EBee Plus User Manual

eBee Plus Drone User Manual
Revision 1.7 / March 2018

© 2018 senseFly
GENERAL INFORMATION
READ ALL USER MANUALS CAREFULLY BEFORE USING A SENSEFLY PRODUCT.
USER MANUALS ARE AVAILABLE ON MY.SENSEFLY WEBSITE.
senseFly products (the “Product(s)”) are intended for professional use only.
Always comply with Civil Aviation regulations and other applicable laws, act responsibly and follow the in-
structions in your senseFly User Manuals.
Civil aviation regulations

senseFly products (“Product(s)”) are subject to Civil Aviation regulations. Regulations may vary depending on the
country where you intend to operate your Product.
ALL USE OF THE PRODUCT INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE USE CONFORM TO THE APPLICABLE LAW OF THE
COUNTRY IN WHICH THE PRODUCT IS OPERATED, IS UNDER THE CLIENT’S SOLE RESPONSIBILITY.
THE CLIENT SHOULD INFORM HIMSELF BEFORE USING THE PRODUCT. SOME COUNTRIES MAY HAVE LAWS THAT LIMIT
THE USE OF UNMANNED AIRCRAFTS TO “LINE-OF-SIGHT” OPERATIONS AND/OR PROHIBIT THE USE OF UNMANNED
AIRCRAFTS IN SOME SPECIFIC AREAS.
Other laws and regulations - privacy

Recording and circulating an image of an individual, a building or a creative work may constitute an infringement of
the image rights, privacy or of intellectual property rights including copyrights of the author/owner for which you
can be liable. Ask for authorization before taking pictures of an individual, a building or creative work protected
by intellectual property rights, particularly if you want to keep your recording and/or circulate images on the web
or any other medium. Do not circulate degrading images or ones that could undermine the reputation or dignity
of an individual. Do not use your Product for espionage purposes. Always comply, when using your Product and
cameras on board, with applicable laws and regulations including but not limited to, laws and regulations on privacy,
intellectual property rights and national security in the country where you operate your Product.
Limited warranty
The Supplier warrants that the delivered items will be free from defects in workmanship and materials for a period of
twelve (12) months from the date that the item was first purchased by the client. During the Warranty Period, should
the covered Product, in the Supplier’s sole opinion, malfunction due to any defect in material and/or workmanship,
the Client’s sole remedy and the Supplier’s sole liability shall be, at Supplier’s option, to either repair or replace the
malfunctioning Product with a similar product at no charge, or if repair or replacement is not possible, issue a credit
note; provided that the malfunctioning Product is returned in accordance with the support and repair form together
with all required flight logfiles, with proof of purchase in the form of the Client’s original copy of the sales receipt,
within the applicable Warranty Period.
Warranty does not apply, without limitation, in case: a) the delivered items are not stored, maintained or used ac-
cording to their specifications, b) the delivered items are damaged due to carelessness, misuse, negligence, or wrong
use by the user, c) of defects due to normal wear and tear including, but not limited to, normal degradation, misuse,
moisture or liquids, dust, proximity or exposure to heat, contact with chemical agents, salt water, or other corro-
sive agents, accidents, excessive strain, abuse, neglect, misapplication, repairs or modifications made by third party
other than senseFly, damage due to pilot error (associated, for example, with the use of manual, assisted or interac-
tive flight modes), damage due to take-off or landing location with obstacles, damage due to low altitude or close
object flight, damage due to loss of data radio connection, damage due to strong wind, rain, water, humidity, cor-
rosion, condensation, salt or other causes for which senseFly is not answerable and d) failure to properly update the
flight control software and firmware. Any claim related to in-flight malfunction of the Product will be considered by
senseFly only if accompanied with all related flight logfiles. Battery cells are excluded from warranty after first use.
The warranty shall be subject to the condition that the Client submits the Product, every 100 hours of Product flight,
to the Supplier or to a Supplier-Authorised Service Centre for a service in accordance with maintenance schedules
and service instructions available at Client’s account on https://my.sensefly.com. A service may be performed in
advance provided however that the next service is performed within the above mentioned time interval. It is the
Client’s own responsibility to monitor the number and duration of flights and decide when the maintenance check
must be performed.
Any cost in relation with scheduled maintenance and service instructions, other than the return shipping costs, shall
be borne by the Client only. The Product is always shipped at Client’s sole risk, even in case of free delivery. The
Supplier is responsible for loss or damage to the Product only when the Product is in the Supplier’s premises.
The Client shall make available to the Supplier, at the Supplier’s request, all data regarding the Product’s flight and
maintenance parameters. The Client further agrees and acknowledges that the Supplier is entitled, at any time, to
access, analyse and use all data available on the Client’s Account regarding the flight and maintenance parameters.
If such data are not available for a reason over which the Supplier has no control or responsibility, including but not
limited to an external service provider issue, network fault or power failure, the Supplier is under no obligation to
provide the Limited Warranty coverage until such data is made available.
It is the Client’s responsibility to check that the Product’s airworthiness and level of maintenance are compliant with
applicable requirements under local laws and regulations. Additional maintenance may be required by international
or governmental authorities and the Client should make any and all necessary checks before operating the Product.
There are no express or implied warranties, representations or conditions other than those stated in this Limited War-
ranty. This Limited Warranty is made in lieu of all other warranties, representations or conditions, whether expressed
or implied, including without limitation, merchantability or fitness for a specific purpose.
The remedy set forth herein shall be the sole, exclusive remedy with respect to the Product.
Limitation of liability
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL THE SUPPLIER BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (EVEN IF THE SUPPLIER IS NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES) INCLUDING,
BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY CRASH OR DAMAGES CAUSED BY THE CLIENT OR A THIRD PARTY WHILE OPERATING OR
USING A SENSEFLY PRODUCT (EVEN IF CAUSED BY A MALFUNCTION OF THE PRODUCT), ANY LOSS OF REVENUE, LOSS
OF PROFIT, OR LOSS OF DATA WHETHER BASED UPON ANY ALLEGED BREACH OF WARRANTY, REPRESENTATION OR
CONDITION, CONTRACT, OR ANY OTHER CONDUCT INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE (INTENTIONAL OR OTHERWISE), GIVING
RISE TO SUCH CLAIM.
UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES WILL THE SUPPLIER BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR
CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (EVEN IF THE SUPPLIER IS NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES) INCLUDING,
BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY DAMAGES CAUSED BY FAILURE OF THE AUTOPILOT, ELECTRONICS OR SOFTWARE. THE
CLIENT SHALL NOT OPERATE THE PRODUCT IN AREAS OR UNDER CIRCUMSTANCES WHERE A FAILURE COULD CAUSE
DAMAGES OR/AND HARM TO PEOPLE, PROPERTY OR/AND ANIMALS.
Intellectual property rights

senseFly Products and software are protected by intellectual property rights. senseFly is the proprietor and legal and
beneficial owner and/or the authorized licensee of any intellectual property rights within the Products, and senseFly
is entitled to the benefit of all applications made for the grant of senseFly Intellectual Property Rights.
senseFly, eBee, albris and related logos are registered trademarks of senseFly. You may not use or register, in whole
or in part, registered trademarks without express authorization from their respective owners.
FCC and iC compliance statements
This device complies with part 15 of the FCC Rules and Industry Canada License-exempt RSS standard(s).
Operation is subject to the following two conditions:
1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and
2. This device must accept any interference received, including interference that may cause undesired opera-
tion.
Changes or modifications not expressly approved by the party responsible for compliance could void the user’s au-
thority to operate the equipment.
This equipment has been tested and found to comply with the limits for a class B digital device, pursuant to part
15 of the FCC Rules. These limits are designed to provide a reasonable protection against harmful interference in a
residential installation. This equipment generates, uses and can radiate radio frequency energy and, if not installed
and uses in accordance with the instructions, may cause harmful interference to radio communications. However,
there is no guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular installation. If this equipment does cause harmful
interference to radio or television reception, which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on, the user
is encouraged to try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures:
1. Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna
2. Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver
3. Connect the equipment into a an outlet on a circuit different from that to which the receiver is connected
4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.
This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

This equipment complies with FCC’s radiation exposure limits set forth for an uncontrolled environment under the
following conditions:
1. This equipment should be installed and operated such that a minimum separation distance of 20 cm is
maintained between the radiator (antenna) and user’s/nearby person’s body at all times.
2. This transmitter must not be co-located or operating in conjunction with any other antenna or transmitter.
Disposal of this product at the end of its life
At the end of this Product’s life, please do not dispose of this Product in your general household waste.
Instead, in order to prevent possible harm to the environment or human health from uncontrolled waste
disposal, please dispose of this Product separately in accordance with your local laws and regulation. For
more information on the separate collection systems for waste electrical and electronic equipment that
are available for consumers, near your home, free of charge, please contact your local municipal authority.
You can also contact senseFly or the reseller from which you purchased your drone who may provide recycling ser-
vices or be part of a recycling scheme.
Hazard warnings
Take care with sharp edges Keep clear of rotating blades
Do not misuse batteries: risk of fire Beware of objects above you
Copyrights
senseFly reserves the right to make changes to specifications and product descriptions contained in this document
at any time without notice. Please consult www.sensefly.com for the latest release.
Copyright © 2018 senseFly. All rights reserved. REPRODUCTION, USE OR DISCLOSURE OF ALL OR IN PART OF THIS
MANUAL TO THIRD PARTIES WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF SENSEFLY IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED.
Acknowledgements
Pages 51, 52 and 60: Icons made by Freepik from www.flaticon.com are licensed under CC 3.0 BY.
Address
senseFly SA
Route de Genève 38
1033 Cheseaux-Lausanne
Switzerland
Website: http://www.sensefly.com
Technical support
senseFly and our resellers are dedicated to providing you with full professional product support. To
submit a support ticket and/or view your outstanding tickets, please use our customer portal, my.senseFly
(http://my.senseFly.com). Log in with the same account details you used to download your drone’s
software (see the separate software information document in your eBee Plus’s case).
In addition to support access, my.senseFly includes:
• Details of all your senseFly drones, including their serial numbers.

