DRONE PILOTING

INTERNSHIP REPORT
Submitted by

UJJWAL WAKALE UID: 18BAS1176

In partial fulfillment for the award of the degree

of

BACHELOR OF ENGINEERING

in

AEROSPACE ENGINEERING

Under the Guidance

Of

Mr. Kowshigan
University Institute of Engineering
CHANDIGARH UNIVERSITY

AUGUST – 2021

CHANDIGARH UNIVERSITY
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE

Certified that this internship report “DRONE PILOTING” is the bonafide work of the
following students:

UJJWAL WAKALE UID: 18BAS1176

who carried out the work under my supervision. Certified further that to the best of my
knowledge the work reported herein does not form part of any other thesis or dissertation on
the basis of which a degree or award was conferred on an earlier occasion on this or any other
candidate.

SIGNATURE SIGNATURE

Dr. Dharmahinder Singh Chand Mr. Kowshigan HEAD

OF THE DEPARTMENT SUPERVISOR

Aerospace Department HOD (Training & Pilot Evaluation)

Dept. of Aerospace Engineering Garuda Aerospace Pvt. Ltd.
Block-3A, Chandigarh University Chennai, Tamil Nadu

CERTIFICATE FOR EVALUATION

College Name : University Institute of Engineering Branch

: Aerospace Engineering.

Year / Semester: IV / VIII

Name of the Name of the

S.NO Students who have Title of the internship Supervisor with
done the internship Designation

1. Ujjwal Wakale
2.
3. MR. KOWSHIGAN
DRONE PILOTING HOD (TRAINING &
5. PILOT EVALUATION)
6.
7.
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 The reports of the internship work submitted by the above students in partial
fulfillment for the award of Bachelor of Engineering degree in Aerospace Engineering of
Chandigarh University were evaluated and confirmed to be the reports of the work done by
the above students and then evaluated.

INTERNAL EXAMINER EXTERNAL EXAMINER

STUDENT DECLARATION

We hereby, declare that this internship report titled “DRONE PILOTING” is completely
based on the practical work experience and the knowledge gained during the internship
period at Garuda Aerospace Pvt. Ltd., Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

We also declare that this report is the original work and does not violate any existing
document copyright. Also, this report has not been previously submitted to any other
organizations/ institutes/colleges for any academic qualification/ diploma/ degree.

We, also declare that this report has been prepared for the purpose of Bachelor of Engineering
in Aerospace (Internship) which requires practical work experience.

UJJWAL WAKALE UID: 18BAS1176

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 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First of all, we would like to thank Chandigarh University, for arranging the campus
placement program for us. We are also grateful to Garuda Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. for
recruiting us as an intern.

We take this opportunity to express our profound gratitude and deep regards to our mentors
Mr. Kowshigan, HOD (Training & Pilot Evaluation) and Mr. Sengotaian, HOD (Pilots
& Fleet Management) for their exemplary guidance, monitoring and constant
encouragement throughout the course of this internship. The blessing, help and guidance
given by them time to time shall carry us a long way in the journey of life on which we are
about to embark.

We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to Prof. (Dr.) Dharmahinder Singh Chand,
Head of Aerospace Department, Chandigarh University and Prof. Bhagel Singh,
Assistant Professor & Placement Coordinator, Aerospace Department, Chandigarh
University for their kind support and inspiration which has immensely strengthened our
confidence during internship.

We also take this opportunity to express a deep sense of gratitude to Senior Pilots Mr.
Dhanush Kumar, Mr. Baskaran K and Mr. Karthikeyan Balaji for their cordial support,
valuable information and guidance, which helped me in completing tasks through various
stages.

We also thank all faculty members and supporting staff of Garuda Aerospace for their
continual constructive criticism, help and support which helped us a lot during our internship
tenure.

ABSTRACT

This report is all about our internship, the experience we gained over the course, and the
chores we performed in past months in the eminent organization Garuda Aerospace Pvt. Ltd.,
Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The forthcoming document states that we started our training by
laying our foundation with the help of theory classes and build our way to become an expert
in drone making and flying with the help of our elite faculty/colleague/mentor/friend and got
to know about QGroundControl which is a Drone Control Software for configuration. Not
only the technical world of drones but we also gained experience in the corporate world viz.
how to file a tender, how to keep a record of operations, and many more. And above all that,
we learned how to survive and face the real world.

