Do you want your drone to last as long as possible?
Maintenance is a subject that is near and dear to me and my passion is to help operators properly maintain their UAVs. The thing about maintenance is that it’s almost all preventable failure modes. Most drones will never even see an in-field maintenance problem. To make sure your drone can reach its full potential in the sky, you must follow a strict maintenance routine.
Truth be told, this maintenance guide will make it painless.
The problem here is that most people flying drones are not following a maintenance routine. There is no standard. Nothing written down anywhere. They wait until something breaks. It’s a risky way to fly, and maintenance can seem like a headache.
The truth is that taking care of your drone is so easy once you have a guide.
The things you will learn in this article:
- Why maintenance matters
- The most important components to check
- Pre-flight and post-flight checklists
- Scheduled Maintenance
- Storage and environmental factors
Why Maintenance is so Important
First things first. Why is drone maintenance so important?
Maintenance is essential to keeping a drone flying safely. A 2023 report revealed that UAVs had a reported failure rate of 20-60%. That’s pretty high, and that percentage goes up significantly with smaller commercial drones with higher usage in intensive flying conditions.
The drone maintenance market size also shows the increasing importance of this topic. The market is projected to grow from USD 2 billion in 2022 to USD 6.8 billion by 2035. That’s a lot of maintenance going on!
Let me give you a simple analogy here. Every flight that you take is wearing down the moving components of the UAV, like the motors, the propellers, the batteries, and the sensors. Left unchecked, the minor stresses from these small flights will cause problems that will lead to failure modes and crashes.
Working with a quality cube pilot partner can really help operators source quality UAV components and follow expert guidance on maintaining flight systems. The secret here is that it’s always good to have reliable spare parts and a good helping hand from your source to help you out if things get a bit too deep for your own knowledge.
Critical Drone Components that Require Maintenance
Okay, so there is no one size fits all when it comes to maintenance. All of the drone components will not degrade at the same pace. Some components will take more attention.
The three most critical parts of your drone will be the motors and propellers, the battery, and your flight controller and sensors. Those are the most important parts of the quad that need maintenance and regular inspection.
Motors and Propellers
Motors are a pretty complex piece of machinery. The motor spins thousands of times while in flight and creates a ton of heat as it is rotating. You need to take a good look at your motor bearings and ensure they are still spinning smoothly. After a lot of use, your motor bearings and the motor windings themselves will also start to degrade over time.
Propellers get a beating too. It’s not just the motor that you need to worry about. A cracked or chipped propeller will start to unbalance the force while the UAV is flying. That unbalanced force can cause vibrations that can cause damage to other components. When it comes to your propellers, make sure that you visually inspect them before every flight, and replace them if any damage is found.
Battery
Battery maintenance is one of the essential elements of your drone. The battery affects flight time and how safe your drone can fly. LiPo batteries are especially sensitive to temperature changes, storage conditions, and the number of charge cycles the battery has had.
Checking the battery voltage and internal resistance is something you need to do regularly. Keep an eye out for batteries that start to get swollen or physically damaged as those batteries need to be retired from service immediately.
Flight Controller and Sensors
We all know that the flight controller is the brains of your drone. Your flight controller will need other sensors, like your gyroscope, accelerometer, and GPS module, to remain level and flying without the pilot input.
The calibration of these sensors will drift over time, so it is important to keep recalibrating them to ensure you get the most accurate read possible. Your firmware will also need to be up to date on the flight controller as manufacturers will release firmware updates that fix bugs and improve performance.
Pre-Flight and Post-Flight Checklists
The daily pre-flight and post-flight checks are the most important step in any maintenance routine.
Pre-Flight Checklist
- Check propellers for cracks or chips
- Inspect motor mounts for looseness
- Verify battery charge and voltage level
- Test control input and response
- Ensure GPS lock and sensor readings are accurate
- Look for any loose screws or damaged frame areas
Post-Flight Checklist
- Clean any debris from motors and air intakes
- Inspect propellers for new damage
- Check battery temperature (warm is okay, hot is not)
- Review flight logs for errors or warnings
- Store batteries at appropriate charge level
These simple daily pre-flight and post-flight checklists will save you hours of downtime in the long run. It’s easy to forget to do, but once it becomes a habit, it’s second nature.
Scheduled Maintenance Intervals
In addition to your daily checks, your UAV will need scheduled maintenance over certain flight hours.
Every 10-20 Flight Hours
- Deep clean all components
- Check motor bearings for smooth rotation
- Inspect wiring and connectors for wear
- Tighten all screws and fasteners
Every 50-100 Flight Hours
- Replace propellers (even if they look good)
- Test battery capacity under load
- Recalibrate compass and IMU sensors
- Inspect landing gear and frame for stress cracks
Every 200+ Flight Hours
- Consider motor replacement or rebuild
- Conduct full system diagnostic check
- Replace any worn cables and connectors
- Update firmware on all systems
The exact intervals for the above components will vary. For example, flying in harsh environments will require you to check components more regularly.
Storage and Environmental Factors
One of the most important steps to properly maintaining your drone is the environment in which you store your UAV when it is not in use.
Temperature Control
Heat and cold can affect the battery life and performance of your electronics. Whenever possible, you should store your UAV in a climate-controlled environment.
Humidity and Moisture
Humidity and moisture can cause corrosion on PCBs and other connectors, which can cause shorts. Use silica gel packets to dry the air inside your storage cases. If you fly in wet conditions, make sure you dry out your drone after each flight before storage.
Battery Storage
Don’t store your batteries fully charged or completely depleted. The ideal storage voltage is between 50-60% capacity. When storing batteries, check them each month to make sure you have to recharge.
Dust and Debris
Dust can clog up your motors and scratch up your camera lenses. Use protective cases with good seals to prevent dust from entering your UAV components. If you fly in dusty conditions, always clean your drone after each flight.
Common Maintenance Mistakes to Avoid
A lot of people know that maintenance is important, but they make the same mistakes over and over again.
- Skipping pre-flight checks — Skipping one of your pre-flight checks can lead to in-flight failure
- Ignoring firmware updates — Manufacturers release firmware updates to fix bugs and improve performance
- Overcharging batteries — Overcharging your batteries can shorten their lifespan and create a fire hazard
- Using damaged propellers — Damaged propellers are not good enough
- Neglecting sensor calibration — Sensor drift can lead to erratic flight characteristics and cause crashes
Conclusion
Drone maintenance really doesn’t have to be that complicated. Having a routine in place and following it will make sure that your drones are taken care of.
Let’s review what we have just learned.
- Inspect the most important components regularly
- Complete pre-flight and post-flight checks
- Follow the schedule for your maintenance
- Proper storage of your equipment
- Don’t make the most common mistakes
The companies who know maintenance will be the ones that have the most uptime in the long run. Preventive maintenance is always the way to go, and we at North West Blue are here to help you keep your UAVs in pristine condition.
