UAVSA Release 1.4 2015



# Flight Communications Protocols

Communications Briefing: Safety Procedures and Communication Protocol

A. Mayday

1. Mayday a nnouncements are performed only by the PIC

. 2. Mayday a nnouncements force all filming operations to halt and for all crews and
participants to tak e the necessary precautions and/ or actions to locate the UAS

and, if needed

, find shelter.

3. Mayday a n n ouncements force all UAS crew to immediately locate the UAS,

direct oth ers ou t of its flight path, and/or if needed, direct them to shelter.

B. Clear the f

light location

1. Clear the flight location a nnouncements are performed by the l ocation or UAS
crew in charge.

2. Clearing the f

light location a nnouncements 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 l ocation crew.

C. In

- Flight Emergency

1. Land

- Land

- Land Announcements can be initiated by any of the UAS crew b efore
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 feel s or observes that the flight is uns afe, can a nnounce , “We have a
problem and n eed 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 a s clear and concise as possible “the need to land

. ”

3

. Pilot Announce s Response : “Copy landing immediately

. ”

E. In

- Flight Corrections and Announcements

1. Pilot loses orientation of UAS In

- f light

.

a. Pilot Announce : “ UAS orientation l ost

. ”

b. VO Announce: “ Last seen position was____

. ”UAVSA Release 1.4 2015

2. Corrective Action

a. PIC Announ ce: “use camera to find ground m a r ker .”

F. Signal is Lost In Flight

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

. ”

b. Pilot Announce: “ UAS i s not responding to my commands

. ”

c. PIC Announce : “ s ignal lost informing c rew s

. ”

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 t eam and i mportant l ocation c rew

. i. PIC, UAS Pilot / Camera o perator

B. UAS Team Communication Equipment

i. Hand Radios or walk ie talkies

ii. Head Set w/Mics as required

iii. Bullh orn for f

light location Flight Announcements

C. UAS Communication Equipment

i. UAS Base Radio Controller

Communications Check



### A. Sync Radio Channels

i. Test All Channels

1. Select o ne Channel for Flight Operations

2. Select one Channel for Emergency Backup



### B. Radio Communications Check

i. PIC Announce: Radio Check “Name and Position Ra dio 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 Communication s must be e stablished 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 b attery

. ”

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: “Bat tery Voltage on Monitor _________ Volts”

vii. Ob server Respond: “Repeat Voltage, imputing voltage into P ilot Log

. ”

B. UAS to Ground Controller Pairing

i. PIC Announce: Satellite Pairing

1. Activity: LED Description

, “what colors are flashing” ex. Purple

- GPS

Yellow

- Atti tude 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, Fin al c heck 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____ r eady”

. vii. Camera Operator: “____name____ Camera r eady for Flight Plan”

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

2. Completing Flight Plan Return to Locatio n or Base

i. O bserver: “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 l anding

. 3. Landing Communication

i. PIC announce loudly: “ L anding UAS

. ”

ii. Camera Operator: “ Roger, l anding UAS

, r eturning camera to c enter

. ”

iii. Camera Operator: “Camera c enter ed, r eady l anding g ear

. ”

iv. PIC: “ Landing g ear d own and l ocked

, o n

- fi nal

. ”

v. PIC: “Clear Landing z one

. vi. Observer: “Landing z one c lear

. ”

vii. Camera Operator: “Landing c heck

. ”

viii. PIC: m otors o ff

.UAVSA Release 1.4 2015

4. After m otors s hut

- off i nitiate p ost f light c hecklist

In Flight

- Observer Commands

i. Observer: Relays info to Pilot / PIC

ii. Observer : Announce Altitude every 20 feet in e levation c hange

– 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 he ading.

vi. Pilot “Aircraft Landing i mmediately

. ”

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, l anding i mmediately

. ”