Create and fly a mission

A flight plan consists of a defined area, flight mode, and parameters set by the pilot. Once the flight plan is created and saved, you can perform missions. A mission has all the flight data, such as date flown, flight plan name, and photos captured. A flight plan is associated with at least one mission. For example, you can create one flight plan and conduct it several times, resulting in multiple missions.

Select a flight mode and choose your mission data settings in the Enter Mission Data pane.

To create a mission, complete the following steps:

1. In the Enter Mission Data pane, provide the Mission Name and Mission Location values for the new mission.
2. Tap Next.

   The Mission Settings panel appears and is opened to the Settings tab. The Mission Settings panel includes individual settings and groups of settings, such as Camera Settings and Advanced. The available settings depend on the flight mode.

   Learn more about mission settings.

3. Update the missions settings if necessary.

   If you update any settings, tap the back arrow to return to the Mission Settings panel.

4. Tap the Overlays tab if necessary.
5. For Site Scan users, complete the following:
   1. Tap No Orthomosaic to see the basemap over the mission area.

      Tap the back arrow to return to the Overlays tab.

   2. Turn on the Ground Control Points toggle button to view the default Site Scan project ground control point locations on the map to ensure that the drone mission captures them all within a flight.

      Layers from ArcGIS Online can be used to add context to a mission, such as land parcels or city parks. The following layers are supported:

      • Feature, points, lines, polygons
      • Raster tile
      • Vector tile
      • Imagery
      • KML
      • 3D object
      • Point cloud
      • Integrated mesh
6. Optionally, upload layers from ArcGIS Online, by completing the following:
   1. Tap ArcGIS Layers.
   2. If you need to sign in, tap Log in to ArcGIS.
   3. Tap All My Content or All Group Content.
   4. Choose one or more layers.
   5. Tap the back arrow to return to the Enter Mission Data pane.

      The app uses the GPS location of the tablet to center the view to your current location on the map.

7. Tap Center Mission Area to Map if necessary.

   A default mission extent polygon is on the map. Select a vertex to complete the following:

   1. Tap the larger corner vertices and smaller midpoint vertices of the polygon to align with the designated mission area. When you move one of the midpoint vertices, it becomes a larger, corner vertex.
   2. If you add a vertex that you want to remove, double-tap the vertex, and tap Remove.
   3. Tap the undo button to reverse any changes.
   4. Tap the back arrow

   To save a flight plan for later use, tap Save Flight Plan.

8. For Site Scan users, tap Pre-Flight Checklist and complete the required tasks.
   A Site Scan Administrator can create custom preflight checklists in Site Scan for ArcGIS and assign them to projects to comply with your organization’s drone program. When these custom preflight checklists are enabled for a project, any drone operator who wants to fly a mission can answer the questions or skip the checklist before the drone takes off.
9. Tap Complete Flight Checklist.
10. Tap Fly to start the mission.

    The following system checks appear and must pass before the drone can take off:

    • Aircraft Check—The drone's sensor hardware is calibrated for optimal performance.
    • Camera Check—The SD card has enough space to store the imagery and calibrates the camera.
    • Battery Check—The batteries have enough charge to conduct the mission.
    • Flight Check—The mission settings (flight altitude, speed, area to fly in, and so on) are preloaded in the drone.
11. Slide the green button to the right.

    The drone takes off to begin flying the mission.

Mission settings

ArcGIS Flight includes the following preset flight modes: Area Survey, Crosshatch Survey, Perimeter Scan, Inspection, Vertical, Panorama, and Corridor Scan.

Area Survey

The following table describes the available settings for area survey flights:

