With Thermal, you have chosen the finest, quietest, and most portable flying 4K HDR and thermography camera, you can use everywhere on the go, anytime. We strongly recommend you read the following information and instructions thoroughly before you get Thermal in the air, to make the most of your first 26-minute flight. The indispensable prerequisites, on the next pages, will not occupy more than 5 minutes of your time: Thermal requires the FreeFlight 6 v6.
You want Thermal up in the air as soon as possible, so do we. Refer to the enclosed Super Quick Start Guide (SQSG) if you need illustrated guidance to get these quick prerequisites out of the way. 1. Wake your Thermal’s smart battery up. Charge the battery using the enclosed USB-A to USB-C cable and a USB-A power adapter. The battery’s LEDs start flashing: it is awake. Let it charge while you read. Parrot recommends you always run a full charge of your smart battery before flying Thermal 2.
If the prompt does not appear on your screen when you connect your device to your Parrot Skycontroller 3, launch FreeFlight 6 manually, as any other app. iOS FreeFlight 6 homepage 3. Tap the green “FLY” box on the homepage of FreeFlight 6 to launch the initial updates. FreeFlight 6 automatically updates the Parrot Skycontroller 3 first, and Thermal second. 4. Parrot Skycontroller 3 update: tap the green “CONTINUE” box to proceed.
5. Thermal update: tap the green “CONTINUE” box to proceed. FreeFlight 6 displays an animation and a progress circle on a screen labelled “Preparing your drone”. When the update is finished, the screen displays “Your drone is ready” and a “CONTINUE” box. Tap this “CONTINUE” box to come back to FreeFlight 6 homepage (screenshots below are iOS). 6. All systems are ready for flight.
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About Thermal Thermal was designed and optimized to fly as is. Parrot therefore strongly discourages the use of any add-on or accessory which could be mounted on, or attached to Thermal (motor covers, feet extensions, buoys, hulls, etc.). In addition to the overweight they carry for the drone and its motors, they can indeed magnetically disturb Thermal and impair its communications. About lens cap and camera calibration Always remove Thermal’s lens cap before you power the drone on.
About auto-RTH (return home) By design, when synchronized to GPS and Glonass satellites and when short on power, Thermal will always attempt to come back to its most recent take-off point, at minimal height over this take-off point, which is configurable through FreeFlight 6 (between 20 meters and 100 meters) and is set by default at 30 meters. For this reason, Parrot recommends Thermal pilots to take extra care when moving away from the take-off location of their drone (for example to follow Thermal).
1. Thermal IS NOT A TOY and should not be used or handled by a person under the age of 18 years. 2. BEFORE USING Thermal: (A) CAREFULLY READ the user manual and all information and documentation available on www.parrot.com, which is susceptible to be updated at any time and without prior notice (hereinafter referred to as "Parrot Documentation").
DRONE • Size folded: 218x69x64mm • Size unfolded (propellers unfolded): 242x315x64mm • Weight: 315g • Max transmission range: 4km with Parrot SkyController 3 • Max flight time: 26min • Max speed: 55km/h • Max vertical speed: 4m/s • Max wind resistance: 50km/h • Service ceiling: 4.
Your - 14 Thermal package contains: an Thermal drone 3 smart batteries, one of which preinstalled on a shoulder bag a lens cap, preinstalled on the gimbal 4 USB-A to USB-C charging cables A multi-port USB charger a 16GB microSD card, preinstalled in Thermal a microSD to SD card adapter a Parrot Skycontroller 3 a tablet holder 8 spare propeller blades a mounting tool a Flight Safety Guide a Super Quick Start Guide (SQSG) a Wi-Fi settings card Thermal
Ready to store or carry Foldable arms and propellers Ready to fly Smart battery Charge level LED indicators Battery extraction button 180° tilt 4K HDR & thermography double camera gimbal Power button User Guide v3.
