FAA 107 Remote Pilot Decision-Making 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A remote pilot experiences a flyaway where the drone flies beyond visual line of sight. What is the FIRST priority?
- Activate the return-to-home function
- Call the FAA to report the incident immediately
- Attempt to regain visual contact; if unsuccessful, activate RTH and alert people below (Correct answer)
- Continue monitoring telemetry until battery dies
Correct answer: Attempt to regain visual contact; if unsuccessful, activate RTH and alert people below
The first priority in a flyaway is to protect people on the ground; the pilot should try to regain VLOS and use RTH while alerting anyone in the potential landing area.
Question 2: Which of the following is an example of 'confirmation bias' in remote pilot decision-making?
- A pilot checks three weather sources that all show good conditions
- A pilot ignores a warning NOTAM because they believe it doesn't apply to their flight (Correct answer)
- A pilot delays departure after a crew member raises a safety concern
- A pilot cancels a flight after noticing a propeller chip
Correct answer: A pilot ignores a warning NOTAM because they believe it doesn't apply to their flight
Confirmation bias is the tendency to seek or interpret information that confirms one's preexisting beliefs, such as dismissing a NOTAM that contradicts the desired plan.
Question 3: What is the maximum time a remote pilot has to report an accident involving serious injury or property damage exceeding $500 to the FAA?
- 24 hours
- 10 days (Correct answer)
- 30 days
- 48 hours
Correct answer: 10 days
Under Part 107.9, a remote pilot must report an accident to the FAA within 10 calendar days of the occurrence.
Question 4: A remote pilot must decide whether to fly near a wildfire to capture news footage. Which factor is MOST critical to the decision?
- The news organization's deadline
- Active TFRs, smoke visibility, and impact on firefighting aircraft (Correct answer)
- Whether the drone has thermal imaging capability
- The insurance policy covering the aircraft
Correct answer: Active TFRs, smoke visibility, and impact on firefighting aircraft
Wildfires frequently generate TFRs, and drone flights near them can interfere with manned firefighting operations, making airspace restrictions and manned aircraft traffic the dominant safety factors.
Question 5: The 'Invulnerability' hazardous attitude in a remote pilot would be BEST described as:
- Believing accidents only happen to other, less skilled pilots (Correct answer)
- Feeling too stressed to make a confident decision
- Following rules only when an authority figure is watching
- Rushing to complete a flight before weather changes
Correct answer: Believing accidents only happen to other, less skilled pilots
Invulnerability is the false belief that 'it won't happen to me,' which leads pilots to take unnecessary risks.
Question 6: When using the DECIDE model for aeronautical decision-making, what does the first 'D' represent?
- Determine the outcome
- Detect that a problem exists (Correct answer)
- Delay until more information is available
- Delegate tasks to the crew
Correct answer: Detect that a problem exists
In the DECIDE model (Detect, Estimate, Choose, Identify, Do, Evaluate), the first step is to detect that a change or problem has occurred.
Question 7: A remote pilot's visual observer says they can no longer keep the sUAS in sight. The pilot should:
- Trust the telemetry display and continue the flight
- Immediately return the sUAS to a position where VLOS is re-established (Correct answer)
- Ask the observer to move to a better vantage point while continuing to fly
- Land at the nearest open area using GPS guidance
Correct answer: Immediately return the sUAS to a position where VLOS is re-established
Part 107 requires the remote pilot or visual observer to maintain unaided visual line of sight; loss of VLOS requires the pilot to immediately restore it.
FAA 107 Remote Pilot Decision-Making 4
A remote pilot experiences a flyaway where the drone flies beyond visual line of sight.
What is the FIRST priority?