research activities. The PIC assigned to the research project is the only person with authority to approve flight operations. A single PIC must be designated at all times. Handoff to another PIC is allowed, using proper handoff techniques. For example: PIC 1: have the aircraft.” “You PIC 2: have the aircraft.” “I PIC 1: have the aircraft.” “You Failure to follow a loop’ approach is a recipe for loss of UAS control. ‘closed The PIC of the UAS is directly responsible for, and is the authority of, the operation of that UAS. A PIC may control only one UAS at a time. A PIC cannot serve as a PIC and a VO at the same time. With the exception of initial qualification training, pilots must be qualified on the UAS being flown (as previously addressed). The Principal Investigator (PI) is charged with oversight of flight operations supporting his/her research, including safety, risk mitigation, public awareness, and privacy related issues. At anytime, the PI has authority to halt or stop UAS flight in order to maintain safety of flight/mitigate risks. In accordance with FAA Directive N8900.227, a Visual Observer (VO) must be positioned to the PIC, to exercise the see-and-avoid responsibilities required by §§ 91.111, 91.113, and “assist 91.115 by scanning the area around the aircraft for potentially conflicting traffic and assisting the PIC with navigational awareness.” For WSU UAS operations, this role of VO shall not be performed by the PI (since the PI is focused on data collection). Daisy-chaining of VO’s (for extended LOS) is neither recommended by the FAA nor approved by this SOP. The VO Assist the PIC in ensuring the UAS stays within set visual LOS boundaries. Perform the role of VO from a location that allows complete situation awareness of the UAS and other aircraft within the surrounding airspace. This includes assisting the PIC in effective control of the UAS, through:
research activities. The PIC assigned to the research project is the only person with authority to approve flight operations. A single PIC must be designated at all times. Handoff to another PIC is allowed, using proper handoff techniques. For example: PIC 1: “You have the aircraft.” PIC 2: “I have the aircraft.” PIC 1: “You have the aircraft.” Failure to follow a ‘closed loop’ approach is a recipe for loss of UAS control. The PIC of the UAS is directly responsible for, and is the authority of, the operation of that UAS. A PIC may control only one UAS at a time. A PIC cannot serve as a PIC and a VO at the same time. With the exception of initial qualification training, pilots must be qualified on the UAS being flown (as previously addressed). The Principal Investigator (PI) is charged with oversight of flight operations supporting his/her research, including safety, risk mitigation, public awareness, and privacy related issues. At anytime, the PI has authority to halt or stop UAS flight in order to maintain safety of flight/mitigate risks. In accordance with FAA Directive N8900.227, a Visual Observer (VO) must be positioned to “assist the PIC, to exercise the see-and-avoid responsibilities required by §§ 91.111, 91.113, and 91.115 by scanning the area around the aircraft for potentially conflicting traffic and assisting the PIC with navigational awareness.” For WSU UAS operations, this role of VO shall not be performed by the PI (since the PI is focused on data collection). Daisy-chaining of VO’s (for extended LOS) is neither recommended by the FAA nor approved by this SOP. The VO Assist the PIC in ensuring the UAS stays within set visual LOS boundaries. Perform the role of VO from a location that allows complete situation awareness of the UAS and other aircraft within the surrounding airspace. This includes assisting the PIC in effective control of the UAS, through:
wsu-uas-sop-draft_v2_6-jan-2015.docx