Automated Flight Modes enables operators to fly automated missions to collect the imagery, data, or videography they need without ever leaving Skyward InFlight. With modes for survey, orbit, and point-to-point missions, Skyward helps customers manage everything from pre-planning to flight log analysis in one system.
To add automated flights to an operation, first open the operation you want to add the automated flight to. From the Home screen find your operation and tap on it.
After the operation opens, scroll down to the Flight section. Tap on Create Flight Path.
A new window will open and you'll be prompted to select the type of automated flight you'd like to create. This article is going to cover the Point to Point type. There are other articles that go over the other flight modes as well.
Once you select the flight type, the screen will advance and you'll then be prompted to select a drone model.
After that, you'll be prompted to select the camera type.
After selecting the equipment, you’ll see that the default flight lines will render on the Area of Operation that you designated earlier in the process.
Drag the flight lines to line up with the area that you’d like to inspect. If at any point an additional waypoint needs to be added, just select the point with the ‘+’ on it to generate an additional point in the line.
Continue to adjust your route until all of the points you’d like to fly are covered. Use the ‘+’ sign to add as many additional points as you need. Please note that today there’s no upward limit to the amount of points, but the flight times will adjust accordingly as they’re added and adjusted.
Once you’ve added all the points to the flight path, select the Set button to configure the options for the flight itself.
Designate the Altitude, Ground Speed, Start Position, and End of Flight behavior based on what you’ll need to achieve in flight.
Once done, select the Done button at the top of the screen, and you’ll be prompted to name and save the flight path.
Name the flight, and you’ll be redirected to the Operation.
You’ll then see the flight you saved off in the Flight section of the operation details. From here, you’ll need to connect an aircraft to InFlight to proceed further.
Once you have an aircraft connected, exit the Operations detail panel and you’ll see the Automated Flight Modes icon at the left of the screen just below the takeoff and return to home buttons.
Tap the pink flight mode icon to continue, and select the flight that you configured earlier in the process.
Once you select the flight itself, you’ll see the waypoint route rendered over the flight area, and you’ll just need to select Fly This Automated Flight in order to launch the drone and begin the operation.
At Skyward, we know this is a complicated topic full of nuance. If you have questions that go deeper than this documentation, please feel free to reach out to your Customer Success Manager, and they’ll get you pointed in the right direction.