• The Knowledge Base – packed full of helpful articles, tips, tutorials and webinars.
• Download links for the latest versions of our software.
Welcome to your eBee Plus
Congratulations on your purchase of the eBee Plus, a large-coverage photogram-

metric mapping system for survey-grade accuracy on demand.
The eBee Plus includes built-in RTK/PPK functionality that can be activated either
out of the box or later when required, providing you with survey-grade accuracy,
without the need for ground control points.
The eBee Plus is compatible with multiple cameras (professional-grade RGB, ther-
mal infrared and multispectral) and is supplied with senseFly S.O.D.A. (Sensor Op-
timised for Drone Applications) the first camera to be designed for professional
drone photogrammetry. This camera captures amazingly sharp aerial RGB pho-
tos, across a range of light conditions, allowing you to produce detailed, vivid or-
thomosaics and highly precise digital surface models.
We take great care to develop and design the best possible hardware and software
tools for quick, high-quality and easy-to-use 2D and 3D aerial mapping.
1 About this user manual
A complete guide to your senseFly eBee Plus comprises:
• The eMotion 3 software user manual

An in-depth guide to mission planning and monitoring with eMotion 3 soft-
ware.
• This drone user manual

A guide to your drone hardware, completing and complementing the eMotion 3
user manual.
• A camera user manual
A guide to using your drone’s camera.
With these, you have a complete guide to using the eBee Plus. You’ll find all the
user manuals you need within eMotion 3’s Help function tab. All senseFly user
manuals are also available in my.sensefly∗ .
Note: You can always find the latest version of eMotion 3 in

my.senseFly∗ . The eBee Plus requires eMotion 3 to operate.
∗ http://my.sensefly.com
Units used in this user manual
In general, dimensions are given in the appropriate SI units with, when relevant,
the Imperial unit in brackets, for example, 30 m (98 ft).
Dimension Units used
Distance km (mi) kilometres (miles)
Length m (ft) metres (feet)
Length cm (in) centimetres (inches)
Length mm (in) millimetres (inches)
Speed m/s (kts) metres per second (nautical miles per hour)
Climb rate m/s (ft/min) metres per second (feet per minute)
Mass kg (lbs) kilograms (pounds)
Mass g (oz) grams (ounces)
Temperature °C (°F) degrees Celsius (degrees Fahrenheit)
Frequency Hz hertz
Area m2 (sq ft) square metres (square feet)
Area km2 (sq mi) square kilometres (square miles)
Heading ° degrees from true north
Angle ° degrees
Thrust kgf (N, lbf) kilogram-force (newton, pound-force)
The Imperial unit used for speed is knot (kts).
1 kts = 1 nm/h (nautical mile per hour)
All headings are given in reference to true north (geodetic north), not magnetic
north.
2 Package contents
The standard eBee Plus package contains the following items:
• 1x carrying case with foam protection

• 1x eBee Plus central body with built-in autopilot
• 1x pair of detachable wings
• 2x spare propellers
• 10x spare propeller attachment rubber bands
• 2x Lithium-Polymer batteries
• 1x Lithium-Polymer battery charger (with cables)
• 1x USB ground modem
• 1x long USB ground modem cable
• 1x remote control (including 3 AA batteries)
• 1x senseFly S.O.D.A. camera (includes memory card, protective lens and
lens cap)
• 1x senseFly S.O.D.A. Integration Kit
• 1x short USB cable for connecting your computer to the drone and some
cameras
• 1x log book
• 1x senseFly S.O.D.A. lens care kit (cloth, fluid, cleaning tool and spare pro-
tective lens)
• 1x camera bay cover
• 1x tube of EPP glue
Depending on your order, your camera may be sold separately and your package
may include other items, such as additional cameras. Please verify upon delivery
that your package is complete. In case of a missing item, please contact senseFly
or your eBee Plus reseller immediately.
Note: Drone and camera user manuals are also available to down-
load from our Knowledge Base, part of my.senseFly∗ .
∗ http://my.sensefly.com
3 Hardware features
data link antenna GNSS antenna
battery compartment
pitot probe/status LED
vertical stabiliser camera compartment
propeller central body

servo connection
mechanism
wing
motor aileron
winglet
Underneath Detachable wing

camera opening
ground sensor
central body
skid plate
wing struts
The eBee Plus has the following components:
• Central body: This is the core of the eBee Plus and includes all the electron-
ics, actuators and communications hardware on-board the drone.
• Wing: The eBee Plus’s wings are detachable for storage and replacement.
Each wing has two wing struts and two clips to hold it in place within the
central body.
• Vertical stabilisers: These structures add aerodynamic stability to the drone

while it is in flight.
• Ailerons: Used to control the eBee Plus while in flight.
• Servo connection mechanism: The ailerons are connected to the servo-

motors within the central body of the drone through this connection mech-
anism.
• Propeller: Used to generate thrust while it is in flight.
Caution: When attached to the motor the propeller spins at high

speeds and can be potentially dangerous if it comes into contact with
exposed skin. Be sure to always keep your hands clear of the propeller
when the battery is attached to the eBee Plus.
• Battery compartment: The eBee Plus is powered by a LiPo (Lithium Poly-

mer) battery stored within the battery compartment.
Caution: Safe charging and proper care of your battery are essen-
tial. Please read Battery care and safety on page 94 before using your
drone for the first time.
• Camera compartment: The eBee Plus features a built-in camera for taking
aerial images stored within the camera compartment.
• Data Link Antenna: Used by the drone to communicate with the eMotion 3
software through the USB ground modem.
• Pitot probe: This is the sensor used by the eBee Plus to calculate airspeed,
wind and altitude. It must be kept clean and clear of obstructions to func-
tion properly.
• Status LED: This coloured LED displays the current state of the eBee Plus. It
is housed underneath the pitot probe and lights up the entire semi-transparent
probe in different colours, depending on the drone’s state.
• Ground sensor: The ground sensor, composed of a high-speed optical
sensor and lens assembly, is used to detect the proximity of the ground.
• Skid plate: The drone lands on its tough, plastic, replaceable skid plate.
4 eMotion 3 flight planning and control software
eMotion 3 is the integrated software package that allows you to interact with your
eBee Plus. Its easy-to-use interface allows you to plan a mapping flight intuitively
from the comfort of your office or directly in the field. Once the drone is launched,
you can use eMotion 3’s wireless connection with your eBee Plus to track its posi-
tion, monitor the progress of your mapping flight and send commands.
Your eBee Plus requires eMotion 3 to fly.
Download the latest version at no extra cost∗ from http://my.sensefly.com.
You’ll find eMotion 3’s user manual within eMotion 3.
∗ software access terms and conditions apply

5 About your eBee Plus’s drone license
To fly a eBee Plus purchased after October 2017 you need a license.
• Standard
Purchased with the drone. Does not require internet connection.
• Always On
Purchased with the drone. Requires a connection to the internet.
If you have a license that requires a connection to the internet, ensure that eMotion 3,
running on your computer, can reach https://sensefly.io/alive at least
once every 30 days. If you do not, you will not be able to fly your drone.
With your drone connected to eMotion 3, you can find drone license information,
including the date and time before which you must connect to the internet, in
eMotion 3’s right-hand Drone panel’s Parameters tab.
6 About your eBee Plus’s RTK/PPK license

The eBee Plus includes built-in RTK/PPK functionality that can be activated straight
away or later, when required.
6.1 How to activate RTK/PPK

You will download an activation file during drone registration, then use eMotion 3
to activate PPK/RTK on your drone:
1. Register your drone in my.senseFly. During registration process, you will be

given the opportunity to download the activation file.
2. Download the activation file to the computer on which you have installed
eMotion 3.
3. In eMotion 3, open or create a mission† .
4. Click Connect and connect your eBee Plus to eMotion 3 † .
5. Under eBee Plus upgrade in the right-hand Drone panel’s Parameters tab,
click Browse.
6. Locate on your computer the activation file you downloaded from my.senseFly.
7. Click Start upgrade.
For full instructions on using your drone’s RTK/PPK capability, see your eMotion 3
user manual.
† see your eMotion 3 user manual for full instructions

Contents
1 About this user manual 10
2 Package contents 12
3 Hardware features 14
4 eMotion 3 flight planning and control software 17
5 About your eBee Plus’s drone license 18
6 About your eBee Plus’s RTK/PPK license 18

6.1 How to activate RTK/PPK . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
I Using your eBee Plus 25
7 Safety precautions 26
8 Before you fly 28
8.1 Charging your batteries . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
8.2 Connecting & disconnecting the battery . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
8.3 Weather check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
9 Getting the eBee Plus ready to fly 39

9.1 Step 1: Perform a general inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
9.2 Step 2: Install the propeller . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41
9.3 Step 3: Install the camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
9.4 Step 4: Attach the wings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
9.5 Step 5: Install and connect the battery for flight . . . . . . . . . 47
9.6 Step 6: Connect to eMotion 3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
10 Flying the eBee Plus 50

10.1 About the communication link . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
10.2 Understanding the ground modem LED indicator . . . . . . . . 53
10.3 Troubleshooting connection problems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
10.4 Take-off and landing locations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
10.5 Placing Home . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
10.6 Take-off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
10.7 Linear landing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67
10.8 Circular landings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
10.9 Potential in-flight errors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
10.10 Autonomous controller and modes of flight . . . . . . . . . . . . 75
10.11 Flying the eBee Plus manually . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77
10.12 Pre-flight testing of the remote control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
10.13 Full Manual mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81
10.14 Assisted Manual mode . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
10.15 Switching back to autonomous flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 84
II Maintenance and repair of the eBee Plus 85

10.16 Updating the eBee Plus’s software and firmware . . . . . . . . . 85
10.17 How to update the eBee Plus’s firmware . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
10.18 Full airframe and sensor inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88
10.19 Cleaning the eBee Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
10.20 Storing the eBee Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
10.21 Replacing the rubber bands and propeller . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
10.22 Replacing the skid plate . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
10.23 Repairing the eBee Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93
10.24 Battery care and safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
10.25 Locating a lost eBee Plus in the field . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
10.26 Complete loss of contact . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
10.27 Reporting a problem with your eBee Plus . . . . . . . . . . . . . 99
III Specifications 103

Part I
Using your eBee Plus

7 Safety precautions
• Keep clear of the propeller
The propeller spins at high speeds and can be dangerous if it comes into
contact with exposed skin. Always keep all objects and all parts or your
body clear of the propeller when the battery is installed in your eBee Plus.
• Power the drone off before handling it

Power the eBee Plus off before picking it up. Never attempt to pick the
eBee Plus up while the propeller is turning.
• Never attempt to fly without an approved camera

The eBee Plus is not designed to fly without a camera in its camera bay.
• Never fly with the battery or camera bay exposed

The covers and integration kits protect the drone’s ports and electronics.
• Only use approved senseFly batteries

Only fly with a senseFly battery. Flying with any other battery risks causing
a malfunction and will void your warranty in case of an incident.
• Only use approved senseFly SD cards

Only fly with SD cards that have been approved by senseFly.
• Always land on a stable, level surface

Do not attempt to land on a steep slope or an area covered with large rocks,
debris or holes. Do not land on a wet surface, soft sand, thick snow, dust,
or mud.
• Know how to, and be ready to abort take-off or landing if necessary

There are procedures and buttons in eMotion 3’s Control Bar that do this.
See Take-off on page 59 and the eMotion 3 user manual.
• Do not fly above people or animals

Pay close attention to the legal restrictions at the location you are flying.
26
Safety precautions
• Do not fly in high winds

The eBee Plus must not take off at all if the wind speed exceeds the maxi-
mum allowed for flight. See Weather check on page 37.
• Do not fly in bad weather
Do not fly in rain, snow, hail, fog, a sandstorm or dust storm. Avoid icing
conditions.
• Never fly a damaged eBee Plus. Never fly with any damaged equip-
ment
• Avoid collisions
Always make sure there is enough space between the drone’s trajectory,
any obstacles and any other aircraft. Always double check waypoint alti-
tudes and elevation data against the real terrain.
• The propeller must be correctly attached and in excellent condition
for flight
See Getting the eBee Plus ready to fly on page 39.
• Check drone battery charge level
Make sure you have more than enough for your flight. Land well before the
battery is empty. See Battery care and safety on page 94.
• Set an appropriate working area
Set a working area that prevents your drone from flying outside communi-
cations range, above the legal altitude limit, into prohibited airspace such
as private property or a nearby airport, or into a hazardous area. See the
eMotion 3 user manual.
• Always fly with eMotion 3 connected
Connect your drone to eMotion 3 to provide situational awareness, extended
communications range and a means of controlling your drone and initiat-
ing a landing in case of incident.
• Always keep the Remote Control to hand
It can be used as a fallback means of flying the drone in case there’s a prob-
lem with your computer or its communication link to the drone.
27
• Check laptop battery charge level

Make sure your computer has more than enough battery charge for your
flight. Avoid using your laptop’s power saving mode – it may disable your
graphics card causing eMotion 3 to run slowly.
• Always take off with a fully-charged drone battery

The power the drone can pull from its Lithium Polymer batteries is at its
maximum when the battery is fully charged.
• Provide eMotion 3 as much computing power as possible

Do not run memory- or processor-intensive software on the same com-
puter as eMotion 3 while flying. For example, do not process flight data, in-
stall software, update the operating system or run an anti-virus scan. Use a
high-performance power plan. Enable your computer’s graphics card (GPU).
• Ensure you can hear the alerts

Enable your computer’s sound and ensure that the volume is high enough
so that any alerts are clearly audible.
8 Before you fly
8.1 Charging your batteries

Before leaving for the field to perform a flight, be sure to fully charge enough
eBee Plus batteries¹.
About your charger

Your eBee Plus’s battery charger independently balances the voltage of each of the
3 cells contained in the battery to ensure optimal performance and battery life.
¹ consult your camera user manual to know if the payload battery is necessary for the flight. When
delivered, the eBee Plus battery may not be fully charged.
28
Safety precautions
The charger is capable of charging the battery to 100% for flight or to 70% for
storage. It can be powered using the AC mains or a low-voltage DC power source,
for example, a car battery.
Charging for flight can take up to an hour and a half, depending on the charge
level of the battery and the amount of cell balancing required. See Battery care
and safety on page 94 for more information on maintaining your drone’s batteries.
29
The charger comes with several cables:
1 2 3 4
Cable Function
1 AC mains power cable
2 Charging cable
3 Balancing cable
4 DC power cable
When charging, both the charging cable (2) and the balancing cable (3) must be
connected to the battery.
Operating the charger

When you connect the charger to a power source, after a short pause, one of
the LEDs will shine green. This indicates that the charger is ready and shows the
charger’s charging mode: 100% charge for flight or 70% charge for storage.
30
Safety precautions
Press the button briefly (short press) to switch charge mode.

