Operating Procedures

Owned by Aidan Bowers (Deactivated)
Last updated: 2023-08-09 by Hardy Yu
3 min read

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

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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