NEHCNewsletter Quiz

Spring 2016

In the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) current Aerospace Forecast Report, sales of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) for commercial purposes are expected to grow from 600,000 in 2016 to 2.7 million by 2020, and the combined total hobbyist and commercial UAS sales are expected to rise from 2.5 million in 2016 to 7 million in 2020. Today, there are about 10 times more UAS operating in US airspace than piloted aircraft. If the FAA’s projection proves to be correct, by 2020 there may be as many as 31 UAS flying for every manned aircraft. How much do you know about UAS?Have fun!

1. The FAA groups UAS into the following 3 categories:

A. Micro (less than 0.55 pounds), Normal (0.55 pounds up to and including vehicles that weigh 55.0 pounds), and Large (vehicles that weight more than 55.0 pounds).

B. Experimental Category (SAC-EC), Restricted Category (RC), and Normal Category (NC).

C. Military, Commercial, Recreational and Hobby.D. Government UAS, Civil UAS, and Model Aircraft.

2. Which of the following statement(s) correctly describes recreational or hobby use of a model aircraft?

A. The model aircraft cannot weigh more than 25 pounds.B. A model aircraft owner must always register with the FAA.C. The model aircraft should be kept within line of sight.D. All of the above correctly describe recreational or hobby use of a model aircraft.

3. Which of the following statement(s) correctly describes the approval to fly a UAS for business purposes?

A. You will require approval from the FAA only when you intend to fly in the vicinity of a major sporting event.

B. You cannot fly within 2 NM from a heliport.C. You cannot fly within 5 NM of an airport having an operational control towerD. Answer, B and C are correct.

4. Regarding a Section 333 Exemption (Section 333 of Public Law 112-95) you know that:

A. The standard period for evaluating petitions for exemptions is 120 days.B. An FAA commercial airman certificate is required to operate a UAS in

controlled airspace for hire.

C. Section 333 Exemptions are only required for aircraft that weigh more than 55 pounds.

D. The Section 333 Exemption is only valid when the UAS is operated in “special UAS airspace”.

5. Regarding a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA), which of the following statements is incorrect?

A. News media use of UAS to shoot stories or cover breaking news requires FAA authorization.

B. A COA is an authorization issued by the FAA to grant NAS access for a specific UAS activity. COAs contain requirements the holder must follow. The FAA issues COAs for both public UAS operations and civil UAS operations.

C. Commercial UAS operations are required to operate during daytime Visual Flight Rules (VFR) conditions.

D. Recreational users are required to obtain a COA in order to operate a UAS beyond line of sight.

6. Regarding the B4UFLY App:

A. This easy-to-use smartphone App is a prerequisite in order to submit an application for the Section 333 Exemption.

B. Provides a “Planner Mode” for future flights in different locations.C. Provides weather and NOTAM information to aid the UAS operator with pre-

flight planning.D. All of the above answers describe attributes of the B4UFLY App.

7. What are the licensing and certification requirements to fly a UAS for recreational or hobby use?

A. The UAS operator is required to possess an FAA airman certificate.B. The aircraft must be registered if it weighs more than 0.55 pounds but less than

55 pounds.C. The aircraft must be registered if it weighs more than 5.5 pounds but less than

550 pounds.D. The FAA does not govern recreational or hobby use of UAS.

8. Which part of the Federal Aviation Regulations will govern operations of small UAS?

A. FAR Part 105B. FAR Part 107C. FAR Part 109D. FAR Part 119

9. What operations require UAS operators required to file a NOTAM?

A. 24-hours before each flight operation.B. 48-hours before each flight operation.C. No earlier than 24-hours, and not more than 48-hours, before each flight

operation.D. UAS operators are not required to file NOTAMs prior to flight operation.

10. UAS’s are commonly referred to as ‘drones’. Why do many people in the UAS industry find this term to be objectionable?

A. The term drone often carry’s with it a level of stigma inherited from their controversial military applications on the battlefield.

B. The term drone, more widely used by the public, was coined in reference to the resemblance of loud-and-regular motor sounds of old military unmanned aircraft to the male bee. The term has seen strong opposition from aviation professionals.

C. UAS professionals object to the characterization that a radio-controlled aircraft becomes a drone by simply adding an autopilot.

D. All of the above are considered valid reasons that UAS professionals use to avoid using the term ‘drone’.