Ready to store or carry Left control stick Right control stick Power-on foldable arm and device holder Ready to pilot LED status indicator RTH (return home) button 16 Wi-Fi antenna Take-off/landing button
Camera and gimbal controls Shutter button (take photo or start/stop filming) Optics reset button (back to no tilt and x1 zoom) Zoom trigger (down: zoom in; up: zoom out) Tilt trigger (down: tilt down; up: tilt up) Charging light (red: charging; green: charged) USB-C charging port USB-A device port LED status indicator color codes When the Parrot Skycontroller 3 is powered on, its LED status indicator gives you an instant visual indication: - flashing green: alternating light blue and dark blue: flash
Equipment - - Make sure you have downloaded the latest version of FreeFlight 6 and that both your Parrot Skycontroller 3 and your Thermal have been updated with the latest versions of firmware. For the ultimate Thermal experience, make sure you have the right USB-A cable to connect your Parrot Skycontroller 3 and your device. Make sure Thermal is fitted with a microSD card with enough free memory space. Make sure all four foldable arms of Thermal are unfolded.
1. Charge the battery using the enclosed USB-A to USB-C cable and a USB-A power adapter. Charging times depend on the supply capacity of the adapter. Refer to the “Battery charging” section of this guide for additional information. Parrot recommends you always run a full charge of your smart battery before flying Thermal 2. If you want to use the controller and enjoy the full Thermal experience, charge Parrot Skycontroller 3. 3. Check that your flying zone is safe and clear. 4.
Ground take-off Position Thermal on a flat, even, and clear surface. Power it on, move at least 2m (6ft) away from surroundings of the drone are absolutely clear. Thermal and check that the Press the button on your Parrot Skycontroller 3, or tap the green “TAKE-OFF” box, on the screen of your device. Thermal takes off and stabilizes at 1m (3ft) from the ground, waiting for commands from the pilot. Hand launch Be especially careful when you hand launch Thermal.
Left control stick (default mode) Right control stick (default mode) Rise Descend Forward Reverse Turn right Move to the right Turn left Move to the left User Guide v3.
To bring Thermal back to its take-off position, press the button on your Parrot Skycontroller 3, or tap the icon on the screen of your device. Thermal rises to 30 meters over its take-off point – or to the altitude you have set, through FreeFlight 6, between 20 and 100 meters – and flies back over its takeoff position. Refer to the “PREFERENCES – Safety” section of this guide for instructions on RTH height configuration.
Fly Thermal directly over a flat, even, and clear surface, then press the button, or tap the orange “LAND” box on the screen of your device. Thermal lands. User Guide v3.
Thermal’s smart LiPo battery is preinstalled on the drone and should always be reinstalled in the same way, with the LEDs and power button facing up, to avoid irrecoverable electric damage to the battery, to the drone, or to both. The smart battery can be charged whether it is installed on Thermal or not. However, you will need to remove the battery from the drone to access your microSD card. Refer to the “Retrieving media” section of this guide for further information.
Battery installation To install the smart battery back on the drone, unfold the back arms of Thermal. Set the drone on a flat and even surface (such as a table), and position the battery’s three hooks into the drone’s corresponding slots. Place your middle finger on the Parrot logo of Thermal and your thumb on the back of the smart battery. Squeeze your fingers together until you feel and hear the battery clicking into the body of the drone.
When Thermal’s smart LiPo battery is plugged to a power source and charging, its 4 LEDs indicate in real time its level of charge: - LED 1 flashing: LED 1 steady & LED 2 flashing: LEDs 1 and 2 steady & LED 3 flashing: LEDs 1, 2 and 3 steady & LED 4 flashing: battery is plugged and all LEDs are off: Similarly, when your battery is not installed on at any time by pressing its power button: - 1 steady LED lights up: 2 steady LEDs light up: 3 steady LEDs light up: 4 steady LEDs light up: battery is between
Like all other LiPo batteries, and stored with care: - Thermal’s smart battery must be handled, transported never leave a battery unattended while charging; never expose a battery to extreme temperatures, neither hot, nor cold; never charge a battery which is still warm from use (wait for at least 20 minutes); never use or recharge a damaged or swollen battery; always store your battery in a dry, ventilated place, at a temperature close to 20°C; always carry your battery in a fire-retardant bag or case (u
Your Thermal is equipped with a 16GB microSD card which enables you to record videos and photos, and to transfer them easily to your computer, your device, or both. This section explains how to extract the microSD card from Thermal, how to retrieve your media from the microSD card, and how to reinstall it in the drone. Extracting the microSD card To extract the microSD card from Thermal, the battery must be removed from the drone. Refer to the “Battery removal” section of this guide for details.
