Operational Planning and Aerial Media

This unit builds on foundational flight skills and safety to focus on operational planning, regulatory compliance, and aerial imaging workflows. Students will learn to plan and conduct safe, legal missions in challenging conditions, capture usable aerial media, and evaluate platform/features for specific applications in preparation for advanced applications and portfolio work in Unit 4.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze operational risks and applicable regulations for flights in sub-optimal weather, at night, in populated areas, and near airports, and develop mitigation plans and approval checklists for mission compliance
• Apply advanced preflight inspection procedures, battery and payload management, and flight-control techniques (including heads-free and FPV modes) to execute safe, mission-aligned flights
• Demonstrate camera setup choices (frame rate, exposure, stabilization settings) and post-processing workflows (stabilizing footage, picture and video editing) to produce professional aerial media products
• Evaluate drone platforms, certification pathways, and use-case requirements (e.g., agriculture, experimental certification, commercial services) to recommend cost-effective solutions and operational plans