Drone Basic Exam (RPAS): Human factors and fitness to fly

All 14 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

1. About how long do the eyes take to refocus from your controller screen to a distant aircraft?

   1. 1 to 2 seconds
   2. Less than a tenth of a second
   3. About 10 to 15 seconds
   4. About 30 seconds

2. Why is fatigue considered especially dangerous for drone pilots?

   1. It can be cured right away with a coffee and a snack
   2. Its effects can be present without the person noticing
   3. It only affects pilots who have flown more than 8 hours
   4. It only matters for flights that take place at night

3. What is often the first sign of approaching traffic for a drone pilot?

   1. The sound of an engine or rotor
   2. A warning from the drone's camera
   3. A text message from NAV CANADA
   4. A vibration in the drone controller

4. Which statement about alcohol and the body is correct?

   1. Coffee or oxygen do not speed up how fast alcohol is cleared
   2. A large meal removes alcohol from the blood within an hour
   3. Strong coffee clears alcohol twice as fast as normal
   4. Alcohol leaves the inner ear before it leaves the blood

5. At night you see an aircraft's red light and white light, but no green. Which way is it going?

   1. Crossing from left to right, toward you
   2. Coming straight toward you
   3. Crossing from right to left and moving away
   4. Climbing directly above where you stand

6. How can you avoid 'empty field myopia' when scanning a clear blue sky?

   1. Stare at one point in the sky for a long time
   2. Close one eye and scan with the other one only
   3. Wear polarized sunglasses for the whole flight
   4. Focus first on a distant cloud edge or tree line

7. How long after drinking alcohol must you wait before acting as a drone crew member?

   1. At least 8 hours
   2. At least 12 hours
   3. Until you feel sober
   4. At least 4 hours

8. You can see both the red and the green wing-tip lights of an aircraft at night. What does that tell you?

   1. It is on the ground, parked
   2. It is heading toward you
   3. It is flying away from you
   4. It is a drone, not an aircraft

9. What does Transport Canada's policy say about cannabis and drone crew duties?

   1. No limit applies, as long as you feel unimpaired when flying
   2. Abstain for at least 28 days before acting as a crew member
   3. Abstain for at least 24 hours, unless it is for medical use
   4. Abstain for at least 12 hours, the same as for alcohol

10. At night, a faint light disappears when you look straight at it. What should you do?

    1. Close both eyes for a few seconds and look again
    2. Stare harder at the exact spot where it was
    3. Turn the controller screen to full brightness
    4. Look about 10 to 15 degrees to one side of it

11. You took an over-the-counter allergy pill that makes you drowsy. What is the safe choice?

    1. Fly, but only for short flights under 10 minutes
    2. Fly, provided a visual observer is with you
    3. Fly, because it is not a prescription drug
    4. Do not fly until the effects have fully worn off

12. What is the recommended way to scan the sky for other aircraft?

    1. Short stops on blocks of about 10 to 15 degrees
    2. Looking only where you hear engine noise
    3. Staring at the drone and glancing up every minute
    4. One smooth, continuous sweep without stopping

13. How long do your eyes need to fully adapt to darkness?

    1. About 5 minutes
    2. About 20 to 30 minutes
    3. About 2 hours
    4. About 1 to 2 minutes

14. In the IM SAFE checklist, what does the letter S stand for?

    1. Sleep
    2. Sight
    3. Speed
    4. Stress