Skydio Safety and Operating Guide

The Skydio Safety and Operating Guide (“Guide”) provides corresponding Safety Guidelines for safely operating each of our drones.

Please read all of the Safety Guidelines for your specific drone before your first flight. Failure to follow these Safety Guidelines could result in serious injury or damage to you, your Skydio product, other persons, or other property, and will void any applicable warranty coverage under the Skydio Limited Warranty. Please read the complete details of the Skydio Limited Warranty which is located at www.skydio.com/legal/limited-warranty.

[warning]Please note that the content in this Guide is not a substitute for your judgment and common sense when flying your Skydio drone. You are solely responsible for ensuring your Skydio flights are managed safely and in accordance with all local, state, and federal laws and regulations to avoid serious injury and/or damage. Failure to follow the recommendations in this Guide may lead to serious injury or damage and will void any applicable warranty coverage under the Skydio Limited Warranty. [/warning] 

[accordion heading="Skydio X10 Safety Guidelines"]

WARNINGS

• Do not operate directly over people and vehicles without following all required regulations and garnering any required Certificates of Waiver or Authorization (COA).
• Fly with extreme caution and care around moving obstacles including but not limited to other aerial vehicles, cars and/or animals.
• Skydio obstacle avoidance may be degraded around transparent or reflective surfaces, windows, mirrors, or still water greater than 23 in (58 cm) wide. Fly with caution.
• The pilot in command (PIC) is solely responsible for: a) managing altitude, range and battery level and b) following all civil aviation authority regulations, as well as all local, state and federal laws.
• Adhere to all in-app alerts, warnings and recommendations such as landing in clear and safe areas.
• Propeller blades are sharp—handle with extreme caution and care especially when the propeller blades are spinning as serious injury and/or damage may occur.
• Obstacle avoidance is disabled during launching and landing. Exercise extreme caution and care to avoid injury and/or damage.
• Ensure your landing area is flat, stable and clear of obstacles.
• Skydio should not be used or handled by a person under the age of 16 years.
• Never fly near or interfere with crewed aircraft operations.
• Never fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

PREFLIGHT

• Skydio X10 navigates visually using cameras so it is essential to keep all of the cameras clean. Use the included microfiber cleaning cloth (or a similar type of microfiber cloth) to ensure camera lenses are free of dust and dirt before every flight.
• Ensure all propellers are firmly attached and free of nicks, cracks, or other visible damage. Never fly with damaged propellers.
• Keep your fingers away from spinning propellers at all times.
• Ensure all 4 arms are fully deployed prior to initiating flight. Failure to do so may result in unstable flight and/or a loss of control.
• Skydio X10 uses magnets to retain the battery which may attract metallic debris that could interfere with the connection of the battery to the drone.
  • Prior to installing the battery, inspect the battery connection pins and the battery bay to ensure that they are undamaged and free of debris.
  • Verify the battery is fully seated in the drone prior to launching.
• Do not fly with any batteries with enclosures that are cracked, swollen, gouged, dented, or otherwise substantially physically deformed.
• Safely handle and dispose of any batteries in accordance with all local laws and regulations.
• Batteries should not be stored in extreme environmental conditions.
• Ensure the Skydio X10 Controller has adequate battery life remaining to complete your intended flight.
• Ensure you have set your Return and Lost Connection behaviors before flying.
• Remove the sensor package lock before flying.
• Inspect the chassis and entire drone for damage and debris prior to flight.

