With , you have chosen the finest, quietest, and most portable flying 4K HDR camera, you can use everywhere on the go, anytime. We strongly recommend you read the following information and instructions thoroughly before you get in the air, to make the most of your first amazing 25-minute flight.
You want 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 ’s smart battery up. Charge the battery using the enclosed USB-A to USB-C cable and a USB-A power adapter (not included in the box, except for Work). The battery’s LEDs start flashing: it is awake. Let it charge while you read.
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 second. Android FreeFlight 6 homepage 4. Parrot Skycontroller 3 update: tap the green “CONTINUE” box to proceed.
5. 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.
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.................................................................................................................................... 21 Equipment.......................................................................................................................................... 21 Regulations ........................................................................................................................................ 21 Flight conditions .......................................................
.............................................................................................................................................. 37 Interface............................................................................................................................................. 37 Piloting ............................................................................................................................................... 37 Safety .................................................
................................................................................................................................................. 61 360°.................................................................................................................................................... 61 Reveal ................................................................................................................................................ 61 Spiral .............................................
About 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 (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 and impair its communications.
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 pilots to take extra care when moving away from the take-off location of their drone (for example to follow ). In such cases, pilots must cancel the auto-RTH from the orange 1-minute alert which appears on the screen of their device, and keep piloting while monitoring closely its battery level, until it runs out of power and lands.
1. IS NOT A TOY and should not be used or handled by a person under the age of 14 years. 2. BEFORE USING : (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: 244x67x65mm - Size unfolded: 175x240x65mm - Weight: 320g - Max transmission range: 4km with Skycontroller 3 - Max flight time: 25min - Max horizontal speed: 55km/h - Max vertical speed: 4m/s - Max wind resistance: 50km/h - Service ceiling: 4,500m above sea level - Operating temperature range: -10°C to 40°C DRONE SENSORS - Satellite Positioning: GPS and Glonass - Barometer & magnetometer - Vertical camera & ultrasound sensor - 2x6-axis IMUs (1 for the flight, 1 for the camera): ▪ 2x3-
Your - package contains: an drone a smart battery, preinstalled on a carrying case a lens cap a USB-A to USB-C charging cable a 16GB microSD card, preinstalled in a microSD to SD card adapter a Parrot Skycontroller 3 8 spare propeller blades a mounting tool a Flight Safety Guide a Super Quick Start Guide (SQSG) a Wi-Fi settings card User Guide v2.
Work Your - 16 Work package contains: an drone a smart battery, preinstalled on 3 additional batteries a one-year access to Pix4Dmodel a shoulder bag a lens cap 5 USB-A to USB-C charging cables a multiport USB charger a 16GB microSD card, preinstalled in a microSD to SD card adapter a Parrot Skycontroller 3 8 spare propeller blades a mounting tool a Flight Safety Guide a Super Quick Start Guide (SQSG) a Wi-Fi settings card
Extended Your - Extended package contains: an drone a smart battery, preinstalled on 2 additional batteries a shoulder bag a lens cap 3 USB-A to USB-C charging cables a 16GB microSD card, preinstalled in a microSD to SD card adapter a Parrot Skycontroller 3 8 spare propeller blades a mounting tool a Flight Safety Guide a Super Quick Start Guide (SQSG) a Wi-Fi settings card User Guide v2.
Ready to store or carry Foldable arms and propellers Ready to fly Smart battery Battery extraction button Charge level LED indicators 180° tilt 4K camera gimbal USB-C charging port Power button 18
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 User Guide v2.
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: - 20 flashing green: alternating light blue and dark blue: f
Equipment - - Make sure you have downloaded the latest version of FreeFlight 6 and that both your Parrot Skycontroller 3 and your have been updated with the latest versions of firmware. For the ultimate experience, make sure you have the right USB-A cable to connect your Parrot Skycontroller 3 and your device. Make sure is fitted with a microSD card with enough free memory space. Make sure all four foldable arms of are unfolded. Make sure its propellers are clean, intact and unobstructed.
1. Charge the battery using the enclosed USB-A to USB-C cable and a USB-A power adapter (not included in the box, except for Work). 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 2. If you want to use the controller and enjoy the full experience, charge Parrot Skycontroller 3. 3. Check that your flying zone is safe and clear. 4.