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 ABOUT COMPANY
As a Make in India Startup, Garuda Aerospace is rapidly emerging as the pioneer & market
leader in the Drone as a
Solutions (DaaS) space
to increase efficiency
& reduce the cost of
production in
organizations across
India.

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Company is currently serving over 100 clients which include NDRF, NTPC, Metro
Safety, 15 smart cities, 30 Municipal corporations & serving several private industries such
as Vedanta, Godrej, Adani, Reliance & ITC by utilizing Robust Automated Drone
technology services coupled with an advanced software & analytical tools.

Over the past five years, Garuda Aerospace has expanded our capabilities beyond
surveillance & mapping to Drone-based Thermal imaging, Ultrasonic thickness testing,
Inventory management & an array of Industry 4.0 Upgradation services.

Garuda Aerospace has been at the forefront of COVID19 sanitization operations during the
lockdown facilitated by Invest India, a Government of India organization. Our teams were
airlifted by the Ministry of Civil Aviation across the country to help officials to sanitize
public spaces & containment zones using drones. These teams also helped fight off the locust
swarms, which threatened the food security of the nation notably in Rajasthan, Haryana,
Uttar Pradesh, and Delhi.

Capabilities exhibited over the past has increased our credibility which has caused all our
permissions & regulatory clearances to be expedited by the DGCA & MOCA. Garuda
Aerospace was the first startup in Indian history to support NDRF rescue operations using
drones at the glacier burst disaster in Chamoli district, Uttarakhand.

Garuda Aerospace focuses on collaborating with industry partners for large-scale

implementation of drones in various applications supported by our R&D partners in IIT
Kanpur & MIT, USA. We passionately believe that Drones can play an integral part in
solving several problems that stall progress and development.
The 150-member team equipped with 2000 hours of flying experience makes large-scale
implementation of drone operations possible. With a presence in over 26 cities, Garuda
Aerospace is the only Indian company with massive execution capabilities.

Garuda Aerospace focuses on the design, build and customization of unmanned aerial
vehicles (UAVs) or drones for various applications. Catering to diverse needs such as
Agricultural Survey, Reconnaissance and Surveillance Garuda Aerospace meets the
customer’s requirements with precision.

Services provided by Garuda Aerospace:

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Board of Directors:

Founder & CEO

• AGNISHWAR JAYAPRAKASH

COO
• SHYAM KUMAR

President
• SANJEEVV SHARMA

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE NO.
BONAFIDE CERTIFICATE 2
CERTIFICATE FOR EVALUATION 3
STUDENT DECLARATION…………………………………………………. 4
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT…………………………………………………….. 5
ABSTRACT……………………………………………………………………. 6

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ABOUT COMPANY…………………………………………………………... 7-8
TABLE OF CONTENTS……………………………………………………… 9
LIST OF TABLES…………………………………………………………….. 10
LIST OF FIGURES...…………………………………………………………. 10-11

ABBREVIATIONS……………………………………………………………. 12
CHAPTER 1 : INTRODUCTION……………………………………………. 13
1.1 ABOUT DRONES……………………………………………. 13
1.2 DGCA RULES FOR DRONES……………………………... 13
1.3 DRONE CATEGORIES…………………………………….. 14
1.4 COMPONENTS OF F-450 & AGRI DRONES……………. 14
1.5 OTHER INFORMATION ………………………………….. 15
CHAPTER 2 : ASSEMBLY AND FORMATION………………………….. 16
2.1 UNDERSTANDING THE SCIENCE & TERMINOLOGY 16-18
2.2 BUILDING OUR DRONE…………………………………... 19-26
CHAPTER 3 : TRAINING ………………………………………………….. 27
3.1 SIMULATOR TRAINING………………………………….. 27-31
3.2 FIELD TRAINING………………………………………….. 31-33
CHAPTER 4 : IMPLEMENTATION………………………………………... 34
4.1 PILOTING EXPERIENCE & ADVENTURE…………….. 34-36
CHAPTER 5 : MISCELLANEOUS …………………………………………. 37-39
CONCLUSION………………………………………………………………… 40
REFERENCES………………………………………………………………… 41

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 LIST OF TABLES

TABLE NO. TITLE PAGE NO.