ENVIRONMENT

• Skydio X10 is IP55 rated providing protection from limited dust ingress and light to moderate precipitation conditions; it is recommended to not fly in heavy dust conditions or heavy precipitation.
• The Skydio X10 Controller is IP54 rated providing protection from limited dust ingress and light precipitation conditions; it is recommended to not be used in heavy dust conditions or moderate to heavy precipitation.
• Flight in icy conditions is not supported and may result in the loss of your drone.
• Ensure the flight environment has good initial visibility and will have good visibility throughout the duration of the flight.
• Do not hand launch or hand land during windy days, when GPS Only flight is enabled, when flying at night, or extreme environmental conditions as serious injury and/or damage may occur.
• Fly cautiously over bodies of water as low relative-altitude flight may degrade or impair autonomous flight performance. Before flying over bodies of water, ensure your drone has a strong GPS signal. Fly at least 10 ft (3 m) above the surface of the water.
  • Failure to acquire strong GPS prior to flight over water may result in erratic flight and/or emergency landing and total loss of the drone.
• Launch and land over dry surfaces. Use extreme caution and care when launching or landing from moving vessels.
• Skydio X10 requires good visibility to retain its obstacle avoidance capabilities. Obstacle avoidance is off during GPS Flight mode and can also be impaired when in low light and poor visibility. Fly with extreme caution and care under these conditions.
• Skydio does not recommend flying the X10 under the following conditions which can result in serious injury and/or damage including total loss of the drone:
  • Gusts at or above 28 mph (45 km/h)
  • Temperatures less than -4°F (-20°C) or more than 113°F (45°C)
• The Skydio X10 battery features self-warming technology. When flying in temperatures below 32°F (0°C), prewarm batteries before launching. Battery endurance may be degraded when operating near temperature limits below -4°F (-20°C) and above 113°F (45°C).

FLYING SAFELY 

• Your Skydio drone only avoids obstacles that are not in motion.
  • Cars, boats, people, animals, drones, crewed aircraft, or other moving objects may not be avoided.
• In the event that your X10 collides with an object, it will attempt to stabilize and continue flying.
• Keep your fingers away from the propellers anytime they are spinning such as during launch, flight and landing.
• Skydio X10 can’t see certain visually challenging obstacles. Do not fly around thin branches, telephone or power lines, ropes, netting, wires, chain link fencing, or other objects less than 0.5 inch (1.3 centimeters) in diameter. This type of crash is not covered under the Skydio Limited Warranty.
• Do not intentionally try to crash Skydio X10.
• The chassis of Skydio X10 may become hot to the touch in high-temperature environments or direct sunlight, even when powered off. The metal frame may also become hot if powered on while on the ground for long periods of time. Handle with extreme caution and care.
• Do not fly over bodies of water if Skydio X10 indicates a GPS quality warning.
• Exercise extreme caution and care when the sun is low on the horizon as it can temporarily blind the Skydio X10 cameras depending on the angle of flight. Your drone may be cautious or jerky when flying directly toward the sun.
• Skydio X10 may provide an indication, such as displaying an alert to land, if it encounters an issue or determines the environment is not safe for flying. Fly to the nearest safe area and land immediately.
• Flying at high altitudes may significantly increase the time required to return and safely land the Skydio X10. The pilot is solely responsible for managing altitude, range and battery level at all times.
• Be sure to read/watch all flight tutorials and safety-related materials and pay close attention to any in-app messages.
• Keep your hands on the controller joysticks to maintain control throughout flight.
• In preparation for landing, stop active autonomous Flight Skills and fly to a clear and stable area. Avoid areas with people, animals and moving objects. Try to avoid areas with lots of fine pebbles, sand, rocks, or similar materials.
  • The lights on X10 will turn yellow as the drone descends below 10 ft (3 m) indicating that obstacle avoidance is disabled.
  • WARNING: Do not attempt to hand catch Skydio X10 before obstacle avoidance is disabled automatically during landing. Attempting to hand catch Skydio X10 while obstacle avoidance is still active will cause it to attempt to avoid your hand and may result in Skydio X10 impacting yourself or another nearby object, resulting in serious injury and/or damage.
  • While Skydio X10 is landing you may nudge the drone forward, backward, left, or right using the Skydio X10 Controller joysticks.
  • Always monitor Skydio X10 during landing and be prepared to use the “nudge” feature or cancel the landing if Skydio X10 is landing in an undesirable location. Use extreme caution and care when landing on elevated platforms, such as the roof of a car or truck, as the Skydio X10 may move laterally to avoid the platform before descending to the 10 ft (3 m) threshold.

