Ain’t that pretty?! Well ya, but it would probably be a lot less pretty if you were flying in the middle of it rather than on the ground trying to figure out which filter made your pictures look the best on your new iPhone. In this TOPIC we’ll go over how thunderstorms form and how […]
Topic Category: Drone
UAS ADM and Physiology
Aeronautical Decision Making, Crew Resource Management, Single Pilot Resource Management While these might be big fancy titles, the actual concepts they represent are actually much more simple, and probably something you already do to some extent subconsciously. The whole idea behind these concepts is to reduce GA accidents. The diagram above shows where GA accidents […]
UAS Emergency Procedures / Maintenace
Lost Link This is when you lose communication between the CS and the UA. The UA may follow preset lost link procedures, such as autoland or return home. You want the UA to not pose a hazard to persons or property, and follow predictable planned maneuvers that may help it land safely or reestablish the […]
UAS Communication and Phonetic Alphabet
The Phonetic Alphabet To avoid confusion on the old scratchy radios used in aviation, Pilots and Air Traffic Controllers often say a word to represent a letter. Below is the proper way to say each “letter” or number. Frequencies to Communicate On When flying your UA near an airport or area where manned aircraft […]
UAS Preflight
Steps to take before you fly Here is a list of some of the things you should be thinking about (and the FAA wants you to consider) before you fly your UA. Prior to flight, the remote pilot in command must:(a) Assess the operating environment, considering risks to persons and property in the immediate vicinity […]
UAS Loading / Lift
How much can the wing carry? What we are looking at here is a graph of the load (G loading or G-forces) felt on the aircraft itself (and also felt by you, the pilot) when making LEVEL turns (level turns being holding a constant altitude and not climbing or descending, as we talk about being […]
UAS Speed and Altitude
Speed and Altitude Limits You cannot fly faster than 87knots (100mph) groundspeed You cannot fly higher than 400′ agl (of course there are some exceptions) If your sUAS does not have an altimeter or GPS altitude readout you could consider installing one or gain a visual perspective of what 400′ looks like on the ground before […]
UAS Fog / Density Altitude
All these types of Fog are foggy in my brain! While there are 6 different types of fog, they all have somewhat unique characteristics, and at the end of the day all you really need to know is when to expect fog to appear out of thin air. For the purposes of your written test, […]
UAS Basic Weather Theory
Don’t stand in front of that Front! Well actually let’s say don’t stand fly in front of that front. A Front is a boundary or transition zone between two air masses of different densities (think oil and vinegar). Air masses of different densities don’t mix well, thus the layer in between them is the FRONT. […]
UAS General Rules
Falsification of Documents It goes without saying the FAA frowns upon this. 14CFR65.20 states any person who falsifies or makes a fraudulent entry in a logbook, report, or record, is subject to the suspension or revocation of any airman or ground instructor certificate held by that person. Accident Reporting The Remote PIC must report any […]
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