1.3.1 Drone Categories 14

2.2.1 Components in Drone Kit 19

LIST OF FIGURES
FIGURE NO. TITLE PAGE NO.
1.4.1 F-450 Drone 14
1.4.2 Garuda Agri Drone 14
1.5.1 Illustration for flying Micro & Nano Drones 15
1.5.2 Requirement for Nano & Micro RPAS 15
2.1.1 During Theory Class 18
2.2.1 During Soldering 19
2.2.2 Rotation of Propellers in any quadcopter 20
2.2.3 Reference Orientation 21
2.2.4 Rotation around Z axis 21
2.2.5 Compass Calibration 22
2.2.6 Gyroscope Calibration 22
2.2.7 Radio Setup (1) 23
2.2.8 Radio Setup (2) 23
2.2.9 Flight Mode Setup 24
2.2.10 Failsafe Mode 25
2.2.11 Intelligent Orientation Control 25
2.2.12 Illustration for RTH 26
2.2.13 Motor Arm & Motor Dis-arm 26
3.1.1 Simulation Sheet – Ujjwal Wakale 31
3.2.1 Battery Setup 31
3.2.2 Placing Battery 32
3.2.3 Fixing Frame 32
3.2.4 Tank Leakage Checkup 32
3.2.5 Guidance on internal components 33
3.2.6 Final Take-off 33
4.1.1 Salem City 34
4.1.2 On Field 34

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 4.1.3 With Drone Pilot Mr. Baskaran K 35
4.1.4 During Sanitization (1) 35
4.1.5 During Sanitization (2) 35 4.1.6 During Sanitization (3) 36
4.1.7 With Drone Squad 36
38
5.5 Tender Sheet (2) 39

ABBREVIATIONS

UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle

UAS Unmanned Aircraft System
GPS Global Positioning System
DaaS Drone as a Service
UIN Unique Identification Number
NDRF National Disaster Response Force
ADC Air Defence Clearance
NTPC National Thermal Power Corporation
FIC Flight Information Center
DGCA Directorate General of Civil Aviation
RPA Remotely Piloted Aircraft
MOCA Ministry of Civil Aviation
ESC Electronic Speed Controller
RTH Return to Home

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 RTL Return to Launch
CSC Command Stick Calibration
NPNT No Permission No Take-off
FPV First Person View
IMU Inertial Measuring Unit
IOC Intelligent Orientation Control

CHAPTER 1 – INTRODUCTION

1.1 About Drones

A drone, in technical terms, is an unmanned aircraft. The word DRONE stands for Dynamic
Remotely Operated Navigation Equipment. Drones are more formally known as unmanned
aerial vehicles (UAVs) or unmanned aircraft systems (UASes). Essentially, a drone is a
flying robot that can be remotely controlled or fly autonomously through software-controlled
flight plans in their embedded systems. Drones or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are
made from different light composite materials to increase maneuverability while flying and
reduce weight. they can be equipped with a variety of additional equipment, including
cameras, GPS-guided missiles, Global Positioning Systems (GPS), navigation systems,
sensors, and various other drone software and hardware. The drone family is not composed
solely of flying objects. There may be as many different kinds as there are families of
weapons: terrestrial drones, marine drones, submarine drones, even subterranean drones
imagined in the form of fat mechanical moles. A drone can be controlled either from a
distance by human operators (remote control) or autonomously by robotic means (automatic
piloting). In practice, present-day drones combine those two modes of control.

1.2 DGCA Rules for Drones

Based on our research and interpretation of the laws, here are the most important rules to
know for flying a drone in India.

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 ➢ All drones except those in the Nano category must be registered and issued a Unique
Identification Number (UIN).
➢ A permit is required for commercial drone operations (except for those in the Nano
category flown below 50 feet and those in the Micro category flown below 200 feet).
➢ Drone pilots must maintain a direct visual line of sight at all times while flying.
➢ Drones cannot be flown more than 400 feet vertically.

➢ Drones cannot be flown in areas specified as “No Fly Zones”, which include areas
near airports, international borders, Vijay Chowk in Delhi, State Secretariat Complex
in State Capitals, strategic locations, and military installations.
➢ Permission to fly in controlled airspace can be obtained by filing a flight plan and
obtaining a unique Air Defence Clearance (ADC) / Flight Information Center (FIC)
number.

