Mixed Deck — All RPC Topics Flashcards

A remote pilot's sUAS experiences a motor failure at 200 ft AGL over a suburban neighborhood. What is the FIRST priority?

Answer: Guide the aircraft toward the least-populated area available

The primary duty is to minimize risk to people; steering toward the least-populated area reduces potential casualties.

A remote pilot flying near an airport notices a Notice to Air Missions (NOTAM) published after pre-flight planning indicating a parachute jump operation in the area. What should the pilot do?

Answer: Cease or relocate the sUAS operation to avoid conflict with the parachute activity

NOTAMs must be monitored and acted upon; parachute operations create a vertical corridor hazard that remote pilots must avoid.

In risk management, a 'mitigation' refers to:

Answer: An action taken to reduce the likelihood or severity of a risk

Mitigation reduces risk to an acceptable level when full elimination is not possible, such as adding a VO to reduce the risk of airspace conflicts.

Under Part 107, the 400 ft AGL altitude limit may be exceeded within how many feet of a structure?

Answer: Within 400 ft horizontally

A sUAS may fly above 400 ft AGL if within 400 ft of a structure, up to 400 ft above the structure's uppermost limit.

What does the phonetic alphabet letter 'Whiskey' represent?

Answer: W

In the ICAO/NATO phonetic alphabet, 'Whiskey' represents the letter W.

A remote pilot plans to conduct aerial photography with a 3-lb sUAS carrying a 0.8-lb camera. The battery weighs 0.4 lbs. If the airframe alone weighs 1.8 lbs, does this configuration exceed the manufacturer's 3-lb maximum?

Answer: No, because the battery is not counted toward gross weight

Wait—total weight = airframe (1.8) + battery (0.4) + camera (0.8) = 3.0 lbs, which equals but does not exceed the 3-lb maximum, so this configuration is at the limit.

Which hazardous attitude antidote corresponds to the 'Anti-authority' attitude?

Answer: 'Follow the rules — they are usually right'

The antidote for anti-authority is reminding yourself that rules and regulations exist for good reasons and have been developed from experience.

Which factor does NOT directly affect sUAS performance calculations for loading?

Answer: The color of the aircraft fuselage

Fuselage color has no measurable effect on loading or performance calculations; temperature, total weight, and density altitude all directly influence available power and lift.

Which factor has the GREATEST influence on a fixed-wing UAS's takeoff roll distance?

Answer: Gross weight and headwind component

A heavier aircraft requires more lift to become airborne, and a headwind reduces the ground speed needed to achieve flying speed, both directly affecting takeoff distance.

Which term describes the mental state where a pilot perceives, processes, and acts correctly but then fails to monitor whether the outcome matched expectations?

Answer: Feedback loop failure

A feedback loop failure occurs when the pilot completes an action but does not verify the result, leaving an uncorrected error undetected.

What is the regulatory altitude ceiling for sUAS operations over non-congested areas under Part 107?

Answer: 400 ft AGL unless within 400 ft of a structure

The 400 ft AGL ceiling applies generally, but a sUAS may fly higher if it remains within 400 ft of a structure.

Which emergency procedure is correct when a sUAS experiences a fly-away due to compass interference?

Answer: Switch off GPS, take manual control, and land as soon as possible

Compass interference corrupts GPS-based navigation; switching to manual/attitude mode removes the erroneous GPS input, giving the pilot direct control to execute an emergency landing.

A remote pilot is programming their sUAS for a mission. What is the most commonly recommended and safest pre-programmed procedure for the aircraft to follow in the event of a lost command and control link?

Answer: Automatically initiate a return-to-home (RTH) procedure to a pre-set location.

A pre-programmed return-to-home (RTH) or return-to-launch (RTL) is the standard and safest lost link procedure. This action brings the aircraft back to a known, safe location at a pre-set altitude, allowing the pilot to regain control or land it safely. Continuing on its path, ascending, or simply falling could create a significant hazard.

Stress degrades pilot performance primarily by:

Answer: Narrowing attention and reducing the ability to process multiple information sources

High stress causes cognitive tunneling — a narrowing of attention that can cause pilots to miss critical information outside their immediate focus.

What is the minimum distance a sUAS must stay below clouds under standard Part 107 rules?

Answer: 500 ft

Part 107 requires sUAS to remain at least 500 ft below clouds and 2,000 ft horizontally from clouds.

A remote pilot is planning a mission in a mountainous region known for rapidly changing weather. Which of the following services would be MOST useful for obtaining a broad overview of forecasted weather, including turbulence and winds at various altitudes, over the entire operational area?

Answer: Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA)

The Graphical Forecasts for Aviation (GFA) tool is designed to give a complete picture of the weather over a broad area. It includes graphical forecasts for turbulence, winds, clouds, and other weather phenomena at various altitudes, making it ideal for planning in complex terrain where a TAF for a single airport might not be sufficient.

A remote pilot must abort a flight when the UAS enters a fail-safe return-to-home (RTH) sequence. The FIRST action should be:

Answer: Cancel RTH and regain manual control if safe to do so

The pilot should attempt to cancel RTH and resume manual control first, because RTH may navigate the UAS into obstacles if the home point or environment has changed.

Thermal activity is most intense during which time period on a sunny day?

Answer: Early to mid-afternoon when ground heating is at its peak

Thermal updrafts peak in early to mid-afternoon when solar heating has warmed the surface to its daily maximum, maximizing convective energy.

During flight, a pilot observes the UAS climbing unexpectedly without control input. The MOST probable cause is:

Answer: An updraft or thermal lifting the aircraft

Thermals and updrafts can exert significant vertical lift on a UAS, causing unexpected altitude gain independent of pilot commands.

A sUAS remote pilot plans to operate near a Military Operations Area (MOA). What action is required?

Answer: Contact the controlling agency and exercise extreme caution due to high-speed military training

While sUAS are not explicitly prohibited from MOAs, pilots should contact the controlling agency and be aware of high-speed military aircraft activity.