Who Owns the Flight Decision?
Assign crew roles while keeping final operational authority and safety responsibility with the remote PIC, including when more than one aircraft is available.
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO
- 01Identify the rule, source, or principle behind this idea: The remote PIC is directly responsible for and has final authority over the operation.
- 02Explain the operational effect of this idea: A person may manipulate the controls under qualifying remote-PIC supervision and immediate takeover capability.
- 03Apply the lesson to a new mission and defend a go, modify, or no-go decision.
01 / MISSION
Begin with the operating problem.
A client pressures the control manipulator to continue while the observer reports traffic and asks the same observer to watch a second drone.
02 / CORE BRIEF
What the remote pilot needs to know.
The remote PIC is directly responsible for and has final authority over the operation.
A person may manipulate the controls under qualifying remote-PIC supervision and immediate takeover capability.
A person may not serve as remote PIC, visual observer, or control manipulator for more than one unmanned aircraft at the same time.
03 / PILOT DECISION
Make the call.
The remote PIC ends or modifies the mission immediately and assigns each required role to only one aircraft; the client does not control the safety decision.
04 / FIELD CHECK
Put it into the flight plan.
Brief one unmistakable traffic call, one abort call, and the aircraft assigned to every participating remote PIC, observer, and control manipulator.
05 / KNOWLEDGE CHECK
May one visual observer serve two simultaneous Part 107 aircraft?
Reveal the debrief
No. A person may not act as remote PIC, visual observer, or control manipulator in the operation of more than one unmanned aircraft at the same time.
RELATED FAA REFERENCES
Verify before you fly.
Educational summary only. Current regulation, FAA approval conditions, manufacturer instructions, and site-specific facts control the operation.