and its general condition.
• Batteries: charge the batteries after the flight, store them in a dark and cool place and do not leave them with a low charge.

Checklists

Checklists are an essential procedure in manned aviation.

Their use by SFE pilots adds an important safety net to flight activities and their use before and after flight is likely to prevent malfunctions and unpleasant situations.

Checklists can be customized to your SMEA and your needs. 

Let’s look at some examples of what they can look like.