Meet the TinkerFlight Mission Planner and Ground Control Station

Before we dive into the details of our TF (TinkerFlight) Mission Planner and Ground Control Station, let’s make sure you understand what a Mission Planner and a Ground Control Station (GCS) are.

A Mission Planner is an application where you can create routes for drones, planes, and other types of vehicles. You can define what actions the vehicle should perform at various waypoints—such as taking a photo, measuring something, washing a surface, picking up an object, etc.

A Ground Control Station is an application that controls drones, planes, or other vehicles based on the route and actions created in the Mission Planner. It can send instructions directly to the drone via Wi-Fi or through a transmitter (e.g., Lora or ESP-NOW). The Ground Control Station also receives telemetry data from the drone—such as GPS location, speed, altitude, and more—and displays it in real time.

Some applications combine both Mission Planner and Ground Control Station in a single interface.

Why Did We Decide to Build a New Mission Planner and Ground Control Station?

If you search for Mission Planner or Ground Control Station software, you'll find many options for planning and controlling aircraft using a computer or mobile device. However, we believe most of these solutions are limited in key areas:

• Most only work on Windows only.
• Custom scripting or logic (e.g., "if battery < 50% at waypoint A, return to home") is either not supported or difficult to implement.
• Setting up the full system—including firmware, hardware, and software—is often complex.
• Most apps only support MAVLink, and adding support for custom protocols is difficult or impossible.
• The user interface and experience are often not intuitive.
• No built-in flight logbook—you need to use third-party services.
• Additional hardware is often required to use the software on phones or tablets.

Key Advantages of TF Mission Planner & Ground Control Station

• Custom scripting: Write and execute scripts directly in the Mission Planner & Ground Control Station. Real-time control based on your logic—no need to land or flash new firmware.
• Simple setup: No complicated installation steps.
• Protocol flexibility: Supports any protocol—TFP (our long-range protocol), MAVLink, CRSF, or your custom protocol.
• Transmitter-free control: Use Wi-Fi or LTE for direct control.
• Clean, user-friendly UI/UX: Built for ease of use.
• Built-in flight logbook: No need for third-party services.
• Cloud backups: Keep your missions and flight logs safe.
• Zero vendor lock-in: Easily export all your missions and logbook entries.

Cross-platform: Works on any device with a web browser and JavaScript (almost all modern devices).

Note: If you use MAVLink and don’t bring a laptop, you'll need a small computer like a Raspberry Pi to bridge communication. Mobile devices can’t directly handle MAVLink messages over UDP/TCP/Serial.

Getting Started

To start using TF Mission Planner/Control Station, create an account at tinkerflight.com and follow the in-app instructions to connect your aircraft.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us at hey@tinkerflight.com.