1.3 Drone Categories

Civil RPA is categorized in accordance with Max. All-Up-Weight (including payload) as

indicated below:

Table 1.3.1 Drone Categories

SIZE MAXIMUM ALL-UP-WEIGHT (including payload)

Nano Less than or equal to 250 grams

Micro Greater than 250 grams and less than or equal to 2 kg

Small Greater than 2 kg and less than or equal to 25 kg

Medium Greater than 25 kg and less than or equal to 150 kg

Large Greater than 150 kg

1.4 Components of F-450 & Agri Drones

Components of F-450 Drones:
➢ ESC, an electronic circuit that controls a motor’s speed and direction.
➢ Flight Controller
Fig. 1.4.1 F-450 Drone
➢ GPS Module
➢ Frame
➢ Battery
➢ Antenna
➢ Receiver

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 ➢ Wires
➢ Sensors, including ultrasonic & collision avoidance sensors
➢ Accelerometer
➢ Altimeter
Basic Components of Agri Drones:

➢ Frames
➢ Controller Systems
➢ Propulsion Systems
Fig.1.4.2 Garuda Agri Drone
➢ Camera Systems
➢ Navigation Systems
➢ Batteries
➢ Other components (wires, connectors, power
systems, carry cases, sprayers and sprinklers)
1.5 Other Information
➢ Required Drone Equipment in India
India has specific requirements regarding the
types of features a drone must have to be flown in India (excluding those in the Nano
category). These mandatory requirements include:
✓ GPS
✓ Return-to-Home (RTH)
✓ Anti-Collision Light
✓ ID Plate
✓ A flight controller with flight data logging capability
✓ RF ID & No Permission No Takeoff (NPNT)
➢ India’s No Permission No Take-off Policy
Before every single flight, drone pilots are required to request permission to fly via a
mobile app, which will automatically process the request and grant or reject it. India is
calling their system “No Permission, No Takeoff” (NPNT). If a drone pilot tries to fly
without receiving permission from the Digital Sky Platform, he or she will simply not
be able to take off.

Fig. 1.5.1 Illustration for flying Micro & Nano Drones

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 Fig. 1.5.2 Requirement for Nano & Micro RPAS
RPAS RPAS

CHAPTER 2 – ASSEMBLY AND FORMATION

2.1 Understanding the Science & Terminology

Educating ourselves is of foremost importance, especially if we want to reduce our chances of
redesigning. This includes learning how flying becomes possible, different associated
terminologies, and what impact do various components, centre of gravity and weight have on
the flight of the drone. In simple terms, four forces act on any aircraft while flying: weight,
lift, drag and thrust. Weight, due to gravitational force, needs to be balanced by lift for an
object to fly or at least remain afloat. If pressure at the top is lower than the pressure at the
bottom, the aircraft moves in an upwards direction. The drone is therefore designed to be
lightweight. Thrust or forward velocity depends on the shape of various parts like wings.
Drag force slows down the aircraft by acting in the opposite direction of motion.

Size denotes the greatest point-to-point distance between two motors on a drone. When it
comes to a drone, not only weight but size also varies from small to large based on
requirements. The cost of the drone always depends on its functionalities and application,
regardless of size.

❖ Selection of Components - Choosing appropriate components is crucial to building a drone

with desired specifications. A few given tips by our trainer for different components are
mentioned in this section.

➢ Frame - A frame is the basic skeleton of a drone for attaching all other components as
well as providing protection. Commonly-known configurations include quadcopter
(four arms), tricopter (three arms), hexacopter (six arms), octocopter (eight arms) and
so on. Each arm is connected to a motor. Besides configuration, the material chosen
decides the durability of the drone. Such materials as plastic, carbon fibre, PCB and

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 aluminium are generally used. Though expensive, carbon fibre is the best option as it
is durable and lightweight.

•
As a beginner, we preferred relatively simpler quadcopter (x or +) or tricopter
frames which are easier to rebuilt easily after crashing.
• We got to know that for commercial applications, a hexa-copter or octocopter
is the best one. These have more motors and larger batteries and are ideal for
lifting heavy loads. This implies that even if a motor or propeller fails, the
drone can land safely.
• While mounting the components, we kept in mind that carbon fibre hampers
radio frequency (RF) signals.
➢ Motors - Motors generate force to rotate the propellers and move through the air. The
more efficient the motor, the longer the battery life and, hence, the flight.

