Right-of-Way Belongs to Crewed Aircraft
Detect, communicate, and maneuver so the small UAS never creates a collision hazard.
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO
- 01Identify the rule, source, or principle behind this idea: A small UAS must yield the right of way to all aircraft, airborne vehicles, and launch or reentry vehicles.
- 02Explain the operational effect of this idea: Yielding means remaining well clear and avoiding passing over, under, or ahead unless well clear.
- 03Apply the lesson to a new mission and defend a go, modify, or no-go decision.
01 / MISSION
Begin with the operating problem.
A helicopter enters low over the mission area while the drone is photographing a roof.
02 / CORE BRIEF
What the remote pilot needs to know.
A small UAS must yield the right of way to all aircraft, airborne vehicles, and launch or reentry vehicles.
Yielding means remaining well clear and avoiding passing over, under, or ahead unless well clear.
The remote PIC should brief an immediate, predictable response before traffic appears.
03 / PILOT DECISION
Make the call.
Call traffic, descend or land as the safest predictable action, and do not rely on the helicopter to see or avoid the drone.
04 / FIELD CHECK
Put it into the flight plan.
Brief one command for crewed-aircraft entry and identify the closest protected landing point.
05 / KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Who has right of way between a small UAS and a helicopter?
Reveal the debrief
The helicopter. The small UAS must yield and remain well clear.
RELATED FAA REFERENCES
Verify before you fly.
Educational summary only. Current regulation, FAA approval conditions, manufacturer instructions, and site-specific facts control the operation.