Press the button and hold for 2 s (long press) to start charging using the selected
mode.
Once you have started charging, the LED’s colour indicates the charging level. The
colour varies gradually from red to green as the battery charges.
31
How to charge your eBee Plus batteries with AC mains power

for flight
3
2
32
Safety precautions
2 3
33
To charge your eBee Plus battery to 100% charge for flight using AC mains power:
1. Plug the mains cable into a mains power socket then plug it to the charger.
2. Plug the balancing cable into the charger’s balancing socket for 3-cell bat-
teries (the one with 4 pins).
3. Plug the charging cable connectors into the charger, taking care to plug the
red cable into the red socket (marked +) and the black cable into the black
socket (marked –).
4. Connect the balancing cable to your battery.
5. Connect the charging cable to your battery.

6. If the 70% charging LED is lit, short press the button to switch to 100%
charging for flight.
7. Long press the button to begin charging.
8. Once charging is complete, the LED will shine green and an the charger will
beep every minute. Disconnect the battery from the charger. Disconnect
the power.
34
Safety precautions
8.2 Connecting & disconnecting the battery

When connecting the battery to the drone or charger, push the connectors firmly
together.
35
When disconnecting, do not pull on the cables. Hold the connectors and pull
apart.
Charging your battery for storage

Keeping Li-Po batteries, like those used in your eBee Plus, fully-charged or dis-
charged for long periods can reduce their performance and lifetime. If you will
not be using an eBee Plus battery for more than 1 month, you must store it at 70%
charge.
Charging your battery for storage is similar to charging it for flight. Instead of
36
Safety precautions
using 100% charging mode, short press the button on the charger to switch to
70% charging for storage.
Charging your battery with a DC power source

You can charge your battery for flight or storage using a DC power source, such as
a car battery, and the DC power cable supplied (cable 4).
Instead of using the AC mains cable (1), plug cable 4 into the charger’s DC INPUT
socket and connect the crocodile clips to a DC power source.
Connect your drone’s battery to the charger using cables 2 and 3 as described on
page 34 and shown in the diagram on page 32.
Caution: Take care when using a DC power source. Ensure that you
have connected it correctly.
8.3 Weather check

Before each flight, you should be aware of the weather conditions. The eBee Plus
is a small drone that cannot fly in heavy rain or strong wind conditions. Icing con-
ditions must also be avoided. In case of doubt, make sure to check a weather bul-
letin including wind estimations in the flight area. Note that wind is often stronger
at higher altitudes and that the wind perceived at the surface is not always a good
reference to estimate the wind at flight altitude. Cloud velocity or tall tree move-
ments can help you to estimate the wind speed once you are out in the field.
Weather forecasts may use various units to measure wind speed. As a reference:
1 m/s = 3.6 km/h = 2.24 mph = 1.94 kts (nm/h).
Caution: The eBee Plus should not be launched if the wind speed
exceeds 12 m/s (43.2 km/h, 26.8 mph, 23.3 kts).
37
Caution: The eBee Plus is not designed to fly in temperatures above

35 °C (95 °F). Avoid exposing the drone to high temperature for pro-
longed periods of time. In particular, leaving the drone exposed to
the sun or in a hot car should be avoided.
38
Getting the eBee Plus ready to fly
9 Getting the eBee Plus ready to fly
The eBee Plus’s simple design means it can go from the box to being ready for
flight in minutes. We recommend that you perform the following steps before
every flight to ensure that the platform is best prepared for flight.
Note: Remove the warning sticker from the motor before your first
flight.
Caution: Do not perform the inspection, propeller, camera or wing

installation with the battery connected to the drone.
4
6
2 3
Central body: top Central body: bottom Wing - detached
39
9.1 Step 1: Perform a general inspection

Visually inspect the drone for damage or wear using the following steps:
1. Check the foam central body and wings for cracks or other damage.
2. Verify that the pitot probe is properly attached to the airframe and that the
holes in the probe are free of obstructions.
3. Verify that the ground sensor is free of obstructions and that the sensor’s
lens is clean.
4. Verify that the wing struts are not split or damaged in any way.
5. Verify that the tubes within the Central Body that hold the wing struts are
not cracked or damaged in any way.
Caution: It is vital to carefully inspect the wing struts and tubes

within the Central Body before every flight, as they may cause a crash
if they are damaged in any way. This is particularly important if the
wings were found separated from the Central Body after a previous
flight.
6. Verify that the power cables within the battery compartment are well insu-
lated and not damaged.
7. Verify that the camera’s lens is clean.
Note: You must perform a general inspection before every flight. It is

also good practice to perform a full airframe check regularly to keep
your eBee Plus in good shape.
See also Full airframe and sensor inspection on page 88.
40
motor motor
propeller
propeller
attachment
rubber bands
9.2 Step 2: Install the propeller

Mount the propeller on the motor axis. Secure the propeller using two attach-
ment rubber bands as illustrated above. Ensure that the propeller is lying flat
against the motor mount, and that the rubber bands do not show cracks or any
other sign of aging.
Caution: Always use two rubber bands to secure the propeller. Fail-
ure to do so may result in the loss of the propeller in flight.
Note: After extensive use, the rubber bands may develop cracks. This
is normal and is caused by the ageing of the rubber material. Store
the rubber bands away from UV light (sunlight) and heat sources, for
example, in your drone’s case. Inspect the rubber bands regularly and
discard them if they show cracks. 10 spare rubber bands are included
in the package.
41
9.3 Step 3: Install the camera

Follow these instructions to install the senseFly S.O.D.A. with its integration kit
into the drone’s camera bay. To install other cameras, please refer to the camera’s
user manual².
Installing senseFly S.O.D.A. into the integration kit

To install the camera into the integration kit:
1. Plug the integration kit’s connector cable into the port on the camera marked
senseFly.
2. Slot a corner of the camera under one of the posts on the underside of the
integration kit.
3. Lower the camera into place, slotting the other corner under the other post
until it clips in.
² Some cameras may require a separate battery or SD card. Please refer to your camera’s User Manual
for full installation instructions.
42
Installing the kit and camera into the drone

1. Ensure that nothing is connected to your drone. That is, your drone’s bat-
tery is not connected, and your drone is not connected to a computer.
2. Place the camera bay insert provided into the drone’s camera bay.
43
3. Plug the camera connector into the connector with the icon within the
eBee Plus’s camera bay.
4. Install the camera plus integration kit into the drone’s camera bay.
Caution: To protect the drone’s and the camera’s electronics, never

connect the drone’s battery if the drone also has both a camera and
a computer connected.
44
Caution: eBee Pluss are not designed to fly without the camera. At-
tempting to fly without the camera may render the drone unstable,
which may eventually lead to a crash.
Caution: Connect only compatible senseFly cameras to the drone’s

camera port. Never try to connect anything else.
45
insert wing struts into central body
ensure servo connection mechanism is

aligned and engaged
9.4 Step 4: Attach the wings

Attach the wings to the central body by inserting the wing struts into the re-
ceptacles in the central body. Ensure that the ailerons are properly aligned with
the servo connection mechanism before pushing the wings fully into the central
body.
Caution: Flying with damaged wing struts or a badly engaged servo
connection mechanism may cause erratic flight and ultimately a
crash. Carefully inspect the struts and make sure that the wings are
properly attached and servos properly engaged before every flight.
46
connect battery and

close battery
insert into
compartment
compartment
connect battery disconnect battery
status LED:
blue preflight checks failed
Startup pulse
red
process: status LED: blink
ready for startup

green
status LED: solid
9.5 Step 5: Install and connect the battery for flight

1. Lay the eBee Plus flat on the ground outside, on its belly, in the vicinity of
the take-off location. The drone must not be inclined more than 10° to start
up properly.
2. Connect the power cables to the battery. Insert the connectors firmly to
the end in order to avoid disconnection during flight.
3. Insert the battery into its compartment and close the compartment lid.
47
Caution: Keep clear of the propeller in case it suddenly starts spin-

ning.
Note: Only connect the battery cables to the drone when you are
ready to fly. Do not leave the battery connected for extended periods
of time when the drone is on the ground, as this may discharge the
batteries and cause irreparable damage. When connected and not in
flight, the eBee Plus will briefly move its ailerons up and down every
minute as a reminder that it is switched on.
Caution: With the drone powered on but not in flight, there is no air
flow to cool the camera and it will rapidly heat up. Take off as soon as
possible. Do not touch the hot camera.
As soon as the battery is connected the eBee Plus will perform an automatic self-
check of its sensors and acquire GNSS signals. Do not move the drone during these
tests. Pre-flight checks may last from a few seconds to several minutes in the case
of poor GNSS signal reception. As these satellite signals are required for the checks
to complete, be sure to place the eBee Plus outside with a clear view of the sky.
During the pre-flight checks the status LED will pulse blue. Once the pre-flight
checks are complete the eBee Plus will flip its ailerons up and down and the status
LED will turn solid green to indicate it is ready.
You can connect the drone to eMotion 3 during the pre-flight checks. eMotion 3
will report the status of the checks.
Note: If there was any problem during the pre-flight checks per-
formed by the drone this will reported in eMotion 3 and the drone’s
status LED blinking red. See your eMotion 3 User Manual for a descrip-
tion of possible pre-flight errors and how to handle them.
48
9.6 Step 6: Connect to eMotion 3

Start by connecting the USB ground modem to your computer. Then launch eMotion 3
and follow the instructions in your eMotion 3 user manual to connect your drone
to eMotion 3.
Note: Each eBee Plus is paired with the ground modem it is delivered
with, and will only work with that modem.
Note: Do not use a USB cable that is more than 3 m (10 ft) long.
When a connection is established eMotion 3’s Status Panel will indicate the current
state of the drone. While the eBee Plus obtains its location the Status Panel will
indicate ‘GNSS: Waiting for signals...’. During this time the status LED on the drone
will pulse blue.
Once your drone has set its position using GNSS signals, an icon of the drone will
appear at its location on the map. If the drone’s location is not on the map you can
centre the map on the drone³. The drone’s status on eMotion 3 will be displayed
as Idle and its status LED will shine solid blue.
You can now set take-off and landing locations, assign a mission plan and fly your
drone. See your eMotion 3 user manual for details.
³ see your eMotion 3 user manual
49
10 Flying the eBee Plus
Note: We recommend that you perform your first flight in a large

obstacle-free area and limit the length of the mission in order to fa-
miliarise yourself with the eBee Plus in flight.
10.1 About the communication link