REGULATIONS

• You are solely responsible for your Skydio X10 at all times.
• Always follow FAA and country-specific civil aviation authority regulations, as well as local, state and federal laws and regulations when operating your Skydio X10.
• Download the FAA Drone Safety Guide (if located in the United States).
• Check resources including but not limited to knowbeforeyoufly.org or apps like B4UFLY for more information.
• Do not fly in an environment where the use of drones is restricted or not authorized.
• Maintain visual line of sight at all times, unless you have received express permission to fly beyond visual line of sight from a civil aviation authority such as the FAA.
• Skydio drones sold in the United States are Remote ID-compliant.

[/accordion]

[accordion heading="Skydio 2/2+ Safety Guidelines"]

Best Practices

PREFLIGHT

• Ensure that all of the camera lenses are dust and smudge-free prior to flight
• Inspect the battery magnets and connections for damage and debris prior to flight
• Inspect propeller blades for nicks, cracks, or other visible damage prior to flight
• Inspect the chassis for damage and debris prior to flight
• Remove the gimbal retaining clip from the front-facing camera.
• Ensure any Battery Saver or Low Power modes are disabled on your mobile device. These modes may interfere with the ability of Skydio 2/2+ to communicate with the device and negatively impact your flight experience.

ENVIRONMENT

• Do not fly in precipitation, fog, or snow.
• Ensure flight environment has good visibility. Skydio 2/2+ can only fly in normal daytime conditions.
• Do not fly over bodies of water greater than 30 ft (9 m).
• When the sun is low on the horizon, it can temporarily blind Skydio 2/2+ cameras depending on the angle of flight. Your drone may be cautious or jerky when flying directly toward the sun.
• Do not fly in extremely hot temperatures above 104°F (40°C).
• Do not fly in extremely cold temperatures below 23°F (-5°C).
• When flying in temperatures below 32°F (0°C) ensure your batteries are pre-warmed to 50°F (10°C) prior to takeoff.
• Avoid windy weather conditions, or gusts above 25 mph (40 km/h).
• Before flying over water, ensure your drone has a GPS lock. Launch and land your drone over a dry surface.
• Fly cautiously around reflective surfaces such as still water or mirrors.
• Do not fly around objects less than 0.5 in (1.27 cm) in diameter such as thin branches, utility lines, ropes, and netting.
• Do not fly around objects in motion such as cars, boats, balls, animals, or other drones.
• Please read this article for more guidelines on where to fly your Skydio drone.

WARNINGS

• Do not operate directly over people and moving vehicles.
• Fly cautiously around moving obstacles, cars, and animals.
• Fly cautiously around people and moving vehicles and do not operate directly over them.
• Avoid transparent or reflective surfaces, windows, mirrors, or still water greater than 23 in (58 cm) wide.
• The pilot in command (PIC) is responsible for managing altitude, range, and battery level and monitoring in-app messages and alerts.
• Avoid flight in low-light conditions.
• Alert messages will display if Skydio determines the environment is not safe for flight.
• When instructed to do so, immediately fly your Skydio to the safest area and land.
• Flying at high altitudes may significantly increase the time required to return and safely land.
• Propeller blades are sharp—handle with care.
• Skydio should not be used or handled by a person under the age of 18 years.

REGULATIONS

• Download the FAA drone Safety Guide (if located in the United States)
• Follow all civil aviation, such as the FAA or your country's regulatory agency, rules and regulations
• You are responsible for your Skydio at all times. When operating your Skydio drone check knowbeforeyoufly.org / B4UFLY / CASA-verified before flying.
• Do not fly in an environment where the use of the device is not authorized or restricted.
• Keep your Skydio drone within visual line of sight at all times, unless you have received express permission to fly beyond visual line of sight from a civil aviation authority such as the FAA.

