What is the example CTAF call used to alert a nearby manned pilot when a UAS is operating near Zephyrhills Airport?

What is the example CTAF call used to alert a nearby manned pilot when a UAS is operating near Zephyrhills Airport?

• A. Zephyrhills traffic, unmanned aircraft Xray Yankee Zulu, operating five NM south of the airport at or below 400 AGL, located at the three o'clock position of the Cessna just north of our position, Zephyrhills traffic.
• B. Zephyrhills traffic, unmanned aircraft Xray Yankee Zulu, five NM north of the airport at 2000 AGL, Zephyrhills traffic.
• C. Zephyrhills traffic, drone Xray Yankee Zulu, five NM south of the airport at or above 4000 AGL, Zephyrhills traffic.
• D. Zephyrhills traffic, unmanned aircraft Xray Yankee Zulu, five NM east of the airport, below 400 AGL, Zephyrhills.

Answer: (A)

Clear and precise radio calls are essential to keep manned aircraft informed when a UAS is operating near an airport. The best example follows standard format: identify the traffic, state the type of aircraft, give your position relative to the airport, specify your altitude, and add any additional situational detail that helps others visualize where you are. In this case, the call begins with the airport’s traffic name, then identifies the vehicle as an unmanned aircraft with its full radiotelephony call sign. It then states the location as five nautical miles south of the airport and specifies the altitude as at or below 400 feet AGL, which keeps the operation well clear of most controlled airspace and typical manned flight altitudes near a busy field. The additional note about being located at the three o’clock position of a nearby Cessna just north of the party’s position provides a quick situational reference to a nearby piloted aircraft, helping others quickly situate the UAS in relation to known traffic. Finally, the phrase “Zephyrhills traffic” ties the call back to the local pattern so all nearby pilots recognize the source. The other options fall short because they either use nonstandard terminology (like “drone”), place the UAS at an altitude or position inconsistent with typical near-field operations (too high, or the wrong direction relative to the airport), or omit useful situational details.

Clear and precise radio calls are essential to keep manned aircraft informed when a UAS is operating near an airport. The best example follows standard format: identify the traffic, state the type of aircraft, give your position relative to the airport, specify your altitude, and add any additional situational detail that helps others visualize where you are.

In this case, the call begins with the airport’s traffic name, then identifies the vehicle as an unmanned aircraft with its full radiotelephony call sign. It then states the location as five nautical miles south of the airport and specifies the altitude as at or below 400 feet AGL, which keeps the operation well clear of most controlled airspace and typical manned flight altitudes near a busy field. The additional note about being located at the three o’clock position of a nearby Cessna just north of the party’s position provides a quick situational reference to a nearby piloted aircraft, helping others quickly situate the UAS in relation to known traffic. Finally, the phrase “Zephyrhills traffic” ties the call back to the local pattern so all nearby pilots recognize the source.

The other options fall short because they either use nonstandard terminology (like “drone”), place the UAS at an altitude or position inconsistent with typical near-field operations (too high, or the wrong direction relative to the airport), or omit useful situational details.