Compatible microSD cards Refer to Parrot online documentation for an updated list of microSD cards. Thermal compatible Direct media retrieval (drone to computer) You can also retrieve your media directly from microSD card. Thermal, without extracting the Use the enclosed USB-A to USB-C cable to connect the drone (USB-C) to a USB-A port of your computer. Power Thermal on. Thermal mounts as any other external drive: copy your media from the DCIM/100MEDIA directory to your computer’s hard drive.
The HUD (head-up display) interface of FreeFlight 6 is the ultimate companion to Thermal. It enables you to access all the outstanding features of Thermal, from the screen of your device, at the touch of your thumbs. This section explores FreeFlight 6 functions, starting with a presentation of the top and bottom bars of the Visible Spectrum HUD. Access the Visible Spectrum HUD by taping “FLY” on the bottom right of the homepage of FreeFlight 6.
Presentation of the iOS HUD (video mode view) Drone’s horizontal distance from pilot Next available action Drone’s height relative to take-off point Controller box (charge and GPS synch) Drone’s ground speed Drone’s box (charge and GPS synch) Back to homepage Speed (Film or Sport) box Preferences Spectrum Toggle Photo/video toggle Soft shutter button and timer Piloting mode box Video settings box Cineshots box Video mode box Thermal and FreeFlight 6 are packed with features which are accessi
Note that both GPS icons are green, on both screen captures (iOS and Android screen presentations). This means that the drone’s controller (Skycontroller 3 or device) and Thermal are both synchronized to enough GPS and Glonass satellites to optimize the stability of the drone, especially at higher altitudes. Parrot therefore recommends you always check both your FreeFlight 6 HUD’s GPS icons are green (and not red), before you make your Thermal take off.
Presentation of the Android HUD (photo mode view) Drone’s horizontal distance from pilot Next available action Drone’s height relative to take-off point Controller box (charge and GPS synch) Drone’s ground speed Drone’s box (charge and GPS synch) Back to homepage Preferences Piloting mode box Additional menus* (Speed box, Spectrum toggle & Cineshots box) Soft shutter button and timer Photo/ video toggle Photo settings box Photo mode box Thermal’s photo modes include a Single shot mode, a Burst mo
Access FreeFlight 6 preferences through the icon on the extreme right of the top bar of the homepage, or that of the HUD. Preferences enable you to fine-tune Thermal to your hand – to customize it, to fit your piloting and filming styles. Access Preferences submenus from the boxes on the left of the screen. Tap a box to select it and access its items. For all items, default values (DV) are marked in bold characters.
- - Emissivity refers to the ability of surfaces to emit thermal (infra-red) radiation. Emissivity values range from 0.0 to 1.0: the emissivity of highly polished metallic surfaces seldom exceeds 0.10; the emissivity of the surface of a perfect black body is 1.0. Reflected temperature refers to the thermal radiation originating from objects which reflect off the measurement target. Tap “RESET THERMAL SETTINGS” on the bottom of the page to reset preferences.
Safety Through Safety preferences, you can set a safe and clear flying area for Thermal. Set Thermal’s maximum flight altitude with the “Max altitude” slider. This setting is always activated, regardless of the activation of the Geofence. To set a maximum distance from the pilot for your drone, move the “Max distance” slider to the required value, then tap YES to activate the Geofence. When the Geofence is activated, Thermal will automatically stop when it reaches the maximum distance you have selected.
