Drone exam · Operational procedures

The manufacturer advertises 34 minutes of flight time in ideal conditions. A mission calculator says the route will take 31 minutes. Why is that not an acceptable battery plan by itself?

Answer

Plan with realistic consumption for wind, temperature, payload, manoeuvring, battery condition, and reserve. The route should end with enough energy to handle a diversion, go around, or other foreseeable delay.

Explanation

Maximum endurance is normally measured under specified conditions. A mission that consumes nearly all theoretical endurance leaves no room for real world variation or recovery.