UAS operator procedures.
Operational template for Dron3 / AgroDrone: normal operations, emergency actions, records and agricultural-drone specifics. It must be adapted to the actual category, scenario, aircraft, authorization and local airspace requirements before use.
Scope and legal note
This page is a working operator manual outline, not legal approval. The accountable operator and remote pilot must verify current EASA, ULC, PANSA/DroneTower, insurance, local authority and plant-protection requirements for each mission.
Required operator file
- UAS operator registration and operator number where required.
- Remote pilot competencies, training records and medical/fitness self-check policy.
- Insurance, aircraft list, maintenance records, battery logs and firmware/configuration records.
- Operational authorization/declaration, risk assessment or standard scenario documentation as applicable.
- Mission logs, occurrence logs, customer consent, landholder consent and data/privacy records.
Roles
- Operator: accountable for procedures, aircraft airworthiness, insurance, records and compliance.
- Remote pilot: final go/no-go decision, safe conduct of the flight and emergency actions.
- Visual observer / ground crew: observation, people control, communication and emergency support when assigned.
- Customer/landholder: confirms task, area, hazards, access and permissions under their control.
Pre-mission procedure
- Define task, payload, aircraft, category/scenario and acceptance criteria.
- Check airspace, geozones, NOTAM/DroneTower/PANSA requirements, local restrictions and required notifications.
- Assess ground risk: uninvolved people, roads, buildings, animals, obstacles, power lines, emergency landing areas and controlled ground area.
- Check weather, wind, visibility, precipitation, temperature, GNSS/Kp warnings and daylight/night limits.
- Brief crew: mission objective, boundaries, lost-link behavior, emergency landing zones, abort words and communication channels.
- Inspect aircraft, payload, propellers, arms, batteries, controller, RTK/GNSS, compass, firmware and failsafe settings.
- Make a go/no-go decision and record it in the mission log.
Normal flight procedure
- Secure takeoff/landing area and confirm controlled ground area is clear.
- Announce arming, takeoff, mission start, mission pause/resume and landing to crew.
- Maintain required separation, VLOS/observer coverage and continuous situational awareness.
- Abort or pause when people, vehicles, aircraft, animals, weather or equipment behavior exceed limits.
- After landing: disarm, secure payload, inspect aircraft, record battery/flight data and preserve logs.
Emergency and contingency procedures
- Manned aircraft conflict: descend or land immediately when safe, give way, announce conflict to crew and stop mission until risk is cleared.
- Lost C2 link: do not chase the aircraft blindly; follow pre-briefed failsafe/RTH/hover/land behavior, keep observers watching, clear landing area and record event.
- Flyaway or navigation error: switch to safe/manual mode if trained, climb/descend only if it reduces risk, use emergency stop only when it is safer than continued flight.
- Low battery/forced landing: stop mission, announce forced landing, choose the safest available landing zone away from people and hazards.
- Person or vehicle enters the area: pause/suspend, climb or hold only if safe, move away or land, restart only after the area is clear.
- Observer/crew communication failure: suspend the task, return/land or reduce to a mode where legal separation and awareness are maintained.
- Crash, injury or fire: make the scene safe, call 112 if needed, give first aid, keep people away from batteries/chemicals, preserve logs and notify required authorities/insurer/customer.
- Weather deterioration: abort before limits are exceeded; land early for gusts, precipitation, visibility loss, lightning risk or dust drift.
Agricultural / DJI Agras T100 specifics
- Confirm landholder consent, crop/field identity, boundaries, obstacles, bystanders, animals, watercourses, roads and neighboring property.
- For spraying/spreading: verify product label, legal use, dose, PPE, buffer zones, wind/drift limits, tank handling, spill plan and treatment documentation.
- Keep people outside the treatment area and downwind risk area; stop immediately if drift or exposure risk appears.
- After mission: clean/decontaminate equipment as required, record product batch/dose/area/weather/operator and store evidence package.
Occurrence reporting
- Stabilize the situation first: people, fire, battery, chemical and traffic risks.
- Record time, place, aircraft, pilot, witnesses, photos, logs, weather and immediate actions.
- Decide whether ULC/ECCAIRS/PANSA/Police/fire service/insurer/customer reporting is required and do it without delay.
- Run a corrective action review before the next similar mission.
Quick mission log fields
- Date/time, location, customer, aircraft, pilot, observers, category/scenario.
- Airspace/DroneTower status, weather, batteries, payload, risk notes.
- Go/no-go decision, emergency landing zones, incidents, post-flight condition and deliverables.
Emergency contacts placeholder
Fill this before operational use: 112, local police/fire/medical, landholder, customer, operator accountable manager, insurer, nearby airport/ATS contact when relevant, ULC/PANSA reporting channels.