- Network’s name Password Wi-Fi band Tap the field to change your Thermal’s network name Tap the box to change your network’s password AUTO / MANUAL Safety preferences, Android User Guide v3.
In addition to its thermography camera, Thermal is equipped with a state-of-the-art 4K, 3-axis-stabilized camera, which delivers astoundingly sharp motion and still pictures, through a 1/2.4’’ CMOS 21MP sensor. The lens of this camera includes low dispersion aspherical elements, that reduce chromatic aberrations and flare, and guarantee optical excellence to such a small, smart and versatile airborne imaging system.
Available video resolutions and fps values depend on the video mode you have selected: Standard: Cinema: Hyperlapse: Slow-Motion 1080p Slow-Motion 720p High-Framerate: all-round 4K, 2.7K or 1080p filming, at 24, 25 or 30fps. spectacular 4K cinema filming, at 24fps. time-lapse video with a configurable speed factor (x15, x30, x60, x120, x240), in 4K, 2.7K or 1080p, exported at 24, 25 or 30fps. filming at 48, 50 or 60fps, automatically slowed down by a factor of 2 and exported at 24, 25 or 30fps.
Taking photos To access the photo camera of Thermal, tap the photo/video toggle in the middle of the bottom bar of the HUD, to circle the photo camera (left icon) in white. Five photo modes are available on Thermal: Single shot, Burst, Bracketing, Timer, Timelapse, GPS Lapse and Panorama (5 formats).
Selecting the “GPS Lapse” opens six options: 5m, 10m, 20m, 50m, 100m, and 200m. When one of these options has been selected, the soft shutter button of the HUD displays a GPS Lapse icon. - Second, select a photo format from the corresponding box of the HUD. Tap the photo settings box to call the photo settings boxes. Tap the last box on the right of the screen to access the available photo formats.
Android photo formats: DNG+JPEG RECT (zoom is unlocked, stream image is RECT) When you are happy with your settings and your framing, press the hard shutter button on the right of the Parrot Skycontroller 3 (or tap the soft shutter button of the HUD) to take a photo. In “Single” mode, the screen flashes white then freezes briefly in black and white to confirm a picture has been taken. The number to the left of the soft shutter button (the number of media on the microSD card) of the HUD is increased by 1.
In “GPS Lapse” mode, the screen flashes white then freezes briefly in black and white to confirm a picture has been taken. Control and move ANAFI Thermal: when the drone reaches any point on a 5 to 200-meter bubble around the initial photo, depending on your option choice, the drone takes another photo, and so on until you press the shutter button again to stop the GPS Lapse.
To capture a panorama, select the “Panorama” box from the “Photo Mode” menu of the HUD. Then, tap the panorama type you want to select it: Vertical, Horizontal or 360. The soft shutter button icon reflects your choice, as on the screen capture below. Android Panorama types When you are happy with your framing, press the hard shutter button on the right of the Parrot Skycontroller 3 (or tap the soft shutter button of the HUD) to begin the Panorama capture.
Tap the green box of the Panorama you want to generate to start downloading the corresponding series of pictures to your device. When the download is complete, FreeFlight 6 displays a page from where you can delete the downloaded photos: tap “Yes” to keep the originals on the microSD card; tap “No” to delete them. FreeFlight 6 displays the Local (device) gallery, which contains only the media you have downloaded from Thermal’s microSD card.
Android: Creating panorama When the panorama creation is complete, FreeFlight 6 displays the panorama and gives you the option to delete the original files. For each Vertical or Horizontal panorama capture, you will be able to generate one panorama only. For each 360 capture, you will be able to generate three different preset panoramas (Sphere, Little Planet and Tunnel) and a potentially infinite number of custom panoramas, through the 360 editor.