• All motors should have the same thrust rating, usually given in grams, for
ensuring stability.
• Some motors have performance comparison charts that can be utilized to
make sure that the necessary target is met, especially in commercial
drones.
• In large drones, brushless out-runner type motors (like FPV Drone 1104
motor) are used, while in smaller, inexpensive models, brushed motors are
preferred. Unlike brushed motors whose brushes wear out quickly,
brushless motors have longer lifespans, better durability, and the ability to
generate more power at low noise.
• We always checked for kV rating in specifications. In general, if one wants
the motor to spin faster, he/she can choose a motor with a higher kV rating.
Usually, a larger motor with a lower kV rating has better efficiency and
stability than a smaller one with a high kV rating.

➢ Propellers – The design of the propeller plays an important role in smooth propulsion
and ensuring long flight times. A propeller can spin in either a clockwise or
anticlockwise direction. Two- or three-bladed propellers are commonly seen in
drones.

• We selected propeller size based on the chosen motor to prevent

overheating. A propeller is mounted on the motor so that the two can spin
in sync with each other. Also, checked that the propeller comes with
adaptor rings as a backup option in case the propeller does not fit the
motor.
• We preferred large blades for a stable flying experience. In general, if one
plans to change speed frequently, smaller blades are better.
• Because we were beginners, chances of crashing were high, so we chose
plastic due to its low cost. Just like for frames, if one wants durability and
high quality, he/she can go for carbon fibre instead.

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 ➢ Battery - Like most electronic devices nowadays, drones use high-cost
lithiumpolymer batteries as these are lightweight and provide high power.

• Used battery with higher capacity (amp-hours) for more flight time. While
starting, a maximum flight time of fifteen to twenty minutes is suitable.
• The battery’s voltage must match that of the motor(s).
• Avoided safety issues. If the battery has not been charged properly, or it
has been used for long enough for it to get discharged mid-air, it might
burn. Also, there is a high probability of burning during a crash.
• We used a battery safety sack for prevention & used a battery beeper to
inform when the battery is about to get discharged. Many commercial
drones have a battery monitor to keep a tab on flying time and charge
levels.

➢ Electronic Speed Controller (ESC) - An ESC connects to the flight controller, motor
and battery, and aids in controlling the speed and direction of the motor(s).

• We used a power distribution board to share main battery power with

different parts, and terminals.
• The ESC provides the right voltage and handles maximum current
consumption. We designed the battery elimination circuit to convert DC
voltage of the battery to DC voltage of the flight controller.
• Additional firmware can make the ESC more responsive to input changes.

➢ Flight Controller - This is the brain of the drone as it consists of microprocessors,

sensors, and I/O pins necessary to operate a UAV in the air. Different sensors are used
to obtain such information as height (barometer), speed, direction (compass), etc.

• We kept the flight controller near the horizontal centre of the drone to
maintain the centre of gravity.
• Commonly-used sensors, including accelerometer (linear acceleration) and
gyroscope (angular acceleration), helped in providing stability while
flying. These are contained in the inertial measurement unit (IMU) of
commercial drones. With an increase in the number of sensors, cost
increases, too.
• GPS helped in determining drone location at a specific point of time using
satellites. Even when the drone flew away and was not visible, we set the
coordinates to which it should go for flying accurately. We also set a home
point so that the drone returns safely even if the connection gets lost.

Fig.
2.1.1
During
theory
class

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2.2 Building our Drone
We were given F-450 Quadcopter Kit by our trainer which included:

Table 2.2.1 Components in Drone Kit

Component No.(s) Specification
F-450 Quadcopter Frame 1
Flight Control 1 Pixhawk PX4 2.4.7
GPS 1 NEO-6M
ESC Connect Board 1
Brushless Motor 4 A2212 1000kV
ESC 4 30 A Brushless
Propeller 4 Robodo 1045/1045R (2 CW & 2 CCW)
Gold Bullet Plug 12 3.5mm male & female
Heat Shrink Tube 2 50 cm Red & 50 cm Black
Connector 1 XT60
Transmitter & Receiver 1 Flysky FS-i6
Battery 1 LiPo