Setting	Description
Define mission area from polygon	Add layers from ArcGIS Online to set boundaries for the mission area. This setting is optional.
Terrain Follow	When this setting is enabled, topographic maps from Esri World Elevation service can be used as a baseplane and have the drone fly to follow the different elevation across the site. You can add custom elevation data using your ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise organization’s elevation layers. This setting does not account for the elevation of buildings or vegetation, so ensure that you are planning the flight height considering the elevation of nonground features. In addition, use with caution when flying over open-pit mines, since the terrain database topography may be outdated and may not reflect the current conditions of the site. To learn more about adding custom elevation data, see Add custom elevation data.
Flight Height	This is the flight altitude you want the drone to fly. This setting directly affects the resolution (ground sampling distance) of the images. Flying at a lower altitude will increase the resolution but will also increase the number of images taken and the flight time. Conversely, flying at higher altitudes will make for a faster flight time but will lower the resolution of the images. The default value is recommended for this flight mode.
Gimbal Angle	The angle you want the camera to point. For an area survey, set this to 0 degrees nadir with the camera pointed straight down at the surface.
Hatch Angle	The angle you want for the flight legs inside the flight polygon you draw. This will affect the path the drone takes when flying the flight polygon. The default value is recommended for this flight mode.
Video Mode	Enable the recording of videos rather than images during flight.
Advanced	The following advanced settings are available: Overlap—The overlap affects the number of images taken per flight leg in the flight polygon. Do not lower this value below the default 70 percent. You can increase it when you want to capture additional images to have a higher-quality dataset. Sidelap—The sidelap affects the number of flight legs that are added to the flight polygon. Do not lower this value below the default 65 percent. You can increase it when you want to capture additional images to have a higher-quality dataset. Speed Adjustment—Adjust the speed of the drone flight, which is primarily determined by flight height. Depending on the drone and SD card used, adjustment to a higher speed may result in one or two photos being skipped. Departure/Minimum Return Height—Control the height the drone will fly when departing to begin capturing images or when returning after finishing a mission or for a battery swap. Adjust this value to accommodate flying over any obstacle in the site. First Waypoint—Change where the drone will begin flying in relation to its home position. The Furthest option will have the drone begin flying at the furthest point or vertex on the polygon; the Closest option will have the drone begin flying at the closest point or vertex on the polygon. Continue without link—Allow the drone to continue flying even if it goes out of signal range from the remote controller. Use this setting with caution because the pilot cannot control the drone if it is out of range. Camera Settings—You can adjust the following settings: Lighting Mode—Control the exposure level the drone uses when capturing images. Use Daylight when flying in normal conditions, use Low Light when flying in low light conditions (early morning or late evening), and use Manual to manually adjust additional camera parameters. Lens Settings—Adjust the focal length value of the gimbal. Use with custom payloads.
Geofence	This setting will restrict the drone’s flight area to within the boundary of the flight polygon you planned. It will color the boundary of the polygon in red, and it has two different behaviors depending on the drone’s take off point.
See FAA Advisories	View FAA Advisory notifications and request LAANC authorization in the app.

Crosshatch Survey

The following table describes the available settings for crosshatch survey flights:

Setting	Description
Define mission area from polygon	Add layers from ArcGIS Online to set boundaries for the mission area. This setting is optional.
Terrain Follow	When this setting is enabled, topographic maps from Esri World Elevation service can be used as a baseplane and have the drone fly to follow the different elevation across the site. You can add custom elevation data using your ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise organization’s elevation layers. This setting does not account for the elevation of buildings or vegetation, so ensure that you are planning the flight height considering the elevation of nonground features. In addition, use with caution when flying over open-pit mines, since the terrain database topography may be outdated and may not reflect the current conditions of the site. To learn more about adding custom elevation data, see Add custom elevation data.
Flight Height	This is the flight altitude you want the drone to fly. This setting directly affects the resolution (ground sampling distance) of the images. Flying at a lower altitude will increase the resolution but will also increase the number of images taken and the flight time. Conversely, flying at higher altitudes will make for a faster flight time but will lower the resolution of the images. The default value is recommended for this flight mode.
Gimbal Angle	The angle you want the camera to point. For a crosshatch survey, set this to 35 degrees nadir with the camera pointed at an angle.
Hatch Angle	The angle you want for the flight legs inside the flight polygon you draw. This will affect the path the drone takes when flying the flight polygon. The default value is recommended for this flight mode.
Video Mode	Enable the recording of videos rather than images during flight.
Advanced	The following advanced settings are available: Overlap—The overlap affects the number of images taken per flight leg in the flight polygon. Do not lower this value below the default 70 percent. You can increase it when you want to capture additional images to have a higher-quality dataset. Sidelap—The sidelap affects the number of flight legs that are added to the flight polygon. Do not lower this value below the default 65 percent. You can increase it when you want to capture additional images to have a higher-quality dataset. Speed Adjustment—Adjust the speed of the drone flight, which is primarily determined by flight height. Depending on the drone and SD card used, adjustment to a higher speed may result in one or two photos being skipped. Departure/Minimum Return Height—Control the height the drone will fly when departing to begin capturing images or when returning after finishing a mission or for a battery swap. Adjust this value to accommodate flying over any obstacle in the site. Continue without link—Allow the drone to continue flying even if it goes out of signal range from the remote controller. Use this setting with caution because the pilot cannot control the drone if it is out of range. Camera Settings—You can adjust the following settings: Lighting Mode—Control the exposure level the drone uses when capturing images. Use Daylight when flying in normal conditions, use Low Light when flying in low light conditions (early morning or late evening), and use Manual to manually adjust additional camera parameters. Lens Settings—Adjust the focal length value of the gimbal. Use with custom payloads.
Geofence	This setting will restrict the drone’s flight area to within the boundary of the flight polygon you planned. It will color the boundary of the polygon in red, and it has two different behaviors depending on the drone’s take off point.
See FAA Advisories	View FAA Advisory notifications and request LAANC authorization in the app.

