Operations practice questions

Answer: B) Impulsivity

• AIncorrect. That is resenting rules.
• BCorrect. Acting without thinking is impulsivity.
• CIncorrect. That is giving up.
• DIncorrect. That is feeling immune to harm.

Answer: A) Postpone the flight until mitigations, such as calmer winds and a cleared area, reduce the risk to an acceptable level

An unacceptable risk must be mitigated to an acceptable level before flight. If it cannot be, the flight should be delayed or canceled. Partial measures that are not re-assessed, or simply following the rules, do not justify flying.

• ACorrect. When assessed risk is unacceptable, the pilot should reduce it to an acceptable level with mitigations. If that is not possible, the pilot should not fly, which means delaying or canceling the operation.
• BIncorrect. A visual observer helps with see-and-avoid and awareness of people. It does nothing about the main hazard, gusty winds near the aircraft's limit, and the overall risk has not been re-assessed as acceptable.
• CIncorrect. Flying lower may reduce some wind exposure, but it brings the aircraft closer to people and obstacles. Applying a mitigation without re-assessing does not show that the risk is now acceptable.
• DIncorrect. Following the rules does not make an operation safe. Under 107.49 the pilot must assess risks to people and property, and an unacceptable risk is a reason not to fly.

Answer: A) Invulnerability

• ACorrect. Believing accidents happen only to others is invulnerability.
• BIncorrect. Macho is trying to prove oneself.
• CIncorrect. Impulsivity is acting quickly without thinking.
• DIncorrect. Anti-authority is resenting rules.

Answer: C) The early stage of hypothermia

Long exposure to cold that produces uncontrollable shivering and lost coordination points to early hypothermia. The remote pilot should stop and warm up, because the condition worsens and degrades performance.

• AIncorrect. Hypoxia comes from too little oxygen, usually at altitude. A pilot standing on the ground at a survey site is not short of oxygen, and hypoxia does not cause uncontrollable shaking.
• BIncorrect. Hyperventilation is fast, deep breathing, usually brought on by anxiety. It typically causes dizziness and tingling, not cold-induced shaking after long exposure to freezing wind.
• CCorrect. Uncontrollable shivering plus weakness and loss of coordination are recognized hypothermia symptoms. The pilot should pause the operation and warm up before flying again.
• DIncorrect. Carbon monoxide exposure comes from exhaust or combustion, for example in an enclosed space with a running engine or heater. The pilot here has been outdoors in open, windy air, and the symptoms match prolonged cold exposure.

Answer: D) I can't comply with that

• AIncorrect. That's 'Say again'.
• BIncorrect. That's 'Wilco'.
• CIncorrect. That's 'Affirmative'.
• DCorrect. Give a reason if possible.

Answer: B) Verify that all links between the control station and the aircraft work properly

Before flight, 14 CFR 107.49 requires the remote PIC to verify that all control links work properly and to brief participants on emergency procedures, including what the aircraft will do if the link is lost.

• AIncorrect. 14 CFR 107.49 does not require notifying air traffic facilities about lost-link behavior. ATC authorization is a separate requirement that depends on the airspace, not on the lost-link plan.
• BCorrect. 14 CFR 107.49(c) requires the remote PIC to make sure all links between the ground control station and the small UA are working properly before flight. Section 107.49(b) also requires briefing participants on emergency procedures, which covers lost-link behavior.
• CIncorrect. Part 107 generally limits operations to 400 feet AGL unless the aircraft is within 400 feet of a structure. A 500 ft return-to-home altitude could break that limit, and no minimum return-to-home altitude is required.
• DIncorrect. Part 107 operations do not require filing a flight plan, and lost-link settings are not filed with Flight Service.

Answer: B) Hyperventilation; consciously slow the rate and depth of breathing

Lightheadedness and tingling after rapid, deep breathing under stress are classic signs of hyperventilation. The fix is to consciously slow the rate and depth of breathing to restore normal carbon dioxide levels.

• AIncorrect. The pilot is operating on the ground, and the rapid breathing is itself the cause. Breathing faster would make the symptoms worse by blowing off even more carbon dioxide.
• BCorrect. Rapid, deep breathing under stress removes too much carbon dioxide, which causes lightheadedness and tingling. FAA guidance says that voluntarily slowing the rate and depth of breathing makes the symptoms go away within a few minutes.
• CIncorrect. Dehydration does not follow rapid breathing in this way. Caffeine is a diuretic and would not correct the problem.
• DIncorrect. Spatial disorientation is a false sense of orientation. It does not cause the tingling and lightheadedness that come from rapid breathing.

Answer: A) After a link loss, the automated flight back to the home point could strike the surrounding treeline

Set the lost-link return altitude above the tallest obstacles along the return path, so an automated return poses no undue hazard if control is lost (14 CFR 107.19(c), 107.49(a)).

• ACorrect. The aircraft would fly home at 60 feet AGL, below the 120-foot trees. 14 CFR 107.19(c) requires the remote PIC to ensure the small UA poses no undue hazard if control is lost for any reason.
• BIncorrect. A 60-foot RTH setting doesn't cause a climb toward 400 feet. The problem is that the return altitude is too low, not too high.
• CIncorrect. A low RTH altitude doesn't stop the automatic landing. The risk is colliding with obstacles along the way home.
• DIncorrect. Returning at a lower altitude doesn't use more energy than climbing higher. Battery use isn't the main concern with this setting.

Answer: A) Traffic pattern information, such as the direction of turns, along with wind direction

At airports without an operating control tower, a segmented circle shows traffic pattern information, including wind direction and the direction of pattern turns, so pilots (and remote pilots) can predict where manned aircraft will fly.

• ACorrect. The AIM says the segmented circle system provides traffic pattern information. Its wind direction indicator and traffic pattern indicators show wind direction and the direction of turns when the pattern isn't the standard left-hand pattern.
• BIncorrect. That describes a visual glide slope indicator such as a VASI or PAPI, not a segmented circle.
• CIncorrect. Airspace status comes from charts, the Chart Supplement and NOTAMs. Segmented circles are found at airports without an operating control tower and don't show airspace status.
• DIncorrect. Holding positions are marked with hold-short pavement markings and signs, not with a segmented circle.

Answer: A) Usable capacity declines as cycles accumulate, shortening flight time and reserve

Lithium batteries lose usable capacity as charge cycles accumulate. Tracking cycles lets the remote pilot plan realistic flight times and retire degraded batteries before they cause problems in flight.

• ACorrect. Lithium batteries lose capacity with repeated charge and discharge cycles. Tracking cycles helps the pilot plan realistic endurance and retire worn packs before they cause a power-related emergency.
• BIncorrect. Registering a small UA does not require battery cycle records. Tracking cycles is a maintenance and safety best practice, not a registration requirement.
• CIncorrect. Repeated cycling degrades lithium cells and reduces their capacity over time. It does not increase it.
• DIncorrect. The watt-hour rating is the battery's fixed nominal rating used for transport limits. Cycle count does not change it.