Ground take-off Position on a flat, even, and clear surface. Power it on, move at least 2m (6ft) away from surroundings of the drone are absolutely clear. 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. 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 .
Left control stick (default mode) 24 Right control stick (default mode) Rise Forward Descend Reverse Turn right Move to the right Turn left Move to the left
To bring back to its take-off position, press the button on your Parrot Skycontroller 3, or tap the icon on the screen of your device. 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 take-off position. Refer to the “PREFERENCES – Safety” section of this guide for instructions on RTH height configuration. In the Follow Me mode (in-app purchase), when the flies back to the position of the pilot.
Setting up for landing, Android Fly directly over a flat, even, and clear surface, then press the the orange “LAND” box on the screen of your device. lands.
’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 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 . 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 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 ’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: battery is between 0 and 25% charged; battery is between 25 and 50% charged; battery is between 50 and 75% charged; battery is between 75 and 100% charged; battery is full.
Like all other LiPo batteries, with care: - ’s smart battery must be handled, transported and stored 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 (unless i
Your is equipped with a 16GB microSD card which enables you to record videos and photos, and to transfer them easily to your computer. This section explains how to extract the microSD card from , 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 , 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 compatible microSD cards. Direct media retrieval (drone to computer) You can also retrieve your media directly from , without extracting the microSD card. Use the enclosed USB-A to USB-C cable to connect the drone (USB-C) to a USB-A port of your computer. Power on. 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 . It enables you to access all the outstanding features of , 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 HUD (iOS and Android). Access the HUD by taping “FLY” on the bottom right of the homepage of FreeFlight 6. iOS FreeFlight 6 homepage Android FreeFlight 6 homepage User Guide v2.
Presentation of the iOS HUD (video mode view) horizontal distance from pilot Next available action height relative to take-off point Controller box (charge and GPS synch) ground speed box (charge and GPS synch) Back to homepage Preferences Speed (Film or Sport) box Soft shutter button and timer Photo/video toggle Piloting mode box Video settings box Cineshots box Video mode box and FreeFlight 6 are packed with features which are accessible from the HUD.
The Android HUD of FreeFlight 6 displays strictly the same information, buttons, toggles, and menus as the iOS HUD, in the same way – despite slight cosmetic differences. 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 are both synchronized to enough GPS and Glonass satellites to optimize the stability of the drone, especially at higher altitudes.
Presentation of the Android HUD (photo mode view) horizontal distance from pilot Next available action height relative to take-off point Controller box (charge and GPS synch) ground speed box (charge and GPS synch) Back to homepage Speed (Film or Sport) box Preferences Photo/video toggle Piloting mode box Soft shutter button & number of media Photo settings box Cineshots box Photo mode box ’s photo modes include a Single shot mode, a Burst mode, a Bracketing mode, a Timer mode and a five-forma
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 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.
Note that “Max inclination”, “Max inclination speed” and “Max vertical speed” values are the ones which carry the biggest impact on ’s acceleration and general flying behavior. Corresponding sliders turn to orange instead of green to warn users the settings they have selected require extreme care, superior piloting skills, or both, when flying .
Tap “RESET ALL CAMERA PREFERENCES AND SETTINGS” on the bottom of the page to reset preferences (except for the Bracketing mode, which is only managed manually). Network Network preferences let you change your - Network’s name Password Wi-Fi band ’s Wi-Fi network name, password, and band. Tap the field to change your ’s network name Tap the box to change your network’s password ALL / 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz / MANUAL Safety preferences, iOS User Guide v2.
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 the 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.
Tap the video resolution box to access the available video resolutions and tap one to select it. Tap the fps box to access the available fps values and tap one to select it. Tap the video settings box again to close the sub-boxes and confirm your choices. 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.
Taking photos To access the photo camera of , 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 Panorama (5 formats). Thanks to its 21MP CMOS sensor, - : Single shot, Burst, Bracketing, Timer and produces three main picture formats: rectilinear JPEG (up to 16MP); wide 21MP JPEG and DNG (Digital NeGative: Adobe open standard RAW format); composite panoramas (JPEG), up to 32MP.
