# FPV Drone Pre-Flight and Post-Flight Checklist: Safety, Diagnostics, and Maintenance
Most FPV drone failures are preventable. A bent prop on takeoff, a loose XT60 that disconnects mid-loop, a GPS that fails to lock before a mountain dive — these aren’t bad luck. They’re missed checklist items. This guide provides the complete pre-flight and post-flight routine used by professional FPV pilots to catch problems on the ground, not in the air.
## The Pre-Flight Checklist (Do This Every Single Flight)
### 1. Physical Inspection (60 seconds)
| Check | What to Look For | Action If Failed |
|—|—|—|
| Props | Cracks, chips, bent tips, delamination | Replace — never fly chipped props |
| Frame | Delaminated carbon, loose standoffs, cracked arms | Ground until repaired |
| Motor bells | Bent shaft (wobble when spun), gritty bearings, loose magnets | Replace motor or bearings |
| Antennas | SMA connector tight, no kinks in coax, active element undamaged | Replace antenna — a broken SMA kills VTX |
| Battery strap | No cuts or fraying, grip pad intact | Replace — a lost battery means a falling quad |
| XT60/XT30 | Pins not compressed, no melted housing, snug connection | Replace connector |
| Capacitor | Not bulging, no electrolyte leakage, leads intact | Replace immediately |
### 2. Screw and Fastener Check (30 seconds)
– All frame screws: finger-tight plus 1/8 turn. Carbon fiber strips threads easily.
– Motor screws: verify they haven’t backed out. Bottom screws hitting motor windings = short circuit and fire.
– Stack screws: snug but not tight. Over-compressing a soft-mounted FC defeats the soft mounting.
– Camera screws: verify camera angle hasn’t shifted since last flight.
### 3. Electrical Check (Plug In LiPo — Props OFF)
| Check | Expected Result | Red Flags |
|—|—|—|
| ESC startup tones | 3 beeps (power) + 2 beeps (signal) = 5 total | Missing beep = ESC not receiving signal or dead |
| VTX LED | Power LED on, channel/freq LEDs correct | No LED = VTX not powered |
| Receiver LED | Solid (bound) or slow blink (unbound) | No LED or fast blink = no link to TX |
| GPS lock (if equipped) | >8 satellites, 3D fix | <5 satellites or no fix — don't fly beyond LOS |
| OSD boot elements | Craft name, voltage, RSSI/LQ, timer visible | Missing elements = OSD chip or font issue |
### 4. Control Surface Check (Props OFF, Armed)
1. Arm the quad (props off!) and verify motors spin up smoothly at idle
2. Apply small pitch/roll inputs — each axis should respond without delay
3. Verify throttle response is smooth from zero to 50%
4. Test beeper and/or DShot beacon on a switch
5. Verify failsafe: turn off radio — quad should disarm within 1 second
### 5. First Flight Hover Check (Props ON)
- Hover at eye level for 10 seconds: listen for grinding, ticking, or unbalanced props
- Verify OSD voltage drops by no more than 0.2V at hover (excessive sag = damaged battery)
- Do a gentle punch-out to 50% throttle and check for yaw twitches or oscillations
- Land and verify nothing is hot to the touch (motors, VTX, battery)
## The Post-Flight Checklist
### Immediately After Landing
| Check | Action |
|---|---|
| Motor temperature | Touch each motor bell. Warm = OK. Hot to hold = over-propped or PID issue. One motor cold while others are warm = that ESC/motor may have failed. |
| Battery voltage | Check resting voltage. 3.7V/cell = perfect landing. 3.5V/cell = cut it close. Below 3.3V/cell = battery damage. |
| Battery balance | Check individual cell voltages. >0.05V imbalance = pack is aging. >0.1V imbalance = retire the pack. |
| Frame integrity | Visual sweep for new cracks, especially around motor mounts and arm roots |
| Prop condition | One more check — grass strikes and tiny pebbles cause micro-cracks invisible before but visible now |
| Lens cleanliness | Wipe the camera lens with a microfiber cloth. Don’t let one grass smudge ruin your next flight’s DVR. |
### At Home: Deep Maintenance (Every 10-20 Flights)
| Maintenance Task | Frequency | Tools Needed |
|—|—|—|
| Motor bearing inspection | Every 20 flights | Listen for grinding; replace if noisy |
| Blackbox log review | Every 10 flights | Betaflight Blackbox Explorer |
| Frame bolt re-torque | Every 10 flights | 2mm hex driver |
| VTX antenna SMA check | Every 10 flights | Check for looseness or rotation |
| FC/ESC solder joint inspection | Every 20 flights or after crash | Magnifying glass |
| Capacitor replacement | Every 6 months or after visible bulge | Soldering iron, replacement cap |
| Prop swap (all 4) | Every 15-20 flights | New set of props |
## The “Crash Survivor” Checklist
After any crash that was hard enough to disarm:
1. **Props OFF. Plug in.** Listen for the full 5 ESC startup tones.
2. Check all 4 motors spin in Betaflight Motors tab (individual slider test)
3. Check gyro traces are smooth when tapping each arm — a spike on one arm indicates delamination
4. Check video transmission at 10m — a crack in the VTX antenna’s coax may not be visible
5. Check GPS still acquires lock (GPS ceramics crack in hard impacts)
6. Check frame arms for hidden delamination by flexing them gently — cracks that open under load are invisible at rest
## The “Don’t Be That Pilot” Reminders
– **Never fly with a pack that puffed during the last flight** — it’s damaged and will puff more
– **Never ignore a motor that sounds different** — bearings don’t heal themselves
– **Never skip the failsafe check** — the one time you don’t test it is the time it won’t work
– **Never launch with <8 GPS satellites if you plan to fly beyond LOS** — GPS rescue can't save you without a lock
- **One bent prop = replace all four** — a balanced quad requires balanced props
## Recommended Gear
A proper pre-flight kit lives in your bag. The **ISDT BG-8S battery checker** (cell-by-cell voltage, internal resistance), a **Wera 2mm hex driver** (the best tool in FPV — won't strip screws), and a **Racedayquads smoke stopper** are your minimum viable kit. All at [uavmodel.com](https://uavmodel.com).