GVC Emergency and Contingency Procedures 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is a 'Return to Home' (RTH) function and what should the pilot verify before each flight?
- RTH sends a video feed to the pilot's home address
- RTH automatically flies the UAS back to a preset point — the pilot must verify the home point is correctly set and the return altitude is safe (Correct answer)
- RTH is a manual procedure that requires constant pilot input
- RTH only works when the UAS has more than 80% battery
Correct answer: RTH automatically flies the UAS back to a preset point — the pilot must verify the home point is correctly set and the return altitude is safe
Return to Home (RTH) is an automated function that commands the UAS to fly back to a preset GPS coordinate (usually the take-off point). Before each flight, the pilot must verify the home point has been acquired correctly, and that the return altitude is set high enough to clear all obstacles along the return path. An incorrectly set home point or altitude can result in a collision or the drone returning to the wrong location.
Question 2: In the event of a GNSS (GPS) failure during flight, what is the most appropriate immediate action?
- Continue the mission using the onboard camera for navigation
- Switch to manual attitude mode, maintain visual contact, and land as soon as safely practicable (Correct answer)
- Activate RTH immediately
- Increase altitude to regain satellite signal
Correct answer: Switch to manual attitude mode, maintain visual contact, and land as soon as safely practicable
GNSS failure means the UAS loses its position reference and cannot hold a stable hover or navigate autonomously. The pilot should switch to a manual control mode (such as attitude/ATTI mode), maintain VLOS, and conduct a controlled landing as soon as safely practicable. Activating RTH is not viable without GNSS, and increasing altitude will not reliably restore the signal.
Question 3: What is a 'Controlled Impact' and when might it be the appropriate emergency response?
- A landing on a designated helipad
- Deliberately flying the UAS into a non-populated area to prevent a worse outcome, such as crashing into a crowd (Correct answer)
- A standard landing procedure used in all flights
- A technique for landing in crosswinds
Correct answer: Deliberately flying the UAS into a non-populated area to prevent a worse outcome, such as crashing into a crowd
A controlled impact is a last-resort emergency procedure where the pilot deliberately directs the UAS to crash in the least harmful location available (such as an open field or body of water) to prevent a worse outcome, such as an uncontrolled descent into a gathering of people. It sacrifices the UAS to protect human safety.
Question 4: What information should a remote pilot record and report after a UAS incident?
- Only the model of the drone and the date
- Flight telemetry, location, time, weather, persons involved, damage assessment, witness details, and actions taken (Correct answer)
- Only a photograph of any damage
- No information is required if no injury occurred
Correct answer: Flight telemetry, location, time, weather, persons involved, damage assessment, witness details, and actions taken
After an incident, the pilot should record comprehensive details: time and location, flight telemetry/logs, weather conditions, description of the event, actions taken, details of any persons involved or injured, property damage assessment, witness contact information, and the UAS status. This information is required for the mandatory occurrence report to the CAA and for the operator's own records.
Question 5: How should a remote pilot respond if an uninvolved person enters the operational area during flight?
- Ignore them if they appear to be passing through quickly
- Assess the risk, manoeuvre the UAS away from the person, pause or abort the operation if necessary, and have a crew member warn them (Correct answer)
- Land immediately regardless of the UAS position
- Increase altitude to 120 metres to avoid them
Correct answer: Assess the risk, manoeuvre the UAS away from the person, pause or abort the operation if necessary, and have a crew member warn them
The pilot should dynamically assess the risk, manoeuvre the UAS away from the uninvolved person to maintain safe separation, and if necessary pause or abort the operation. A crew member or observer should be tasked with approaching the person to warn them of the drone operation. The response should be proportionate to the risk level.
Question 6: What is a 'geo-fence' and how does it function as a safety measure?
- A physical fence erected around the take-off point
- A virtual boundary programmed into the UAS that restricts its flight to a defined area, preventing it from entering prohibited zones (Correct answer)
- A type of radio antenna that boosts signal range
- A weather monitoring system
Correct answer: A virtual boundary programmed into the UAS that restricts its flight to a defined area, preventing it from entering prohibited zones
A geo-fence is a virtual boundary defined by GPS coordinates that is programmed into the UAS flight controller. When the UAS approaches or reaches the geo-fence boundary, it will automatically stop, hover, return to home, or land — depending on the configuration. This prevents the UAS from entering restricted airspace, flying beyond the operational area, or exceeding altitude limits.
GVC Emergency and Contingency Procedures 2
What is a 'Return to Home' (RTH) function and what should the pilot verify before each flight?