Available photo formats for each photo mode are as follows: Single: JPEG RECT, JPEG WIDE, DNG+JPEG Burst: JPEG RECT, JPEG WIDE Bracketing: JPEG RECT, JPEG WIDE, DNG+JPEG Timer: JPEG RECT, JPEG WIDE, DNG+JPEG Panorama: JPEG RECT only Tap a format (JPEG RECT, or JPEG WIDE if available, or DNG+JPEG if available) to select it. Tap the photo settings box again to close the sub-boxes and confirm your choice.
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 “Burst” mode, the screen flashes white then freezes briefly in black and white to confirm 14 pictures have been taken in the span of 1 second. The number to the left of the soft shutter button of the HUD is increased by 14.
pictures such as ’s DNG are heavy files, but they offer the very best postprocessing and retouching possibilities. Creating Panoramas panoramas are generated automatically through the gallery of FreeFlight 6, based on a series of pictures taken by the drone.
Panorama capture. starts taking pictures and the bottom of the HUD displays a progress bar which fills with green as the capture unfolds.
Finally, select the panorama you want to generate from your Local gallery: FreeFlight 6 displays the following screen. iOS Local (device) panorama generation page Tap “Create” to generate the panorama (or tap the other icon to access the series of individual pictures). Depending on the power of your device, FreeFlight 6 may display one or two resolution options, up to 32 MP. Select the option you want to launch the generation. The time this process takes also depends on your device’s power.
Two of ’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 ’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. To aim the gimbal toward the sky, pull the tilt control trigger up.
Android 4K x1.4 zoom iOS 4K x3 zoom As already mentioned, 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, offers impressive lossless zoom capabilities for 4K UHD (x1.4), 2.7K (x1.9) and 1080p (X2.8) videos. Android 1080p x1 zoom User Guide v2.
Android 1080p x2.8 zoom Android 1080p x3 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.
Camera Calibration: Correct horizon (exceptional procedure) Your ’s camera has been factory-calibrated with unparalleled precision. Unlike the calibration of 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 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 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.
Gimbal/camera calibration: after (Android) 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 powered on. User Guide v2.
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 ’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 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.
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.
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 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.
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. 360° The 360° Cineshot is self-explanatory: when it is activated, maintains its position and altitude, and rotates slowly and completely around its axis to uncover a full panorama.
Spiral The Spiral Cineshot is perfect to unveil your surroundings – or that of any object on the ground. When it is activated, tilts its camera to the ground and starts moving up, in a straight vertical line. Slowly, as it climbs to 30 or 60 meters, 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, 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 ’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, stays in position, 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, ’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 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, 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, circles around you clockwise.
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 , 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. To optimize the drone’s tracking, always make sure you remain visible by : do not let an obstacle obstruct the camera’s view and do not hide in the shadows, or could lose track of you.
Smartdronies features four Smartdronies: - the Orbit, Parabola and Boomerang Dronie can be accessed through this menu – refer to the above section for details about the Boomerang Dronie; however, the smartest of ’s dronies is the Dolly Zoom. We will not spoil it for you: just make sure you have a memorable scenery behind you. Frame yourself (or better yet, your group of friends!) with : keep the drone at least 5 meters away, at man level, between 1 and 2 meters above the ground.
Touch & Fly: POI To access the POI Touch & Fly option, tap the “Type” box from the lower bar of the HUD, and select POI. In POI mode, press and hold a point on the map to create a point of interest (POI), marked as a white square diamond with a blue border. Control the height of the POI (the blue figure inside the square diamond) through the slider on the right: this effectively controls the tilt of the gimbal, while you use the Parrot Skycontroller 3 to fly around your target. remains focused on the POI.
Flight Plan (in-app purchase) 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. Through an example, this section will teach you the basics of automated flight and shooting management, with and Flight Plan. Tap Flight Plan from the “PILOTING MODE” box menu. The map of your surroundings opens full screen.
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 ’s camera. iOS: initial waypoint Tap the white arrow and hold it to move it around. In this example, we want frame the lighthouse as it starts the flight.
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, 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 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 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, ’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: 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, lands at, or hovers over, the last waypoint you have set. That is why, for this section, we have chosen to consider that is also its landing spot.