Your eBee Plus must be in contact with eMotion 3 through the ground modem at
all times. To maintain this connection the ground modem’s signal must be able to
reach the eBee Plus.
Data connection range can be effected by many external factors such as antenna
height, terrain and obstacles or radio interference.
You may occasionally lose the data connection between eMotion 3 and your eBee Plus
while in the field. Whether there is a loss in uplink or downlink communication,
the drone will continue its mission and should re-establish the connection as it
flies closer to the ground modem or changes direction.
If the drone stops receiving messages from eMotion 3 for more than 30 s a Warn-
ing will be raised. If, for safety reasons you want the eBee Plus to automatically
return Home when this happens, activate that safety action in eMotion 3 (see your
eMotion 3 user manual).
If eMotion 3 stops receiving messages from the drone (downlink direction), a Data
downlink lost message will appear in eMotion 3. If there is still an active uplink
50
Flying the eBee Plus
connection you may still command your drone to return to Home using eMotion 3.
The strength of the connection between the drone and eMotion 3 is indicated in
eMotion 3 and by the LEDs on the ground modem (see Understanding the ground
modem LED indicator on page 53).
Maintaining a good communication signal

A straight line between the ground modem antenna and the drone is called the
line of sight. For a strong ground modem signal to reach the drone, the line of
sight, and a zone a few metres wide around the line of sight, must be clear of
obstacles.
Tree too close to line of sight
To prevent loss of contact with the drone:
• Position the ground modem at least 1.6 m (5.2 ft), ideally 3 m (10 ft), above
the ground or any other surface.
• Do not sit the ground modem on a metal surface such as the roof of a ve-
hicle.
• Bend the antenna up at their hinge by 90°so that are parallel.
• Do not position the modem with the antennas lined up along the line of
sight. Instead, have them perpendicular to the line of sight.
• Tilt the antennas so that they are perpendicular to the line of sight.
51
• Avoid flying in the zone directly in line with the antenna. For example, if
the antennas are pointing upwards, avoid flying directly above the ground
modem.
• Disable any 2.4 GHz-based communication devices (or put them into flight
mode) in the vicinity of the USB ground modem. This includes all Wi-Fi and
Bluetooth devices, including mobile phones and the computer on which
you are running eMotion 3.
Note: You can raise your ground modem up to 3 m (16 ft) using a
tripod or light stand. The eBee Plus’s ground modem is not equipped
with a screw mount and will also need a holder. You can find senseFly
accessory recommendations on my.senseFly:
https://sensefly.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/227017867
52
10.2 Understanding the ground modem LED indicator

The ground modem has red 3 LEDs.
When you power on the modem by connecting it to your computer, the red LED
will briefly shine, then switch off while the modem is starting up. After approxi-
mately one minute, when the modem is ready, the LEDs will indicate the status of
the connection to your eBee Plus:
LED(s) Connection strength

2 LEDs lit + 1 blinking Strong
1 LED lit + 1 blinking Moderate
1 LED blinking Weak
All (blinking) No connection
10.3 Troubleshooting connection problems

If, during flight, the LEDs switch off, leaving only one blinking LED, you are at risk
of losing the connection with your drone. You should take action to improve the
connection.
If, during flight, all 3 LEDs start blinking and eMotion 3 reports that you have lost
the connection with your drone⁴, the drone carries out a safety action. You should
take action to improve the connection.
If, during flight, eMotion 3 reports that you have lost the connection with your
drone, but one or more ground modem LEDs are lit, this indicates a problem with
your computer, the software, or the USB connection. Do one or more of the fol-
lowing:
• Restart eMotion 3.
• Unplug the USB cable from your computer then plug it back in.
⁴ see your eMotion 3 user manual
53
• Unplug the USB cable from your computer then plug it back into another
of your computer’s USB ports.
• Change the USB cable, for example, use a shorter cable.

• Restart your computer.
• Contact senseFly or your reseller.
54
10.4 Take-off and landing locations
The Take-off and landing phase of a flight includes the locations and actions related
to the drone’s take-off and landing and includes the following:
• Take-off location:
The point from which the drone is launched, automatically set to the loca-
tion calculated from GNSS signals by the drone. This location defines the
altitude of 0 m/ATO (0 ft/ATO) where /ATO stands for above take-off; the
altitudes of all other waypoints, when defined in m/ATO (ft/ATO), are refer-
enced to the altitude of this location.
• Start waypoint:
The Start waypoint is the first point that the drone goes to when it starts an
autonomous flight.
• Landing location:
The point, directly under Home, at which the drone will land at the end of
an autonomous mission, after having visited Home.
• Home waypoint:
The Home waypoint is the point that the drone will head to at the end of
an autonomous mission. It is also the point it will head to if it encounters a
problem during flight.
See your eMotion 3 user manual for instructions on placing and editing take-off
and landing locations.
55
keep obstacle-free wind

direction
Approach
60m
Take-off
15m
40m
Landing/Home
take-off
transition
Start altitude reached
It is important to carefully select the take-off location, Start placement and the
landing location/Home waypoint to ensure your drone remains at a safe distance
from obstacles.
The eBee Plus should always be launched against the wind. Select a take-off lo-
cation clear of obstacles (buildings, rocks, power lines, hills, trees, etc) within a
distance of at least 40 m (130 ft) in the upwind direction. Immediately after take-
off the drone will keep its wings level and climb in the general direction it was
launched until it reaches the take-off transition altitude⁵, at which point it will
⁵ by default, this is set to 20 m (66 ft). In difficult launch conditions you can set both the take-off
heading and the take-off transition altitude in the take off parameters, as described in your eMotion 3
user manual.
56
start flying towards Start.

By default, Start is set at an altitude of 75 m/ATO (250 ft/ATO). It is good practice to
place Start close to and upwind from the take-off location to allow a smooth tran-
sition between take-off and waypoint-directed flight. You can move waypoints
by clicking on them and dragging them within the Map Area⁶.
Home is used as a safety position in case of an in-flight issue.
Note: There are a number of requirements that must be fulfilled to

ensure a successful Linear landing. Linear landing on page 67 de-
scribes in more detail the Linear landing process and how to properly
define approach sectors in more complex terrain. In particular, in the
case of strong-wind conditions, low light or low-contrast terrain, the
precision of the final landing location is reduced. Therefore, it is safer
to plan for more clearance, especially along the possible landing axes.
Note: Some situations can make the ground sensor misjudge the
drone’s height above ground and can cause a hard landing. In these
cases you can disable the ground sensor. The eBee Plus will instead
land where it expects the ground to be, using only altitude informa-
tion from its barometer, resulting in much lower landing accuracy.
10.5 Placing Home

By default, Home is set at an altitude of 75 m/ATO (250 ft/ATO). In case a GO TO
HOME procedure is triggered during flight⁷ the drone will, by default, determine
the highest altitude between its current altitude and Home’s altitude, and climb
in a circle towards that highest altitude (if required). Once it reaches this highest
altitude it will then fly towards Home.
Set Home’s altitude with care. It should be at least 20 m (66 ft) higher than the
surrounding obstacles to avoid the risk of a crash, but should not be set too high to
⁶ see your eMotion 3 user manual for more detailed instructions
⁷ either automatically due to a Warning or manually using eMotion 3
57
reduce the effect of potentially high winds and altitude and to prevent the drone
from getting lost.
58
10.6 Take-off
Once you’ve planned your mission and the eBee Plus is powered on with a solid
green status LED you are ready to launch it.
Launching your drone safely
15 cm
(6 in)
FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES
FLIGHT CONTROL SURFACES
Do not hold the drone near the ends of the wings
59
Caution: Keep the propeller area clear at all times during the launch
procedure.
A safety distance of at least 15 cm (6 in) between the propeller and any part of
your body, clothing or any object must be maintained.
Do not wear an item clothing that hangs down in front of you. Do not wear a
loose tie. Do not wear clothing that has strings or toggles hanging down in front,
for example, a coat or hoodie with hood strings.
Take care when wearing bulky clothing, for example, a thick coat. Always maintain
the safety distance between the propeller and your clothing.
Before starting the drone’s propellers, hold the drone out in front of you and check
that you can maintain the required safety distance from the propeller. If you can-
not, do not attempt to launch the drone.
60
Step 1: Orientate horizontally and against the wind
no holdin
Not horizontal!
no holding zone
gz
one
d an
no hzoone
ge
r zo n e
lding
green blue
status LED: solid
status LED: pulse
Orientate yourself against the direction of the wind, and confirm that the take-off
direction in front of you is free of obstacles.
Firmly grasp the drone with both hands, one hand on the front of each wing at
the centre of wing’s leading edge, as shown.
61
Hold the drone horizontally with the nose pointed against the wind and level
wings.
Caution: Do not hold the drone with your hands at the ends of its
wings.
Note: If the drone detects a condition that prevents correct take-off

a Take-off veto⁸ will be displayed in eMotion 3 and the status LED will
start pulsing blue. For example, if the drone is not horizontal the sta-
tus LED will start pulsing blue until you reorientate it horizontally, at
which point the status LED turns solid green again.
Caution: It is imperative to launch the drone directly against the

wind, otherwise it will be unable to gain enough speed during take-
off and likely crash. Likewise, launching the drone in high winds
above the specified safe wind speed of 12 m/s (23 kts) is dangerous
and can result in a crash.
62
Step 2: Power on the motor
no holdin shake 3x
gz
one
3x
d an
ge
r zo n e
green
status LED: solid
shake 3x
motor startup begins

blue
status LED: pulse
Shake the eBee Plus back and forth 3 times longitudinally (within approx. 3 sec-
onds) to begin the motor power-up sequence.
The power-up sequence has 2 stages:
1. The motor runs at low power for a few seconds and at the same time, the
drone moves its ailerons up and down several times. This is both an auto-
matic test, and an opportunity to visually check the operation of the ailerons.
Caution: Look carefully at the ailerons as they move. Make sure they
are moving freely and are properly engaged in the servos.
63
2. The motor spins up to full power, ready for take-off.

