A2 CofC - Drone Certificate of Competency Emergency and Flyaway Procedures Questions and Answers Flashcards

During an operation, your UAS becomes completely unresponsive to controls and begins to fly away from your location, eventually crossing a busy road before you lose sight of it. According to UK regulations, what is the most critical reporting action you must take after this event?

Answer: C. Submit a mandatory occurrence report to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

A 'flyaway' where the UAS is not recovered and has endangered third parties (by crossing a busy road) is classified as a serious incident. UK aviation law requires that such occurrences are reported to the CAA via the ECCAIRS 2 portal to help improve air safety.

A remote pilot is flying in an area with good GPS reception. Suddenly, the control link between the remote controller and the UAS is lost due to unexpected radio interference. What is the most common pre-programmed failsafe action the UAS will initiate?

Answer: D. Execute an automatic 'Return to Home' (RTH) procedure.

The standard failsafe protocol for most GPS-enabled drones upon loss of the control link is to initiate a Return to Home (RTH) procedure. The UAS will typically ascend to a pre-set safe altitude to clear obstacles, navigate back to its recorded take-off point via GPS, and then land automatically.

While flying, a remote pilot receives a "GPS Signal Lost" warning and observes that the UAS is no longer holding its position, instead starting to drift with the wind. This behaviour indicates the UAS has most likely reverted to which flight mode?

Answer: B. Attitude (ATTI) Mode

ATTI mode is a flight mode where the UAS uses its barometer to maintain a stable altitude but does not use GPS for horizontal positioning. When GPS is lost, the aircraft will default to this mode, requiring the pilot to make constant manual inputs to counteract wind drift and maintain position.

A remote pilot observes their UAS making erratic, tight circling movements shortly after take-off near a steel-framed building. This dangerous behaviour, often called the 'toilet bowl effect', is a classic precursor to a flyaway and is most commonly caused by what?

Answer: D. Severe magnetic interference affecting the onboard compass.

The 'toilet bowl effect' occurs when the flight controller receives conflicting information between the GPS, which knows the aircraft's true position, and the compass, which is providing an incorrect heading due to magnetic interference. This conflict causes the UAS to fly in erratic circles as it tries to correct its path.

During a flight, you receive a critical low battery warning from your UAS, indicating that an immediate landing is required. Which of the following actions is the most appropriate and safe response?

Answer: C. Identify the nearest safe and clear area to perform a controlled landing without delay.

When a critical battery warning occurs, the primary responsibility of the remote pilot is to ensure the safety of people and property on the ground. The safest action is to immediately abandon the mission plan and land the UAS in the closest available area that is clear of hazards and uninvolved persons, rather than risking a total power loss while trying to return to the original take-off point.

A remote pilot briefly loses direct Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) with their UAS as it passes behind a large building. According to standard UK emergency procedures, what is the most appropriate immediate action to safely regain VLOS?

Answer: A. Stop all horizontal movement and increase the UAS's altitude vertically until it is visible above the obstruction.

The correct and safest procedure when VLOS is temporarily lost behind an obstacle is to stop any forward, backward, or sideways movement and command the UAS to ascend vertically. This allows the pilot to quickly re-establish visual contact over the top of the obstruction without flying blind into potential unseen hazards.