UAVSA Release 1.4 2015

Flight Communications Protocols

Communications Briefing: Safety Procedures and Communication Protocol

A. Mayday

1. Mayday announcements are performed only by the PIC.

2. Mayday announcements force all filming operations to halt and for all crews and 

participants to take the necessary precautions and/or actions to locate the UAS 

and, if needed, find shelter.

3. Mayday announcements force all UAS crew to immediately locate the UAS, 

direct others out of its flight path, and/or if needed, direct them to shelter.

B. Clear the flight location

1. Clear the flight location announcements are performed by the location or UAS 

crew in charge.

2. Clearing the flight location announcements for emergencies such as fires, 

explosions or other life threating dangerous circumstances may be performed by 

police, security, fire personnel or any of the UAS or location crew.

C. In-Flight Emergency 

1. Land-Land-Land Announcements can be initiated by any of the UAS crew before 

departure, in flight or any other condition that requires the pilot to immediately 

land the UAS aircraft. 

2. The UAS crew can at any time before or during a flight for whatever reason such 

as he or she feels or observes that the flight is unsafe, can announce, “We have a 

problem and need to land.”

D. Defining In-Flight Emergency

1. Any UAS crew member can call an In Fight Emergency by Announcing to the 

Pilot / PIC: “We have a problem and need to land.” 

2. “Stating a problem as clear and concise as possible “the need to land.” 

3. Pilot Announces Response: “Copy landing immediately.”

E. In-Flight Corrections and Announcements 

1. Pilot loses orientation of UAS In-flight.

a. Pilot Announce: “UAS orientation lost.”

b. VO Announce: “Last seen position was____.”
UAVSA Release 1.4 2015

2. Corrective Action

a. PIC Announce: “use camera to find ground marker.”

F. Signal is Lost In Flight 

a. Pilot Announce: “I have lost control of UAS.”

b. Pilot Announce: “UAS is not responding to my commands.”

c. PIC Announce: “signal lost informing crews.”

G. Make all crews aware that the UAS signal is lost and to be on high alert. 

Organization and Equipment

A. UAS Flight, ground crew team and important location crew.

i. PIC, UAS Pilot / Camera operator

B. UAS Team Communication Equipment

i. Hand Radios or walkie talkies

ii. Head Set w/Mics as required

iii. Bullhorn for flight location Flight Announcements

C. UAS Communication Equipment

i. UAS Base Radio Controller 

Communications Check

A. Sync Radio Channels

i. Test All Channels 

1.Select one Channel for Flight Operations 

2.Select one Channel for Emergency Backup 

B. Radio Communications Check

i. PIC Announce: Radio Check “Name and Position Radio Check”

1.PIC, Pilot In Command

2.Camera Operator

3.Observer x (Number of Observers)

4.Location Crew x (Number of “Required Only” Location Crew)

ii. PIC Announce: “We have Radio Com”

C. Bull Horn for the Location Flight Announcements Check 

i. PIC Announce: “Flight and Crew Com Check”

ii. Observer (On Radio) Announce: “Bull Horn Check Affirmative” 

iii. Location Crew (On Radio) Announce: “Bull Horn Check Affirmative”

D. Clear Communications must be established before each flight. 
UAVSA Release 1.4 2015

Communications and Checks Prior to Takeoff

A. Battery Check Before Takeoff

i. PIC Announce: “Voltage Check _________ Volts __________ % of battery.”

ii. Observer Announce: Mark Voltage in Pilot Log

iii. Observer Announce: “Repeat Voltage, Before Takeoff” after imputing data into 

pilot Log.

iv. PIC Announce: “Powering UAS”

1.PIC Action: Plug in Batteries Red than Black

v. PIC Announce: “UAS Has power”

vi. PIC Announce: “Battery Voltage on Monitor _________ Volts”

vii. Observer Respond: “Repeat Voltage, imputing voltage into Pilot Log.”

B. UAS to Ground Controller Pairing 

i. PIC Announce: Satellite Pairing

1.Activity: LED Description, “what colors are flashing” ex. Purple-GPS 

Yellow-Attitude mode

2.After GPS locks and Home Point is recorded LED will Flash Green

ii. PIC Announce: “Satellite Lock ___10_____ satellites, Home Base Recorded”

iii. PIC Announce: “Camera on?”

iv. Camera Operator respond: “Camera is Recording, Batteries are good”

C. Preparing for Takeoff

i. PIC Announce: “Final Check of Flight Area”

ii. Observer Respond: “____name____Final Check Complete ready for Take Off”

iii. Gimbal Operator: “____name___ Final Check Complete ready for Take Off.”

iv. PIC Announce: “Ready for Power.”

v. PIC Announce: “1 minute to Power, Take Positions and Ready for Power.”

vi. Camera Operator: “Camera Operator in Position and Ready.” 

vii. Observer Respond: “Observer in Position and Ready for Power.”

viii. PIC Announce: “Clear for Take-off, Powering Motors.”

ix. PIC Announce: “Ready for Take Off, Final check of flight area

x. Observer Respond: “____name____Clear Ready for Take Off.”

xi. Camera Operator: “____name___” Clear Ready for Take Off.”

xii. PIC: “Clear to Power up UAS.”

xiii. PIC Announce Loudly: “Powering Motors and Taking Off.”
UAVSA Release 1.4 2015

In Flight Communications

1. Immediately after taking-off, at low level make sure you have full control of UAS.

i. PIC Announce: “Systems Check Complete Ready for Flight.”

ii. Camera Operator: “Camera Ready.”

iii. PIC Announce: “_____________Voltage on Monitor after take-off.”

iv. Observer respond: “Repeat Voltage on Monitor.”

v. PIC: Ready to Initiate Flight Plan.

vi. Observer Respond: “____name____ready”.

vii. Camera Operator: “____name____ Camera ready for Flight Plan”

viii. PIC: Starting Flight in 3, 2, 1”

2. Completing Flight Plan Return to Location or Base

i. Observer: “Negative Flight Plan.”

ii. PIC: Roger, UAS returning to Start Filming Position for a second pass

Or

iii. Observer: “Flight Plan Complete.”

iv. PIC: Roger, UAS returning to base for landing.

3. Landing Communication

i. PIC announce loudly: “Landing UAS.”

ii. Camera Operator: “Roger, landing UAS, returning camera to center.”

iii. Camera Operator: “Camera centered, ready landing gear.”

iv. PIC: “Landing gear down and locked, on-final.”

v. PIC: “Clear Landing zone. 

vi. Observer: “Landing zone clear.”

vii. Camera Operator: “Landing check.”

viii. PIC: motors off.
UAVSA Release 1.4 2015

4. After motors shut-off initiate post flight checklist

In Flight- Observer Commands

i. Observer: Relays info to Pilot / PIC 

ii. Observer: Announce Altitude every 20 feet in elevation change – if required 

If UAS is getting out of sight or hard to locate.

iii. Observer: “UAS VLOS problem, losing line of sight.” 

iv. Observer: Lost UAS, abort Flight Plan.

v. Observer Announce: “Aircraft/Danger spotted, Abort Flight.” Describe situation, 

direction and heading. 

vi. Pilot “Aircraft Landing immediately.”

vii. Observer Announce: “UAS spotted, Abort Flight. 

viii. Observer Announce: UAS in unapproved air-space, climb, descend, proceed 

(direction) immediately (as required )

ix. Ovserver: “UAS is in view, landing immediately.”