Guide · Safety & emergencies · v2026.10
Drone safety, written for working pilots.
A practical safety system for commercial operations: how to score risk before a job, what to do in the first five seconds of an emergency, and how to run a crew so problems get called out early.
Before the job
Score the risk, then mitigate it.
List each hazard, rate likelihood and severity from 1 to 5, and multiply. Anything 10 or above needs a written mitigation before you accept the job. Re-score with the mitigation in place; it should drop a band.
1–4 accept · 5–9 mitigate & monitor · 10–16 written mitigation required · 20–25 do not fly
| Common hazard | Mitigation |
|---|---|
| Non-participants under the route | Re-route over open ground, cordon, schedule outside peak hours. |
| Wires near the work area | Mark on map, set minimum standoff 50 ft, VO dedicated to wire watch. |
| RF-congested site | Shorter range, higher altitude for link, launch away from transmitters. |
| Steel structure inspection | Expect compass errors; practice ATTI handling; launch from open ground. |
| Gusts near buildings | Wider standoff on the downwind side, lower max speed, 30% landing reserve. |
| Pilot fatigue on long shoots | Rotate PIC every 2 hours, water and shade at the control station. |
In the air
Emergency procedures.
Memorize the immediate action. Brief the rest before every job. In every case: aviate (keep it flying or put it down safely), navigate (away from people), communicate (tell the crew).
| Event | Immediate action | Then |
|---|---|---|
| Lost link | Hands off, verify RTH initiated. Move to clear line toward the aircraft, raise antennas. | If no reconnection, VO tracks the aircraft. Clear the landing area. Note last known position. |
| Flyaway / uncommanded movement | Switch flight mode (N→A / ATTI), fly manually away from people. | If uncontrollable, call it out and clear people below. Notify the nearest ATC facility if it may enter controlled airspace. |
| GNSS loss / ATTI mode | Stop stick inputs, then fly attitude manually. Expect drift with the wind. | Climb above obstacles if safe, return by visual reference, land early. |
| Compass / IMU error | Do not take off. If airborne, switch to ATTI and fly away from metal. | Land, move 30+ ft from metal, power-cycle. Calibrate only if prompted. |
| Manned aircraft approaching | Descend immediately and hold clear of its path. | Land if the aircraft is maneuvering low. Log the encounter. 107.37 |
| Critical battery | Abandon the shot and turn back. Choose the nearest safe landing zone, not home. | Descend while returning. Ground the pack and check cell delta. |
| Collision or motor out | Kill motors only if over open ground and the manufacturer allows it in flight. | Clear the crash area. Treat the battery as a fire risk. Photograph before moving anything. |
| LiPo fire | Clear people 30 ft. Do not use water on a burning LiPo; let it burn out in a safe spot or smother with sand. | Class D or LiPo-rated extinguisher for surrounding fire. Bag the cold pack and dispose as hazardous waste. |
Serious injury, loss of consciousness, or more than $500 damage to property other than the drone must be reported to the FAA within 10 calendar days (107.9). Notify your insurer the same day.
Crew resource management
Roles, calls and a sterile cockpit.
PIC
Final authority
Responsible for the operation and for the go/no-go. Can end the flight at any time without discussion. 107.19
Visual observer
Eyes on the sky
Maintains VLOS, scans for traffic, people and wires. Never touches the controls and never takes their eyes off the aircraft to talk. 107.33
Camera operator
Frame, not flight
On dual-operator setups, speaks only to the PIC, and only about the shot. Stops talking when the PIC calls "sterile".
| Call | Meaning |
|---|---|
| "Clear prop" | Motors arming. Everyone confirms clear of the pad. |
| "Sterile" | Takeoff, landing or a critical maneuver. Safety calls only. |
| "Traffic, two o’clock, low, closing" | Clock position from the pilot, height relative to the drone, trend. |
| "Lost visual" | Whoever loses VLOS says so. The PIC brings the aircraft back or climbs. |
| "Land now" | Anyone may call it. PIC lands at the nearest safe zone, no debate. |
People & property
Operations over people.
| Category | Aircraft | Over people | Over moving vehicles |
|---|---|---|---|
| Category 1 | Under 0.55 lb including everything attached at takeoff | Yes, not sustained over open-air assemblies unless Remote ID compliant | Only if in transit or within a closed or restricted-access site |
| Category 2 & 3 | FAA-accepted Declaration of Compliance; injury thresholds of 11 / 25 ft-lb; no exposed rotating parts that could lacerate | Cat 2 yes; Cat 3 only within closed sites or over people who are participating or under cover | Same conditions as Category 1 |
| Category 4 | Airworthiness certificate under Part 21 | Per operating limitations | Per operating limitations |
| Most enterprise drones | No category declared | Not permitted. Re-route or keep non-participants clear | Not permitted without a waiver |
Summary only. Read 14 CFR 107 Subpart D and your aircraft’s declaration before planning any flight over people.
Night operations
Flying after civil twilight.
Requirement
Anti-collision lighting
Visible for 3 SM with a flash rate that avoids collision. Required from end of evening civil twilight to start of morning civil twilight. 107.29
Requirement
Current training
Part 107 initial test or recurrent training completed after April 2021, which covers night operations.
Best practice
Daylight recon
Survey the site and fly the route in daylight first. Obstacles you can’t see at night still need to be on the map.
Air Pixels Flight OS
Risk matrix and go/no-go, built into every mission.
Flight OS scores each mission against live weather, airspace and crew data and records the PIC’s acknowledgment.