AVI30419

Certificate III in Aviation

Remote Pilot

Training Workbook

Part A:
Theory Training
Chapter 2

Student Name Vaioleti Tuioti ARN

Course Dates
RPAS Training Workbook Chapter 2

COPYRIGHT INFORMATION
This document has been developed for Aviation Australia by Remote Aviation Australia and is subject to copyright.
Remote Aviation Australia claims copyright in each page of this document and as a collective work and/or compilation.
You must not copy, display, distribute, or create derivative works from this document (or any part of it), whether in
electronic or print media without first obtaining express written permission from Remote Aviation Australia.

This document or any part of its contents must not be disclosed to any person who is not a student, client or employee
of Remote Aviation Australia.

IMPORTANT OPERATIONAL INFORMATION

All information, including extracts from maps, charts, ERSA, NOTAMs and aeronautical publications are for training
purposes only and must not be used operationally. You must refer to the latest, controlled source for valid operational
information.

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RPAS Training Workbook Chapter 2

Aviation Abbreviations and Acronyms

AAL Above aerodrome level

AC Advisory Circular (document interpreting aviation legislation)
AIP Aeronautical Information Publication (contains aviation procedures)
AGL Above ground level
AMSL Above mean sea level
ARN Aviation reference number (a unique number CASA uses to identify you)
AROC Aeronautical Radio Operator’s Certificate (certification to use an aviation VHF radio)
ATC Air traffic control
ATIS Automatic terminal information service (airport weather information)
ATS Air traffic services
ATSB Australian Transport Safety Bureau
ATTI Attitude mode (GPS-hold function switched off or not available – RPA drifts with wind)
BVLOS Beyond visual line of sight
CASA Civil Aviation Safety Authority
CASR Civil Aviation Safety Regulations (aviation legislation/flight rules)
CAVOK Cloud base and visibility okay (used in weather forecasts)
CRM Crew resource management
CTAF Common traffic advisory frequency
DJI A remote aircraft manufacturer from China (the world’s largest)
ELEV Elevation – usually used to describe the height of an aerodrome above sea level.
ERSA En-route Supplement Australia (document containing aerodrome, PRD, FN information)
FN Fly neighbourly area
Ft Foot (or feet)
GPS Global positioning satellite
JSA Job safety assessment (a risk management tool for RPAS operations)
Kt Knot
NAIPS National aeronautical information processing system (online systems to access briefing information – weather,
NOTAMs etc.)
NM Nautical mile
NOTAM Notice to airmen (used to indicate a change to aviation documents)
QNH Altimeter subscale setting to obtain elevation or altitude
PRD Prohibited/restricted/danger area
ReOC RPA Operator’s Certificate (the certificate for a business)
RePL Remote Pilot Licence (the certification for individual pilots)
RPA Remotely piloted aircraft (i.e. a drone)
RPAS Remotely piloted aircraft systems (the RPA, pilot station, control link and launch/retrieval systems)
RTH Return to home
TAF Aerodrome forecast
TAS True airspeed
TEM Threat and error management
UAS Unmanned aerial systems (an alternative name for RPAS)
UAV Unmanned aerial vehicle (an alternative name for RPA)
UTC Universal coordinated time (same as GMT and Zulu time)
VHF Very high frequency (usually refers to a type of aviation radio)
VFR Visual flight rules
VMC Visual meteorological conditions
VTC Visual Terminal Chart
WAC World Aeronautical Chart

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RPAS Training Workbook Chapter 2

Introduction
Preamble
This workbook is used in conjunction with the Student Resources and lessons you have been given.
The following information, review questions and exercises are required to be completed to further help your
understanding of Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems within aviation industry.
The review and exercises answers will be addressed during the course progression to assist you in the completion and
understanding of the desired outcomes.

NOTE: Pre-requisite study of student resources required to complete questions and exercises.