The status LED will pulse blue until the motor is at full power and ready for
take-off.
Caution: Take great care not to touch the spinning propeller with
your clothes or a part of your body.
Note: You do not need to hurry to launch the drone. To abort the
take-off and shut off the motor, just shake the drone 3 times again,
(repeat the back and forth action three times).
64
Step 3: Launch the eBee Plus
green
status LED: solid
45˚
45˚
1 Take 2 steps
2 Push and release
blue
status LED: pulse
Always orientate the drone
against the wind for take-off!
45°
motor ready for take-off
green
status LED: blink
lift nose up 45°

da
ng green
e r zo n e status LED: solid
step forward and release
65
Once the motor is at full power the status LED will blink green.
Orientate the drone with its nose approximately 45° up and with level wings.
When the nose-up angle is correct, the status LED will turn solid green, indicating
that the drone is ready for take-off.
Launch the drone with a gentle push, walking 1-2 steps forward while gently guid-
ing it forwards and up along the 45° climb slope and releasing it from both hands
simultaneously in a forward motion.
After take-off, the drone tries to maintain its initial direction, or follow the direc-
tional take-off heading you set, by keeping its wings level with full thrust until
reaching the take-off transition altitude (by default 20 m (66 ft)). At this point, it
will switch into waypoint navigation mode and fly towards Start. Once it reaches
Start, the drone will circle around the waypoint 1-2 times to estimate the wind
and calibrate its sensors before starting the mapping mission⁹.
⁹ The eBee Plus may also be programmed to wait at Start for a command before starting its mapping
mission. See your eMotion 3 user manual for more information.
66
10.7 Linear landing

After finishing a mapping mission the drone will, by default¹⁰, return to Home and
automatically initiate a landing. The eBee Plus can perform either a Linear or a
Circular landing. Linear landing is the default and recommended landing type,
especially in high winds.
A typical Linear landing follows these steps:
1. The eBee Plus flies towards Home (defined by the user within eMotion 3; de-
fault altitude is 75 m (250 ft) above the landing altitude). The drone will fly
to Home at whichever altitude is the highest; its current altitude or Home’s
altitude. It will climb in a spiral first if needed.
2. Once Home is reached the drone circles the waypoint then either climbs or
descends to the altitude at which it will begin its downwind landing leg.
This altitude depends on the difference in altitude between Home and the
landing location:
• If Home is more than 75 m (250 ft) above the landing location, the
drone will descend to 75 m (250 ft) before starting the downwind
leg.
• If Home is between 50 m (160 ft) 75 m (250 ft) above the landing
location, the drone will start the downwind leg at that altitude.
• If Home is less than 50 m (160 ft) above the landing location, the
drone will climb to 50 m (160 ft) above the landing location before
starting the downwind leg.
3. The drone circles to estimate the wind speed and direction. An approach di-
rection is then calculated as close to the upwind direction as possible within
the allowable approach sectors (defined by the user within eMotion 3).
4. The drone flies downwind against the approach direction. After flying for
a sufficient distance it turns around to align itself with the approach direc-
tion.
¹⁰ see your eMotion 3 user manual for information on changing the default behaviours of the drone
67
5. The drone glides down in the approach direction at a controlled speed and
descent angle of approximately 20°, braking by spinning its propeller in
reverse if necessary.
6. When the drone detects a height of around 20 m (66 ft) to the ground it
begins to level out its descent.
7. When the drone detects a height of around 3 m (10 ft) to the ground it
performs a final brake to reduce its speed and lifts its nose.
8. The drone then glides for the final few metres in a stall until it lands.
1. Aproach Home
waypoint Home waypoint
2. Descend to 75m
above landing
4. Fly downwind leg altitude
in calculated direction
3. Circle to
5. Glide with controlled measure wind
angle and speed
6. Start level Landing location

out at 20m below Home waypoint
26.8m 7. Final brake
at 3m
13.4m 8. Deep stall
15˚ 20˚ to ground
50m 50m 60m 10m
Figure 2: Linear landing procedure, seen from the side
68
The Linear landing process uses an optical-based sensor to detect the proximity
of the ground.
Caution: Do not attempt to use the ground sensor as a means to

avoid obstacles; in certain conditions it may fail to detect them.
A number of conditions on the environment and the positions of Home and ap-
proach sectors must be met in order for the ground sensor to function correctly
and ensure the accuracy of the Linear landing:
• If the Linear landing location is not at the same altitude as the Take-off lo-
cation you must adjust the Landing altitude in eMotion 3, as the drone uses
this altitude to level out and slow down before landing (Steps 6-8).
Caution: Incorrectly setting the altitude of the Linear landing loca-

tion will decrease the accuracy of the Linear landing and may result
in damage to the eBee Plus.
• A Linear landing can only be performed over flat terrain. Ensure that the
ground is flat and at the same altitude as the Linear landing location for a
distance of at least 100 m (328 ft) from the Linear landing location within
every approach sector.
• If possible, choose a landing location that is flat beyond each approach sec-
tor (on the opposite side of the landing location to the approach sector), in
case the Linear landing needs to be aborted.
Caution: Attempting a Linear landing on sloped terrain, the top of a

roof or the edge of a cliff or any other terrain that is not flat will likely
result in false detection of the height above the ground during the
approach and may result in damage to the eBee Plus. In particular,
landing downhill may cause a large overshoot and should always be
avoided.
69
• Inside the approach sectors, ensure that there are no obstacles within 60 m
(197 ft) of the Linear landing location.
• Ensure that a circle of radius of 15 m (49 ft) around the Linear landing lo-
cation is obstacle-free. If there are obstacles further away, ensure that the
top of the obstacles is no higher than a line that ascends at a 15° angle
from a point on the ground 60 m (197 ft) from the Linear landing location,
as indicated in the figure on page 68 and the figure on page 56.
Approach sectors:
- textured
- flat terrain,
- obstacle-free
Obstacle-free zone
15m below Home
• If possible, keep the zones beyond each approach sector (on the opposite
70
side of the landing location to the approach sector) free of obstacles, in case
the Linear landing needs to be aborted.
Caution: Performing a Linear landing between tall obstacles is not

recommended; they may disturb the GNSS signals your eBee Plus
needs to be able to navigate.
• In order to limit the ground speed when landing and to achieve the best
landing accuracy, only perform a Linear landing against the wind.
Approach sectors should be as wide as possible and in as many directions as
possible to allow the drone to select the optimal approach direction based
on its estimate of the wind direction. If your approach sectors only allow
a downwind landing, eMotion 3 will raise a Warning¹¹ at the moment the
drone calculates its landing trajectory (Step 3).
Caution: If the drone is forced to perform a Linear landing down-

wind in strong wind conditions, or with certain Warnings or Critical
failures active, it may not be able to slow enough during its descent.
It will likely overshoot the landing location and land at a high speed,
potentially resulting in damage.
• The ground sensor must have sufficient light and texture to accurately de-
tect the height above the ground. Ensure that the ground sensor lens is
clear of dirt or other obstructions. Only attempt Linear landings in full day-
light conditions. Ensure that there are high-contrast surfaces in all the ap-
proach sectors. Do not define approach sectors over low-texture surfaces
such as large bodies of water, snow or sand.
• During a Linear landing the drone requires sufficient energy to slow down
its descent and perform its final brake (Steps 5-7). If the Linear landing op-
tion is active and the battery descends below 20%, eMotion 3 will raise a
Warning.
¹¹ see your eMotion 3 user manual
71
You can rotate and resize approach sectors in eMotion 3, confining them to zones
that are completely clear of obstacles. You can also add additional approach sec-
tors. These approach sectors will be used by the drone to plan its landing path
while taking into account the wind. Defining multiple possible approach sectors
can increase the chance that the drone selects a favourable landing against the
direction of the wind.
Note: The eBee Plus’s ground sensor can typically begin detecting
ground proximity at a distance of 40 m (130 ft).
If the drone reaches an estimate altitude of 20 m/ATO (66 ft/ATO) –
as estimated using the on-board GNSS receiver and pressure sensor
– without a signal from its ground sensor, it assumes there is a mal-
function with the ground sensor. This can be caused by insufficient
light or contrast in the environment, dirt on the sensor’s lens assem-
bly or a Linear landing location at a different altitude than the Take-
off Location.
If this happens, the drone performs the braking and stall manoeuvre
at an altitude of 20 m (66 ft) instead of 3 m (10 ft). This increased
time while stalled can greatly reduce the accuracy of the final landing
position and damage to the drone.
If the Linear landing process is aborted before completion the drone will turn on
its motor in full thrust and gain altitude while continuing in a straight line in its
approach direction. Once the altitude of 40 m/ATO (130 ft/ATO) is reached the
drone will turn towards Home and continue climbing until it reaches an altitude
of 75 m/ATO (250 ft/ATO). It then continues circling until it receives a further com-
mand.
Caution: Do not abort a Linear landing if there are obstacles in the
approach direction behind the Home location, as the drone will con-
tinue flying in a straight line after an abort sequence while it gains
altitude and may collide with those obstacles.
72
Caution: Aborting a Linear landing after a low battery Warning is not

recommended, as the drone may not have enough power to attempt
a second landing.
Once it has landed, disconnect the battery from the drone before picking it up.
We recommend you immediately import the images and flight data after each
flight (see your eMotion 3 user manual) before putting the eBee Plus back in its
case for storage.
When disconnecting the wings, be sure to pull gently in the axis of the wing struts
to prevent damage to the wing struts. Check the wing struts for any damage be-
fore putting them into the storage case. Remove the propeller if you don’t plan
on using the eBee Plus for an extended period of time.
10.8 Circular landings
If there are no zones suitable for a linear landing approach, the drone can also
perform a Circular landing. The drone will switch off its motor and glide down
while circling around Home at the waypoint’s radius.
During a Circular landing, the drone uses its ground sensor to measure the height
above the ground (as long as the ground is well-textured and there is enough
light). When it reaches an altitude of 25 m (82 ft) above the ground the drone
will level out, estimate the direction of the wind and resume its descent so that it
touches down against the wind at Home.
Caution: The ground sensor can only provide usable feedback in

daylight conditions above flat terrain that contains enough visual tex-
ture. If these conditions are not met during a circular landing, the
drone cannot ensure a touchdown against the direction of the wind.
Landing in the direction of the wind in strong-wind conditions may
result in a high landing speed and damage to the eBee Plus.
To prepare a Circular landing, place Home in a location that has no obstacles within
a radius of 50 m (164 ft) (or 20 m (66 ft) more than the Home radius) to give the
73
drone enough space to land. Ensure that the entire landing area is flat to allow the
ground sensor to function properly. By default, the Home radius is 30 m (98 ft). In
high winds you should increase this radius¹².
Caution: The Home radius, and thus of a Circular landing, can be re-
duced to 20 m (66 ft) but should only be done in low wind conditions
(less than 3 m/s (6 kts)). Reducing the Home radius to below 30 m
(98 ft) in moderate or high winds can result in damage to the drone
when it contacts the ground during a landing. As indicative values,
Home’s radius should be set to 30 m (98 ft) for wind speeds below
5 m/s (10 kts), 40 m (130 ft) for wind speeds between 5-8 m/s (10-
16 kts), and to 50 m (164 ft) for wind speeds above 8 m/s (16 kts).
Note: In strong winds, the drone may drift even further than 50 m
(164 ft) away from the center of Home when performing a Circular
landing. Plan for additional clearance in the downwind direction.
10.9 Potential in-flight errors

The drone can encounter two types of error messages while flying: Warnings and
Critical failures. Warnings typically indicate a dangerous situation such as a low
battery or strong winds and typically result in a safety action such as a return to
Home.
See your eMotion 3 user manual for a full description of Warnings and Critical fail-
ures that may occur.
Note: It is important to keep track of the location of the drone during

a Critical failure until the moment it reaches the ground. Its position’s
coordinates can aid in finding it afterwards.
¹² see your eMotion 3 user manual
74
10.10 Autonomous controller and modes of flight

Autonomous operation modes
Idle shake 3x Take-off

Switch On
(on ground) and release
plug in battery if ‘Wait on Start
after climbing waypoint after
after a few seconds to take-off take-off’ is
on ground transition height enabled
Circular Linear Circle

Landing Landing Start Waypoint
if ‘Go to start waypoint
if Linear after mission’ is enabled
landing automatically after
if Circular selected 2 complete circles
landing selected
Circle Perform if ‘Restart mission
Home Waypoint Mission after mission’
is enabled
when mission is completed
Manual and emergency modes

