1. Stop Emergencies, or Lessen Their Impact, Through Preparation

<aside>

sUAS Teams can reduce the likelihood of emergencies, or lessen their impact if they occur, through diligent preparation and a solid understanding of the sUAS they are using.

</aside>

Checklists

Mandatory use of the HQ CAP Standardized sUAS Checklist and any available Manufacturer Checklists, as explained and detailed in P-5133, ensures the majority of critical sortie and hardware preparation steps are performed.

sUAS Knowledge

sUAS Teams must build an understanding of the capabilities, limitations, and weaknesses of the sUAS they are using by reviewing and studying available technical documentation. This enables Teams to anticipate and prepare for emergencies before they occur. For example:

  1. Understanding Emergency / Contingency Behaviors. Every sUAS has specific, automatic actions that are triggered during emergencies. The Skydio X2D and X10D both have sections in their User Manuals dedicated to explaining these triggered actions. Wingtra has a dedicated page on the Wingtra Knowledge Base covering WingtraOne Gen II failsafe scenarios (HERE).

    Image: Brett Seidell | Skydio X10D contingency behaviors & Skydio X2D emergency behaviors from their respective user manuals

    Image: Brett Seidell | Skydio X10D contingency behaviors & Skydio X2D emergency behaviors from their respective user manuals

  2. Adhere to Best Practices. If CAP or the manufacturer details best practices, these should be adopted. For example, Wingtra has a Knowledge Base page (HERE) listing “Best Practices for Maintaining Telemetry Connections”. This information can reduce the likelihood of lost link scenarios.

  3. Account for Capabilities, Limitations and Weaknesses.

    1. Do Not Exceed. sUAS User Manuals will list operational temperature ranges, maximum windspeeds, maximum control ranges, and other Do Not Exceed metrics. Respect and abide by these metrics.
    2. Weaknesses or Unique Challenges. Some examples:
      1. The Skydio X10D controller is susceptible to radio frequency interference from handheld radios within 12" of its left side (see bulletin here).
      2. Multiple Skydio X2D and X10D drones operating in the same area must have their controller frequencies separated by 50MHz, or lost link scenarios are likely to occur.

Rehearse

It isn’t enough to simply review contingency scenarios and step lists; they must be practiced and deeply understood. Actual emergencies leave little time for anything beyond trained reactions. sUAS Teams that train and rehearse regularly are best positioned to steer an emergency toward the safest outcome.

2. Possible Emergencies You May Encounter

Return to Home (RTH)

Lost-Link

Fly-Away

Flight Crew Interference