July 14, 2017
As a UAV operator, safety should be your number one concern. By ensuring a safe flight, you can keep your equipment in optimal condition as well as keep all of those around you safe from harm. As a UAV insurance agency, American Heritage Insurance Agency is all about staying safe; so with this in mind we’ve assembled some tips for safe UAV flight.
Perform a Pre-Flight Check
You’ve got your UAV out and ready, and you’re eager to get up into the skies. We get it. But you need to pause and do a pre-flight check of your equipment in order to ensure complete safety. Are the batteries fully charged and plugged in correctly? Are all parts in place and in working order? Propellers on tight? Is your filming equipment ready as well? A quick and simple pre-flight checklist can help prevent major damage to your rig as well as any innocent bystanders.
Always Stay Within Sight
It’s important to always keep your UAV within your line-of-sight. While this is quite an obvious one to follow; you’d be amazed at the amount of UAV insurance claims involving this one mistake. If you use video equipment to see from the UAV’s perspective you still need to keep your UAV in-sight. If that video equipment fails you want to be sure you have a back-up.
Stay Aware of Other People
This is easily the most important rule in the book. You need to watch your proximity to people, because if you accidentally hit someone with a UAV it can cause serious harm. Stay aware of your environment at all times, and definitely do not fly over or around crowds of people.
Learn How to Crash Correctly
You heard us, learn how to crash the right way. Crashes will happen, and any UAV pilot should know how to crash properly. This will help to avoid further damage than is necessary—preserving the health of your UAV and any bystanders. Know how to shut off the throttle so that when the time comes you can do it quickly and without hesitation, minimizing damage.
Check the Weather
While it goes without saying that flying a UAV in the rain is a bad idea, it’s also smart to avoid windy conditions as well. While many UAVs have auto-correct technology to combat windy conditions, that doesn’t mean it can’t hurt to avoid those days. If you’re planning on taking your UAV out this weekend, pick the time and day with the clearest conditions.
For more help with UAV safety, or to obtain UAV insurance should an accident happen, get in touch with your UAV insurance experts at American Heritage Insurance Agency today.
American Heritage is a Maryland UAV insurance provider with the experience and attention to detail to get you the best insurance policy for your UAV possible. For more information, give us a call at 410-552-1200 or fill out the form on our website, today!