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RPAS Training Workbook Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Remote Aircraft Systems

Launch and Recovery Systems
As Isaac Newtown famously stated, “what goes up must come down.” There are a variety of ways to overcome gravity
in a controlled manner that allow an RPA to be launched and recovered safely.

Review 34 – Q&A’s

Name the different launch systems?

Name the different recovery systems? Hook/Skid/Net and a parachute.

Electrical Theory
Remote aircraft are mostly made up of electrically powered components. A system of water pipes is often used as an
analogy to help people understand how these units of electricity work together. In this analogy, voltage is equivalent to
water pressure, current is equivalent to flow rate and resistance is equivalent to pipe size.

Review 35 – Q&A’s

Name the four basic electrical quantities?

Describe the four basic electrical quantities

and the different measured units?

RPA Components
There are various components that make up the multirotor RPA to enable it to become airborne.

Review 36 - Name the RPA Components.

A: Transmitter
B: Receiver
C: Propellers
D: Electronic Speed Controllers
E: Sensors/gyros
F: Main controller
G: Motors

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Flight Controller
The flight controller is its brain. It is the system where information from the RPA’s various sensors and commands from
your controller/transmitter are received, and from which instructions are sent to the motors.

Review 37 - Describe the sensor components

Sensor Description
Gyroscope Detects the RPA’s orientation with reference to the Earth. It is the equivalent of
the artificial horizon found in manned aircraft.

Accelerometer Measures non-gravitational acceleration/deceleration.

Barometer Used to determine altitude. Aire pressure decreases as you gain altitude (fly
Higher), and by measuring the change in air pressure the barometer can
determine altitude. The barometer can be used by the flight controller to hold
the RPA’s altitude.

Magnetometer A compass that measures the direction of the magnetic field. This will
determine where magnetic north is and assist with orientation. It is essential to
assist GPS operations, and is required for modes such as return-to-home (RTH).

Sonar Measures the distance to the ground or obstacles surrounding the RPA. Can be
used to assist auto-land functions and obstacle avoidance.

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Propulsion Systems
Electric Motors
There are many kinds of electric motors but in general they have some similar parts.

Review 38 – Q&A’s
Name the two different electric motors
commonly used in RPAS?
Name the advantages of a DC motor?

Name the limitations of a DC motor?

Name the advantages of a Brushless DC

motor?

Review 39 - Name the Brushless DC Motors?

A: Outrunner motor
B: Inrunner motor

The KV rating can be used to find the RPM. RPM is found by multiplying the KV rating (no. revolutions per 1V) and the
voltage of the battery. For Example, a 920KV motor with a 14.8V battery would produce a theoretical RPM of:
920 x 14.8 = 13,616RPM

Using the above conversions, complete the following calculations:

Review 40 – Q&A’s KV Rating Calculations

Motor Volts KV rating (theoretical RPM)

400KV 3S battery (11.1V)

380KV 4S battery (14.8V)

130KV 12S battery (44.4V)

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RPAS Training Workbook Chapter 2

ESC’s
It is very important when wiring an ESC to double check the power input wires and ensure positive and negative match
with the battery connectors on the power distribution board. It is also important to mount the ESCs in a location where
they will not overheat, overheating an ESC is a critical failure on a quad as losing one engine is irrecoverable.

Review 41 – Write a sentence describing the basic function of an electronic speed controllers.
Electronic Speed Controllers (ESC’s) receive instructions from the flight controller and then utilize power
from the battery to change the speed of the motors of a RPA.

Internal Combustion Engine

The piston engine has several common designs, which consist of the four-stroke petrol, two-stroke petrol, four-stroke
diesel and the two-stroke diesel.

Review 42 - Name the internal combustion engine components.

A: Connecting rod
B: Piston
C: Spark plug
D: Inlet valve
E: Combustion chamber
F: Exhaust valve
G: Cylinder
H: Crankshaft

Review 43 – Write a sentence describing the Otto Cycle

The Otto Cycle describes and shows the up and down motion of the pistons transforming into a turning
motion that makes the propellors of an aircraft spin via the crankshaft.

