UAVSA Release 1.1

U.S. Department of Transportation

Page 1

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. Clear the Flight location Announcements for emergencies such as fires,

explosions or other life threatening 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 performed by any of the UAS crew

before departure, in flight or any other condition that requires the PIC to

immediately land the UAS UAS. 

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. The UAS crew can define an In Fight Emergency by Announcing to the PIC: 

a. “We have a problem and need to land”

b. “Stating a problem as clear and concise as possible and the need to land” 
UAVSA Release 1.1

U.S. Department of Transportation

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2. PIC Announce Response: “Copy landing immediately”

E. In Flight Corrections and Announcements

1. Observer loses orientation of UAS In Flight

a. Observer Announce: “UAS Orientation Lost”

b. Observer Announce: “Last seen position was____”

2. Corrective Action

a. PIC Announce: “Roger, use camera to find Ground Marker for UAS

F. Signal is Lost In Flight

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

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

c. UAS Crew Announce: “Roger, 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, Observer, Gimbal Operator

B. UAS Team Communication Equipment

i. Aviation Quality 3 Channel Hand Radios

ii. David Clark or Equivalent Quality Head Set w/Mics

iii. Bull Horn for Flight location Flight Announcements

C. UAS Communication Equipment

i. UAS Base Radio Controller

Communications Check

A. Sync Radio Channels

i. Test All Channels
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U.S. Department of Transportation

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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.Gimbal 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.

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”
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U.S. Department of Transportation

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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. Gimbal 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 Clear for Take Off”

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

iv. PIC Announce: “Clear for Power”

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

vi. Gimbal Operator: “Gimbal 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. Gimbal 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 1.1

U.S. Department of Transportation

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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. Gimbal Operator: “Gimbal 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. Gimbal Operator: “____name____ Gimbal 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. Gimbal Operator: “Roger, Landing UAS, Returning Gimbal to Center”

iii. Gimbal 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”
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U.S. Department of Transportation

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vii. Gimbal Operator: “Landing Check”

viii. PIC: Motors Off

After Motors Shut off Initiate Post Flight Checklist

In Flight- Observer Commands

i. Observer: Relays info to Pilot w/ Nose out principle spotting. 

ii. Observer: Announce Altitude every 20 feet in Elevation Change

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 and Land”

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

direction and heading. 

vi. PIC: “UAS Landing Immediately”

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

viii. Observer Announce: UAS in the air-space, at “500 feet at 12:00 O’clock”

ix. PIC: “UAS is in view, Landing Immediately”