UAS (drone) registered on the Digital Sky platform and UIN obtained

Required for all drones > 250g in India under UAS Rules 2021

Remote Pilot Licence (RPL) held by the pilot or RPAS operator certificate verified

Flight zone checked on Digital Sky — Green, Yellow or Red classification confirmed

LAPC (Low Altitude Permission) filed and approved for Yellow zones

Ministry of Defence / MoCA NOC obtained if within controlled or restricted airspace

ASI NOC obtained for flights over centrally protected monuments

Required for any drone photography over ASI-protected sites — apply through the relevant ASI circle office

State police intimation letter filed (recommended for Yellow zone even if not strictly required)

Liability insurance document available and current

Wind speed checked — suspend if sustained > 25 km/h or gusting > 35 km/h

Weather forecast verified — no rain, fog or visibility < 1km during planned flight window

No-fly times confirmed — avoid religious ceremonies, prayers, public events

Crowd exclusion zone established and communicated to site team

Nearby power lines, telecommunications masts and obstacles mapped

Emergency landing zones identified within the flight area

Drone firmware updated to current version

All batteries at > 80% charge; battery health verified in the app

Propellers inspected — no cracks, chips or deformation

GPS fix confirmed — > 10 satellites locked before takeoff

Return-to-home altitude set above the highest obstacle in the flight area

Memory card formatted and capacity sufficient for planned mission

Camera settings configured — ISO, aperture, shutter speed and overlap percentage set before takeoff

Flight log recorded — date, pilot, location, duration, altitude, any incidents

Images transferred to project storage immediately; backup copy created

Preliminary coverage check — verify no gaps in the planned capture area before leaving site