Review 44 – Describe why the two-stroke engine is simpler than the four-stroke engine?
The two-stroke engine is simpler than the four-stroke engine, because it does not have a poppet valves,
camshafts or pushrods.

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Electrical Systems

Essentially the electrical system is a means of connecting and supplying all electrical components with power, this is
generally accomplished through the use of a battery connected to a central distribution board of some kind to
distribute the energy where required.

Batteries are constantly being updated with new technology and there are a range of different types.

Review 45 - Name the different basic types of batteries?

1. LiPo
2. Lithium-Ion
3. LiFePoF4e
4. NiCad
5. Lead acid
6. NiMh
7. Experimental Fuel Cell

Review 46 - Identify the label information on the battery?

A: Discharge (C)Rating
B: Capacity
C: Cell Count/ Voltage

The voltage of a battery is also determined by the cell arrangement (series), and there are a few common voltage
measurements worth noting, charged, nominal and discharged.

Review 47 Q&A’s - What are the following values for a LiPo battery?

The fully charged voltage .

The nominal voltage

The discharged voltage

Capacity (in amp hours) / discharge rate = time (in hours). Multiple by 60 to give you minutes. Example, a 4000mAh
battery is being discharged at 6 amps. 4/6 = 0.667 = 40 minutes.

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Using the above conversions, complete the following calculations:

Review 48 Q&A’s - Complete the calculations?

1. If a 5000mAh battery is being discharged at 10 amps, how long would it last? 30 min

2. If a 6000mAh battery is being discharged at 18 amps, how long would it last? 20 min

3. If a 16000mAh battery is being discharged at 30 amps, how long would it last?

Review 49 – Describe the rules associated with charging a LiPo battery?

1. Never charge the batter unattended – from time-to-time check to see if your battery is getting warm
to the touch or starts to swell. If so, stop charging immediately and contact an expert before using the
battery again.

2. Never charge a damaged batter – don’t charge if it is swollen (puffy) or has any other visible signs
of damage.

3. Generally, charge your batter at 1C or less – many chargers allow you to set a charging rate,
although most batteries can support up to 5C charges rates (which makes charging your battery much
faster). It’s always best to charge at 1C or less as this means the chemicals inside your battery will gian
energy slower which keeps them more stable and ultimately means your battery will have a much longer
life in terms of charge/discharge cycles.

4. Try to charge your batteries in a fireproof location, or in a LiPo safe bag. – this just adds an extra
layer of protection.

5. Ensure the number of cells and batter type are set correctly on your charger to match the cell count
in your battery. – this is only applicable for more advanced chargers.

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RPAS Training Workbook Chapter 2

Traffic Avoidance Systems

A traffic collision avoidance system or traffic alert and collision avoidance system (both abbreviated as TCAS) is an
aircraft collision avoidance system designed to reduce the incidence of mid-air collisions between aircraft.

Review 50 – List the obstacle avoidance systems for RPAs’.

Vision sensor
Ultrasonic
Infrared
Time of Flight (ToF)
Monocular vision

Circuit breakers and fuses

Review 51 – Write a sentence describing a circuit breaker.

A circuit breaker is basically like a fail-safe or safety mechanism that breaks the circuit so that no
current can flow through it. This activates only if there is an electrical overload or short circuit.

Communication Systems
There are multiple programs/apps available that integrate with RPA and show details of flight and offer additional flight
planning capabilities. These apps are coded to receive information from the on-board GPS and also transmit
instructions to the on-board flight controller to allow planned missions to be flown accurately.

Review 52 – List the popular software programs for RPA flight plans.
- DJI’s planning software
- DroneDeploy
- Maps Made Easy
- Precision Hawk
- APM Mission Planner

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RPA Radio telemetry

In order to fly an RPA, the remote pilot must be able to communicate with it through a communication link of some
kind where inputs are received onboard the RPA and sent to the flight controller.