Two of Thermal’s main assets are its gimbal tilt control capabilities (180°, from the ground to the sky), and its zoom. This section presents these features and the way to activate them. Gimbal tilt control Thermal’s gimbal tilt control is activated through the left trigger of Parrot Skycontroller 3. It is available in all video and photo modes, and in all manual piloting modes. - To aim the gimbal toward the ground, push the tilt control trigger down.
Android 4K x1.4 zoom Android 4K x2.8 zoom As already mentioned, Thermal presents .no lossless zoom capabilities for pictures: the zoom is deactivated by design in WIDE formats (JPEG and DNG+JPEG), and it has an impact on the resolution of the pictures in JPEG RECT format. By contrast, Thermal offers impressive lossless zoom capabilities for 4K UHD (x1.4), 2.7K (x1.9) and 1080p (X2.8) videos.
iOS 1080p x1 zoom iOS 1080p x1.8 zoom iOS 1080p x2.8 zoom Note that in the video mode, when you leave the lossless envelope of the zoom, the zoom indicator, on the middle left of the HUD, turns orange instead of white. User Guide v3.
Camera Calibration: Correct horizon (exceptional procedure) Your Thermal’s camera has been factory-calibrated with unparalleled precision. Unlike the calibration of Thermal or that of the Parrot Skycontroller 3, which must be carried out periodically, the camera calibration must not be carried out unless it appears necessary – typically, after a crash.
When Thermal is correctly positioned, perpendicular to its straight horizon reference, power it on, along with the Parrot Skycontroller 3 and your device, as you would for any flight. Access “Camera calibration” from the Thermal box of the homepage or the HUD of FreeFlight 6, or from the “PREFERENCES-Camera” menu. Select the “Correct horizon” option from the following screen. Thermal: Camera calibration (Android) The following screen appears.
Horizon correction: after (iOS) When you have straightened the tilt of the camera, tap the “<” icon on the top left of the screen to confirm your setting and exit camera calibration. Camera Calibration: Gimbal calibration Use this option to perform a gimbal calibration, similar to that which occurs after Thermal is powered on.
Thermal is set to deliver high quality and balanced 4K videos and 21MP photos, out of the box. Some image enthusiasts and all professional directors, videographers and photographers, however, will find their way through pro-imaging settings. This section is designed to help you exploit manual settings and develop your filming and photography styles. The Exposure value (EV) is the only setting accessible in the Auto mode, from the “Video/Photo settings box” menu of the HUD.
As Thermal’s f/2.4 aperture lens lets a lot of light in, even compared to most professional SLR lenses, your drone can achieve very fast “s” values (down to 1/10000s) and capture very fast action. It can also be used for slow shots, up to 1 second for the photo mode. Note that Thermal can shoot pictures and videos when it is not flying. You can even hold it in your hand and use it as a premium stabilized 4K video and photo camera. Tap the “s” box to open the shutter slider.
Tap the WB box to open the white balance options. Select the WB option that is best suited for your shooting conditions, your subject, or both. The display of the HUD reflects your settings and helps you make the best choice. iOS Auto WB iOS Incandescent WB iOQ Fluo WB iOQ Sunny WB iOS Cloudy WB iOS Shaded WB User Guide v3.
HDR HDR (high dynamic range) is another great way to enhance a video or a photo. The HDR option is available for Standard video mode 4K, 2.7K and 1080p formats (regardless of framerate values) and JPEG photos. To activate the HDR option, select a Standard video mode or a JPEG photo format from the relevant boxes of the bottom bar of the HUD. A white and round HDR icon appears on the screen of your device, to the left of the photo/video trigger.
PASTEL Style Another alternative Style to Natural looking images (default value) can be selected for Thermal both in the video mode, and in the photo mode. It is called “Pastel”. It makes images less saturated, but it brings out their warmest tones. Activate the “PASTEL” Style from the “Style” box of the Video/Photo settings menu.
