I hate myself (FAA thingy)

18004KT

Wind is 180 degrees at 4 knots. The first three digits (180) are the compass heading (180). The last two #s are the wind speed (04).

True

True or False - Compass headings are always relative to true North in print, not magnetic North. If it’s in print, it must be true

OVC007

Sky is overcast at 700 feet. Remember, #s are always in hundreds.

1 1/2SM

Visibility is 1 ½ statute miles (SM).

1

The number of drones you can fly simultaneously.

400 feet

The maximum height you can fly AGL or above a taller building within a 400-foot radius.

100 MPH / 87 Knots

Fastest you can fly.

0.55 lbs

The lightest drone that must be registered (must be more than, not equal to, 0.55 lbs).

55 lbs

Heaviest legal drone (must be less than, not equal to, 55 lbs).

0.04

Maximum blood alcohol level.

8 hours

The time that must pass since you have had alcohol.

10 days

The maximum time you can take to file an FAA accident report.

30 days

The time you have to notify the FAA if you move.

90 days

The lead time required when requesting an FAA waiver.

1 year

Time that must pass after a final narcotics conviction.

13 years old

The youngest person who can register a drone.

24 months

How long this certification is good for.

30 minutes

The twilight time before sunrise or after sunset when you can still fly.

3 statute miles

The distance your anti-collision lights must be visible from when flying during twilight. Also the minimum visibility you must have while flying.

500 feet

Minimum number of feet below a cloud you must fly.

2,000 feet

Minimum number of feet horizontally from a cloud you must fly.

$500

The repair cost of accident damage that requires you to report an accident to the FAA.

Level 3

The “serious injury” AIS level that requires you to file an accident report.

122.9

The MULTICOM frequency for self-announce procedures.

2,000 feet

The distance you should operate from a tower to avoid hitting guy wires.

Stalls

Occurs when the wing exceeds its critical angle of attack

Center of Gravity (CG) Limits

Supposed to be defined in the Pilot’s Operating Handbook or UAS Flight Manual, but those don’t exist for drones

Angle of attack

Determines when the craft stalls

Load Factor

Increases during any maneuver

Remote PIC

This is the answer to any question about who is responsible

Left

Aircraft always turn left when circling a runway, because drivers sit on the left side of the car in the US, and pilots sit on the left of the plane, too -- It’s easier for them to look out the left window to see the tower

Maintenance schedule

You’re supposed to have one, even though most drones can’t be user-repaired and don’t provide a schedule

Risk Management

Helps to prevent an accident chain

Machismo

Taking risks to impress others

Impulsivity

Doing something without thinking about it

Invulnerability

Thinking accidents won’t happen to you

Resignation

What’s the use? They don’t control their destiny

Anti-authority

Nobody can tell me what to do

Crew Resource Management (CRM)

It’s how you manage your “crew” and you should integrate it into all phases of the operation

Systematically focus on different segments of the sky for short intervals

That’s how you should scan for traffic–let your eyes rest in different areas for a while, rather than continuously scanning

Latitude

Like climbing a ladder (north-south)

Longitude

The long way around the planet (the Earth is fat cuz it spins)

Standard briefing

Contains the weather forecast

AWOS

Weather

CTAF

For pilots to talk to each other when there’s no tower

UNICOM

A base station that broadcasts to pilots when there’s no tower

MULTICOM

Used as the CTAF when there’s no CTAF (122.9 or 122.95).

Temperature inversion

Warm air on top of cold air. Fog, haze, low clouds, poor visibility, but smooth air

Moist, unstable air

Turbulence (because the air is unstable), showery precipitation

Stable air

Smooth air, poor visibility, and steady (not showery) precipitation (because stable air is usually humid)

Unstable air

Intermittent precipitation

Cool + Dry

Stable

Hot + Humid

Unstable

High density altitude

Just means “high altitude”, Air is thinner, so lift is decreased

Nimbus

Means a rain cloud

Prohibited Areas (P-###)

Places like Camp David and the White House.

Restricted Areas (R-###)

It’s not prohibited, but if you fly here, it could be dangerous. The government might be testing artillery or missiles or UFOs.

Warning Areas (W-###)

Domestic and international waters, from NM outward from the US coast. It’s cool to fly there—it’s just not really managed by the US.

Military Operations Areas (MOAs)

MOAs consist of airspace with defined limits established for the purpose of separating certain military training activities from IFR traffic. Whenever an MOA is being used, nonparticipating IFR traffic may be cleared through an MOA if IFR separation can be provided by ATC. Otherwise, ATC reroutes or restricts nonparticipating IFR traffic. Will often consist of multiple Restricted Areas (R-###). An example of this is Chocolate Mountain Impact Area (R-2507) and Chocolate Mountain Aerial Gunnery Range (R-2507), which we drove through in California.

Alert Areas

Depicted on aeronautical charts with an “A” followed by a number (e.g., A-211) to inform nonparticipating pilots of areas that may contain a high volume of pilot training or an unusual type of aerial activity. Think skydiving training facility.

Class A

From 18,000 feet to 60,000 feet, all over the US.

Class B

Surrounding major airports, 0–10,000 feet. Consists of multiple layers, like an upside-down wedding cake. Most restricted.

Class C

Surrounding airports with a control tower, radar, and over a specific amount of traffic. Usually 5 NM (nautical mile) radius from 0–4,000 feet, and a 10 NM radius from 1,200–4,000 feet.

Class D

Surrounding airports with a control tower. 0–2,500 feet, no specific radius, just shaped around flight patterns. Outside control tower hours..

Class E

Usually it starts at 1,200 feet and goes up to 18,000 feet. Least restricted.

Class G

Uncontrolled airspace (below Class E airspace).