Perimeter Scan

The following table describes the available settings for perimeter scan flights:

Setting	Description
Terrain Follow	When this setting is enabled, topographic maps from Esri World Elevation service can be used as a baseplane and have the drone fly to follow the different elevation across the site. You can add custom elevation data using your ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise organization’s elevation layers. This setting does not account for the elevation of buildings or vegetation, so ensure that you are planning the flight height considering the elevation of nonground features. In addition, use with caution when flying over open-pit mines, since the terrain database topography may be outdated and may not reflect the current conditions of the site. To learn more about adding custom elevation data, see Add custom elevation data.
Height of structure	Adjust this value to reflect the total height of the structure or building that is going to be scanned.
Minimum flight height	The minimum flight altitude you want the drone to fly. For safety reasons, adjust this value to be slightly higher than the top of the structure to be scanned.
Departure/Minimum Return Height	Control the height the drone will fly when departing to begin capturing images or when returning after finishing a mission or for a battery swap. Adjust this value to accommodate flying over any obstacle in the site.
Offset	The offset affects the resolution and number of photos taken. A 100-foot (30 meter) offset works well for small- to medium-sized buildings, such as residential towers. Fly far enough from the building so a corner of the building is visible in most of the photos.
One altitude	The drone will fly at a single perimeter. For example, if you want to record a video.
Fixed gimbal pitch	Manually adjust the gimbal angle. If this setting is not enabled, the optimal gimbal angle based on the offset, height of the structure, and minimum and maximum flight altitudes is used.
Video Mode	Enable the recording of videos rather than images during flight.
Advanced	The following advanced settings are available: Vertical Overlap—Add additional perimeters or loops around the building for the drone to scan. Sidelap—The sidelap affects the number of flight legs that are added to the flight polygon. Do not lower this value below the default 65 percent. You can increase it when you want to capture additional images to have a higher-quality dataset. Speed Adjustment—Adjust the speed of the drone flight, which is primarily determined by flight height. Depending on the drone and SD card used, adjustment to a higher speed may result in one or two photos being skipped. Continue without link—Allow the drone to continue flying even if it goes out of signal range from the remote controller. Use this setting with caution because the pilot cannot control the drone if it is out of range. Camera Settings—You can adjust the following settings: Lighting Mode—Control the exposure level the drone uses when capturing images. Use Daylight when flying in normal conditions, use Low Light when flying in low light conditions (early morning or late evening), and use Manual to manually adjust additional camera parameters. Lens Settings—Adjust the focal length value of the gimbal. Use with custom payloads.
See FAA Advisories	View FAA Advisory notifications and request LAANC authorization in the app.

Inspection

The following table describes the available settings for inspection flights:

Setting	Description
Show Terrain	Display the basemap using the terrain elevation from Esri's world terrain.
Takeoff Height	This is the height the drone will climb to after passing the preflight checklist and taking off.
Manual Takeoff	Manually fly to an object or structure for visual inspection.
Minimum Return Height	Manually activate return to home (RTH) mode using the app or the remote controller so the drone can automatically return to its launch point instead of the pilot manually flying back and landing.
Video Mode	Enable the recording of videos rather than images during flight.
See FAA Advisories	View FAA Advisory notifications and request LAANC authorization in the app.
Camera Settings	You can adjust the following settings: Lighting Mode—Control the exposure level the drone uses when capturing images. Use Daylight when flying in normal conditions, use Low Light when flying in low light conditions (early morning or late evening), and use Manual to manually adjust additional camera parameters. Lens Settings—Adjust the focal length value of the gimbal. Use with custom payloads.