Tap the “<” icon, on the left of the screen, to confirm your settings and exit the ADJUSTMENT menu. Lock AE Another great feature of FreeFlight 6 is the possibility to lock the general exposure of a view, to fine-tune the framing of a shot and keep the desired exposure. To access this function, tap the “Video settings box” (video mode) or the “Photo settings box” (photo mode) of the HUD.
Lock AE Touch With the “Lock AE Touch” (or “Spot AE”) function of FreeFlight 6, you can also lock the exposure of a frame on any detail of any view. To activate this function, follow the “Lock AE” procedure of the preceding section. When the exposure is locked, touch the part of the frame you want to base your exposure on. A yellow square animates around this spot and the yellow “Lock AE” box is replaced by a yellow “Lock AE Touch” box.
About Thermal Imaging Thermal imaging – or infrared (IR) thermography – is the process of acquiring, measuring and analyzing thermal information from non-contact devices, such as Thermal’s FLIR Lepton 3.5 camera. Thermal imaging devices transform invisible IR radiations, or heat transfers, into colored images the human eye can interpret and analyze.
Note the “Pause view” button enables you modify your settings through the “PREFERENCES” icon, on the far right of the top HUD bar: exiting the PREFERENCES menu brings you back to the “paused view”. This is especially useful, for example, when you want to change your settings for a precise inspection. As for the Visible Spectrum, you can record both Thermal photos and videos: make your choice through the photo/video toggle button in the lower bar of the HUD.
Relative Thermal mode: reference image However, the lock button (under the scale, on the left of the screen) enables you to temporarily lock the scale to the temperature range of any scene. This is especially useful if you must reframe your scene to include part of the sky. Indeed, the sky always appears as a very cold element, which disturbs the scale.
Spot Thermal mode The Spot Thermal mode of Thermal is especially useful to isolate cold or hot spots. Use the inverted arrows button (under the scale, on the left of the screen) to toggle from hot to cold (or from cold to hot) and slide your finger along the scale to adapt the threshold of the scale to your scene and highlight only coldest or hottest spots. Spot Thermal mode: only the hottest elements of the scene are colored.
Absolute Thermal mode The Absolute Thermal Mode is the most versatile of Thermal’s thermography modes. It enables the user to select a custom temperature scale and to focus on it, to achieve extremely precise color readings. Control your analysis through the two buttons located under the temperature scale.
The selected range has been narrowed, from the bottom: the contrast of the image highlights the whole scale of temperatures of the scene, from blue (17° C) to yellow (45° C) through purple, red and orange. The camera has been reoriented toward the sky. The selected scale is still locked. The colder and distant sky and clouds are excluded from color readings.
The Thermal analyzer feature of FreeFlight 6 provides you with a great tool to achieve quick thermal video analysis, directly from your device. This function gives you full control over the on-screen rendering of any thermography video you have taken with Thermal.
Thermal analyzer interface, Relative mode (iOS) Same image (hot) Spot mode (iOS) Same image Absolute mode (iOS) User Guide v3.
Same image (hot) Spot mode, Thermal spectrum only (iOS) Same image Visible spectrum only (iOS) 68
Thermal features a series of automated shots, which enable you to capture scenes professionally. iOS Cineshots Menu Make sure you have selected the video settings you require, check that you are filming and tap “CINESHOTS” in the bottom bar of the HUD to access Cineshots. Tap a Cineshot to select it. For each, two options appear.
Spiral The Spiral Cineshot is perfect to unveil your surroundings – or that of any object on the ground. When it is activated, Thermal tilts its camera to the ground and starts moving up, in a straight vertical line. Slowly, as it climbs to 30 or 60 meters, Thermal carries out a full 360° rotation around its axis, then and its camera tilts up progressively, panning over the scenery along a 180° rotation. Therefore, Thermal finishes the Spiral Cineshot with a 180° angle, compared to its starting point.
Tap the “PILOTING MODE” box in the bottom bar of the HUD of FreeFlight 6 to access the piloting modes options. Tap a mode to select it. Each mode is associated with a specific behavior, which this section describes. Manual flight The Manual flight mode is Thermal’s default mode. It enables you to pilot the drone and fully control its camera tilt and zoom. When you release the commands in Manual flight mode, hovering.
