What action should the remote PIC take upon GPS signal loss?

What action should the remote PIC take upon GPS signal loss?

• A. Land immediately.
• B. Continue with flight as GPS is not essential.
• C. Follow normal sUAS operational procedures, noting any mode or control changes that normally occur if GPS is lost.
• D. Ignore GPS and rely on compass.

Answer: (C)

When GPS signal is lost, the priority is to operate under degraded/no-GPS procedures and maintain safe control. GPS often provides position hold and automatic return features, so losing it means the aircraft may become less stable in position and its normal autopilot behaviors change. The best action is to follow your standard operating procedures for GPS loss: recognize the loss, switch to the non-GPS flight mode you’re trained to use (often a stabilized or manual control mode), and proceed with flight noting any mode or control changes that occur when GPS is unavailable. This approach keeps you from assuming GPS isn’t needed, from overreacting by landing immediately if you can still fly safely, or from relying on a compass alone, which can be unreliable in certain conditions. If you can maintain safe control in the degraded state, continue the mission only as allowed by SOP and prepare to land when necessary.

When GPS signal is lost, the priority is to operate under degraded/no-GPS procedures and maintain safe control. GPS often provides position hold and automatic return features, so losing it means the aircraft may become less stable in position and its normal autopilot behaviors change. The best action is to follow your standard operating procedures for GPS loss: recognize the loss, switch to the non-GPS flight mode you’re trained to use (often a stabilized or manual control mode), and proceed with flight noting any mode or control changes that occur when GPS is unavailable. This approach keeps you from assuming GPS isn’t needed, from overreacting by landing immediately if you can still fly safely, or from relying on a compass alone, which can be unreliable in certain conditions. If you can maintain safe control in the degraded state, continue the mission only as allowed by SOP and prepare to land when necessary.