Common abnormal situations
- Describe the checklist structure for lost link, low battery, GPS degradation, weather and airspace conflicts.
Lost communication: many aircraft have a programmed failsafe such as return-to-home. The checklist's job is before flight — set and verify the return altitude and home point for this site — and after: track the aircraft, warn people, log the event.
Low battery: the response is to land or return before the reserve is used. The checklist sets the landing threshold during planning, not during the warning.
GPS degradation: position-holding may weaken or the aircraft may drift. The trained response is to fly by sight with attitude control and land as the manufacturer directs.
Weather and airspace: changing wind or an approaching manned aircraft means landing or yielding. Under Part 107, small unmanned aircraft must yield the right of way to all other aircraft (§107.37).
When does each item belong — before flight or during the event?
Select a card, then the column it belongs in.
Halfway through a mapping grid, a thunderstorm cell appears on the radar, about 15 minutes away. The client wants the last two legs.