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Location: William H. Daniel Turfgrass Research and Diagnostic Center Date: 09/23/2025 Vehicle: Mavic 2 Pro B – Serial Number: 1581F1633J27001H1380 Sensor: Drone’s gimble Battery: Lithium Polymer Smart Battery Approval: LAANCE Flight Number: 1 Takeoff Time: 1530 local time Landing Time: 1539 local time Altitude: 200 feet Sensor Angle: -90° Overlap: 80% Sidelap: 80% Cloud: Few clouds at like 1000AGL Wind: 190° 8 knots Gusting 16 knots Temp / Dewpoint: 26° / 18° rPIC: Venky Devapatla VO: Isabella Avedician, Joe Kahi, and Jacob Sieber
AT 309 - Flight Lab 4
Flight log:
9/23/25 Mavic 2 Pro SATT-B at Purdue Turf Farm with Jacob, Joe, and Isabella. 1.0 total time with all of it being as rPIC.
Preflight:
The purpose of this week’s lab was to use the DJI Mavic 2 Pro to map the student garden like we did for week 2’s lab. The idea behind this was to compare the similarities and difference between Skydio 2 + and Mavic 2 Pro. Just like the past few weeks the group consisted of Isabella, Joe, Jacob, and I. Unlike the Skydio we need to use a third-party app to create the map and set perimeters for the mapping mission. Dr. Hupy told us to use Drone Deploy Flight App for this mapping. While we were still at Niswonger we set up all the perimeter and all the information needed for a successful mapping mission. Look at the image below for the area we have mapped. 
Test Procedure:
Before beginning our flight, we completed a thorough preflight checklist to re safety and compliance. Key tasks included obtaining LAANC authorization, checking weather conditions, and securing the propellers to the drone. As the rPIC, I prepared the aircraft by removing the gimbal cover, attaching and tightening the propellers, and verifying that both the Return-to-Home (RTH) and low-battery procedures were correctly configured, with Jacob double-checking my work to reduce the chance of error. Meanwhile, Joe handled LAANC authorization, and Isabella conducted a site hazard assessment. She identified several potential risks, including low cloud cover with the possibility of rain, as well as moving people and vehicles traveling through the student garden. Discussing these hazards as a team before takeoff allowed us to build situational awareness and ensure a safe, coordinated operation.
As I tried to takeoff the drone we ran into multiple issues. At first it wouldn’t let me takeoff due to an IMU Calibration issue and we had to resolve that which was easy since it was in the DJI Go app which I had experience in navigating in. It took us maybe three minutes for the whole calibration to work. After this I couldn’t get the drone to take off in the Drone Deploy App and it took me like twenty minutes find out what the issue was because on the app’s preflight checklist it showed me all greens and didn’t show me any problems with the drone, or the mission and it drove me mad. I started pressing some random button and it took off so I guess a win is win.
Despite these challenges, our crew maintained proper communication throughout the process, using clear call-and-response phrases to confirm instructions and actions. Additionally, we assigned three visual observers (VOs) to help monitor the skies, especially given the low clouds and reduced visibility conditions. This ensured that manned traffic, birds, or other hazards would not go unnoticed and that the limited visibility would not compromise safety. The combination of structured communication and multiple observers allowed us to continue operating safely even in a more complex environment.
Metadata:
General:
Flight Information:
Weather:
Crew:
Photos:
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