Operating Procedures

Normal Operating Procedures

Pre-flight

A pre-flight inspection should be conducted before every takeoff of the aircraft.

https://uwarg-docs.atlassian.net/l/cp/e9b4nYsR

All flight crew members should be briefed on the following:

• Roles and responsibilities

• Flight plans and anticipated procedures (e.g. command hand-off)

• Emergency and contingency plans

• Location of the safety equipment and who is trained to use it

• Public management plan

Consider estimated energy consumption for the given aircraft and factors including:

• Environmental factors (wind, temperature)

• Human factors (piloting skills, behavior)

• Energy sources (quality of the battery)

Site Survey

• Inspect maps (satellite imagery, aviation maps)

• Operation boundaries

• Airspace classes and regulatory requirements

• Routes and altitudes to be followed during the entire operation

• Proximity of manned aircraft and/or aerodromes

• Location and height of nearby obstacles

• Security measures for warning the public

• Predominant weather conditions for the area of operation

• Minimum separation distances from persons

• Alternate landing site in case of precautionary or emergency landing

A Good Ardupilot Checklist

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Take-off, Launch, Approach, Landing, Aircraft Recovery

• Ensure no likelihood of collision with other aircraft

• Ensure land owner’s permission has been granted to use the site

• Ensure site is free of obstacles (such as trees, buildings, open water, electromagnetic interference)

• Aircraft is in a disarmed state during any ground operations

Emergency Procedures

Control Station Failure

Whether the RPAS is controlled via a laptop, RC, or another device, its crew should have troubleshooting items committed to memory for immediate action. Pilots should know and be prepared for how their aircraft will respond to a crashed app, powered down transmitter, or low battery scenario.

Equipment Failure

While some equipment will not be flight-critical, crews should know which items require aircraft grounding and which are safe to fly without. Establishing a manufacturer-advised minimum equipment list is a good practice.

RPA Failure

Crews should be aware of items that will cause a critical failure of the RPA and what flight condition these failures will create. While fixed wings may glide, most multirotors will descend with varying levels of control.

• Establish a safe area and preparing for injury or incident response

Lost Link

• Troubleshoot link

  • Reorient antennas

  • Confirm / exchange cable connections

• Select a flight termination system

• Monitor aircraft and airspace until connection can be regained or the aircraft lands safely

• Initiate flyaway procedures if above items fail

Flyaway

A flyaway indicates an unresponsive aircraft and should warrant immediate action by the crew to mitigate associated risks both in airspace and on the ground.

• Perform initial troubleshooting of aircraft

• Alert ANSP of a deviation from planned flight path and potential conflits that may exist

  • This includes surrounding areas both laterally and vertically

Flight Termination

Flight termination can take many forms and may be as simple as a normal landing or as complex as a fragmentation system or parachute. Another common flight termination system is return-to-home, or RTH. Crews should know when and how to activate RTH and how to cancel or override, if possible. The flight termination system, when initiated, terminates the flight in a manner that does not cause significant damage to property or persons on the ground.

• The pilot may only initiate a flight termination system if it does not endanger aviation safety or the safety of any person

Information in this document is based on the following:

https://tc.canada.ca/sites/default/files/2022-09/aim-2022-2_rpa-e.pdf

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