Completing Missions in the Field App

The FlyFreely Field App allows remote pilots to go 'paperless' and record their missions electronically.

The FlyFreely Field app allows you to log your RPAS operations electronically, without the need for paper checklists and documentation.

While it’s possible to plan missions in the Field App (see Mission planning in the FlyFreely Field App for details), it makes sense for most operators to complete the mission planning in the FlyFreely Office App and then use the Field app to complete it in the field.

Sync Modes

Field App Mission List

Activating the Mission

View Mission Details

Approval Conditions

Completing Mission Forms

Abort Mission or Skip Flight

Pre Flight Configuration

Flight Timer

Flight Review Screen

Mission Completion

Sync Modes

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In the field app you have the option between two modes of operation: manual sync and automatic sync. It is recommended that you set the field app to manual sync if you are expecting spotty or no network connection on site in order to minimise disruptions. The differences between the two sync modes are:

• Automatic sync will attempt to sync your missions and other field app data automatically as required and will fetch and sync data in the background as you use the app. Ideally automatic sync requires a stable network connection, such as an area with good mobile network coverage or Wi-Fi.
• Manual sync will only sync your missions and data when manually prompted to. This offers you more control in when data syncs and helps prevent subsequent errors or unwanted behaviour when you have spotty or no connection.

 

To toggle between manual and automatic syncing in the field app follow these steps:

1. Open your field app and ensure you are in a screen where the menu button (your profile picture or logo) is visible in the top right-hand corner, such as the front screen where you can find your missions.
2. Tap the menu button. 
3. Select "Settings"
4. Scroll to the bottom of the page, underneath the "What's new" section, and toggle the switch you see there between Manual Sync and Auto Sync to select the required mode.

Field App Mission List

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When you open the app, you will be presented with a list of your missions (missions for which you are the nominated remote pilot in command).

 

 

 

 

Any available missions (those which have been pre-planned and have the 'Ready to Fly' status) will be shown under the 'Missions' tab n green.

If you currently have a mission open ('Flying' status) it will be shown here in yellow.

Draft missions (those being planned on the field app but not yet initiated) will appear under 'drafts'.

Tap on the mission to open it.

 

 

Activating the Mission

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• To proceed to your mission workflow, activate the mission using the slider at the bottom of the screen. If you are not yet ready to begin the mission, tap the '<' button to return to the mission list screen. As the mission has not yet been activated, it will be displayed as 'Ready to fly' (green) as before.
• If needed, you can expand the map view from this screen using the button above the 'Mission is Ready' panel.
• Lastly, you can view your mission plan from this screen (or any subsequent screen) by tapping on the mission name in the top bar - see the next section for details.

 

 

 

 

View Mission Details

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• Tapping the top bar displays a paneled view of your mission plan.

• Swipe sideways to move between panels, each of which displays a different section of the mission plan.
• Available panels are: NOTAMs, Mission Details, Approval Details, Crew Notes, Approval comms, Mission documents, In-field maintenance.
• Tap the < button to return to your previous screen.

 

 

 

 

Approval Conditions

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For missions that were approved by a Chief Remote Pilot or other approver, you must read and acknowledge any additional conditions placed on the mission during the approval process.

 

 

• The approval conditions checklist must be completed prior to any other forms or mission actions.
• The remote pilot acknowledgement is timestamped and saved into the mission record, signalling acceptance of any conditions imposed by the approver.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Completing Mission Forms

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Depending on the configuration of your chosen mission workflow, you may have to complete one or more form/s. Examples include Job Safety Assessment (JSA), Risk Assessment, Site setup Checks etc

 

 

 

• Tap on the form name to open it.
• If a form is incomplete, the button at the bottom will be labelled 'save and close' in grey.
• When all required items are completed, the button will change to 'All fields completed' in green.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Some forms (eg the standard risk assessment) include 'repeating elements', which are multiple instances of the same field/s (eg individual risk items which all adhere to the same format).
• Sections containing repeating elements are denoted by the numbers in the section header bar (in this example, we are looking at the 3rd item of 3).
• Swipe sideways to view and acknowledge these items.
• To add a new element (eg a risk that was not part of the initial mission plan), tap the + button.
• Once all items are acknowledged, tap the < button to return to the main form.

