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sUAS Trainees first need to be properly familiarized on the sUAS prior to task evaluation
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CAP generally works with enterprise-grade sUAS, which often have more technical documentation and training available than less capable systems (like drones from big box stores). The following documentation is what all Trainees and qualified CAP sUAS Aircrew should immediately seek to acquire for any sUAS they are using:
Formal introduction to the sUAS, usually led by a CAP member, which involves a mixture of manufacturer training through videos and published material alongside hands-on opportunities to practice initializing and calibrating the systems.
Proper preflight, inflight and post-flight operation of sUAS always begins and ends with using the correct checklists. CAP sUAS training and operational missions generally blend the use of standardized HQ CAP sUAS checklists and Manufacturer sUAS checklists together.
HQ CAP publishes the Standardized sUAS Checklist (CAPF 70-4C) on the main CAP website (HERE). It is a broad and inclusive list of critical completion items for a CAP sUAS sortie from start to finish. Use of this tool is a mandatory component of all CAP sUAS Operations. Download it now.
Variants of this checklist created by CAP members preserve the original content but modify the format slightly. Examples are:
HQ CAP sUAS Checklist (Condensed)
HQ CAP sUAS Checklist (Single Pages)
Manufacturers of enterprise-grade sUAS will generally extract the key steps to safely operate their sUAS from the user manual and roll those steps into preflight, inflight and post-flight checklists. If you have received an sUAS without a manufacturer checklist, you should not assume it does not exist. Research and verify on your own.