11. Mission Planning

Mission planning defines the flight path, waypoints and mission parameters for your drone. In AeroGCS GREEN you create plans for tasks for spraying, then save the plan into a project for execution. Complete planning before flight to ensure safe, repeatable and auditable operations.

All mission planning features are available on the

Create / Edit Plan screen.

Configuring Parameters: Set up mission parameters.
Adjusting Waypoints: Modify the waypoints for the mission.
Managing Space: Arrange spacing between waypoints.
Indentation: Organize the indentation of waypoints.
Obstacle Boundary: Define obstacle boundaries.
Route Adjustment: Make necessary route adjustments.
Move Plan: Use this option to relocate a plan from its current position to a new location.
Plan Splitting: Divide the mission plan as needed.

To access the available options for each parameter listed on the right-hand side of the screen, simply Tap on the respective parameter. This action should open a menu where you can make selections for that specific parameter.

11.1 Practical planning workflow

Follow this workflow every time you prepare a mission. It reduces errors and improves repeatability.

Pre-planning checklist

Map calibrated. Confirm the map is calibrated so plotted points match the real field. (See Chapter 10: Map Calibration.)
Project selected. Open the correct Project so the plan saves to the intended folder.
Plot verified. Load the saved plot and confirm boundary and obstacle geometry.
Resources checked. Confirm available batteries, pump power and liquid volume.
Telemetry and GPS stable. Verify GPS fix and telemetry link strength in Fly View.
Device time correct. Check device clock to avoid timestamp mismatches.
Regulatory checks. Verify local flight restrictions, NOTAMs and no-fly zones.

Step-by-step planning workflow

Load the plot for the field you will cover and confirm the boundary visually on the map.
Tap Create Plan or Edit to open the plan editor.
Set mission Parameters first (Spray Amount, Spray Rate, Altitude, Speed). These determine swath and resource estimates.
Adjust Spacing, Route Angle and Indentation until the preview shows uniform coverage with safe turns.
Add or verify Obstacle Boundaries. Ensure every obstacle is accounted for.
If the mission exceeds available resources, use Plan Splitting and save the split as a new plan.
Save the plan using a descriptive name and version (for example: FieldName_2025-11-18_v1).

Load the plan to the aircraft and run pre-flight checks before arming.

11.2 Parameters

Adjust mission parameters with the slide bars on the Create / Edit Plan screen.

Always check on-screen estimates after you change values.

Spray Amount. Liquid volume per area. Range: 1–50 L/acre.
Spray Rate. Output rate relative to nominal. Range: 10%–100%.
Spray Altitude. Height above ground for spraying. Range: 1–15 m.
Flight Speed. Range: 1–20 m/s.
Distance between adjacent polylines (row spacing). Range: 2–10 m.
Fence Boundary. Safety buffer from field edges. Range: 1–500 m.

Tip. Adjust Spray Amount and Flight Speed together to maintain the required application rate. After changes, run Spray Testing on the ground if possible.

Warning. Do not rely only on on-screen estimates for resource planning. Cross-check with tank gauges and battery state.

11.3 Adjust Waypoint

Use Adjust Waypoint to refine individual waypoint positions.

Tap the waypoint to select it. The waypoint turns green.
Move the waypoint by dragging it on the map or use on-screen arrow controls for fine adjustments.
Tap OK to save changes.

Warning. After moving waypoints, review plan coverage and obstacle clearances before saving.

11.4 Adjust Spacing

Control row spacing to balance coverage and mission time.

Tap Spacing to open the panel.
Use the slider to set spacing (2–10 m).
Tap OK to apply.

Note. Narrow spacing increases overlap and liquid use; wider spacing saves time but may reduce uniformity.

11.5 Indentation

Indentation offsets spray rows from the boundary to prevent overspray.

Tap Indentation to open the panel.
Select an edge by tapping it or using navigation arrows “<” or “>” from the Indentation Panel on screen; the selected edge highlights in green.
Set indentation with the slider or – / + buttons (1–10 m).
Tap OK to save.

Tip. Increase indentation near roads, water bodies or sensitive areas.

11.6 Obstacle Boundary

Define clearance between the spray path and obstacles.

Tap Obstacle Boundary to open the panel.
Set clearance with the slider or – / + buttons (0–10 m).
Tap OK to apply.

Note. Obstacles added in Plot mode (polygon or circle) are used to compute avoidance geometry here.

11.7 Route Adjust

Set row orientation and how the aircraft handles heading.

Tap Route Adjust to open the panel.
Set Angle (0°–360°) to change row orientation by using slider or by taping on “-” or “+”.
Toggle Head Lock: On — aircraft heading remains fixed; Off — heading follows row orientation.
Tap OK to save.

Warning. Head Lock affects turn geometry and spray overlap. Confirm safe turning angles and obstacle clearance when Head Lock is enabled.

11.8 Move Plan

Reposition the entire plan and its obstacles.

Tap Move Plan to open controls.
Use directional arrows to shift the plan; displacement appears in metres.
Tap OK to save the new location.

Note. Plan-specific obstacles and parameters move with the plan geometry. Use Reset to revert if needed.

11.9 Plan Splitting

Plan Splitting helps you manage large plots efficiently during spraying or surveying. Most drones require battery replacement once the flight time or area limit is reached. Carrying fully charged spare batteries allows you to continue operations without delay. This prevents unplanned downtime and reduces wastage of spray liquid or other inputs.

The Resume feature helps you continue a mission, but it can cause repeated coverage if the drone re-enters completed lanes. Plan Splitting avoids this by dividing the plan into smaller sections based on the percentage you choose. You can then fly each part separately and use your available battery and resources more effectively.

Using Plan Splitting

When you tap Plan Splitting from the menu, a slider panel opens at the bottom of the screen.

The slider lets you select how much of the plan you want to fly in the current sortie.

Step-by-Step Procedure

1. Set the Split Percentage

Tap Plan Splitting to open the slider.
Drag the slider to choose the percentage of the plan you want to fly from the Start or End of the route.
– Blue lines show the excluded lanes.
– Yellow lines show the lanes the drone will fly.

A new Reset button is available beside the slider.
• Tap Reset to return the slider to 100 percent.
• Reset restores the mission to full coverage without closing the screen.
• Use this before saving if you want to continue with the original plan, without any split.

Tip: Reset is useful if you made experimental splits and want to revert quickly.

2. Save the Split Plan

After adjusting the split, close the slider panel.
A confirmation message appears asking whether you want to Save in Existing or Create New Plan.

Recommendation:
Choose Create New Plan. This preserves the original plan and keeps all versions traceable.

3. Load the Split Plan for Flight

Open the saved split plan.
Start the mission.
After completing this section, load the next split plan and continue the remaining area.

This method helps you finish large plots across multiple battery cycles without wasting time or repeating lanes

Benefits of Plan Splitting

Plan Splitting supports several operational advantages:

Efficient spraying. You cover only the required part of the field per sortie.
Adjustable flight parameters. You can modify altitude or speed differently for each segment.
Battery and liquid conservation. You avoid unnecessary flying and plan each sortie based on available resources.
Reduced rework. You avoid overlapping or repeating previously completed lanes.
Better resource planning. You can estimate sortie count and battery consumption more accurately.

AeroGCS GEEN User Manual