## Instructions - Check local law before every flight: UK CAA / EU EASA class (C0-C4), registration, altitude 120m max, no-fly zones. - Use apps (Drone Assist, Dronescene, EASA map) to verify FRZ, NOTAMs, and landowner permission on the day. - Maintain VLOS, 50m from people/property in legacy rules, 30m (C1) or 5m low-speed (C2) per class — brief spotter. - Fly orbit moves: POI lock at 30-50m radius, 5-8 m/s, gimbal -15 to -45 degrees for parallax reveals. - Execute reveals: start low behind foreground (tree/roof), ascend + tilt down slowly over 12-20 seconds. - Capture top-down: gimbal -90 degrees, 20-40m altitude, grid pattern with 70% overlap for mapping-style abstracts. - Expose with histogram + zebras at 95%: ND8/16/32 to hold 1/50 at 24fps, ISO 100 locked, WB 5600K daylight. - Shoot D-Log/CineLike flat at 4K30 (or 4K60 for tracking), sharpness -1, noise reduction -1 for grade headroom. - Plan batteries: 20-25 min real flight, land at 25%, carry 3 packs warmed to 20C, hover-test 30s for compass/GPS. - Control wind: max 10 m/s (22mph), fly upwind outbound, enable obstacle avoidance, set RTH altitude above tallest mast. - Log flights: date, location, class, flight time, incidents, battery cycles in operator logbook for insurance/CAA. - Always carry operator ID label on drone, insurance docs, spare props, and landing pad for dust/gravel sites. ## Examples - Coastal orbit: 40m radius, 40m altitude, 6 m/s POI, ND16, D-Log, reveal from headland to lighthouse. - Property top-down: 30m -90deg grid, 4K30, overlap stills + video pass for thumbnail + listing film. - Mountain reveal: Launch behind ridge at 5m, climb to 80m over 15s while tilting -60 to -20deg. ## Workflows ### 1. Legal pre-flight 1. Check airspace app + weather (wind/gusts/KP index), confirm class limits. 2. Notify landowner, place observer, set RTH + max altitude 110m buffer. 3. Compass/IMU cal if prompted, hover test, histogram + ND check. 4. Fly planned moves (orbit/reveal/top-down), land at 25%. ### 2. Exposure + color 1. Lock ISO 100, WB 5600K, shutter 1/50, select ND for centered histogram. 2. Shoot flat, apply LUT at 80% in post, lift shadows +10 max to avoid noise. 3. Add warp stabilizer only if needed at 5% smoothness to preserve parallax. ## Templates ```text Pre-flight checklist: [ ] Registration + ID label [ ] Airspace clear [ ] Wind <10m/s [ ] RTH set [ ] ND + histogram [ ] Batteries >90% [ ] Props tight [ ] Spotter briefed Camera base - Cinematic day: 4K24 1/50 ISO100 WB5600 D-Log Sharp -1 | ND: sunny16 ND32 / cloudy ND16 / overcast ND8 Moves card: Orbit 40m/6m/s | Reveal 15s climb | Top-down -90deg 30m | Tracking 8m/s side-profile | Hyperlapse 2s interval Log row: 2026-10-14 | Cornwall coast | C1 | 18min | Batt #2 cyc 41 | Wind 6m/s | No incidents ``` ## Tools - DJI Mini 4 Pro / Air 3 / Mavic 3, ND set, landing pad, spare props, lanyard tablet hood. - Apps: Drone Assist, UAV Forecast, Dronescene, B4UFLY (US), Lightroom + Resolve for grade. - Safety: fireproof LiPo bag, anemometer, high-vis vest for commercial ops. ## Advanced - Fly manual FPV-style orbits in Cine mode with expo 0.3 for buttery yaw, practice figure-8s in open field. - Shoot AEB 5-frame brackets for HDR property stills, merge in Lightroom before video grade matching. - Build hyperlapse: 2s interval, 25min path, lock exposure manual, stabilize in Lightroom + Resolve Fusion. - Match drone to ground cam: color checker passport in first frame, align vectorscopes in Resolve Color page. ## Documentation - UK CAA Drone Code, EASA Open Category (A1/A2/A3), local council bylaws — always verify locally. - DJI manuals: RTH logic, obstacle sensing limits, compass interference sources. - Internal: ops manual excerpt, insurance cert, maintenance/battery log spreadsheet. ### QA checklist - [ ] Check-local-law done: airspace app + NOTAM + landowner OK, ID label on. - [ ] Wind under 10m/s, RTH 30m above masts, VLOS with spotter briefed. - [ ] ND holds 1/50 at ISO100, histogram centered, zebras 95% no clip. - [ ] Batteries 3x warmed, land at 25%, props torqued, compass clean. - [ ] Logbook entry + footage backed to SSD same day, D-Log LUT test graded. ### Flight card snippet ```text Moves: Orbit 40m r/6m/s POI | Reveal 5m>80m 15s tilt -60>-20 | Top-down -90deg 30m grid. Camera: 4K24 1/50 ISO100 WB5600 D-Log Sharp-1 | ND sunny32/cloudy16/flat8. Safety: RTH 110m max, upwind outbound, OA on, hover 30s GPS check, abort on gusts. NOTE: Rules vary by country/city — verify CAA/EASA/FAA + local bylaws before launch. ``` - Pairs gopro-action for ground cutaways and ffmpeg-media for D-Log proxy workflow. - Complements premiere-pro edit with matched 24fps + 5600K white balance.