Take-off system and method for unmanned aerial vehicles

A method for an unmanned aerial vehicle take-off system having a dolly on which an aircraft is mounted, a towline coupled between the dolly and a winch, a battery operatively coupled to the winch and having a battery status level, and an encoder operatively coupled to both the winch and a microcontroller unit, the method comprising:

• initializing the take-off system;
• checking the battery status level;
• checking a number of roll-up cycles performed by the winch;
• deploying the towline from the winch;
• incrementing a count of deployed towline distance;
• incrementing a take-off run count based on the deployed towline distance;
• arming the unmanned aerial vehicle take-off system for take-off;
• detecting, with a radio receiver unit communicatively coupled to the microcontroller unit, a first radio signal comprising a take-off command, the first radio signal being sent from a radio transmitter;
• operating the winch in an activation mode based on receipt of the first radio signal;
• initiating a take-off sequence;
• checking a rolling-up speed and/or acceleration of the towline;
• checking a remaining take-off run available for the dolly;
• operating an elevator channel of the dolly in a nose-up direction to rotate the aircraft;
• transmitting a second radio signal in response to operating the elevator channel in the nose-up direction;
• detecting, with the radio receiver unit, the second radio signal comprising a lift-up command, the second radio signal sent from the radio transmitter;
• operating the winch in a deactivation mode based on receipt of the second radio signal;
• and
• ending the take-off sequence.