SD Cards & Media Management

Media management plays an important role for any UAS program; and most drones use SD cards to store the media as images and video on the drone. Because of their size, micro-SD cards can be easily lost, misplaced, and simply overlooked, especially during intense operational situations.

Be sure to follow the manufacturer's guidelines for file format and storage size. Some drones may not provide clear messaging when an SD card is not loaded properly. Older, slower cards may not even load, or might not save larger files during flight.

In general, if you will be primarily shooting 1080P video (at less than 120 FPS) and taking single photos, then you should be able to use UHS Speed Class 1 (U1) or Speed Class 10 SD cards. If you will be shooting 4K video and photo modes that take multiple photos in short succession, then the UHS Speed Class 3 (U3) SD will be a better investment. There are several manufacturers that make suitable SD cards, but we've found that the SanDisk Extreme Pro (or similarly specced cards) are the most reliable option for most organizations.

You will want to define procedures for how to handle SD cards and any media captured in flight. Law enforcement agencies will need to pay extra attention to this and should be mindful of how chain of custody rules and privacy-related policies are followed. This is especially the case in events where non-law enforcement provides support on law enforcement operations, where the most restrictive policies will need to be followed by everyone involved.

In general, load clean, freshly formatted SD cards prior to flight, and check your connection to storage before you take off (especially for drones that have onboard file storage as well). Retrieve SD cards immediately and make sure all cards are accounted for after a mission is complete. Have dedicated storage for extra cards when not in use.