A remote PIC will film near an accident scene where an EMS helicopter may need the same area the small UA plans to land in. The PIC also expects to be low on power late in the flight. Which mitigation does AC 107-2A describe for this case?
- APlan to land in the helicopter's landing area, because the small UA was there first
- BPlan an alternate landing site and possibly sites where the small UA can be sacrificed to avoid risk to people or manned aircraft
- CKeep the small UA hovering until the helicopter has left, whatever the remaining power
Show answer and explanation
Correct answer: B. Plan an alternate landing site and possibly sites where the small UA can be sacrificed to avoid risk to people or manned aircraft
Thinking through this hazard before flight leads to an alternate landing site and, if needed, places to sacrifice the small UA so it does not endanger people on the ground or manned aircraft.
- A. Incorrect. Wrong. Small unmanned aircraft must yield right-of-way to manned aircraft; the plan must include other sites.
- B. Correct. AC 107-2A's example mitigates this hazard with an alternate landing site and possible sites to sacrifice the aircraft.
- C. Incorrect. Wrong. With power running low, waiting in a hover without an alternate plan may leave no suitable place to land.
Source
AC 107-2A Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS), Appendix A, A.4.8.1 Through this process, I might determine that an acceptable level of risk can be achieved by also having an alternate landing site and possibly additional sites at which I can sacrifice the small unmanned aircraft to avoid imposing risks to people on the ground or to manned aircraft