Assisted Full Hold Emergency
Manual Manual Position Landing
During a typical flight the autonomous controller on the eBee Plus will switch be-
tween various modes depending on its flight plan and the commands that it re-
ceives from eMotion 3¹³. The controller changes between modes during a typical
mission as shown in the figure above.
¹³ see your eMotion 3 user manual for details
75
• After being switched on and running pre-flight checks the drone will enter
Idle mode until it is ready to be launched. Shaking the drone back and forth
three times initiates the take-off procedure¹⁴ and changes to the Take-off
mode.
• After take-off the drone climbs with level wings¹⁵, gaining altitude until it
reaches the take-off transition altitude¹⁶. At this point the drone heads for
Start and changes to Circle Start Waypoint mode.
• Once it reaches Start, the drone circles the waypoint several times to esti-
mate the strength of the wind. Once it calculates the estimated wind the
drone either:
– heads towards the first mission waypoint (if instructed in eMotion 3 to

start mission after take-off) and changes to Perform Mission mode.
– continues circling Start until a command is received from eMotion 3.
• While in Perform Mission mode the drone flies between all enabled mission
waypoints, taking images of the ground below. Once it reaches the final
mission waypoint the drone either:
– heads towards Home (if instructed by eMotion 3 to land or go to Home

after mission), and changes to Circle Home Waypoint mode.
– heads towards Start (if instructed by eMotion 3 to go to Start after
mission), and changes to Circle Start Waypoint mode.
– heads towards the first mission waypoint, (if instructed by eMotion 3
to restart mission after mission), and remains in Perform Mission mode.
• Once it reaches Home (if in Circle Home Waypoint mode) the drone will
either:
¹⁴ as described in Take-off on page 59
¹⁵ or in a given direction when using the Directional take-off feature described in your eMotion 3 user
manual
¹⁶ see your eMotion 3 user manual for details on changing this altitude
76
– begin a Linear landing procedure (as described in Linear landing on

page 67) and change to Linear landing mode (if instructed by eMotion 3
to carry out a linear landing after mission).
– begin a Circular landing procedure and change to Circular Landing
mode, (if instructed by eMotion 3 to carry out a circular landing after
mission).
– circle Home and remains in Circle Home Waypoint mode until a com-
mand is sent.
• After completing a landing procedure and detecting that it has successfully

landed, the drone changes to Idle mode.
• Turning on the remote control will cause the drone to enter Assisted or Full
Manual mode, depending on the setting in eMotion 3¹⁷. Turning off the
remote control will return the drone to its previous mode.
• Clicking HOLD in eMotion 3 at any time will cause the drone to start circling
its current position and change to Hold Position mode until it receives a
new command from eMotion 3. This mode is also enabled automatically
after certain Warning or Critical failure conditions¹⁸.
• Triple-clicking the LAND NOW in eMotion 3 will cause the drone to initiate
a Circular landing procedure and spiral down to the ground at its current
location with its motor disabled and change to Emergency Landing mode.
10.11 Flying the eBee Plus manually
Caution: Manual flight using the Remote Control should only be

used as a fallback in case of a problem with autonomous flight.
¹⁷ see Flying the eBee Plus manually for information on the various manual control modes
¹⁸ see your eMotion 3 user manual for a full list of Warning and Critical failure conditions and the sub-
sequent reactions of the drone
77
The eBee Plus can fly autonomously and does not need the provided Remote Con-
trol to be operated. By using the Remote Control, it is possible to override the
drone’s autopilot by switching to one of two available manual modes: Full Man-
ual or Assisted Manual.
• Full Manual
The sticks of the remote control directly set the motor power and the angle
of the ailerons of the drone.
• Assisted Manual
The sticks of the remote control are used to set the speed, turn rate and
climb or sink rate.
Note: Ensure that the Ignore RC signals in the Safety Parameters tab is
unchecked, otherwise the drone will ignore the commands from the
remote control and remain in autonomous operation mode.
Turning on the remote control will cause the drone to change to Assisted or Full
Manual mode, depending on the setting in eMotion 3¹⁹.
Caution: We recommend that you only turn the remote control on

when it is held by a pilot ready to take manual control of the drone,
and that you turn it off when putting the remote control down.
Note: Each eBee Plus is paired with the remote control it is delivered
with, and will only work with that remote control.
Full manual control of the eBee Plus can be achieved at any time if the drone is
within range of the remote control. Assisted manual mode can be activated only
once the drone is in the air.
¹⁹ see your eMotion 3 user manual for details
78
Caution: Though it may be easier to fly the eBee Plus manually us-

ing Assisted Manual mode it remains dangerous and should be used
with care. In particular, the pilot must still be aware of obstacles in
the area, the altitude of the ground, the inversion of control com-
mands when the drone is flying towards the pilot and the distance
between the drone and the pilot. We recommend that you only try
these modes in a large open space with no obstacles and low wind.
Note: Interference from remote controls may reduce the range of the
USB ground modem. Keep all remote controls switched off when not
in use, even those not paired with your drone.
on: manual FM: elevator

off: auto AM: climb/sink rate
FM: thrust FM: ailerons

AM: speed AM: turn rate
left stick right stick

trim dials
FM: Full Manual

AM: Assisted Manual
79
Caution: The remote control is preconfigured for use with the

eBee Plus. In particular, the trim dials, used to finely adjust the po-
sition of the drone’s ailerons, are calibrated to ensure optimal flight
characteristics and should not be adjusted. Changing the remote
control’s configuration, including the trim settings, may compromise
the flight characteristics of the drone. If, for any reason, the preset
settings should be lost, contact your eBee Plus reseller.
Caution: There is no clear indication during the take-off procedure

that the eBee Plus will change to one of the manual modes rather
than Circle Start Waypoint mode after the take-off transition altitude
is reached²⁰. For this reason we recommend that you turn on the re-
mote control only when you are ready to manually control the drone
right after take-off.
Caution: Flying the eBee Plus in either Assisted or Full Manual mode
requires the skills of an experienced RC aircraft pilot. senseFly can-
not be held responsible for damage caused by manual control of the
drone. Any damaged caused by manual control of the drone will void
the warranty.
10.12 Pre-flight testing of the remote control

If you plan to use the remote control during a flight we recommend that you first
test it on the ground. Ensure that the eBee Plus is set to Full Manual mode²¹ and
follow these steps:
1. Check that the left stick on the remote control is in the low position to pre-
vent the propeller from spinning.
2. Turn on the remote control.

²¹ see Flying the eBee Plus manually on page 77
80
3. Turn on the eBee Plus by connecting the battery. Once the drone detects the
signal from the remote control it will change to one of the manual modes.
Caution: The motor of the eBee Plus is now controlled by the remote
control and will begin spinning if the left stick is pushed up. Always
keep the area around the propeller clear of obstacles and body parts
to prevent injury.
4. Move the right stick on the remote control to verify proper reception by the
drone and correct servo direction.
5. Turn off the remote control for take-off.
Note: If the remote control is switched on while the drone is perform-

ing its pre-flight checks, the ailerons will not move until the checks
are completed and GNSS signals are acquired.
For more information on using the remote control, you can refer to the original
manufacturers user manual, available in our Knowledge Base, part of my.senseFly²².
10.13 Full Manual mode

Full Manual mode allows you to have direct control over the eBee Plus’s actua-
tors, overriding all control from the on-board autopilot. The left stick controls the
thrust; pulling the left stick fully back to its lowest position will cut the drone’s
motor. For safety, unless the drone is in flight, keep the left stick fully back.
The right stick controls the elevator and the ailerons in the same way as a typical
aircraft control stick (or the joystick with a flight simulator). Note that the drone
uses its ailerons to fulfil the functions of both ailerons and elevator in a classical
airplane. When the ailerons function in the same direction, they act as the eleva-
tor. When the function in opposite motion, they act as ailerons.
²² http://my.sensefly.com
81
We recommend you perform a standard take-off procedure in autonomous mode

and only switch to Full Manual mode when the drone is in the air. If you wish to
take-off in Full Manual mode, however, you must use the following steps:
1. Prepare the drone for flight as described in Getting the eBee Plus ready to fly
on page 39 while keeping the remote control turned off and the left stick
at its lowest position.
2. Turn on the remote control. You now have full manual control over the
main thrust motor and the servo-motors.
Caution: The motor of the drone is now controlled by the remote

control and will begin spinning if the left stick is pushed up. Always
keep the area around the propeller clear of obstacles and body parts
to prevent injury.
3. Firmly grasp the eBee Plus horizontally with level wings using both hands,
one hand on the front of each wing. Shake the drone back and forth 3 times
longitudinally (within approx. 3 seconds). The status LED will pulse blue
while the drone’s autopilot performs a start-up sequence. As the motor
is now controlled by the remote control, it will not begin spinning. Once
the sequence is complete, the status LED will turn green (solid or blinking,
depending on the angle at which you are holding the drone).
Caution: Taking off without performing the motor power-up se-

quence will result in the eBee Plus staying in Idle mode during the en-
tire flight and is not recommended. The drone will no longer be able
to enter automatic mode while in flight and must land using manual
control.
4. The eBee Plus is now ready for manual take-off. Orientate yourself into the
wind, and confirm that the take-off direction in front of you is free of obsta-
cles. We recommend that you take off at full power and into the wind by
setting the left stick to its highest position and releasing the drone when
the status LED is solid green.
82
10.14 Assisted Manual mode

In Assisted Manual mode the sticks on the remote control set the desired speed,
turn rate and climb or sink rate. These commands are then transferred to control
signals for the individual actuators by the autopilot based on feedback from its
sensors. This control scheme simplifies control of the eBee Plus.
In this mode the left stick is used to set the desired speed of the eBee Plus. Set-
ting the left stick between 10% and 100% sets a desired speed between 10.5 and
20.0 m/s (20.4 and 38.9 kts). Setting the stick below 10% turns off the motor,
allowing the drone to slowly descend in a glide. The drone may even engage re-
verse thrust to limit its speed during descent.
The right stick is used to set the direction of flight of the eBee Plus. Moving the
stick left or right will set a left or right roll rate of up to 45 °/s, respectively. Moving
the stick down will set a climb rate of up to 3.5 m/s (690 ft/min). Moving the stick
up will set a sink rate of up to 3.5 m/s (690 ft/min). Releasing the right stick at any
point will return the drone to a straight flight path at a constant altitude.
It is not possible to take-off in Assisted Manual mode. You may only switch to
Assisted Manual mode after completing the standard take-off procedure²³.
To perform a manual landing we recommend the following procedure:
1. The drone should always perform a linear landings into the wind. Face
downwind and confirm that there are no obstacles in an area of at least
100 m (328 ft) downwind and a width of 20 m (66 ft) in either direction
from downwind.
2. Set the drone to an altitude of around 50 m (164 ft) from the landing alti-
tude by moving the right stick up or down.
3. Fly downwind until the drone is around 100 m (328 ft) away from the land-
ing location.
4. Turn the drone upwind and towards the landing location by moving the
right stick left or right.
²³ as described in Take-off on page 59
83
5. Set the speed to a low value by moving the left stick down to around 25%
of its maximum value.
6. Bring the drone closer to the ground by controlling the sink rate with the
right stick. Keep the drone descending until it is around 5-10 m (16-33 ft)
from the ground.
7. Once the drone is around 5-10 m (16-33 ft) from the landing location, cut
motor power using the left stick and allow the drone to glide down to the
ground.
10.15 Switching back to autonomous flight

To go back to autonomous flight, turn the Remote Control off. The drone will re-
turn to the last autonomous operation mode it was in before Manual mode was
enabled.
Caution: Avoid returning control to the drone during a manoeuvre
or when the drone is flying at high speed. Always give back control
to the autopilot when the drone is flying flat, at a moderate speed.
84
Part II
Maintenance and repair of the

eBee Plus
Goal of this section: This section describes how to update accom-
panying software and on-board firmware, keep your drone in good
working condition and perform small repairs such as cracks in the air-
frame.
10.16 Updating the eBee Plus’s software and firmware

Occasionally, senseFly releases an eMotion 3 software and eBee Plus firmware up-
grade to provide additional features to our users or to correct potential issues.
eMotion 3 will check for new versions during start-up²⁴ and will display a message
with update instructions if a new version is available.
We also recommend that you check my.senseFly²⁵ regularly for updates to en-
sure you have the latest version of the software. Download the installer from
my.senseFly and follow the installation procedure described in your eMotion 3
user manual. You do not need to uninstall the previous version before installing
the new one.
It is important that the drone’s firmware and eMotion 3 version are kept in step.
senseFly will always release eMotion 3 and firmware updates together. Make sure
that you keep both up-to-date and aligned.
To check which version of eMotion 3 you have installed, click About eMotion on its
Welcome page. Your eBee Plus’s firmware version is also shown in eMotion 3 when
²⁴ provided that there is an internet connection
²⁵ http://my.sensefly.com
Maintenance and repair of the eBee Plus
it’s connected to your drone (see your eMotion 3 user manual for details).
Caution: We are constantly working to improve the performance of

our products and we are dedicated to providing our customers with
the newest software as soon as it becomes available. Since the high-
est level of flight safety can only be achieved with the latest soft-
ware release, senseFly can only offer warranty service for products
that have been properly updated.
10.17 How to update the eBee Plus’s firmware

Every version of eMotion 3 is packaged with an accompanying firmware revision
which must be installed on the drone before it can be used.
1. Remove the drone’s propeller²⁶.

