Arpit's AIR Level 3 Report

5 / 10 / 2025

TASK-3:Introduction to MATLAB

Objective: To gain foundational knowledge of MATLAB and Simulink.
Outcomes and Learnings:

MATLAB Onramp Course

I learned the basics of MATLAB.
This is the summary of what I learnt.
The final project in MATLAB was to determine how fast a star is moving away from Earth by analyzing its spectral data. This uses the Doppler Effect - when light waves stretch (redshifted) as the source moves away.
Below is the certificate of completion of the MATLAB Onramp Course.

Simulink Onramp Course

This course was about creating and connecting blocks, using signals, applying mathematical operations, and integrating MATLAB functions to build some basic projects, like modeling a thermostat or a falcon’s dive to reinforce concepts.

TASK-5: Rules in the Rule Book written by Blood

Objectives:
-- Write a detailed report of the air crash investigation, the report should include:
-- Details of the flight, place, time, pilot details and an introductory paragraph about the accident which occurred /was about to occur including the losses occurred.
-- Explain in brief about the aircraft.
-- Using the Swiss Cheese Model analyze the key contributing factors (technical, human, environmental etc.) and also explain how each of these factors (layers of the Swiss Cheese) accelerated the accident when aligned together.
-- State the various theories and assumptions which took place during the investigation and also mention the reasons which led to the elimination/confirmation of these theories.
-- Reflect on what lessons were learned and how aviation standards changed post accident.
Outcomes and Learnings:
I learned about Charkhi Dadri Mid Air Collison that occured over Delhi airspace on 12th November 1996.
Click here to view the Air Crash Report.

This video explains how the two planes collided.

Reference: Charkhi Dadri Mid Air Collision
Visual Representation of the Crash

TASK-5: Autonomous Flight Planning & Execution:

Objectives:
-- To understand and practice autonomous flight mission planning using Mission Planner and the ArduPilot simulator.
-- Learn about the Heads Up Display (HUD) available in the Mission Planner.
-- Using the built-in Ardupilot simulator (SITL), plan and execute a geofence around UVCE and test a small autonomous mission.
Outcomes and Learnings:

Heads Up Display (HUD)

The HUD gives an instant overview of the drone’s flight condition, without needing to look at separate readings or menus. It shows important information right in front of us, so we can monitor flight status at a glance.

1.Airspeed (Groundspeed if no airspeed sensor is fitted) : Airspeed is how fast the drone is moving through the air.
If there’s no airspeed sensor, Mission Planner shows Groundspeed, i.e., how fast the drone moves over the ground.

2.Crosstrack error and turn rate (T) : Crosstrack Error shows the sideways distance from the planned flight path. A large error means the drone has drifted off course.
Turn Rate shows how fast the drone is turning (in degrees per second).

3.Heading direction : The direction the drone’s nose is pointing, measured in degrees (0° = North, 90° = East, etc.).

4.Bank angle : The tilt of the drone’s wings (left/right).
Positive = banking right, Negative = banking left.

5.Telemetry connection link quality (averaged percentage of good packets) : Shows how reliable the radio link is between drone and ground station.
Displayed as an average % of good data packets received.
High value (>90%) = strong link, low value = weak or unstable connection.

6.GPS time : The accurate universal time from GPS satellites.

7.Altitude (Blue bar is the rate of climb) : Altitude displays current height above the takeoff point or sea level.
Blue Bar shows climb or descent rate — how fast the drone is going up or down.

8.Airspeed : The speed of air flowing over the drone.

9.Groundspeed : The actual speed relative to the ground, from GPS data.

10.Battery status : Shows voltage, current, and remaining battery percentage. It helps monitor power consumption and prevent sudden shutdowns.

11.Artificial Horizon : A visual display showing drone pitch and roll, like in an aircraft cockpit.

12.Aircraft Attitude : Numeric values for pitch, roll, and yaw angles of the drone. It indicates exact orientation in 3D space.

13.GPS Status : It shows how strong and accurate the GPS signal is and how many satellites are helping to track the drone’s position.

14.Distance to Waypoint > Current Waypoint Number :
Distance to Waypoint: How far the drone is from the next waypoint.
Current Waypoint Number: The index of the waypoint being targeted in the mission plan.

15.Current Flight Mode : Shows which mode the drone is flying in (e.g., Stabilize, Loiter, Auto, RTL, Guided).

Flight Operation

Prerequisite: Go to Simulation Tab, select Multirotor, download the sitl software, and connect the MAVlink.
MAVLink is a communication protocol — a set of digital “rules” that define how information is exchanged between the drone’s flight controller and the Ground Control Station (GCS) such as Mission Planner.

1. Go to Flight Plan tab.
2. Add a TAKEOFF command as the first waypoint:
3. Set the altitude.
4. Add other waypoints for flight path.
5. Write WPs → upload mission to the drone.
6. Set Mode → AUTO.
7. Arm and press “Auto” to start the mission. The drone will: Take off, reach the altitude, continue to next waypoints, and the land at the entered waypoint.

Surveying

Surveying is mainly used for aerial mapping, land surveying.
Process:

1. Open Mission Planner.
2. Go to the Flight Plan tab.
3. Right-click on the map → choose “Draw Polygon” → “Add Polygon Point” to mark your survey area.

Video of the above task