CAAP RPA Controller study guide
CAAP RPA Controller · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
The CAAP RPA Controller certificate is the Philippine civil aviation authority's credential for people who fly remotely piloted aircraft systems in controlled or otherwise regulated airspace, and for the operators who employ them. It is aimed at commercial drone pilots, survey and inspection crews, agricultural and media operators, and public-safety personnel who need to demonstrate that they understand Philippine aviation law and can operate an RPAS without endangering other airspace users. The CAAP RPA Controller study guide has 10 sections and about 3,085 words.
01Philippine Aviation Law and CAAP RPAS Regulations
This domain tests whether you know who may authorize an RPAS flight in the Philippines, what documents must exist before launch, and which law sits above every other permit you might hold. 9497 (Civil Aviation Authority Act of 2008) created CAAP and gave it rulemaking authority over all civil aircraft, manned or unmanned.
353 words, about 2 min02Airspace Classification, Restrictions and Operating Limitations
The exam tests whether you can translate Philippine airspace structure into a go/no-go decision, and whether you can hold altitude references straight. The Manila FIR (RPHI) contains ICAO airspace classes A to G; A to E are controlled, F and G are uncontrolled or advisory.
308 words, about 2 min03Flight Planning, Site Survey and Pre-Flight Inspection
This domain tests whether you can build a defensible plan before the aircraft leaves the case: information gathering, physical site reconnaissance, and a documented inspection with a crew briefing. NOTAMs, METAR and TAF, forecast wind at operating height, sunrise and sunset, airspace and landowner permission, local hazards (powerlines, cell towers, birds of prey), GNSS interference, expected spectators, and the emergency response plan with nearest hospital and access route.
321 words, about 2 min04RPAS Systems
The exam tests system knowledge at the level needed to predict failure: what each subsystem does, how it degrades, and which configuration choices create risk. Flight controller; IMU with accelerometers and gyros; barometer; magnetometer; GNSS receiver; ESCs and motors; RC control link; telemetry; video downlink; gimbal and payload; power distribution; geofence and failsafe logic.
314 words, about 2 min05Powerplant and Control Link Knowledge
This domain tests the electric propulsion chain and the command-and-control link - the two systems most often responsible for a forced landing. LiPo cell voltages: 3.7 V nominal, 4.2 V fully charged, land by roughly 3.5 V per cell; store at about 3.8 V.
305 words, about 2 min06Meteorology for Low-Level RPAS Operations
Low-level flying sits in the most disturbed part of the atmosphere. The exam tests whether you can read a METAR or TAF, then translate surface conditions into what happens at 100 m.
317 words, about 2 min07Navigation, Maps and Position Reporting
This domain tests practical navigation: coordinate systems, altitude and heading references, wind correction, map reading and reporting your position in a form others can use. RPAS work normally uses WGS-84 coordinates.
305 words, about 2 min08Radio Telephony and Communication Procedures
Even when a drone flight stays outside controlled airspace, the exam expects standard ICAO radiotelephony: correct phraseology, correct readback, and correct distress procedure. Use the phonetic alphabet and say numerals digit by digit for headings, frequencies and altitudes.
295 words, about 1 min09Human Factors and Crew Resource Management
This domain tests whether you understand that most RPAS accidents start with a decision, not a component. The exam looks for specific human-factors models applied to small crews.
272 words, about 1 min10Safety, Emergency and Lost-Link Procedures
The final domain tests whether you can convert an emergency into a planned sequence of actions rather than improvisation. Emergency landing areas identified during the site survey; lost-link behaviour configured and understood; fly-away response; battery failure and forced landing; LiPo fire handling; injury response; emergency contact list with the nearest hospital, police and CAAP; crowd control.
295 words, about 1 min