The mission item index is located on the right hand side of the Plan tab.

The mission item index shows what mission items are currently in the flight plan.

The mission items contain detailed information about the flight settings at that phase of the flight.

Mission Start

Mission Start is a non-user-editable mission item that sets parameters the PHX requires for successful flight.

This mission item can not be deleted.

Takeoff

The takeoff mission item inserts a takeoff pattern into the flight plan. This includes a planned launch point and a takeoff waypoint.

The default takeoff altitude is 250ft. It is not recommended to decrease this altitude for normal operation.

The takeoff distance can be reset to 500ft using the reset button at the bottom of the mission item box.

Launch Point

The launch point is where the aircraft is expected to be launched from.

Takeoff Waypoint

The takeoff waypoint is the location where the aircraft will fly to immediately after launch.

The takeoff waypoint is locked to be 500ft away from the launch point. This gives the aircraft enough time and space to climb to the launch altitude.

The aircraft will fly in a straight line between these two points while climbing to the take off altitude.

Waypoint

The waypoint mission item contains the settings for the individual waypoint it is associated with.

Altitude

Sets the target altitude of the aircraft at the waypoint location. The default waypoint altitude is 400ft AGL. Sentera does not recommend an altitude less than 150ft AGL.

Hold

This function is not supported for normal operation of the PHX.

Flight Speed

This function is not supported for normal operation of the PHX.

Camera

This function is not supported for normal operation of the PHX.

Survey/Corridor Scan

The survey mission item contains the settings related to the survey or corridor scan areas.

The survey/corridor scan mission item will initially be displayed in the shown simplified view. After the mission item has been fully initialized the expanded view will be displayed.

Preset Selection

Used to set the camera model, altitude, and overlap settings.

There are 5 Sentera created presets that are recommended for normal use of the PHX.

Custom presets and camera models can be created and save by the user. See the expanded view section for more information.

Transect Angle

The entry box or slider can be used to set the heading angle that the aircraft will fly across the survey.

Fly PHX automatically sets the angle direction based on the assumption that the takeoff waypoint is directly into the wind.

Flying crosswind, while snaking up wind across the survey area is the most aerodynamically efficient flight path.

Rotate Entry Point

The rotate entry point button changes which corner of the survey area that the aircraft will start at.

Fly PHX automatically sets the default entry point to be down wind based on the assumption that the takeoff waypoint is directly into the wind.

Flying crosswind, while snaking up wind across the survey area is the most aerodynamically efficient flight path.

Expanded View

Once the Survey mission item has been initialized by pressing next it will change to the expanded view when the mission item is returned to.

The expanded view gives more insight and control to the survey settings after a preset has been applied.

Grid

The grid tab displays the flight and camera settings.

Overlap

Defines the percent of each image that overlaps with the previous image in both the X and Y horizontal directions.

Altitude / Ground Resolution

Sets the altitude (AGL) the aircraft will perform the survey at.

The ground resolution or GSD can be used to set the altitude setting by using the radio button. Adjusting the ground resolution will automatically adjust the altitude required to achieve the set resolution.

Turn around Distance

Change the distance the aircraft will use to make a turn around between transects.

The default turn around distance is 410ft.

Reducing the turn around distance is not recommended for normal operation.

Options

The options tab displays several other survey settings.

Refly at 90 deg offset

After the survey is complete the aircraft will fly the same survey area again with a perpendicular transect direction.

This can be useful for 3D reconstruction models.

Images in turnarounds

Images in turnarounds are enable by default and are recommended by Sentera.

Disabling images in turnarounds may cause missed photos near the edges of the survey area.

Fly alternate transects

The flight plan will be updated to fly a Zamboni like pattern. The aircraft will fly every other transect across the survey area, then fly the remaining transects in the other direction.

This feature is useful when for when a smaller turn around distance is required.

The feature is best suited for use on calm windless days as it reduces wind related efficiency and performance.

Terrain

This menu is used to enable terrain following and set the tolerance, max climb rate, and max descent rate.

Please see the terrain following article for more information.

Statistics

Displays statistics related to the survey area and camera settings.

Camera

The camera tab shows a drop down selection of camera models.

The current models are:

Sentera Double 4K

Double 4K 60 degree FOV lens model.

Custom Camera

Allows the user to add a custom camera model.

Manual

Used for spot scouting such as Stand count or Tassel count.

Presets

The presets tab displays the preset menu.

Presets in fly PHX are used to apply settings. When a preset is selected the appropriate settings will be supplied applied to the survey mission item. This include altitude, overlap, and camera model.

The preset setting is not persistently displayed as a state. i.e. if QuickTile is applied the preset menu will not display QuickTile after the preset tab has been navigated away from. The grid tab will display the appropriate settings for a QuickTile survey.

Landing Pattern

The landing pattern mission item is used to adjust settings for the landing pattern.

The landing pattern defaults to the Sentera recommended settings for PHX.

Loiter Point

The settings for the loiter portion of the landing pattern

Altitude

The altitude to which the aircraft will descend to before beginning the final approach portion of the landing pattern.

The default and recommended loiter point altitude is 131.2ft.

Reducing the loiter point altitude will also automatically adjust the glide slope value.

Radius

The radius of the descent loiter.

The default and recommended decent loiter radius is 246.1ft.

Reducing the descent loiter radius is not recommended for normal operation.

Loiter Clockwise

Changes the descent loiter direction.

This is useful to avoid obstacles that may be in the way when loitering one direction versus the other.

Landing Point

Heading

Sets the landing direction. The landing direction heading can be adjusted by dragging the loiter point or by manually inputting entering a value between 0 and 360 in the value box.

Altitude

Tells the aircraft to land at 0ft AGL.

Changing this setting is not recommended.

Landing Distance/Glide Slope

The landing distance and glideslope are used to adjust the final approach distance.

The two values are tied together. If one is changed the other will also change.

The default glide slope is 6.0 degrees and a landing distance of 1248.6ft.

The maximum glide slope that the PHX will accept is 7 degrees (landing distance of 1068.8ft).

Camera

The camera settings are used to tell the aircraft to stop taking distance based photos or video during the landing pattern.

These are enabled by default.