To end the following of your target, tap the red “STOP” box at the center of the top bar of the HUD. When no target is selected, or when the following of the target has been ended by the pilot, Thermal’s behavior is similar to that of the Manual flight mode.
Draw a rectangle with your finger on the screen of your device, around yourself. When Thermal has a lock on you, the blue rectangle turns to green and the orange “LAND” box at the center of the top bar of the HUD turns red and displays “STOP”. By default, Thermal keeps you in the center of the frame, but you can drag the green box to the area of the screen you want to remain at. If you push the right joystick of the Parrot Skycontroller 3 to the left, Thermal circles around you clockwise.
Tap a Dronie to select it. Tap the option you have chosen to activate the Dronie: after 2 seconds, Thermal starts moving around you. The corresponding Dronie box fills with green as the Dronie unfolds. Activate and monitor the Follow Me mode and each Dronie with care: always check your flight plan is clear from obstacles and safe, always retain visual contact with Thermal, and always be ready to stop the following (tap the “STOP” box of your HUD) in case a danger or any sort of unexpected obstacle arises.
Thermal immediately starts flying toward the selected point. Use the slider on the right of the screen to control the drone’s altitude (the orange figure inside the circle) when it reaches its destination. Activate “Touch & Fly” Waypoint with care: be especially careful with your touches on the screen in this mode, as any tap on the map will immediately send Thermal to the corresponding spot.
iOS Touch & Fly: POI Tap “STOP” from the red box at the center of the top bar of your screen to halt Thermal, or to reset a POI. From the “Dronies” box, next to the “Type” box of the lower bar of the HUD, you can also shoot Dronies (Orbit, Parabola, Dolly Zoom, Boomerang) of your POI. Flight Plan Flight Plan is a powerful tool, which enables you to fully prepare and configure your flights and filming sessions, from home, on the train, in a plane, or anywhere else you can take your phone with you.
Consider this pointy bit of land, with a lighthouse in the middle. Say you could fly Thermal and shoot a film there. Let’s do it! iOS: new Flight Plan First, select your initial waypoint: ideally, very close to your intended take-off point. Tap the screen to set it. The green circle represents the waypoint, the white figure the altitude of the drone, and the white arrow the direction of the drone’s camera. iOS: initial waypoint Tap the white arrow and hold it to move it around.
Tap the map to set the second waypoint: the distance between the two waypoints appears on the screen. Use the slider on the right of the screen to set the altitude of the waypoint. In this example, Thermal will climb from 3 to 30 meters between the initial waypoint and the second waypoint. iOS: second waypoint Add waypoints to tour the area and end your Flight Plan where you intend to land. iOS: full Flight Plan The tip of the peninsula is a POI: we want Thermal to focus on it while it flies around it.
Tap “Point of interest” to add the POI. It appears as a blue square diamond. The figure in the center represents the height of the POI, which you can modify using the slider on the right of the screen. All waypoints turn white as they can now be selected to be linked to the POI. iOS: open waypoints Tap waypoints to link them to the POI. In this example, we want Thermal to film the tip of the peninsula as it flies around it: we have selected the three waypoints to the left of the peninsula.
Tap the POI to confirm your choices. Blue waypoints are linked to the POI, which appears as a white square diamond with a blue border. During the entire blue part of the flight, Thermal’s camera will stay focused on the tip of the peninsula, enabling you to achieve the smoothest flyby shoot. Green waypoints remain independent from the POI.
Tap the green arrow on the right of the left bottom bar of the Flight Plan interface to begin the Flight Plan: Thermal takes off, flies to the first waypoint and starts the Flight Plan. At the end of the Flight Plan, depending on your settings and depending on your version of FreeFlight 6, Thermal lands at, or hovers over, the last waypoint you have set. That is why, for this section, we have chosen to consider that waypoint is also its landing spot.