Other required tools:

✓ Soldering Iron
✓ Allen Keys
✓ Zip Ties
✓ Hot Air Gun
✓ Soldering Wire
✓ Connecting Wire
✓ Wire stripper & cutter

Fabricating & Assembling our Drone:

1) Soldering:
• Soldered 3.5mm male bullet plug to A2212 1000kV Brushless motor
• Soldered 3.5mm female bullet plug

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 to Brushless 30A ESC Fig.
2.2.1 During fabrication
• Soldered XT60 Connector to small wire
• Lastly, soldered all the power wire to power distribution board

2) Heat Shrinking
• Put the heat shrink tube to 3.5mm bullet plugs & XT-60 connector
• Used hot air gun to shrink the fitted tubes
3) Assembling
• Fixed quadcopter frame with screws with the help of Allen key
• Fixed the ESCs to the frame with the help of zip ties
• Attached all motors to the ESCs and screwed
• Finally, connected the propellers to the motors

Fig.2.2.2 Rotation of Propellers in any quadcopter

4) Configuration Process
It is very important to configure the drone before taking it for flying. As we used PX4
flight controller for our drone therefore, we used QGroundControl to install firmware
onto the flight controller hardware, specifying airframe, and configuring the core sensors
that PX4 needs to be present on every drone (compass, GPS, gyro etc.). Proceeded as
follows:

• Loading Firmware
a) To install stable PX4: we selected the Gear icon (vehicle setup) in the top
toolbar and then Firmware in the sidebar.
b) Connected the flight controller directly to our computer via USB.
c) Selected the PX4 Flight Stack X.x.x Release option to install the latest
stable version of PX4 for our hardware.
d) Started the update.
The firmware then proceeded through a number of several steps
(downloading new firmware, erasing old firmware, etc.) Each step was
printed on the screen and overall progress is displayed on a progress bar.

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 After firmware got completed, the device/vehicle rebooted and got
reconnected.
• Airframe Setup
a) To set the airframe: started QGroundControl and connected the vehicle.
b) Selected the Gear icon (vehicle setup) in the top toolbar and then Airframe
in the sidebar
c) Selected the broad vehicle group/type that matched our airframe and then
used the dropdown within the group to choose the X- type airframe.
d) Selected Apply & Restart.
• Flight Controller/Sensor Orientation.
Calculating Orientation – YAW, PITCH & ROLL offsets were calculated relative
to the forward-facing upright orientation (clockwise rotation around the Z, Y and
X-axis, respectively). In general, the frame is referred to as the body frame and the
default orientation as ROTATION_NONE

Fig. 2.2.3 Reference Orientation

For example, the vehicles shown below have rotations around the Z-axis
corresponding to: ROTATION_NONE, ROTATION_YAW_90,
ROTATION_YAW_180, ROTATION_YAW_270

Fig. 2.2.4 Rotations around Z-axis

Setting the orientation –

a) Started QGroundControl and connected the vehicle.
b) Selected the Gear icon (Vehicle Setup) in the top toolbar and then Sensors
in the sidebar.
c) Selected the Set Orientations button.

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 d) Selected Autopilot Orientation.
e) Pressed OK.
• Compass Calibration – The compass calibration process configures all connected
internal and external magnetometers.
Performing the calibration
a) Started QGroundControl and connected the vehicle.
b) Selected the Gear icon (vehicle setup) in the toolbar and then Sensors in
the sidebar.
c) Clicked the Compass sensor button.
d) Clicked OK to start the calibration.
e) Placed the vehicle in the orientations shown in red (incomplete) and hold it
still. Once it got prompted (the orientation-image turned yellow) then
rotated the vehicle around the specified axis in either/both directions. After
calibration got completed for a particular orientation the associated image
on the screen turned green.

