Frame & Structure
0/6
No cracks, breaks, or loose screws on frame
Securely attached and level
All 4 motors firmly mounted, no wobble
All 4 arms properly attached to center plate
Anti-vibration mounts in good condition
Center of gravity balanced
Propulsion System
0/8
Correct CW/CCW orientation on all 4 props, no damage
All prop nuts secured with proper tension
Motors spin freely, no grinding or resistance
All motor mounting screws tight
All 4 ESCs properly connected to motors and FC
ESCs calibrated and responding correctly
All motors spinning in correct direction
No interference with sensors or wiring
Flight Controller & Electronics
0/7
FC securely mounted with correct orientation
Latest stable firmware installed
Accelerometer and gyro calibrated
Magnetometer calibrated if equipped
GPS connected and acquiring satellites (if equipped)
Telemetry module connected and transmitting
RTL or Land failsafe properly set
Power System
0/9
Battery voltage at storage or flight level
All cells within 0.03V of each other
Battery strapped down firmly, no movement
PDB connections solid, no loose solder joints
Main power connector in good condition
FC receiving accurate voltage readings
Current sensor functioning if equipped
Charging contacts clean and making good connection
Pads aligned correctly for automatic docking
LiDAR System
0/6
Sensor firmly attached with correct orientation
Power cable connected and voltage correct
Serial/I2C/Ethernet connection established
Optics free of dust, debris, or obstructions
Distance readings accurate and stable
No electromagnetic interference from motors/ESCs
RealSense Camera
0/8
Camera firmly attached with correct angle
USB 3.0 cable connected to companion computer
RGB and depth camera lenses free of dirt
RealSense visible to host system (lsusb/device manager)
Depth camera producing valid data
Color camera producing clear images
D435i/T265 IMU providing motion data
No obstructions blocking camera view
Communication Systems
0/7
Receiver properly bound to transmitter
Good RSSI at operational distance
All channels (roll, pitch, yaw, throttle, modes) correct
All antennas properly mounted and oriented
Wireless module for companion computer working
Ground station receiving telemetry
FPV or RealSense stream transmitting (if equipped)
Companion Computer
0/7
Jetson/RPi/other SBC booting correctly
Serial/MAVLink connection established
All required ROS nodes active and publishing
LiDAR and RealSense drivers initialized
Autonomous navigation software operational
Cooling fan working, temps within limits
Storage device healthy with available space
Wiring & Connections
0/6
All connections insulated, no bare conductors
Wires secured with zip ties, no loose cables
Cables have appropriate slack, no tension
All JST/Dupont/servo connectors fully seated
Cables routed away from props and hot components
All solder connections solid, no cold joints
Pre-Flight Final Checks
0/8
Drone arms without errors or warnings
Brief hover test shows stable flight
RC and telemetry range verified
No obstacles, people, or animals in flight zone
Wind, rain, and visibility within limits
Pilot knows how to handle failures
Flight path and objectives defined
Flight logs and sensor data recording