2. Disconnect and remove the eBee Plus’s camera²⁷.
3. Connect the USB cable between the computer on which you installed eMotion 3
and your drone’s autopilot socket (marked ) as shown in the figure.
connect USB cable

to autopilot
²⁶ there is a small risk that the propeller spins during the update
²⁷ failing to do this may irreparably damage your eBee Plus’s autopilot
86
4. Connect the battery to the drone. The status LED will shine white.
5. Launch eMotion 3.
6. In eMotion 3, click the Updater tab and follow the instructions.
Note: You may need to install a driver the first time you upgrade your
firmware. The driver will be installed automatically but may cause the
firmware update to fail. If this is the case, repeat the update process
without disconnecting the battery or cable from the drone.
7. Once the update has completed, disconnect the USB cable and the battery.
87
10.18 Full airframe and sensor inspection

Beyond the general airframe inspection that is performed before every flight²⁸,
senseFly recommends that the operator performs a full airframe and sensor in-
spection ²⁹ every 10 flight hours, on removal from extended storage and after any
repair, heavy landing or other unexpected incident. This will give the aircraft a
safety rate comparable to manned aircraft and keep the eBee Plus in good oper-
ating condition.
Caution: The autopilot, sensors and actuators within the Central

Body of the eBee Plus are specially calibrated and should only be mod-
ified by senseFly or a certified eBee Plus reseller. Opening the Central
Body of the eBee Plus will void the warranty.
Caution: The propeller on the eBee Plus spins at high speeds and can
cause deep cuts if it comes into contact with exposed skin. Always
wear gloves and safety glasses when any work is done requiring the
battery to be connected to the drone.
Carry out this full inspection with the wings and a propeller attached.
²⁸ See Getting the eBee Plus ready to fly on page 39

²⁹ See Full airframe and sensor inspection
88
Check 1: Motor and Servos

The eBee Plus uses a brushless DC motor to turn its propeller and generate thrust.
The servos are the two actuators connected through a servo connection mech-
anism to both ailerons. Damaged actuators can prevent the drone from flying
correctly and thus it is important to ensure their proper functioning.
pitot probe/status LED
servo connection
mechanism
motor
To check the actuators, follow these steps:
1. The motor must be clean and spin smoothly without friction to function
correctly. Ensure that there is no sand or other obstructions within the mo-
tor. If there is something blocking the motor from spinning smoothly blow
some air through the motor to dislodge the obstruction.
2. Make sure the left stick of the remote control is all the way down to keep
the motor off³⁰. Place the eBee Plus at the edge of a flat surface and keep
the area around the propeller clear.
3. Switch the drone on by connecting the battery.

³⁰ see Flying the eBee Plus manually on page 77 for details on using the remote control
89
4. Connect to eMotion 3. Ensure that the drone is in Full Manual mode³¹.
5. Switch the remote control on.
6. Move the right stick on the remote control and check the aileron motion.
The ailerons must smoothly and quickly follow the stick. When the stick is
not moved, the ailerons must stay still. When travelling from one end to the
other, fast or slow, the ailerons must smoothly follow without twitching.
7. Hold down the drone against the flat surface with one hand to prevent it
from moving. Gently move the left stick on the remote control to spin up
the motor and propeller. The motor should run smoothly without making
excessive noise.
8. When done, switch the remote control off.
In case of doubt, record a short video and follow the instructions in Reporting a
problem with your eBee Plus on page 99 for advice.
Check 2: Inertial sensors

The inertial sensors are used by the autopilot to compute the attitude (i.e. its ori-
entation in space) of the drone. The attitude is displayed by the artificial horizon
in eMotion 3. To check the inertial sensors, follow these steps:
1. Switch the eBee Plus on by connecting the battery and connect to eMotion 3.
2. Put the drone on a flat surface (typically an office floor) and check that the
artificial horizon is level.
3. Take the drone with your hand and put it in different orientation. Make sure
that the artificial horizon in eMotion 3 displays the corresponding orienta-
tion.
The artificial horizon should follow smoothly the motion of the eBee Plus and it
should not drift when the drone is not moving. In case of doubt, take a short
³¹ see Flying the eBee Plus manually on page 77 for more details
90
video and follow the instructions in Reporting a problem with your eBee Plus on
page 99 for advice.
Check 3: Barometric pressure sensor

The barometric pressure sensor is used to measure the altitude from the take-off
location. To check it, follow these steps:
1. Switch the eBee Plus on by connecting the battery and connect to eMotion 3.
2. Move the drone from your feet to above your head (about 2 m (7 ft) altitude
variation).
3. Check the altitude shown in eMotion 3.
4. Move the drone back down, from above your head to your feet (about -2 m
(-7 ft) altitude variation).
The displayed altitude should follow the drone motion, i.e. if the drone is raised by
2 m (7 ft), the altitude reading should increase by about 2 m (7 ft), then decrease
again when the drone is lowered. When the drone is not moving, the altitude
reading may slowly drift by up to ±10 m (±33 ft).
Check 4: Air speed sensor

The air speed sensor is connected to the pitot probe by a pair of tubes. To check
it, follow these steps:
1. Visually check the pitot probe. Make sure that it is properly fixed to the
airframe. The holes in the probe must be clear and free of dirt or other
small obstructions.
2. Switch the drone on by connecting the battery and connect to eMotion 3.
3. Gently blow into the front opening of the pitot tube from a distance of
around 5 cm (2 in). The airflow direction should match the natural flow
experienced in flight.
4. Check the air speed displayed in eMotion 3.
91
At rest, the displayed air speed should be close to zero (it may drift up to about
2 m/s (4 kts)). When blowing in the pitot probe the air speed indicated in eMotion 3
that should easily reach values above 8 m/s (16 kts).
Check 5: Ground sensor

The ground sensor is composed of a high-speed optical sensor and a lens assem-
bly. The lens assembly must be clean and unobstructed for the sensor to work
correctly.
10.19 Cleaning the eBee Plus
Use a damp cloth to wipe off dirt from the eBee Plus’ sensor modules, wings, body,
motors and propellers.
Use the cleaning tool provided with your camera to clean the camera lenses.
Caution: Never bring the eBee Plus into direct contact with water;
this may damage its electronics.
10.20 Storing the eBee Plus
Always clean the eBee Plus before returning it to its case for storage.
Whenever possible, store the eBee Plus in the case it was supplied in.
If you must store the drone outside its case, to avoid wing deformation, store it on
a flat surface at room temperature.
Do not store the drone near a heat source, in direct sunlight or in a hot place.
Caution: As with most electronic equipment, to avoid a malfunction

due to condensation forming inside the drone, avoid powering it on
immediately after moving it from a cold to a warm environment.
92
10.21 Replacing the rubber bands and propeller
Rubber bands
A rubber band in good condition has no cracks in it. If cracks appear, replace the
rubber bands with new ones. Always replace both rubber bands.
We recommend regularly removing the rubber bands and inspecting them for
cracks. It is especially important to inspect the part of the rubber band that passes
under the screws. This is an area where the rubber band experiences higher forces,
and cracks can be hidden there.
The rubber’s lifetime depends on the conditions under which it has been used, for
example, external temperature, exposure to UV light and the number of flights.
For this reason, although we recommend making a habit of checking the rubber
bands regularly, we also recommend changing them every 6 months even if there
are no apparent cracks.
Propeller
You should also check the propeller regularly. A propeller in good condition still
has its original overall shape. Pay special attention to the tip where wear is most
common. If any part of the propeller appears worn down, replace it.
10.22 Replacing the skid plate

Skid plates should be replaced as necessary, when cracked or worn down. Re-
placement skid plates are available from senseFly or your reseller.
10.23 Repairing the eBee Plus

Small repairs of cracks in the airframe can be done using contact glue such as
UHU® POR glue. Take care to use only contact glues that are specifically designed
for Expanded Polypropylene (EPP). If you have doubts about the extent of the
93
damage, always contact a certified eBee Plus reseller to verify if the damage can
be easily repaired by yourself or if you need to send your drone in for repair to
senseFly.
Caution: Never fly your eBee Plus if it has cracks in the airframe or

vertical stabilisers.
The eBee Plus’ advanced materials and construction mean that it has very few user-
serviceable parts.
• Only carry out the basic repairs described in this user manual.
• Do not try and disassemble the drone beyond the procedures described in
this manual.
• Do not try and repair carbon fibre parts, for example, the wing struts.
• If your drone is damaged, contact senseFly or a certified eBee Plus reseller.
Caution: The autopilot, sensors and actuators within the Central

Body of the eBee Plus are specially calibrated and should only be
modified by your eBee Plus reseller. Opening the Central Body of the
eBee Plus will void the warranty.
10.24 Battery care and safety

