8.11 UAS Maintenance and Inspection - Practice Questions

Under what condition should the operator of a small UA establish scheduled maintenance protocol?

• When the manufacturer does not provide a maintenance schedule.

• UAS does not need to require maintenance.

• When the FAA requires you to, following an accident.

Answer explanation

If your UA manufacturer does not provide a maintenance schedule, you’ll need to establish a scheduled maintenance protocol.

According to 14 CFR Part 107, the responsibility to inspect the small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) to ensure it is in a safe operating condition rests with the:

• remote pilot-in-command.

• visual observer.

• owner of the small UAS.

Answer explanation

Under Part 107, an sUAS must be maintained in a condition for safe operation. And that responsibility lies with the remote pilot-in-command, who should conduct a check of the sUAS and verify that it is in fact in a condition for safe operation prior to each and every flight.

When establishing a scheduled maintenance protocol, you must:

• Bring the UA to a certified mechanic for all inspections/repairs.

• Document any repair, modification, overhaul, or replacement of a system component resulting from normal flight operations. This should be accomplished with either a written or on-line maintenance log for each of your sUAS.

• Document all repairs with photos and/or video.

Answer explanation

Establishing a scheduled maintenance protocol sounds fancy, but it essentially means you do two things:

1. 1. Document any repair, modification, overhaul, or replacement of a system component resulting from normal flight operations. This should be accomplished with either a written or on-line maintenance log for each of your sUAS.

2. 2. Record the time-in-service for that component at the time of the maintenance procedure.

Methodical maintenance and inspection data collection can prove to be very helpful in the tracking of:

• Equipment

• Structural failure events

• Both A and B

Answer explanation

Establishing a regular maintenance protocol and regularly inspecting your aircraft and system components can help you to better track both your equipment and potential structural failure events.

According to Advisory Circular published in June 2016, the FAA provides a helpful checklist of conditions that, if noticed during a preflight inspection or aircraft check, may support the idea that the UAS is not in a condition for safe operation. Which of the following is NOT necessarily considered a condition for concern:

• Delamination of bonded surfaces.

• A small nick in the body of the UA.

• Visual indications of electrical burning or arcing (black soot tracings, sparking).

Answer explanation

Compared to the other answer choices, “Delamination of bonded surfaces” and “Visual indications of electrical burning or arcing (black soot tracings, sparking),” a small nick in the body of the UA is the most appropriate answer choice. Remember though, that if you see a small nick, it’s a good idea to do a more thorough inspection to ensure the structural integrity of your aircraft hasn’t been compromised.

Flight logging should include all components of your UA, except:

• The remote controller

• The clothes you wear

• Communications link equipment

Answer explanation

The answer choice here should be pretty self-explanatory :)

Assessing the need and extent of repairs that may be needed for continued safe flight operations is necessary when:

• Noticeable sound (decibel) change during operation by the propulsion system

• Control inputs not synchronized or delayed

• Both A and B

Answer explanation

If you come across either of the first two answer choices, you’ll want to assess the need and extent of any repairs that may be needed to ensure safe continued flight operations.

In addition to inspecting your sUAS, you should also be inspecting:

• Local weather conditions

• Local airspace and any flight restrictions

• Both A and B

Answer explanation

The answer choice here should be pretty self-explanatory :)

Remember that there’s a lot to think about when it comes to your pre-flight inspection, and that using a checklist tailored to both your own sUAS and processes can be really helpful.