Introduction to ArcGIS Flight

ArcGIS Flight is a mobile app that enhances the way drone flights are planned and conducted. Drone pilots can access their geospatial content during flight planning, providing context and situational awareness.

The app offers different flight modes for specific use cases, while ensuring compliance with federal regulations. Flights are fully automated and repeatable for consistent high-quality imagery. Postflight, the app enables in-field quality control and integration of captured imagery for further processing, analysis, sharing, and visualization using ArcGIS Online and ArcGIS Reality Suite, or Site Scan for ArcGIS.

ArcGIS Flight interface

ArcGIS Flight has interfaces for preflight, during flight, and postflight.

Preflight, the ArcGIS Flight interface includes the following main components (the numbers in the image correspond to the numbers in the table):

Label	Component	Description
1	Missions menu	Find all missions in the project and perform postflight image capture.
2	Drone status	View the status of the drone, such as distance from home location, altitude, battery percentage, and drone model.
3	Cloud sync button	This button appears for Site Scan users. You can sync flights, missions, and data (such as flight plans, Site Scan layers, and fleet management) between ArcGIS Flight and Site Scan cloud.
4	Project lists	View a list of all your projects. You can sort projects alphabetically, by distance from the tablet's current location, or by creation date.
5	RTK (Real-Time Kinematic)	View the connection status and settings. This option is only available for RTK-supported drones. See RTK Settings for more information.
6	GPS	View the total number of satellites connected to the drone.
7	Drone list	View a list of supported drones to choose from. See Hardware and compatibility for the current list of supported drones.
8	Settings	A Site Scan icon appears for Site Scan users. To learn how to customize your preferences, see Settings.
9	Signal strength	View the remote controller signal strength.
10	Flight modes	To learn about flight modes, see Choose a flight mode.
11	Flight plans	View and manage your saved flight plans and refly previously flown missions.

During flight, the ArcGIS Flight interface includes the following main components (the numbers in the image correspond to the numbers in the table):

Label	Component	Description
1	Drone status	View the status of the drone, such as distance from home location, altitude, battery percentage, and drone model.
2	Mission name	The name of the mission.
3	RTK (Real-Time Kinematic)	View the connection status and settings. This option is only available for RTK-supported drones. See RTK Settings for more information.
4	GPS	View the total number of satellites connected to the drone.
5	Signal strength	View the remote controller signal strength.
6	Settings	View mid-flight app notifications.
7	Video feed	View video feedback from the drone.
8	Center to map	Center the map to the mission location or to the drone location.
9	Pause/resume mission	Tap to pause or resume the mission.
10	Number of images	View the total number images that are being collected during the mission.
11	Home button	Return the drone to its home position. The home button appears when you pause a mission.
12	2D/3D view	View the mission in 2D or 3D.

Postflight, the ArcGIS Flight interface includes the following main components (the numbers in the image correspond to the numbers in the table):

Label	Component	Description
1	Missions	Find missions that are pending or imported, filter by name, or view the list. Site Scan users also have an Uploaded button.
2	Project name	The name of the project. Tap it to return to the project home screen.
3	Expand mission	Hide the side panel.
4	Map	Display the mission flight path and the locations of the images on the map.
5	Mission actions	Rename or refly the mission, view geospatial video logs, checklists, and advanced information, or delete the mission.
6	Mission info	View the mission name, total time, resolution, survey area, and images.
7	Import images	Open the image import selection panel. See Prepare imagery for more information.
8	Create mission	Create a new mission in the project.
9	Mission list actions	Select and delete multiple missions, or import images.

ArcGIS Flight Connection interface

ArcGIS Flight Connection has interfaces for preflight and during flight.

Preflight, theArcGIS Flight Connection interface includes the following main components (the numbers in the image correspond to the numbers in the table):

Label	Component	Description
1	Settings	View the version number, terms of service, and check for updates.
2	Drone name	View the drone name if the drone is connected or appears disconnected.
3	Drone status	View the status of the drone. Green indicates connected to the drone and the ArcGIS Flight app. Red indicates that the drone controller and the ArcGIS Flight app are not connected.
4	App connection status	View the connection status. Green indicates a connection with ArcGIS Flight, orange indicates whether the controller Wi-Fi is on a network or if the controller hotspot is enabled, and red indicates that the controller is not hosting a hotspot and has no Wi-Fi connection.
5	Wi-Fi hotspot	View the controller hotspot status.
6	Controller hotspot status	View the Wi-Fi hotspot settings.
7	Wi-Fi settings	View the Wi-Fi settings.
8	Wi-Fi connection	View the Wi-Fi signal strength and the name of the Wi-Fi hotspot.
9	Battery status	View the drone's battery percentage.
10	Drone signal status	View the signal strength of the drone.

During flight, the ArcGIS Flight Connection interface includes the following main components (the numbers in the image correspond to the numbers in the table):

Label	Component	Description
1	Settings	View the version number, terms of service, and check for updates.
2	Drone name	View the drone name if the drone is connected or appears disconnected.
3	Drone status	View the status of the drone. Green indicates connected to the drone and the ArcGIS Flight app. Red indicates that the drone controller and the ArcGIS Flight app are not connected.
4	Flight status	View the flight status, such as taking off, flying mission, and returning.
5	Flight height	View the flight height from the takeoff location.
6	Distance from home	View the horizontal distance from the drone takeoff location.
7	Battery status	View the drone's battery percentage.
8	Drone signal status	View the signal strength of the drone.