RePL flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Remote Pilot Licence (RePL)

CASA-issued licence allowing a person to fly remotely piloted aircraft for hire or reward while working for an operator certificate holder; requires minimum age 16, English proficiency and an aeronautical knowledge exam.

Remotely Piloted Aircraft Operator's Certificate

Certificate issued by CASA to an organisation permitting commercial RPA operations; it requires documented safety procedures, trained personnel, maintenance records and occurrence reporting systems.

Excluded category RPA

Remotely piloted aircraft under 2 kg flown within the standard operating conditions; no operator certificate is needed, but CASA registration applies above 250 g and operator accreditation is required.

Standard operating conditions

Part 101 conditions including visual line of sight, below 120 m AGL, at least 30 m from uninvolved people, outside controlled airspace, day VFR only, and one aircraft at a time.

120 m AGL ceiling

Maximum permitted height for standard RPA operations, measured above ground level; flying higher requires specific approval and increases the risk of conflict with manned aircraft.

30 m separation rule

An RPA must not be flown closer than 30 metres horizontally to any person not associated with the operation, unless that person is under the remote pilot's control.

5.5 km aerodrome rule

Standard RPA operations are not permitted within 5.5 kilometres, or 3 nautical miles, of a controlled aerodrome, nor in controlled airspace, without prior approval.

Populous area restriction

Standard operations must not be conducted over populous areas such as towns, crowded beaches or public events, because an uncontrolled forced landing could injure people below.

Density altitude

Pressure altitude corrected for non-standard temperature; high temperature, high elevation and humidity raise density altitude, reducing lift, propeller thrust, climb rate and payload capability.

Induced drag

Drag created as a by-product of generating lift; it is largest at low airspeed and high weight and decreases as airspeed increases, so it dominates during slow flight and hovering transitions.

Thrust-to-weight ratio

For a multirotor, total maximum thrust divided by all-up weight; about 2:1 is typical, and a higher ratio gives better climb performance and wind penetration.

Headwind effect on range

A headwind reduces ground speed and therefore range for a given endurance, while a tailwind increases range; strong winds also reduce the maximum endurance achievable in a given area.

ISA temperature lapse rate

In the International Standard Atmosphere, temperature falls about 1.98 degrees Celsius per 1000 feet of height gain in the troposphere, starting from 15 degrees Celsius at mean sea level.

Cloud base estimate

Approximate cloud base in feet above ground equals the temperature minus dew point spread in degrees Celsius multiplied by 400, useful when no official forecast is available.

QNH

Altimeter setting derived from aerodrome pressure reduced to mean sea level; with QNH set, the altimeter indicates elevation above mean sea level at the aerodrome.

Sea breeze

Daytime onshore wind produced when land heats faster than the sea; it typically develops in the afternoon, can reach 15 to 20 knots, and affects RPA drift and endurance.

One minute of latitude

Equals one nautical mile, or 1852 metres, anywhere on Earth; one minute of longitude equals one nautical mile only at the equator and shrinks toward the poles.

Magnetic variation

The angular difference between true north and magnetic north at a location; easterly variation means magnetic bearings are numerically smaller than the corresponding true bearings.

Class G airspace

Uncontrolled airspace where no air traffic clearance is required and separation is not provided; RPA may operate there under standard conditions when clear of controlled aerodrome zones.

Control zone (CTR)

Airspace surrounding a controlled aerodrome, extending from the surface to a specified upper limit, within which all aircraft require an air traffic control clearance.

SHELL model

Human factors framework in which Liveware, the human, interacts with Software, Hardware, Environment and other Liveware; mismatches at these interfaces are the source of most errors.

IMSAFE checklist

Pre-flight fitness check covering Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue and Emotion or Eating; any positive answer should prompt the pilot to delay or cancel the flight.

Plan continuation bias

The tendency to keep flying the planned task as conditions deteriorate rather than diverting or landing; a major contributor to get-there-itis related accidents.

Situational awareness

Three-level process of perceiving cues, comprehending what they mean and projecting future states; losing awareness at any level precedes most human-error accidents.

MAYDAY call

Distress radiotelephony call spoken three times, used when an aircraft or person is threatened by grave and imminent danger and immediate assistance is required.

Squawk 7700

Transponder code selected to indicate a general emergency; it alerts air traffic services and is normally accompanied by a MAYDAY call when workload permits.

Roger and wilco

Roger means the transmission was received and understood; wilco means it was received, understood and will be complied with; neither is used to answer a question.

Aeronautical Radio Operator Certificate

AROC qualification required to operate VHF radio equipment in Australian airspace; needed by remote pilots who use aviation radio frequencies for their operations.

Return-to-home altitude

Height set in the aircraft software to which it climbs before returning after signal loss; it must clear all obstacles while remaining below 120 metres above ground level.

Lost link

Loss of the command and control link between the controller and the aircraft; the aircraft typically hovers, lands or returns home while the pilot monitors and prepares to resume control.

LiPo storage voltage

Lithium polymer batteries should be stored at about 3.8 volts per cell; storing them fully charged or fully discharged accelerates degradation and increases swelling and fire risk.

Reportable occurrence

An accident, serious incident or safety event that must be notified to CASA or the ATSB, including injuries, significant damage and near collisions with manned aircraft.