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 Orbit 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.
Hitting the Set button at the bottom-left will allow you to manipulate the flight settings, as well as the flight area.
Use the Adjust Flight Radius button to make changes to the area that the automated route should account for. So, in the example above, you’d use this option if you wanted to adjust the flight area (designated in pink) to be only a small section of the entire Area of Operation (designated in blue).
Once you’ve adjusted the radius, select Set, and you’ll be taken to the menu that will allow for additional adjustment of the flight parameters.
Select the Altitude, Speed, Start Point, and End of Flight behavior. In this instance, the Orbit mode is a video-only capture mode, which will center the gimbal at the center point of the circle that was drawn for the flight area; so, keep this in mind when configuring your options.
Once done selecting the flight options, tap Done.
Name the flight, and you’ll be redirected to the Operation.
You’ll then see the flight you saved off in the Automated Flights 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 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.