Flight Operations, Airspace, and Imaging

This unit expands foundational drone concepts into practical flight operations, airspace knowledge, safety procedures, and basic aerial imaging workflows. Students will integrate navigation, regulatory, maintenance, and media-production skills to plan and execute safe, compliant missions and prepare for advanced mission planning and professional applications in subsequent units.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze airspace classifications, towered versus nontowered airport procedures, airport traffic patterns (including Class C), and radio communications to determine legal operating constraints and required pilot actions in scenario-based exercises
• Apply Part 107 requirements, VLOS limitations, altitude rules, lost-link and emergency-response procedures, accident reporting protocols, and weather/obstruction assessments to produce compliant preflight and in-flight checklists for multiple mission types
• Demonstrate selection and configuration of imaging settings and equipment—including file formats, resolution, frame rate, ND filters, stabilization techniques, camera angles, and drone movement profiles—to produce mission-appropriate aerial footage and stills
• Evaluate drone selection, maintenance practices, basic troubleshooting (cleaning, lost-link mitigation), and freelance business considerations to develop a mission plan and entry-level operational checklist that support safe, sustainable drone operations