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Risk Management and Aeronautical Decision making with UAS


Describe the essential elements of ADM in your own words.

Aeronautical Decision Making (ADM) is preparedness.  It is minimizing the chance of getting into a situation that could and should have been avoided by assessing risks.  ADM is flight management and taking responsibility to assure a flight is well planned, risks and hazards have been identified, rules and regulations are obeyed. It is also like the motto of safety first. 

After preparation, on the fly, ADM is perceiving information, using knowledge and evaluating to decide, then performing to take the best course of action.  Situational Awareness (SA) is a term you hear often in aviation.  This is the pilot’s perception and reaction, interaction with the environment, knowing what’s going on, and being prepared for what situations may occur.

What ADM and Risk Management issues in UAS operations really stood out to you?

My background before studying with Embry Riddle is in human physiology.  The physiological aspect in human factors in aviation I believe are of extreme importance.  The human body must be ready to perform at a high level at all times in aviation, whether it is in maintenance or flight.  There is a wide array of factors that affect human performance, with fatigue being possibly the most significant.  Depression, personal problems and other mental issues exist unfortunately, but they are not welcome in aviation.  In a Boeing article, they stated 80 percent of aircraft accidents are related to human factors; that is why ADM and Risk Management are extremely important.

What are some of the unique human factors challenges faced by commercial UAS operators certified under CFR 14 Part 107?

Commercial UAS operators compared to any other type of aviation have one distinct difference in my opinion from all other aviators.  Depending on the type of mission, their aircraft is significantly closer to terrain and other physical matter whether it is trees, power lines, bridges, buildings and people.  They have a unique objective of gather information quickly, efficiently and safely.  The smaller UAVs do not have much endurance with their lightweight design and small batteries but is enough to do the job with preparation.  The human factor for a fully autonomous flight is plugging in waypoints while the aircraft knows where and how to take off and land while monitoring flight with ground observers to stay within CFR 14 Part 107 guidelines.  It may be launching a fixed wing UAV manually and deciding a safe place to land it.  Compared to a manned aircraft that will always take off and land at an airport a UAS pilot may encounter a different scenario every time they perform.


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