CSLB General Building (B) — All Questions

A remote pilot decides to skip the preflight inspection, reasoning, 'This aircraft has flown 200 times without a single problem, so nothing will go wrong today.' Which hazardous attitude is this, and what is its antidote?

• a.Invulnerability — 'It could happen to me.'✓
• b.Impulsivity — 'Not so fast. Think first.'
• c.Macho — 'Taking chances is foolish.'
• d.Resignation — 'I'm not helpless. I can make a difference.'

Believing that trouble only happens to other people is the hazardous attitude of invulnerability, and its standard antidote is 'It could happen to me.' Impulsivity is acting before thinking, which is not the reasoning stated here. Macho is taking risks to prove ability, and resignation is feeling that outcomes are outside your control — neither matches a pilot who assumes the aircraft cannot fail.

Before a rooftop mapping flight, the RPIC holds a short briefing that covers the flight plan, each person's role, the exact phrases the VO will use to call traffic, and the plan if the control link is lost. This practice is the essence of:

• a.Automation management of the flight controller software
• b.The manufacturer's scheduled maintenance program
• c.Airspace authorization coordination with ATC
• d.Crew resource management (CRM) using all available resources✓

CRM is the effective use of every available resource — people, hardware, and information — and a preflight crew briefing that assigns roles and standardizes VO calls is a core CRM technique. Automation management concerns how the pilot supervises the aircraft's automatic modes, not crew coordination. Maintenance programs and airspace authorizations are separate tasks that a briefing may mention but does not define.

In the 3P model of aeronautical decision making (ADM), what does the remote pilot do during the 'Process' step?

• a.Scan the operating area to detect hazards and gather information
• b.Evaluate how the identified hazards affect the safety of the flight✓
• c.Carry out the chosen course of action and review the result
• d.Log the flight time and battery cycles after the aircraft lands

The 3P model is Perceive, Process, Perform: Process is the middle step, where the pilot analyzes the hazards already perceived and judges their effect on the flight. Perceiving is the information-gathering step, and performing is acting on the decision and then re-evaluating. Recording flight time is recordkeeping, not part of the ADM model.

During a long summer survey in direct sun, the visual observer reports a headache, dizziness, and muscle cramps. What is the most likely cause and the best immediate response?

• a.Night vision loss; wait about 30 minutes for the eyes to adapt
• b.Carbon monoxide exposure; move the control station upwind
• c.Dehydration and heat stress; rest in shade and drink fluids✓
• d.Normal eye strain; issue polarized sunglasses and keep flying

Headache, fatigue, dizziness, and cramps during hot outdoor work are classic signs of dehydration and heat stress, and the response is to stop, get out of the sun, and rehydrate. Dark adaptation applies to night vision, not to symptoms in bright sun. Carbon monoxide is a cabin hazard for manned aircraft, and treating the symptoms as ordinary eye strain ignores a condition that degrades the crew's judgment.

An in-flight emergency forces an RPIC to climb above 400 ft AGL to avoid colliding with a low-flying helicopter. Under Part 107, which statement is correct?

• a.The deviation is prohibited unless a written waiver was obtained first
• b.The RPIC must report the deviation to the local law enforcement agency
• c.The RPIC may deviate only after receiving verbal approval from ATC
• d.The RPIC may deviate as needed and must report in writing if the FAA asks✓

Section 107.21 lets the RPIC deviate from most Part 107 rules to the extent necessary to meet an in-flight emergency, and a written report is required only if the Administrator requests one. No advance waiver or ATC clearance is needed, because an emergency by definition cannot wait for paperwork. Local law enforcement is not the reporting authority for a Part 107 deviation.14 CFR §107.21

While inspecting a cell tower, the RPIC loses the control link and the aircraft stops responding to inputs. Which item, known before launch, is most useful for managing this situation?

• a.The programmed lost-link behavior, such as return-to-home, hover, or land✓
• b.The maximum takeoff weight published by the aircraft manufacturer
• c.The registration number and expiration date shown on the certificate
• d.The end of civil twilight computed for the day of the operation

Knowing how the aircraft is programmed to behave when the link drops lets the RPIC predict where it will go and keep people and property clear of that path. Takeoff weight, registration data, and twilight times matter for other Part 107 requirements, but none of them tells the pilot what the aircraft will do after a lost link. Reviewing the failsafe setting is part of a normal preflight.

Which visual technique best helps a remote pilot and VO see the aircraft and other traffic during a night operation?

• a.Stare steadily at the aircraft's position light without shifting the eyes
• b.Sweep the sky with a bright white flashlight every few minutes
• c.Look slightly off-center of an object and allow about 30 minutes to adapt✓
• d.Wear dark sunglasses so that nearby ground lighting cannot cause glare

At night the center of the eye is least sensitive, so off-center (peripheral) viewing plus roughly 30 minutes of dark adaptation gives the best chance of seeing dim objects. Staring at one point causes the image to fade, and a bright flashlight or any white light destroys the adaptation you spent 30 minutes building. Dark sunglasses reduce the light reaching the eye and make night detection worse, not better.

On the morning of a job, an RPIC takes an over-the-counter antihistamine whose label warns that it may cause drowsiness. What does Part 107 require?

• a.Fly only if a visual observer is present to watch the aircraft
• b.Do not act as RPIC while the medication would affect safe operation✓
• c.Fly only during the first 30 minutes after taking the dose, then land
• d.Obtain a medical certificate from an aviation medical examiner first

Section 107.17 prohibits acting as RPIC, VO, or direct participant when you know or have reason to know of a physical or mental condition — including the effects of medication — that would interfere with safe operation. Adding a VO does not cure the pilot's own impairment, and there is no rule that legalizes flying inside a short window after a dose. Part 107 requires no medical certificate at all, so option d states a requirement that does not exist.14 CFR §107.17

Which statement best describes the difference between scheduled and unscheduled maintenance on a small UAS?

• a.Scheduled follows the manufacturer's stated interval; unscheduled corrects a discovered problem✓
• b.Scheduled is performed by the FAA; unscheduled is performed by the remote pilot
• c.Scheduled applies only to firmware; unscheduled applies only to airframe parts
• d.Scheduled requires a waiver in advance; unscheduled requires a written accident report

Scheduled maintenance is done at the intervals the manufacturer publishes, such as replacing propellers or servicing motors after a set number of hours or cycles, while unscheduled maintenance addresses a defect found during an inspection or flight, such as a cracked arm or a swollen battery. Either way the operator should keep records of what was done and when. The FAA does not perform maintenance, and the scheduled/unscheduled split has nothing to do with waivers or with a firmware-versus-hardware division.

Arriving at a city park to fly, the RPIC walks the area and notes overhead power lines, a soccer game in progress, and a hospital heliport two blocks away. This site survey directly supports which required action?

• a.Registering the small unmanned aircraft before its first flight
• b.Completing recurrent training every 24 calendar months
• c.Calibrating the aircraft's compass after every battery change
• d.Assessing the operating area and its local hazards before flight✓

Section 107.49 requires the RPIC to assess the operating area and surrounding conditions, including risks to persons and property, before every flight — exactly what a walk-around site survey accomplishes. Registration and recurrent training are periodic administrative duties, not part of the preflight assessment of a specific site. Compass calibration is a manufacturer procedure and is not tied to changing batteries.14 CFR §107.49