Vertical

The following table describes the available settings for vertical flights:

Setting	Description
Terrain Follow	When this setting is enabled, topographic maps from Esri World Elevation service can be used as a baseplane and have the drone fly to follow the different elevation across the site. You can add custom elevation data using your ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise organization’s elevation layers. This setting does not account for the elevation of buildings or vegetation, so ensure that you are planning the flight height considering the elevation of nonground features. In addition, use with caution when flying over open-pit mines, since the terrain database topography may be outdated and may not reflect the current conditions of the site. To learn more about adding custom elevation data, see Add custom elevation data.
Switch Side	The green line represents the flight path of the drone, which must face the facade of the structure you are scanning.
Slope	The slope is the incline set to the flight area. The options are as follows: Fixed—Choose this option if the site and structures have fixed features. Variable—Choose this option to carefully align the polyline of the flight on the sites and structures that have variable features.
Slope Angle	Provide an angle if you are scanning an object with a slope.
Bottom Elevation	Assign a bottom elevation where the drone will begin scanning. You can set it to 0 feet to begin scanning from the ground surface or at a higher elevation.
Top Elevation	Assign a top elevation where the drone will stop scanning. It should be higher than 0 feet, and you can set it at any altitude needed for capturing the area of interest. This value should not exceed the total height of the structure to be scanned.
Minimum Flight Height	The minimum flight altitude you want the drone to fly. For safety reasons, adjust this value to be slightly higher than the top of the structure to be scanned.
Maximum Flight Height	The maximum flight altitude you want the drone to fly. Change this value to be one and a half to two times higher than the minimum altitude.
Departure/Minimum Return Height	Control the height the drone will fly when departing to begin capturing images or when returning after finishing a mission or for a battery swap. Adjust this value to accommodate flying over any obstacle in the site.
Offset	The offset affects the resolution and number of photos taken. A 100-foot (30 meter) offset works well for small- to medium-sized buildings, such as residential towers. Fly far enough from the building so a corner of the building is visible in most of the photos.
Video Mode	Enable the recording of videos rather than images during flight.
Advanced	The following advanced settings are available: Overlap—The overlap affects the number of images taken per flight leg in the flight polygon. Do not lower this value below the default 70 percent. You can increase it when you want to capture additional images to have a higher-quality dataset. Sidelap—The sidelap affects the number of flight legs that are added to the flight polygon. Do not lower this value below the default 65 percent. You can increase it when you want to capture additional images to have a higher-quality dataset. Speed Adjustment—Adjust the speed of the drone flight, which is primarily determined by flight height. Depending on the drone and SD card used, adjustment to a higher speed may result in one or two photos being skipped. First Waypoint—Change where the drone will begin flying in relation to its home position. The Furthest option will have the drone begin flying at the furthest point or vertex on the polygon; the Closest option will have the drone begin flying at the closest point or vertex on the polygon. Departure/Minimum Return Height—Control the height the drone will fly when departing to begin capturing images or when returning after finishing a mission or for a battery swap. Adjust this value to accommodate flying over any obstacle in the site. Continue without link—Allow the drone to continue flying even if it goes out of signal range from the remote controller. Use this setting with caution because the pilot cannot control the drone if it is out of range. Camera Settings—You can adjust the following settings: Lighting Mode—Control the exposure level the drone uses when capturing images. Use Daylight when flying in normal conditions, use Low Light when flying in low light conditions (early morning or late evening), and use Manual to manually adjust additional camera parameters. Lens Settings—Adjust the focal length value of the gimbal. Use with custom payloads.
See FAA Advisories	View FAA Advisory notifications and request LAANC authorization in the app.

Panorama

The following table describes the available settings for panorama flights:

Setting	Description
Terrain Follow	When this setting is enabled, topographic maps from Esri World Elevation service can be used as a baseplane and have the drone fly to follow the different elevation across the site. You can add custom elevation data using your ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise organization’s elevation layers. This setting does not account for the elevation of buildings or vegetation, so ensure that you are planning the flight height considering the elevation of nonground features. In addition, use with caution when flying over open-pit mines, since the terrain database topography may be outdated and may not reflect the current conditions of the site. To learn more about adding custom elevation data, see Add custom elevation data.
Flight Height	This is the flight altitude you want the drone to fly. This setting directly affects the resolution (ground sampling distance) of the images. Flying at a lower altitude will increase the resolution but will also increase the number of images taken and the flight time. Conversely, flying at higher altitudes will make for a faster flight time but will lower the resolution of the images. The default value is recommended for this flight mode.
Advanced	The following advanced settings are available: Overlap—The overlap affects the number of images taken per flight leg in the flight polygon. Do not lower this value below the default 70 percent. You can increase it when you want to capture additional images to have a higher-quality dataset. Departure/Minimum Return Height—Control the height the drone will fly when departing to begin capturing images or when returning after finishing a mission or for a battery swap. Adjust this value to accommodate flying over any obstacle in the site. Continue without link—Allow the drone to continue flying even if it goes out of signal range from the remote controller. Use this setting with caution because the pilot cannot control the drone if it is out of range. Camera Settings—You can adjust the following settings: Lighting Mode—Control the exposure level the drone uses when capturing images. Use Daylight when flying in normal conditions, use Low Light when flying in low light conditions (early morning or late evening), and use Manual to manually adjust additional camera parameters. Lens Settings—Adjust the focal length value of the gimbal. Use with custom payloads.
See FAA Advisories	View FAA Advisory notifications and request LAANC authorization in the app.

