Getting Started with Parachute for Skydio X10 (EAP)

Skydio Parachute for X10 is an attachment built to enable compliant operations over people for Part 107 customers and to keep people on the ground safe in the extremely rare case where Skydio X10 flights are terminated outside of intentional landing.

[note] Parachute is currently available as part of an Early Access Program (EAP) for Dock for X10. Parachute is not yet available for X10 Controller-based operations. [/note]

[warning]

• The Skydio Parachute for X10 (“Parachute”) is not a replacement for safe flying practices
• Do not hand launch or land Skydio X10 with Parachute enabled
• Do not modify the Parachute, as it can result in injury, affect performance leading to damage of property or people, and void the warranty
• Do not handle the Parachute when it is armed
• Wear eye protection when handling the Parachute
• Never point the Parachute towards people or property when armed
• Maintain a clear area of at least 6.5 ft (2 m) when Parachute is powered on and armed
• The Parachute attachment uses a nitrogen cartridge for deployment. Do not stand in front of the parachute when handling and when armed or serious bodily injury may occur
• The remote pilot must not operate the sUA below an altitude of 100 ft (30.5 m) above the ground except for launch and landing and must ensure that launch and landing occurs sufficiently away from persons on the ground to prevent near or actual impact into them.

[/warning]

• How to install your Parachute attachment
• Parachute Status Light Indicators
• Preflight and Launch
• Inflight
• Landing and Postflight
• Maintenance and Storage
• Operating Limits
• Known Issues
• FAQ
• Specifications 

How to install your Parachute attachment

[note] Handle Parachute with care. If the Parachute is dropped and the lid becomes detached, you will need to send your Parachute back to Skydio for repacking. [/note]

Step 1 - Unfold your Skydio X10 drone

[note] Parachute is only compatible with Rev 2 X10 propellers. Please reference the Operating Limits section for more information about system limitations. [/note]

Step 2 - Align the Parachute attachment with the left-side attachment bay of your drone

Step 3 - Using the provided tool, tighten the three captive screws until you hear a click to secure the attachment

Step 4 - Where it says A4, gently lift the rubber gasket and rotate 180° down

[note] Do NOT pull off the gasket, as that could result in water ingress and damage to the drone. [/note]

Step 5 - Plug in the Parachute cable with the cable pointing downward

Step 6 - Insert the X10 battery into the drone and verify that the battery retention latch is engaged

• Successful installation: the tab labeled Battery Release will be flush with the outside edge of the parachute bracket and no red will be visible

[caution] Parachute has a battery retention feature that helps to keep the battery from a potential dangerous ejection during parachute deployment. [/caution]

Step 7 - Power on your drone

Step 8 - Check Parachute status

When Parachute is in “Standby” mode (i.e. enabled but not yet armed):

• The Parachute attachment will display a solid green light
• The Remote Flight Deck and/or controller screen will display a parachute icon with a yellow indicator

Parachute Status Light Indicators

Status	Color and Pattern
Parachute is in “Standby” mode (enabled but not yet armed)	Solid green
Parachute is armed	Flashing green
Parachute is disabled	Solid red
There is no power to the parachute, OR the parachute has been deployed	Off

Preflight and Launch

[warning] Skydio does not recommend Hand Launching your drone while the Parachute attachment is enabled, as the Parachute may deploy inadvertently which may result in serious bodily injury and/or damage. [/warning]

Step 1 - Conduct a visual preflight inspection

• Ensure the Parachute attachment is properly secured and all screws are fully tightened
• Verify that the USB-C cable is securely in place
• Verify that the red battery latch indicator is not visible on the Parachute attachment; if red is visible, the battery retention latch is not engaged

Step 2 - Verify Parachute is in “Standby” mode (enabled but not yet armed)

• Parachute should enter “Standby” mode by default
• The Parachute attachment will display a solid green light
• The controller screen and Remote Flight Deck screen will display a parachute icon with a yellow indicator

Step 3 - Establish a clear launch area of at least 10 ft (3 m) in all directions

Step 4 - Launch the drone and verify that the Parachute is armed

• The Parachute will display a flashing green light to indicate that it is now armed
• The controller and/or RFD will now show the Parachute with a green icon.

Step 5 - Ascend to the minimum deployable altitude of 100 ft (30.5 m)

Inflight

[caution] Fly in a controlled manner in accordance with all laws and regulations and avoid unnecessary flights over people. [/caution]

[note] Rapid Descent is disabled when Parachute is attached to the drone. [/note]

Parachute can either be deployed automatically (using detectors on the parachute attachment and drone) or manually.

Automatic deployment

• The Parachute will be deployed automatically if any of the following conditions are met:
• The Parachute detects bank angles greater than 110°
• The Parachute detects descent speeds greater than 22 mph (10 m/s)

[note] The Parachute attachment has its own onboard barometer, Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU), and power supply. The Parachute attachment can always operate for at least 35 seconds without power from the drone. [/note]

Remote Flight Deck displaying a deployed Parachute:

X10 Controller displaying a deployed Parachute:

Manual deployment

You also have the option to deploy the Parachute manually if needed.

If flying via Remote Flight Deck, while holding down the 1 key, press the 8 key three times in quick succession to deploy.

