Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Study Guide

[Colby DuLin]

Theutility and benefits of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) are being increasingly recognized across the aviation industry. While this technology is not new, its ability to support domestic public and private operators is becoming better understood, opening up new uses to government organizations and commercial enterprise. Small UAS are expected to become the most prevalent and affordable form of unmanned aircraft available, with applications for both business and recreation ranging from hobby model aircraft communities to defense contracting.

Beginning with the history and evolution of UAS, this book covers typical sUAS designs (including types of multirotor, fixed-wing, and hybrid), major elements and equipment, related technology, common uses, and safety practices, while also providing guidance and resources to help you make well-informed decisions regarding purchase and use and determine a path forward through the complex legal, business, operational, and support considerations.

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Reaching the pre-programmed distance limit triggered the fail-safe. The unmanned aircraft executed as programmed, to my dismay. It climbed to five meters, headed straight for home, and slammed into the trees. All this took place in seconds, before I could react and override the fail-safe to regain manual control.

The current generation of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) have reached a level of sophistication and complexity that would have been hard to imagine a few years ago. Features like redundant sensors and redundant flight control microprocessors have made these systems extremely reliable and capable, with software that provides flexibility and a broad range of functions to the user.

While fail-safe features are more capable than ever before, careful consideration must be given to how they are selected and set up, and what actions will be executed by fail-safe systems during flight. It is always up to the pilot to be sure those actions are appropriate for the current conditions. For example, setting up a fail-safe to land the aircraft immediately when triggered might be a disaster when flying over water. In my example above, I might have caused a serious incident and/or destroyed a new aircraft that I spent months designing and building.

During complex flight operations, even the most careful fail-safe planning and settings may not always produce appropriate results during all phases of a flight. For this reason, it is extremely important for the pilot to know exactly how to quickly regain manual control of the aircraft, and how to fly the aircraft well in manual flight modes. While writing this article, I was told of another incident involving a brand-new DJI Mavic. The pilot was flying over water when the low-battery fail-safe triggered, landing the Mavic in the water. Had the pilot spent more time learning the control systems, he might have been able to regain control quickly enough to prevent losing his aircraft.

Experience flying manned aircraft does offer an advantage here. Manned aircraft pilots are already used to the concepts of aeronautical decision making, risk management, situational awareness, and anticipating what might go wrong at any given moment. Even though the fail-safe systems designed for sUAS do not exist on most manned aircraft, the decision-making process, and the importance of anticipating potential problems and planning responses to those problems in advance is exactly the same.

If you do not fly manned aircraft, I strongly encourage you to re-read the FAA publication Remote Pilot - Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Study Guide with a focus on Chapter 10, which covers aeronautical decision making and judgment. Learn this section well, until it becomes second nature. You will be a better, safer pilot for it.

Theutility and benefits of small unmanned aircraft systems (sUAS) arebeing increasingly recognized across the aviation industry. While thistechnology is not new, its ability to support domestic public andprivate operators is becoming better understood, opening up new uses togovernment organizations and commercial enterprise. Small UAS areexpected to become the most prevalent and affordable form of unmannedaircraft available, with applications for both business and recreationranging from hobby model aircraft communities to defense contracting.

Beginning with the history and evolution of UAS, this book coverstypical sUAS designs (including types of multirotor, fixed-wing, andhybrid), major elements and equipment, related technology, common uses,and safety practices, while also providing guidance and resources tohelp you make well-informed decisions regarding purchase and use anddetermine a path forward through the complex legal, business,operational, and support considerations.

The new FAA drone rules and regulations for drone pilots provide a much simpler process. Commercial drone pilots will need to take and pass the FAA Part 107 Airman Knowledge Test at a local FAA Testing Center. This FAA drone test is essentially a shorter version of a traditional private pilot ground school. The FAA drone test is two-hours long and sixty questions.

This DARTdrones Part 107 study guide has curated all of the information that you need to know to take and pass the Part 107 FAA drone test as well as UAV school tips, details, and Part 107 practice questions!

You can pre-register for the exam here and pay your registration fee, but not choose a test date just yet. Within a few days, a representative from a CATS Testing Center will call you to reserve your spot. You can also call the CATS facility directly to book your test day at 800-947-4228.

Each FAA testing center will have a proctor and a few computer stations which you can take your electronic exam on. The proctor will take your fingerprints upon your arrival and on each time you leave the room. You will have two hours to complete the Part 107 exam and you will receive your score as soon as you complete the test.

Your remote pilot certificate will be valid for 24 months from the date you pass the Airman Knowledge Test. During this time, you will be required to stay up to date on FAA drone rules and regulations to maintain your aeronautical knowledge and expertise. You will be required to pass a recurrent airman knowledge test to continue to fly your UAV in the National Airspace (NAS).

Many UAV operators are confused by the language distinguishing UAV registration from UAV certification. These terms do not mean the same thing. You must register your drone with the FAA before doing anything else, even if you are just a hobbyist.

The information required to pass the Airman Knowledge Test can be very overwhelming for non-pilots. DARTdrones UAV School offers courses both online and in-person in 40+ cities around the country. Our Part 107 course acts as an FAA Drone Test Prep Course that is designed to teach drone pilots how to take and pass the Part 107 test.

DARTdrones UAV School offers a Part 107 Test Prep Course both in-person and online. As a UAV School, we get many questions about how to make money with a drone. This Part 107 course is the first step to do that. Upon registration of the course, you will receive a 40 page study guide, FAA Part 107 practice tests, downloadable resources, and access to our Chief Pilot for any Part 107 related questions. Take a look at the overview of our online FAA Drone Test Prep course for Part 107.

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