Fig. 2.2.5 Compass Calibration

f) Repeated the calibration process for all vehicle orientations.

g) After calibrating the vehicle in all the positions QGroundControl displayed
Calibration complete (all orientation images got displayed in green and the
progress bar got filled).
• Gyroscope & Accelerometer Calibration
a) Clicked the Gyroscope & Accelerometer sensor button.
b) Placed the vehicle on the surface and left it still.
c) Clicked OK to start the calibration.
d) After finishing, QGroundControl displayed a progress bar Calibration
complete.
Fig. 2.2.6 Gyroscope Calibration

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 • Radio Setup – The Radio Setup screen is used to configure the mapping of the
remote-control unit’s main attitude control sticks (roll, pitch, yaw, throttle) to
channels, and to calibrate the minimum, maximum, trim, and reverse settings for
all other transmitter controls.
a) Turned on RC transmitter.
b) Started QGroundControl and connected the vehicle.
c) Selected the Gear icon (vehicle setup) in the top toolbar and then Radio in
the sidebar.
d) Pressed OK.
Fig. 2.2.7 Radio Setup (1)

e) Set the transmitter mode radio button.

Fig. 2.2.8 Radio Setup (2)

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 f) Moved the sticks to the positions indicated in the text.
g) Pressed Next when the sticks were in position. Repeated for all positions.
h) Moved all switches & dials through their full range.
i) Pressed Next to save the settings.

• Multi-Channel Flight Mode Selection – The multi-channel selection user interface

allows mapping one or more modes to one or more channels. We configured flight
modes using multi-channel UI:
a) Turned on RC transmitter.
b) Started QGroundControl and connected the vehicle.
c) Selected the Gear icon (vehicle setup) in the top toolbar and then Flight
Modes in the sidebar.

Fig. 2.2.9 Flight Mode Setup

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 d) Selected the modes to assign to the switches and select the associated
channel. But some modes cannot be manually edited because their channel
and threshold level are automatically defined based on the values of other
mode settings.

For example, Mission mode is assigned to the same channel as Hold & if
the channel for Hold is not defined, then Mission mode is automatically
assigned to the same channel as Stabilized/Main mode. Altitude mode is
assigned to the same channel number as Position Control. Similarly, Assist
mode is added to the same channel as Stabilized/Main mode if (and only
if) Position Control is enabled.
e) Clicked the Generate Thresholds button.
• Configured battery & power module setup which generally helps in providing a
good estimate of remaining battery percentage (and capacity), so that the vehicle
is not used to the point that it runs out of power and crashes (or the battery is
damaged due to deep discharge).
• Safety configuration includes failsafe mode, RTH, RTL, IOC, Acro mode, Manual
mode, and safety switches on the remote control used to immediately stop motors
or return the drone in the event of a problem. Features of different modes are
mentioned below:
Failsafe Mode – If the connection between the multirotor and the remote control is
disconnected during flight, a failsafe system will activate. Provided there was
enough GPS signal at the time of the disconnection, the multirotor will fly back to
its point of takeoff and land automatically.

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 Fig. 2.2.10 Failsafe Mode

Intelligent Orientation Control - Usually, the forward direction of a flying

multirotor is the same as the nose direction. By using Intelligent Orientation
Control (IOC), wherever the nose points, the forward direction has nothing to do
with nose direction. In course lock flying, the forward direction is the same as a
recorded nose direction.：

Fig. 2.2.11 Intelligent Orientation Control

Return to Home - This mode brings your drone back to the Home Point if it happens
to lose signal when connected to a remote controller.

Fig. 2.2.12 Illustration for RTH

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 Return toLaunch - RTL mode navigatesdronefrom its current position to hover
above the home position. The behavior of RTL mode can be olled
contr
by several
adjustable parameters which includes RTL_ALT, RTL_LOIT_TIME,
RTL_SPEED , etc.

Motor Arm & Motor Dis-arm – There are four ways to arm & disarm the motor.
When we want to start the multi-rotor, we need to perform any of the ways of
CSC. During the flight, if the motors stop, we can immediately execute the CSC
and the motors will start. There are two modes of Motor Disarm: namely
Intelligent Mode and Immediate Mode.

Immediate Mode: By using this mode, in any control mode, once motors start and
throttle stick is over 10%, motors will stop immediately when the throttle stick is
back under 10% again.

Intelligent Mode: By using this mode, different control modes have a different
ways of stopping motors. In Manual Mode, only executing CSC can stop motors.

Fig. 2.2.13 Motor Arm & Motor Dis-arm

CHAPTER 3 – TRAINING

3.1 Simulator Training

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 Since we all were beginners and didn’t know flying, our trainer guided us in flying drone
firstly in a simulator. He wanted us to be perfect in flying in a simulator so that it would
be easier for us to fly confidently when we would be on the field.