If flying with a Skydio X10 Controller, press the C1 and Play/Pause buttons simultaneously three times in quick succession or until bars are full.

Disabling Parachute

Parachute will be enabled by default, and arm automatically on launch. It can, however, be disabled in the event that a situation calls for it. These scenarios may include:

• Flying near power lines where the risk of drifting and getting tangled in power lines is greater than the risk of dropping directly
• Scenarios where hand landing is required
• When you need to fly below the minimum deployment altitude for an extended period
• If you must operate outside of the wind limitations of the PRS

To disable Parachute, navigate to Global Settings > Attachments > Parachute and toggle OFF.

In Remote Flight Deck:

On the X10 Controller:

Landing and Postflight

Landing

[warning] Skydio does not recommend Hand Landing your drone while the Parachute attachment is enabled, as the parachute may not detect landing correctly and could deploy inadvertently which may result in serious bodily injury and/or damage. [/warning]

Parachute will auto-sense when the drone is landing, even if its cable isn’t connected to X10, and disarm automatically when it detects it is on the ground.

Wait until the Parachute attachment displays a solid green light, indicating that it is disarmed, before handling. You may need to wait a few seconds after the drone has landed to observe the solid green light.

Postflight

Ensure the Parachute attachment is powered off before handling.

To remove the battery from the drone while the Parachute is installed:

1. Press in on the battery retainment latch
2. While the latch is fully depressed, remove the battery from the drone

If your Parachute was deployed during flight

If your Parachute was deployed during flight, you must contact Skydio Support to report the incident. Do NOT continue to fly your drone if the Parachute was deployed. Failure to follow this guidance and continued usage of your Parachute may result in serious bodily injury and/or harm.

If you’re able to, please also upload Support logs to help our team investigate the issue.

Maintenance and Storage

Maintenance Schedule

Storage

Store the Skydio Parachute for X10 in a dry, room-temperature environment.

Operating Limits

• Parachute can only be used with Rev 2 Propellers
• Do not operate the drone below an altitude of 100 ft (30.5 m) above the ground except for launch and landing
• Operating the drone beyond the recommended wind limits may not mitigate against serious injury
• Parachute cannot be used with hand-launch or hand-land
• Parachute cannot be repacked by customers
• If Parachute drops and comes out, it must be returned to Skydio for repack
• Parachute is not intended to minimize damage to aircraft
• If Parachute is deployed, the drone must be returned to Skydio for inspection
• Parachute reduces flight time by approximately 4 minutes 

Known Issues

• Early Access Parachutes may occasionally fail to initialize correctly after reboot. If they do, they will not function properly until users conduct a soft reset of vehicle after ~4 min (enough time for parachute to fully discharge.
  If Parachute is attached with X10 on, the drone may take ~10 seconds to recognize the Parachute. During that time several USB read failure notifications will appear. After notifications clear, Parachute will function normally.
• Skydio X10 only supports certain attachment configurations (due to a weight limit), however the system will not prevent you from attaching Spotlight/Speaker, Parachute, and NightSense simultaneously. This is not officially supported and may cause faster wear on the system. Supported configurations with Parachute include:
  •  
    • Parachute + NightSense
    • Parachute + Spotlight
    • Parachute + Speaker
    • Parachute + RTK/PPK

FAQ

[accordion heading="Can the Parachute attachment operate in precipitation?"]

Yes. Parachute and Skydio X10 are both IP55-rated and can support flight in light to moderate precipitation.

[/accordion]

[accordion heading="Can I use Parachute with other attachments?"]

Yes you can use Parachute in conjunction with one additional attachment. Supported configurations:

• Parachute + NightSense (both top and bottom attachments)
• Parachute + Spotlight
• Parachute + Speaker
• Parachute + RTK/PPK

[/accordion]

[accordion heading="Is the Parachute attachment covered under Skydio Care?"]

No, the Parachute attachment is not covered under Skydio Care.

Parachute is sold as a subscription which includes:

• Parachute attachment hardware
• Unlimited deployment repacks
• Useful life hardware replacements (as determined by Skydio)

[note] The customer is responsible for the replacement of the Parachute attachment on the drone, and must send the used or expired Parachute hardware back to Skydio. [/note]

The Parachute attachment is also covered under the Skydio One (1) Year Limited Warranty which is separate from Skydio Care.

[/accordion]

[accordion heading="Does Parachute impact overall battery life?"]

Yes. Parachute will reduce X10 flight time by approximately 4 minutes due to the added mass.

[/accordion]

[accordion heading="Are there any usage constraints?"]

Yes. Follow all key warnings flagged in this manual and do not hand launch or land Skydio X10 with Parachute enabled. While the Parachute is armed, do not operate the drone below an altitude of 100 ft (30.5 m) above the ground except for launch and landing. Do not operate beyond the wind limits.

[/accordion]

[accordion heading="Are there any restrictions or considerations when shipping or traveling with Parachute?"]

Parachute should be placed in checked baggage only when traveling.

The Skydio Support team will communicate any return shipping requirements or details needed when shipping Parachutes back to Skydio for repack or replacement.

[/accordion]

Specifications

Skydio, Inc. A0592