Class 2 Drone (Japan) study plan

Map the structure of the Civil Aeronautics Act (航空法) as it applies to unmanned aircraft: identify which articles govern registration, permission/approval for specific flights, and airworthiness, and write a one-page outline from memory of the article groupings.

List the ten flight categories that require permission or approval under the Act (e.g., beyond visual line of sight, over 30 m distance from people, over event sites, over densely inhabited districts, near airports, transport of hazardous materials, dropping objects, night flights) and state the article or ordinance basis for each.

Distinguish the roles of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism (MLIT) versus the Civil Aviation Bureau in issuing permissions, approvals, and aircraft registration, and record the correct filing route for each application type.

Explain the difference between 許可 (permission) and 承認 (approval) with one concrete flight scenario for each, and note which requires a documented flight plan and pre-flight risk assessment.

Compile a glossary of 30 Japanese regulatory terms (e.g., 無人航空機, 立入管理措置, 飛行禁止空域) with English equivalents and one-line definitions.

Memorize the categories of airspace where flight is prohibited by law (around airports, above densely inhabited districts, and no-fly zones around specified facilities) and state the boundary conditions and exceptions for each.

Reproduce from memory the airspace classification relevant to UAS operations (uncontrolled airspace below 150 m, controlled airspace, and the DID) and explain when each triggers additional requirements.

Trace the permission pathway for a flight in a no-fly zone around a specified facility, including the consultation with the facility manager and the documented mitigation measures required.

Solve five worked scenarios that combine a flight category, an airspace restriction, and a facility restriction, and identify the full set of permissions needed for each.

Build a decision flowchart that takes a proposed flight's location, altitude, and purpose as inputs and outputs the required permissions and approvals.

Write a full pre-flight risk assessment for a real or hypothetical site using the standard risk-assessment framework, covering third-party injury, property damage, and airspace conflict, with mitigation for each identified hazard.

Draft a flight plan that specifies the route, altitude, timing, crew roles, communication method, and abort criteria, and validate it against the flight-category rules from week 1.

Define the elements of the pre-flight inspection (airframe, propeller, battery, firmware, GNSS reception, compass calibration, communication link) and produce a checklist a second person could follow.

Describe the steps for a site survey and takeoff/landing zone selection, including crowd control and 立入管理措置 (measures to keep third parties out of the area), and apply them to a worked site diagram described in words.

Outline emergency procedures for loss of link, GNSS degradation, low battery, and fly-away, and state the immediate actions and reporting obligations for each.

Describe the function and failure modes of the main airframe components (frame, motors, ESCs, propellers, gimbal) and explain how a single-point failure propagates to flight control.

Explain the power system: battery chemistry and voltage behavior, capacity and discharge-rate selection, and the signs of degradation that should ground a battery.

Trace the navigation signal chain from GNSS receiver through the flight controller to the actuators, and explain how inertial sensors, barometer, and compass contribute to position hold.

Explain the communication architecture: control link, video link, and telemetry, the difference between line-of-sight and obstructed propagation, and the meaning of link budget and antenna gain in practical terms.

Diagnose five described fault scenarios (e.g., compass error, motor desync, voltage sag under load) and state the likely cause and the correct pre-flight check that would have caught it.

Interpret a described weather situation (wind speed and gusts, visibility, precipitation, temperature, cloud base) and decide go/no-go using stated limits, with written justification.

Explain how wind gradient, turbulence near buildings, and gust spread affect small UAS control margins, and state a conservative operating limit for each factor.

Identify the weather sources used for flight decisions (surface observations, forecasts, wind alerts) and describe how to read a wind and visibility forecast for a planned flight window.

Describe cold-weather and hot-weather effects on battery capacity and performance, and adjust a flight plan's duration and reserve accordingly.

Integrate weather limits into the risk assessment from week 3 and revise the abort criteria to include weather triggers.

Explain the basic properties of radio waves (frequency, wavelength, power, polarization) and relate frequency band choice to range, penetration, and interference for UAS links.

Describe the licensing and technical-compliance framework for radio equipment used in UAS operations in Japan, including which equipment requires a license and what the operator must verify.

Calculate the effect of increased distance and obstruction on received signal strength in qualitative terms, and apply it to a described flight scenario to predict link loss risk.

List common interference sources in urban and industrial sites and the operational countermeasures (antenna orientation, altitude, channel selection, site survey).

Explain the rules for radio use near airports and other sensitive areas and how they affect frequency selection and transmit power.

Explain the liability framework for UAS accidents: civil liability for injury and property damage, the operator's duty of care, and the role of fault in apportioning responsibility.

Describe the insurance types relevant to UAS operations (third-party liability, hull, and any required coverage) and state what each covers and excludes in a written comparison.

Outline the accident-response sequence: securing the site, first aid and notification, preserving evidence, reporting to authorities, and notifying the insurer, with the order and rationale for each step.

Explain the registration and remote-ID obligations for the aircraft and how they support accident investigation and liability determination.

Apply the liability and insurance framework to two described accident scenarios and state who bears what responsibility and which notifications are required.

Complete two full-length timed mock exams and record the score by domain to identify remaining weak areas.

Re-study the two lowest-scoring domains using targeted notes and re-test those domains until each reaches the target score.

Rehearse the regulatory and airspace decision flowchart and the weather go/no-go matrix from memory to confirm retention.

Review all previously written deliverables and correct any factual errors found against the source rules.

Build a one-page final review sheet of the highest-risk facts (flight categories, airspace boundaries, permission types, weather limits, accident steps) and recite it closed-book.