Proper care of your eBee Plus’s battery is important to prevent damage to your
drone and to maximize flight time. With a fully charged battery, the drone can fly
for up to approximately one hour. Frequent altitude changes, presence of wind,
use of old batteries and/or frequent photo acquisition may significantly reduce
the flight endurance. Batteries perform better at medium or high air temperature
and it is normal to observe shorter flight times in cold weather.
The eBee Plus is powered by a Lithium Polymer (LiPo) battery composed of three
cells connected in series. A single LiPo cell can have a range between 3 V (empty)
94
and 4.2 V (full) in its normal operating range. This results in an empty battery
voltage of 9 V and a fully-charged battery voltage of 12.6 V. A well-balanced and
healthy battery should have all three cells at a voltage very close to each other
and between 3 and 4.2 V. Your battery’s total voltage is shown in eMotion 3 when
the drone is connected.
The charger delivered with your drone automatically checks for healthy voltages
of all three cells and only attempts charging if they are within limits. If the cells
are out of balance, the charger will take care of balancing them.
• Always connect the battery to the charger with the correct polarity.
• Always connect both the charging cable and balancing cable to the charger.
• Never leave the charger unattended while charging.
• Use the charger in a well-ventilated area, away from electrically conductive
and flammable materials.
• The charger may become hot during use. Take care when handling it.
• If the battery or the charger behaves unexpectedly during charging (for
example, overheating, smoking, melting, leaking, etc) immediately discon-
nect the mains and store the battery and charger in a safe location.
• Keep the charger away from dust, moisture, rain, heat sources, direct sun-
light and vibration. Never drop the charger.
• Only power the charger with the specified operating voltages.
• Place the charger and battery on a heat-resistant, non-flammable, non-
conductive surface. Never place them on an upholstered surface such as
a car seat or carpet.
• Keep all inflammable liquids and materials away from the battery and charger.
If the charger detects a charging voltage outside of the allowable range it will flash
the LED (green, red or alternating green/red) and sound an alarm. Carry out the
following procedure:
95
1. Check that the charging cable is properly connected with the correct po-
larity.
2. Check that the balancing cable is properly connected. If it is not, unplug

the charger from the mains, reconnect the balancing cable then plug the
charger back in.
3. If the LEDs continue to flash and the alarm sounds, the battery has devel-
oped a fault and should be discarded.
Caution: The batteries delivered with your drone are designed to

be charged only with approved senseFly chargers. senseFly cannot
be held responsible for any consequences resulting from using any
other charger. In particular, using a charger improperly configured
or designed for other types of batteries may lead the battery to be
permanently damaged or to catch fire.
LiPo batteries do not exhibit any memory effect. You do not need to fully dis-
charge them before charging them again. Recharging them when only partially
discharged does not reduce their total charge, damage the battery or shorten its
useful life.
When not using the battery store it in the carrying case provided with your drone.
Avoid leaving the battery in direct sunlight. Don’t store a fully-charged battery for
more than two weeks. Batteries should be stored charged to about 70% - a voltage
of about 3.85 V per cell, or 11.55 V in total. If you need to store a battery, and it’s
level of charge is higher than this, fly a short mission to discharge the battery.
Caution: If any of the cells of your battery pack have been overly
discharged the battery may be irreversibly damaged and dangerous
to charge. If the battery swells beyond its regular size or if any of the
cells are punctured it is also likely damaged and should be discarded.
Forcefully charging a damaged battery may cause it to catch fire. Do
not attempt to charge an over-discharged or damaged battery.
Dispose of the battery safely.
96
Maximising safety and battery lifetime

If treated well, your eBee Plus’ batteries have the potential to last for many cycles
(charging then discharging).
As a general rule, the lower you push the battery charge during your flights, the
shorter the lifetime of the battery will be.
In addition, flying with low battery isn’t safe. At lower battery charge levels, less
power is available for the motors to generate thrust. Unexpected wind conditions,
the arrival of people or the arrival of an obstacle in the landing zone can force you
to hover and wait, abort the landing and climb, manoeuvre or counter the wind,
all of which require battery power.
For trouble-free flight and long battery life:
• Land your drone well before the battery runs out. Leave the low endurance
safety action that brings the drone to Home active³². Consider taking the
drone to its landing location before the low endurance Warning.
• Minimise the number of times you allow the battery charge to drop below
20%. Taking the battery below 20% may significantly reduce its lifetime.
• Avoid taking the battery down to 5% charge or below. This will greatly
reduce battery lifetime and reliability.
10.25 Locating a lost eBee Plus in the field

We recommend that you write your address and phone number on your eBee Plus
(by putting your business card on top of the camera for example) in case it gets
lost and subsequently found by a third party. In case you lose your drone in the
field for whatever reason, whether from a loss of communications, a Critical failure
or an accidental collision, use the following steps to try to recover it:
1. Do not disconnect the connection in eMotion 3! If it is simply out of com-

munication range the drone should reconnect automatically as it returns
³² see your eMotion 3 user manual
97
to Home after completing its mission.
2. Note the last known location of the drone in eMotion 3 by printing the
screen or writing down the coordinates displayed in eMotion 3.
3. Move towards this last known direction with the computer running eMotion 3
in the hope of regaining a connection. Be sure to take the remote control
with you as well.
4. If you have reached the last known location of your drone and have not yet
found it, turn on the remote control for instructions.
5. Try moving both the control sticks around. If the drone is within range it
may start making noise with its main motor or servo motors.
6. Try moving downwind from the last known location in case the drone was
pushed by the wind while still in the air.
7. Contact your eBee Plus support provider as soon as possible and send them
the corresponding eMotion 3 flight log³³; it can help to retrace the drone’s
trajectory.
10.26 Complete loss of contact

If the pilot no longer has visual contact with the drone and has lost all indication
of the altitude or location of the drone, or considers that the location or altitude
reported through eMotion 3 is invalid, the mission must be interrupted. This can
be done through the activation of a fail-safe mechanism, by powering on the Re-
mote Control and taking manual control, and, if necessary as a last resort, cutting
the motor.
If the pilot has absolutely no other means of preventing the drone from escap-
ing the intended area of operation, they must interrupt the flight by cutting the
motor.
³³ see the eMotion 3 user manual
98
PROCEDURES D’URGENCE
Scénario S2
Vol hors vue : si le télépilote ne dispose plus de l’information d’altitude ou de
localisation de l’aéronef, ou en cas de doute sur la validité de ces informations, il
doit interrompre la mission, par activation d’un dispositif fail-safe, manuellement
ou, si nécessaire, par coupure des moteurs.
Si l’aéronef ne peut être maintenu dans les limites de vol prévues, le télépilote doit
interrompre le vol par coupure des moteurs.
10.27 Reporting a problem with your eBee Plus

If there is a problem with your eBee Plus, whether it is a software malfunction,
damaged airframe or any other problem, we recommend the following actions:
1. If there is an error message displayed in eMotion 3, begin by checking your

eMotion 3 user manual to see if there is a solution to the particular message.
2. Check our Knowledge Base, part of my.senseFly³⁴, to see if there is a solution

to your problem.
3. If you have still not found a solution, contact your eBee Plus support provider.
Please include the following information with your inquiry:
• The serial number of your drone, in the format AB-XX-XXX. You can
find this number inside the battery enclosure. Please include this se-
rial number in the subject line of your message.
• A detailed description of the problem, including:
– any eMotion 3 error messages
– eMotion 3 screenshots where possible and relevant
– details of any troubleshooting or tests you have carried out
• The Drone Flight Log file (.bbx) of the flight that had a problem³⁵.
³⁴ http://my.sensefly.com
³⁵ see your eMotion 3 user manual for instructions on retrieving this file from the eBee Plus
99
• The eMotion Flight Log (.efl) file of the flight that had a problem. You
can find this file in the eMotion/logs/ directory which is created in
My Documents on Windows.
• Photos or video of the eBee Plus airframe, if required.
Note: In order to provide support, senseFly may request the flight

log files for inspection.
100
Maintenance and inspection log
Date A/C model S/N Hours General/Full Maintenance activity Inspected by

Part III
Specifications
Drone
Size Wingspan: 110 cm (43.3 in)
Wing area: 0.32 m2 (3.4 sq ft)
Weight without camera and battery approx. 0.62 kg (1.4 lbs)
Nominal take-off weight (approx.) 1.1 kg (2.4 lbs)
(with standard camera & battery)
Maximum take-off weight 1.4 kg (3.1 lbs)
Material EPP foam, carbon structure & compos-
ite parts
Battery 3-cell Lithium-Polymer (0.3 kg (0.7 lbs))
Nominal endurance (flight time)³⁶ 59 minutes
(with standard camera)
Propulsion Electric brushless motor
Nominal static thrust: 1.0 kgf (9.8 N)
Cruise speed 40-110 km/h (11-30 m/s, 25-68 mph)
Wind resistance up to 45 km/h (12 m/s, 23 kts)
Operating temperature range -15 to 35 °C (5 to 95 °F)
Navigation Up to 100 waypoints
Carry case dimensions 56 x 57 x 28 cm
(21.6 x 17.7 x 9.8 in)
³⁶ can vary greatly depending on external factors such as wind, altitude change and temperature.
Communication devices
Ground modem
Frequency 2.4 GHz

Nominal range³⁷ approx. 3 km (2 mi)
Maximum working range³⁷ approx. 8 km (5 mi)
Certification FCC Part 15.247, IC RSS210, CE
Remote control
Frequency 2.4 GHz

Range approx. 1 km
Certification CE, FCC
Charger
AC input 110-240 V
DC input 11-18 V
³⁷ can vary greatly depending on external factors such as cruise altitude, presence of obstacles and
radio-frequency interference.
Glossary
ATO Above the Take-off Altitude
Your eBee Plus’s altitude can be shown and set in eMotion 3 using ATO. Al-
titudes in ATO are relative to the place your eBee Plus started its motor just
before take-off.
GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System

A network of satellites that transmit signals that GNSS receivers can use to
calculate their position on the Earth. GPS (Global Positioning System) and
GLONASS are examples of GNSS systems.
GPU Graphics Processing Unit
A computer component, often a chip on a computer’s graphics card, that
specialises in processing images and computer graphics. Computer perfor-
mance can be improved by taking image processing off the CPU and onto
the GPU.
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eBee Plus Drone User Manual

Revision 1.7 / March 2018

Civil aviation regulations

Other laws and regulations - privacy

Intellectual property rights

Operation is subject to the following two conditions:

1. This device may not cause harmful interference, and

1. Reorient or relocate the receiving antenna

2. Increase the separation between the equipment and the receiver

4. Consult the dealer or an experienced radio/TV technician for help.

This Class B digital apparatus complies with Canadian ICES-003.

Take care with sharp edges Keep clear of rotating blades

Do not misuse batteries: risk of ﬁre Beware of objects above you

• Details of all your senseFly drones, including their serial numbers.

Congratulations on your purchase of the eBee Plus, a large-coverage photogram-

• The eMotion 3 software user manual

• This drone user manual

Note: You can always ﬁnd the latest version of eMotion 3 in

The Imperial unit used for speed is knot (kts).

1 kts = 1 nm/h (nautical mile per hour)

• 1x carrying case with foam protection

data link antenna GNSS antenna

vertical stabiliser camera compartment

propeller central body

Underneath Detachable wing

• Vertical stabilisers: These structures add aerodynamic stability to the drone

• Ailerons: Used to control the eBee Plus while in ﬂight.

• Servo connection mechanism: The ailerons are connected to the servo-

• Propeller: Used to generate thrust while it is in ﬂight.

Caution: When attached to the motor the propeller spins at high

• Battery compartment: The eBee Plus is powered by a LiPo (Lithium Poly-

∗ software access terms and conditions apply

6 About your eBee Plus’s RTK/PPK license

6.1 How to activate RTK/PPK

1. Register your drone in my.senseFly. During registration process, you will be

† see your eMotion 3 user manual for full instructions

1 About this user manual 10

4 eMotion 3 ﬂight planning and control software 17

5 About your eBee Plus’s drone license 18

6 About your eBee Plus’s RTK/PPK license 18

I Using your eBee Plus 25

9 Getting the eBee Plus ready to ﬂy 39

10 Flying the eBee Plus 50

II Maintenance and repair of the eBee Plus 85

III Speciﬁcations 103

Using your eBee Plus

• Power the drone oﬀ before handling it

• Never attempt to ﬂy without an approved camera

• Never ﬂy with the battery or camera bay exposed

• Only use approved senseFly batteries

• Only use approved senseFly SD cards

• Always land on a stable, level surface

• Know how to, and be ready to abort take-oﬀ or landing if necessary

• Do not ﬂy above people or animals

• Do not ﬂy in high winds

• Check laptop battery charge level

• Always take oﬀ with a fully-charged drone battery

• Provide eMotion 3 as much computing power as possible

• Ensure you can hear the alerts

8.1 Charging your batteries

About your charger

The charger comes with several cables:

Operating the charger

Press the button brieﬂy (short press) to switch charge mode.