Use this guide to get up and running on the FlyFreely platform.
This guide will help you get set up and complete your first mission using the FlyFreely platform. It is recommended that you follow it through in sequence, however if you have already covered some of the steps, feel free to simply skip ahead to the next sections. As a new FlyFreely user, the main steps you'll need to take are:- Enter your Personnel, RPAs, Batteries and equipment into the system
- Configure your company authorities and upload the relevant documents
- Configure your workflow/s and forms (if required)
- Configure flight logging, (if required)
- Enter personal authorities and set up profile (each individual remote pilot)
- Plan your first mission using the FlyFreely Office App
- Complete and finalise your mission (Field App + Office App)
Note: The links in this article will all open in a new browser tab. Once you're finished with a section, simply close that tab and continue moving through the steps below. All action points are highlighted in red:
For Organisation Administrators
These steps should be completed by your organisation administrator. Steps to be taken by all Remote Pilots and other operational staff are listed further down this page. Click here to skip the admin processes.
1. Personnel, RPAs, Batteries & Equipment
Firstly, let's add any other personnel in your organization that will require access to the FlyFreely platform. These might be Remote Pilots, Chief Remote Pilot, Maintenance people, Administrators etc. For a full list of user roles, click here.
2. Configure Authorities and Documents
You will need to consider what type of authorities you require and which types you already have. Common organization-level authorities include:
- RPA Operator Certificate (ReOC)
- Operation of RPA at Night
- Company ARN
- Any organization-specific inductions or training courses
3. Configure Workflows & Forms (advanced)
In FlyFreely, a workflow is a collection of forms which are presented to the user at pre determined mission stages. Workflows dictate the actual process you'll follow to plan and execute a mission.
Both workflows and individual forms are highly customizable and can be configured to suit your operational requirements exactly.
A few considerations when planning your workflows:
- How many different workflows do you require? For many operators, a single workflow is sufficient, and covers all missions. Others might have different requirements depending on mission type, in which case multiple workflows are required.
- Are your workflows based on a specific authority? For example, if you're flying under an operator's certificate, you'll need to configure the authority first, then create a mission workflow based on the authority.
- Are the standard workflows suitable for your operations? FlyFreely has several in-built authority workflows that appear when you add the relevant authority. Take a look at these workflows first to determine whether you need to make changes.
And forms:
- Are the built-in forms sufficient for your needs? These are based on standard operations and meet CASA requirements. If you don't have a specific need for custom forms, it's recommended to use these.
- If customising forms, can you use the existing forms as a base? You can save time and effort by editing a pre-existing form rather than starting from scratch.
Use the following guides if required:
5. Configure Flight Logging
A powerful feature of the FlyFreely platform is the ability to easily reconcile the flight data generated by your RPAS with your mission planning records.
There are several methods for capturing flight logs within the platform, depending on your other equipment and operational processes. The various methods are outlined in the below article.
For Remote Pilots
It is worth getting each Remote Pilot and Planner in your organization to go through the following steps either individually or together, to ensure that each relevant person has an understanding of the software.
1. Upload Authorities and setup profile
In addition to the company authorities discussed above, each remote pilot will have their own personal authorites. These will include things like remote pilot license and radio operator certificates.
Users can upload these documents via their profile, which is accessed via the menu in the top-right corner of the dashboard screen.
Australian users: Make sure to input your Airservices (NAIPS) login credentials into the ASA Details section of your profile. This will allow you to check for current NOTAMs directly from the platform rather than logging into the NAIPS system separately.
2. Dummy Mission Tutorial
New users will be presented with a series of short tutorial videos guiding them through the process of planning and executing a mission in the platform. We strongly recommend that everyone completes this and plans a dummy mission to get a feel for the process.
Note: Dummy missions are easily hidden from the dashboard view, so completing the tutorial won't result in a congested missions list, or affect operational records in any way.
In addition to the video tutorial, a walkthrough of the mission planning process
Conclusion
Once you've completed the above steps, you should have a good idea of the basic features and functionality of the FlyFreely platform. For the full list of topics and to learn more about the software, please visit our knowledge base.
If you have any questions or issues while working through this guide, please contact FlyFreely support via the contact page to submit a support request, or email us at support@flyfreely.io