Corridor Scan

The following table describes the settings available for corridor scan flights:

Settings	Description
Define corridor from polyline	Add layers from ArcGIS Online.
Terrain Follow	When this setting is enabled, topographic maps from Esri World Elevation service can be used as a baseplane and have the drone fly to follow the different elevation across the site. You can add custom elevation data using your ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise organization’s elevation layers. This setting does not account for the elevation of buildings or vegetation, so ensure that you are planning the flight height considering the elevation of nonground features. In addition, use with caution when flying over open-pit mines, since the terrain database topography may be outdated and may not reflect the current conditions of the site. To learn more about adding custom elevation data, see Add custom elevation data.
Select Corridor Width	Set the width of the scanned area. Adjust this value to cover the area of interest completely.
Fly Over Corridor	Specify whether to fly the drone on top of the area of interest or alongside the area of interest. This setting is helpful when you will fly in areas that have airspace regulations.
Flight Height	This is the flight altitude you want the drone to fly. This setting directly affects the resolution (ground sampling distance) of the images. Flying at a lower altitude will increase the resolution but will also increase the number of images taken and the flight time. Conversely, flying at higher altitudes will make for a faster flight time but will lower the resolution of the images. The default value is recommended for this flight mode.
Video Mode	Enable the recording of videos rather than images during flight.
Advanced	The following advanced settings are available: Overlap—The overlap affects the number of images taken per flight leg in the flight polygon. Do not lower this value below the default 70 percent. You can increase it when you want to capture additional images to have a higher-quality dataset. Sidelap—The sidelap affects the number of flight legs that are added to the flight polygon. Do not lower this value below the default 65 percent. You can increase it when you want to capture additional images to have a higher-quality dataset. Speed Adjustment—Adjust the speed of the drone flight, which is primarily determined by flight height. Depending on the drone and SD card used, adjustment to a higher speed may result in one or two photos being skipped. Gimbal Angle—This is the angle you want the camera to point. For a corridor scan, set this value to 0 degrees nadir with the camera pointed straight down at the surface. Departure/Minimum Return Height—Control the height the drone will fly when departing to begin capturing images or when returning after finishing a mission or for a battery swap. Adjust this value to accommodate flying over any obstacle in the site. Continue without link—Allow the drone to continue flying even if it goes out of signal range from the remote controller. Use this setting with caution because the pilot cannot control the drone if it is out of range. Camera Settings—You can adjust the following settings: Lighting Mode—Control the exposure level the drone uses when capturing images. Use Daylight when flying in normal conditions, use Low Light when flying in low light conditions (early morning or late evening), and use Manual to manually adjust additional camera parameters. Lens Settings—Adjust the focal length value of the gimbal. Use with custom payloads.
See FAA Advisories	View FAA Advisory notifications and request LAANC authorization in the app.

Add custom elevation data

To include custom elevation data in a map, it must be available online. You must sign in through ArcGIS Online or ArcGIS Enterprise and have the elevation data in tile package (.tpkx) format.

Note:

Adding custom elevation data is not available for the Inspection flight mode.

If you save a flight plan with a tile package (.tpkx), you will have to add the tile package (.tpkx) when you refly your mission.

To add custom elevation data, complete the following:

1. In Mission Settings, turn on the Terrain Follow toggle button.

   Terrain Data appears in the list of settings.

2. Tap Terrain Data.

   A list of all available elevation layers is displayed.

3. Tap the .tpkx file you want to use for this mission.
4. Tap Download.
The .tpkx file is available for offline use.

Note:

You can assess the elevation data and flight path of the mission by tapping the elevation profile and adjusting the flight parameters if needed.

Depending on the flight parameters of the planned mission, the elevation data, and the conditions of the site, you may need to acknowledge a preflight warning as well as the safety briefing.