Review 53 – List the frequency band for each row in the table below.
915 to 928
2400 to 2483.5
2400 to 2483.5
5725 to 5850

Optimal Antenna Position

The transmission signal between the aircraft and the remote controller is most reliable as per Orignal Equipment
Manufacture, which will achieve the best transmission performance.

Review 54 - Identify the GHz and Power levels of the transmitter?

A: 5.8G
B: 2.4G
C: Strong
D: Weak

Return to Home
An important safety feature fitted on most modern RPAS is Return to Home (RTH).

Review 55 – List the three situations that can trigger return to home?
1.
Low (Critical) battery

2. A situation where the RPASS detects that its battery life is approaching critically low levels and self-
initiates the RTH sequence

3. Failsafe

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Control and Navigation System

Flight Controllers
Modern day RPA rely on a range of inputs to assist with general flight and navigation. Flight controllers are continually
improving, making the task of flying simpler. Onboard sensors such as accelerometers, rate gyros and barometers assist
with keeping the aircraft level and at a constant height.

Review 56 – List the sensors associated with a flight controller?

Accelerometer
Gyroscope
Inertia Measurement Unit (IMU)
Compass/ Magnetometer
Pressure/ Barometer
GPS
Distance sensors

PID Control Loop and Timing

Proportional Integral Derivate (PID) control allows the flight characteristics of an RPA to be modified, including how it
reacts to user input, how well and how quickly it stabilizes and more.

Review 57 – Insert associated names of the blank boxes in picture below?

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I Actuator Quadcopter

Feedback

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GPS Systems
Global navigation satellite system (GNSS) is the generic term used to describe a global position and time determination
system. The satellites and other components of the system broadcasts signals that aircraft receivers can interrogate to
establish accurate position and time reference.

Review 58 – Insert associated information in the boxes below?

Space segment

Airbourne
equipment
segment.

Ground network;
control station and
monitor stations.

Becoming geographically disorientated

If during an RPAS flight you become geographically disorientated or lose the awareness of your exact location.

Review 59 – List the recommended procedure you should conduct for disorientation?
Engage the RPA in hover and yaw the aircraft to re-establish awareness of your location

If you are unable to re-establish awareness of your location, land and switch off the aircraft motors/engines and
move to its location to collect it (if you are able)

Trigger the RTH function.

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Air navigation techniques applicable to RPAS operations

Navigating a remotely piloted aircraft in visual line of sight should be a simple process. There are a few factors which
might be a threat to the navigation of the operation.

Review 60 – List the three processes of navigating of RPA?

1. Maintaining visual line3 of sight of the aircraft from the operator’s location

2. Through a spotter to achieve Extended Line of Sight Operations

3. By waypoint flying using a program such as DJI Ground Station Pro to conduct aerial survey or similar tasks.

System Faults

Flight Control Faults

Faults and failures in RPAS components include those affecting adversely the flight computer, actuators, sensors, engine,
or anything that pose a threat to the mission or the vehicle.

Review 61 – List the common flight control faults?

1. Power/ Propulsion Faults
2. GPS Faults
3. Communication Faults
4. Sensor Faults
5. Information Flow Faults
6. Electronic Faults
7. Fuel/ Energy exhaustion
8. Battery Faults

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Emergency Procedures

The primary source of information for understanding how to deal with an in-flight abnormal or emergency is the RPA
manufacturer’s guidance material (such as flight or operating manuals).

Review 62 – Describe in your own words a lost link situation of RPAS?

A lost link situation, is where the remote controller has lost its link to the quadcopter, thus having no control over
the aircraft.

Review 63 – Describe in your own words a flight termination situation for an RPAS?
Flight termination is a situation where the remote control pilot purposefully flies the aircraft into
the ground. This is either because the aircraft has experienced a lost link or the pilot is practising
flying the aircraft into the ground in case of emergencies.

Review 64 – Describe in your own words an emergency manoeuvre to avoid a collision situation for an RPAS?
An emergency manoeuvre, to avoid a collision situation, may be the pilots choice to

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