 

 

When all form/s have been completed, you will be able to tap the > button (lower right) to proceed to the next workflow step.

 

Abort Mission or Skip Flight

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• Abort Mission in cases where the overall mission is to be cancelled or postponed to another day. This option will complete the current mission in the field app directly from whichever screen it is initiated.
• Skip Flight will bypass the pre flight, flying and post flight steps outlined elsewhere in this article. Use this in cases when a specific flight will be cancelled (eg due to a temporary impediment where subsequent flights will be conducted later in the day). This will take you directly to the Flight Review screen, from where you can either 'fly again' or 'end all flying' and complete the mission.

To initiate an abort or flight skip:

1. Tap on the mission stage (green bar) a row of black icons will appear below (these also show the current mission stage)
2. Tap anywhere on the icons to see the relevant option (on the right hand side)
3. Tap 'Abort Mission' or 'Skip Flight'

Pre Flight Configuration

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This screen allows you to set the remote pilot, RPA, battery set and equipment used for each individual flight. This is especially useful in cases where multiple people are sharing the flying tasks on the mission, or where multiple RPA are in use during the course of the day.

 

 

 

 

• Tap on a field to change it. You will be able to select from a dropdown menu containing the pilots, RPAs and equipment assigned to the mission.
• Once the relevant selections have been made, tap > to continue to the pre-flight stage.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All battery sets are available on every mission:

• Battery sets associated with a specific RPA appear at the top of the list.
• Other compatible battery sets (those of the same type) appear next in the list.
• All other batteries owned by the organisation appear in the bottom section.

 

If you don't wish to select battery sets in the field, you can choose 'Reconcile later'. This is useful for customers utilising flight log capture, as the battery information in the log file will automatically populate this field post-mission. 

 

 

 

Flight Timer

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The field app includes a flight timer to help record your flying. Once all pre-flight activities have been concluded and you're ready to take off, use the slider control to start the timer.

 

When the timer is active, various on-screen elements will change to gold to indicate that the flight is in progress. Use the slider again after landing to stop the timer.

Flight Review Screen

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This screen provides options for amending your flight record, starting another flight or ending the mission.

• End All Flying: Progresses to the 'post mission' stage of the workflow. Depending on your workflow configuration, this might include a post-mission checklist, or proceed directly to the RPA serviceability declaration and mission completion.
• Fly Again: Loops back to the 'pre-flight configuration' screen in preparation for the next flight.
• Incident Report: (coming soon)
• Add a Missing Flight: Allows for the manual addition of a flight, in cases where flying was conducted without selecting 'Fly Again' in the field app.
• Tap on the flight # bar: Allows for the amendment of an individual flight (detailed below).

 

 

 

 

Swipe sideways to change between panels and amend various aspects of the chosen flight.

• Duration: Edit the recorded flight time (useful for cases where the timer was forgotten or stopped at the wrong time)
• Configuration: Change details of pilot, RPA, battery set or equipment used.
• Add Flight Note.

Once the relevant information has been amended, tap 'Save' to save the flight and return to the flight review screen.

 

 

 

 

Mission Completion

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When 'End all flying' is selected, the app will proceed to the 'post mission' stage of your workflow.

Depending on configuration, you might have one or more forms to complete in this stage - examples could include post-mission RPAS checks, or site-pack up checklists etc.

Lastly, you'll need to make a serviceability declaration for each RPA used on the mission.

 

 

• If 'Unserviceable' is selected, further details will be requested about the nature of the unserviceability. 
• The aircraft status will be updated in accordance with this declaration eg. if 'unserviceable' is selected, the RPA status will update and it will be placed under maintenance.
• Unserviceable aircraft can only be returned to service by the maintenance controller.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the post-mission stage is complete, the mission summary will appear and the mission will be completed.

The mission will now appear in the 'Done' section on the mission list screen (blue).