We all practiced in Phoenix Professional RC Simulator V4. So, for this our whole piloting
training was divided into three phases which were constantly monitored by other senior
pilots as well with the Flying Test being conducted every Saturday to check the progress
of the trainees. Below mentioned are the phases:

• Free Flight – Free flight simulation of the drone was our first phase of learning
simulation. In this phase, we gained physical experience in knowing controls of
agriculture drone transmitter SIYI DK32 2.4G 16CH which we saw for the first
time. We were free to gain experience by exploring the various options, conditions
& settings available in the simulator like exploring a variety of environments and
acclimating to different flight conditions by changing airspeed, gust speed,
location, etc.

• Skills Training – Skills training flight simulation was our second phase of learning
simulation. On reaching this phase, we became perfect in our piloting skills and
were being trained to perform different sorts of exercises required during flying.
These exercises included flight tutorials, hovering, and flight route training with
practice tests to monitor progress. After this, we performed various exercises by
making clockwise and anticlockwise circles, clockwise and anticlockwise squares,
following a path that makes eight, etc. while maintaining constant altitude during
each exercise. Our mentor organized various multiplayer sessions to test our flying
with in-game flight weather conditions like flying during high gusts, high wind
speed, competing in balloon buster challenge & pass the loop challenge.

We all started our simulator training on 19 th February 2021 after we were finished with
the theory classes. Our trainer provided a simulation sheet which we had to fill after every
simulation session. Each intern had to practice every day for 15 min. on his turn and then
repeat on till we complete min. hours of flying. On practicing every day, we all completed
more than 6 hours of flying in less than a month.

3.2 Field Training

This was our last training session where we all were in the “Ready-to-Fly” category. Our
trainer took us to Training Ground to fly Garuda’s Agri Drone. During field training, we
were guided on how to calibrate drone when in the ground with SIYI DK32 2.4G 16CH
transmitter digitally, how to place & replace batteries, how to turn on/off connectors, how
to perform mapping through a transmitter, check payload tanks, etc.

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 Fig. 3.2.1 Battery Setup

Fig. 3.2.2 Placing Battery Fig. 3.2.3 Fixing Frame

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 Fig. 3.2.4 Tank Leakage Check-up

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 Fig. 3.2.4 Guidance on internal components

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 Fig. 3.2.5 Final Take-off

CHAPTER 4 – IMPLEMENTATION

4.1 Piloting Experience & Adventure

We all were officially Drone Co-Pilots on 16 th April 2021 where we got to experience in
assisting Senior Pilots in-field operations which were in & around beautiful locations of
Tamil Nadu which included Salem & Trichy. We also went with Garuda’s Drone Squad for
sanitization in Chennai. Here is a glimpse of our experience:

Fig. 4.1.1 Salem City

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 Fig. 4.1.2 On field

Fig. 4.1.3 With Drone Piot Mr. Baskaran K Fig. 4.1.4 During Sanitazation (1)

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 Fig. 4.1.5 During Sanitization (2)

Fig. 4.1.6 During Sanitization (3)

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 Fig. 4.1.7 With Drone Squad

CHAPTER 5 – MISCELLANEOUS
Our achievement during internship, we all got selected for Co-Pilot within 2 months of
joining instead of 6 months as stated earlier in the offer letter:
Fig. 5.1 Intern Pilot Qualification

Apart from being in the Piloting Department we also got opportunity to work in the Fleet
Management & Tender Department for filing tender, maintaining & preparing pilot’s field
operation data.

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 Fig. 5.5 Tender Sheet (2)

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 CONCLUSION

Everyone is studying a lot in the classroom but that gets fulfilled when those classroom
studies are implemented. That is a different experience and needed experience for everyone
in the world. By all accounts, we have earned good experience in one of the best drone
companies in India. Nowadays practical experience is much needed than theoretical base
studies and we are lucky to say that past months were not just experience but an adventure.
We came to know about drones, to be specific autonomous drones which are considered as
future of the aerospace industry, and learned a lot. We are happy that this is not some lame
job in a cubicle but an intrepid experience of life. We faced allots of ups and downs but the
result was worth it.

REFERENCES

1. Garuda Aerospace Pvt. Ltd.

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 2. QGroundControl – Drone Control Software

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