Session 4 · Powered-Lift & Autonomous Missions
Aim: the trainee can fly a complete mission profile (hover take-off → transition → circuit → back transition → hover landing) and plan, upload and supervise an autonomous mission, ready to take manual control at any moment.
4.1 Full mission profile — right-hand
Section titled “4.1 Full mission profile — right-hand”Take-off, pitch-over, right-hand circuit, reverse transition, land — as one continuous profile, with the instructor prompting only at decision points.
4.2 Full mission profile — left-hand, multiple cycles
Section titled “4.2 Full mission profile — left-hand, multiple cycles”As 4.1 with left-hand circuits and multiple transition cycles per flight, building smoothness and energy awareness (watch battery reserve for the recovery).
4.3 Autonomous mission
Section titled “4.3 Autonomous mission”Plan, upload (and read back), then supervise an autonomous mission. Mimic the flight modes on the GCS/RC throughout so manual control can be assumed instantly.
4.4 DO_JUMP / repeat-pattern mission
Section titled “4.4 DO_JUMP / repeat-pattern mission”Implement and supervise a DO_JUMP mission for repeat-pattern flying (e.g. survey lanes).
Aircraft notes. EP450: manage the landing energy — begin recovery with a reserve; fly one forward transition per sortie. EP250: allow ≥ 20 m of clear airspace above the recovery point for the back-transition zoom climb.
Outcome: trainee flies full manual mission profiles and supervises an autonomous mission, maintaining the ability to take over at any time.