Safety-Related Articles

For more detailed information, please read all of the following:

• Where can I fly my Skydio 2?
• What if my Skydio drone crashes?
• How high can Skydio 2 fly?
• Hand Launching and Hand Landing your Skydio 2
• Flying Your Skydio 2 Near Water
• Flying Skydio 2 when it’s hot outside
• How does Skydio 2 use GPS?
• What happens when Skydio 2 loses communication or signal?
• What do the lights on Skydio 2 indicate?
• Skydio 2 battery guidelines, troubleshooting, and safety

[/accordion]

[accordion heading="Skydio X2 Safety Guidelines"]

Best Practices

PREFLIGHT

• Ensure that all of the camera lenses are dust and smudge-free prior to flight
• Inspect the battery magnets and connections for damage and debris prior to flight
• Inspect propeller blades for nicks, cracks, or other visible damage prior to flight
• Inspect the chassis for damage and debris prior to flight
• Ensure all 4 arms are fully deployed against the hard stops and arm clamps are fully seated prior to initiating flight. Failure to do so may result in unstable flight and/or a loss of control. A moderate amount of force is required to fully seat the clamp to the arm - if the arm clamp closes with low effort, damage has occurred within the hinge and the drone should not be flown.

ENVIRONMENT

• Do not fly in precipitation, fog, or snow.
• Ensure flight environment has good visibility.
• Fly with caution in low light, poor visibility, and nighttime conditions - obstacle avoidance is disabled.
• Do not fly over bodies of water greater than 30 ft (9 m).
• Do not fly in extremely hot temperatures above 109°F (43°C).
• Do not fly in extremely cold temperatures below 14°F (-10°C).
• When flying in temperatures below 32°F (0°C) ensure your batteries are pre-warmed to 50°F (10°C) prior to takeoff.
• Avoid windy weather conditions, or gusts above 23 mph (37 km/h). 
• Fly cautiously around reflective surfaces such as still water or mirrors.
• Before flying over water, ensure your drone has GPS lock. Launch and land your drone over a dry surface.
• Do not fly around objects less than .5 in (1.27 cm) in diameter such as thin branches, utility lines, ropes, and netting.
• Do not fly around objects in motion such as cars, boats, balls, animals, or other drones.

WARNINGS

• Do not operate directly over people and moving vehicles.
• Fly cautiously around moving obstacles, cars, and animals.
• Avoid transparent or reflective surfaces, windows, mirrors, or still water greater than 23 in (58 cm) wide.
• The pilot in command (PIC) is responsible for managing altitude, range, and battery level and monitoring in-app messages and alerts.
• Alert messages will display if Skydio determines the environment is not safe for flight.
• When instructed to do so, immediately fly your Skydio to the safest area and land.
• Flying at high altitudes may significantly increase the time required to return and safely land.
• Propeller blades are sharp—handle with care.
• Skydio should not be used or handled by a person under the age of 18 years.

REGULATIONS

• Download the FAA drone Safety Guide (if located in the United States)
• Follow all civil aviation, such as the FAA or your country's regulatory agency, rules and regulations
• You are responsible for your Skydio at all times. When operating your Skydio drone check knowbeforeyoufly.org / B4UFLY / CASA-verified before flying.
• Do not fly in an environment where the use of the device is not authorized or restricted.
• Keep your Skydio drone within visual line of sight at all times, unless you have received express permission to fly beyond visual line of sight from a civil aviation authority such as the FAA.

Safety-Related Articles

For more detailed information, please read all of the following:

• How to charge and safely maintain your Skydio X2E batteries
• How to deploy your Skydio X2E
• How to use GPS night flight mode on Skydio X2E
• How to dispose of your Skydio X2 drone and battery
• How to adjust arm clamp tension on your Skydio X2E
• How to replace hard stops on your Skydio X2E
• How to replace propellers on your Skydio X2E

[/accordion]

Explore More

Check out our blog post How to Fly Safely with Skydio 2/2+ for top tips and helpful examples.

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