Operational procedures
Good operations follow a repeatable sequence: plan, prepare, fly, review. Planning includes airspace and NOTAM checks, weather, site survey, ground and air risk assessment, and battery/energy planning. Preparation includes checklists, firmware and compass checks, propeller inspection, failsafe and return-to-home (RTH) settings, and confirming visual line of sight (VLOS).
During flight, monitor the aircraft, the airspace, the battery, the link, and people on the ground. In the open category you must avoid uninvolved persons and must not fly over assemblies. If control is lost, the failsafe may trigger RTH; you must have set an RTH altitude that clears obstacles but remains within the 120 m limit. If the aircraft flies away, do not chase it into a restricted area; note the last position and report as required.
Traps: assuming RTH is always safe; setting an RTH altitude above 120 m or below nearby obstacles; flying behind buildings and losing VLOS; relying on automation instead of a planned emergency action. Weather traps include wind at altitude, gusts, and reduced visibility.
Worked example: your drone loses its command link behind a building. The failsafe is set to RTH at 60 m, which clears the trees and stays below 120 m. You keep clear of the area, monitor the return, and are ready to take manual control when the link returns. The correct action is to let the programmed failsafe work, not to run after the aircraft.