GVC Emergency and Contingency Procedures — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What is the difference between a 'contingency procedure' and an 'emergency procedure' in UAS operations?
- They are the same thing with different names
- A contingency procedure addresses abnormal situations to prevent an emergency; an emergency procedure addresses situations where safety is directly at risk (Correct answer)
- Contingency procedures are for equipment issues; emergency procedures are for weather only
- Emergency procedures are optional; contingency procedures are mandatory
Correct answer: A contingency procedure addresses abnormal situations to prevent an emergency; an emergency procedure addresses situations where safety is directly at risk
Contingency procedures are pre-planned responses to abnormal situations (e.g., degraded GPS, approaching the operational volume boundary) designed to prevent the situation from escalating into an emergency. Emergency procedures are activated when safety is directly threatened (e.g., complete loss of control, flyaway, imminent collision) and typically involve immediate actions to minimise harm.
Question 2: What is a 'flyaway' and what should the remote pilot do if one occurs?
- A planned long-range flight — continue monitoring on the map
- An uncontrolled departure of the UAS from the operational area — activate emergency procedures, warn people, and notify the CAA (Correct answer)
- A feature that automatically returns the drone to home — do nothing
- A marketing term for autonomous flight modes
Correct answer: An uncontrolled departure of the UAS from the operational area — activate emergency procedures, warn people, and notify the CAA
A flyaway occurs when the UAS departs from the pilot's control and leaves the operational area unintentionally. The pilot should immediately attempt to regain control, warn any persons in the area, note the last known position and heading, contact ATC if in or near controlled airspace, and report the occurrence to the CAA as a mandatory occurrence report.
Question 3: What action should a remote pilot take upon experiencing a complete loss of the command and control (C2) link?
- Immediately call the police
- Follow the pre-programmed lost-link procedure, which typically commands the UAS to return to home, loiter, or land (Correct answer)
- Wait indefinitely for the link to restore
- Attempt to chase the drone on foot
Correct answer: Follow the pre-programmed lost-link procedure, which typically commands the UAS to return to home, loiter, or land
A complete C2 link loss should trigger a pre-programmed lost-link procedure. Most commercial UAS are configured to automatically return to a pre-set home point, hover/loiter for a defined period, or land in place. The pilot should have set and verified this procedure before flight and should be prepared to take manual control if the link is restored.
Question 4: Under UK regulations, which occurrences involving UAS must be reported to the CAA as mandatory occurrence reports (MORs)?
- Only crashes that cause injury to persons
- Any occurrence that endangers or could endanger the safety of an aircraft, including near-misses, flyaways, injuries, and damage to third-party property (Correct answer)
- Only events that make the national news
- Only events involving drones over 25 kg
Correct answer: Any occurrence that endangers or could endanger the safety of an aircraft, including near-misses, flyaways, injuries, and damage to third-party property
Under UK regulations, mandatory occurrence reports must be filed for any event that endangers or could have endangered aviation safety. This includes airprox events (near-misses with manned aircraft), flyaways, injuries to persons, significant damage to third-party property, and any situation where the safety of other airspace users was compromised.
Question 5: What is the recommended action if a UAS experiences a critical battery warning during flight?
- Continue the mission to completion to avoid wasting the flight
- Immediately initiate a controlled landing at the nearest safe location within the operational area (Correct answer)
- Climb to maximum altitude to extend glide range
- Switch off all cameras to conserve power and continue flying
Correct answer: Immediately initiate a controlled landing at the nearest safe location within the operational area
A critical battery warning indicates the remaining charge may be insufficient for continued safe flight. The pilot should immediately abort the mission and initiate a controlled landing at the nearest safe location. Continuing the flight risks an uncontrolled descent when the battery is depleted, potentially causing harm to people or property.
Question 6: Why should remote pilots brief all crew members on emergency procedures before each flight?
- It is a polite courtesy but has no operational significance
- To ensure everyone knows their role in an emergency, enabling coordinated and effective response (Correct answer)
- It is only necessary for flights over populated areas
- Crew briefings are only required for drones over 20 kg
Correct answer: To ensure everyone knows their role in an emergency, enabling coordinated and effective response
Pre-flight crew briefings on emergency procedures ensure that every team member (observers, payload operators, safety marshals) understands their specific role if an abnormal or emergency situation develops. Coordinated response is critical — for example, observers need to know when to warn bystanders, and crew must know the pilot's priorities during emergencies.
GVC Emergency and Contingency Procedures
What is the difference between a 'contingency procedure' and an 'emergency procedure' in UAS operations?