CAA online competency test (UK) - strange questions

[old man mavic]

i think the real test of whether or not it is a worthwhile thing to register your drone and take the flyer test,

will be when after the 30th November it becomes active, with regards to the authorities being able to take action against anyone not complying, i know all the arguments about the police havent got time to chase drone flyers,till someone has complained about you flying your drone, that does not mean that they themselves will not bother to check if someone has registration and flyer id, if they happen to see you flying while they are carrying out their duties ,and it will not only be the police who can ask for proof, any official council enforcement officer such as a park ranger traffic warden anti social behaviour enforcer will be able to do it , you dont need to be flying outside the rules to get asked the question ,but if you are all above board then you have nothing to worry about

i like Lastrexking after being a member of the BMFA for several years decided not to renew in December,and instead went with FPVUK as the cost was less than half that of the BMFA, i read all the info about not having to register and if you take their A test, you dont have to worry about the CAA flyer test and to send them the £9 registration fee and they would do it for you ,on paper it looked a good idea and i had every intention of going down that route but then after taking the CAA test i decided to go ahead and do the whole lot directly with them, as to me it removed an extra layer of issues that could arise doing it through FPVUK

 

[Lastrexking]

any official council enforcement officer such as a park ranger traffic warden anti social behaviour enforcer will be able to do it

Are you sure about that? Under what authority? The Police will have new powers, but that's it. Anyone else will have to report the incident to the Police.

 

[Bootneck1972]

I just had a go through the CAA online test (Overview : Flying drones and model aircraft | UK Civil Aviation Authority). I got some really weird questions and dubious answers.
---------------------
Nick is out flying a drone when it starts to snow.
What does he need to consider to stay safe?

You answered:

That other people can still see his drone.

Correct answer:

That he is not getting too cold to be able to use his controller.
---------------------
???? Surely maintaining view of the drone is more important than "getting too cold"


And this one. None of the 4 answers seemed correct to me.
---------------------
Ameen wants to fly his drone over a flower show being held in a country field to get some good images from above. About 150 people are at the show.
Which of the following is correct?

You answered:

He can fly here, but he should remain at least 150m above the show to avoid invading people's privacy.

Correct answer:

He can fly here as long as his drone remains at least 50m away from the people at the show.
---------------------
Soooo.... a show of 150 people isn't a "busy area" that you need to keep 150m away from then? They seem to be saying you could fly over this group of 150 people as long as you are 50m up. This is not my interpretation of the "drone code" which is basically don't fly over anyone if you can help it, especially not any sort of event with a group of people.


I'm interested in what questions other people got that they might disagree with...

Yeah, I answered the same for 'snow' question. Got all the rest correct. I thought, well the cold has never bothered me. Or wear gloves!! Just a bad question. But you always get the odd one like this in online muti-choice tests. ?

 

[charliej]

I just had a go through the CAA online test (Overview : Flying drones and model aircraft | UK Civil Aviation Authority). I got some really weird questions and dubious answers.
---------------------
Nick is out flying a drone when it starts to snow.
What does he need to consider to stay safe?

You answered:

That other people can still see his drone.

Correct answer:

That he is not getting too cold to be able to use his controller.
---------------------
???? Surely maintaining view of the drone is more important than "getting too cold"


And this one. None of the 4 answers seemed correct to me.
---------------------
Ameen wants to fly his drone over a flower show being held in a country field to get some good images from above. About 150 people are at the show.
Which of the following is correct?

You answered:

He can fly here, but he should remain at least 150m above the show to avoid invading people's privacy.

Correct answer:

He can fly here as long as his drone remains at least 50m away from the people at the show.
---------------------
Soooo.... a show of 150 people isn't a "busy area" that you need to keep 150m away from then? They seem to be saying you could fly over this group of 150 people as long as you are 50m up. This is not my interpretation of the "drone code" which is basically don't fly over anyone if you can help it, especially not any sort of event with a group of people.


I'm interested in what questions other people got that they might disagree with...

Some were a bit odd I agree but got 20/20 I thought the whole thing very easy and did not take long.

 

[old man mavic]

Are you sure about that? Under what authority? The Police will have new powers, but that's it. Anyone else will have to report the incident to the Police.

i agree they dont have powers of arrest, or confiscate your drone but they do have the authority to question you, and i have been spoken too on several occasions by over zealous rangers about do i know the drone rules for where i am flying etc, mostly once they know me they dont bother me again, and that is all because there have been complaints because of unsafe flying around the area and we all get tarred with the same brush.i bet you will find that local councils find any means to enforce these new rules especially if it frees up the polce to deal with more serious crime just my experience of these things

 

[sparkorc]

I also completed the FPVUK online test and passed the other day, whilst I agree the questions and answers are a bit weird their main aim I'me sure is to make sure you interpret the latest drone code correctly, I don't think the registration scheme will change anything, the law abiding pilots will register and there are those drone pilots that will not bother, its just the same non-compliance with dog microchipping, vehicle insurance, vehicle MOT, etc.

 

[Welsh pilot]

I just had a go through the CAA online test (Overview : Flying drones and model aircraft | UK Civil Aviation Authority). I got some really weird questions and dubious answers.
---------------------
Nick is out flying a drone when it starts to snow.
What does he need to consider to stay safe?

You answered:

That other people can still see his drone.

Correct answer:

That he is not getting too cold to be able to use his controller.
---------------------
???? Surely maintaining view of the drone is more important than "getting too cold"


And this one. None of the 4 answers seemed correct to me.
---------------------
Ameen wants to fly his drone over a flower show being held in a country field to get some good images from above. About 150 people are at the show.
Which of the following is correct?

You answered:

He can fly here, but he should remain at least 150m above the show to avoid invading people's privacy.

Correct answer:

He can fly here as long as his drone remains at least 50m away from the people at the show.
---------------------
Soooo.... a show of 150 people isn't a "busy area" that you need to keep 150m away from then? They seem to be saying you could fly over this group of 150 people as long as you are 50m up. This is not my interpretation of the "drone code" which is basically don't fly over anyone if you can help it, especially not any sort of event with a group of people.


I'm interested in what questions other people got that they might disagree with...

I got the cold hand one wrong as well!

 

[old man mavic]

I also completed the FPVUK online test and passed the other day, whilst I agree the questions and answers are a bit weird their main aim I'me sure is to make sure you interpret the latest drone code correctly, I don't think the registration scheme will change anything, the law abiding pilots will register and there are those drone pilots that will not bother, its just the same non-compliance with dog microchipping, vehicle insurance, vehicle MOT, etc.

could not agree more but that is something for individuals to decide and not start crying about any fines they incur if they get caught

 

[catsuk]

20/20... I had to think about the snow question 2. I get the way the questions are worded they just make you think a bit more.than just. 3 single word answers.

 

[Welsh pilot]

I passed!
Got two wrong [emoji849]
One was keeping your hands warm, but i suppose makes some sense.
It’s a great idea and can be improved but it’s a starting point and the £9.00 fee is nothing really and I say should it be £200.00 or something?

The reason in my opinion because that would certainly make people think twice about buying a drone thus keeping some idiots away and on renewal perhaps reduce it from year to year as a loyalty thing towards existing pilots perhaps where he/she would be perceived to be more experienced and mature.

 

[Welsh pilot]

20/20... I had to think about the snow question 2. I get the way the questions are worded they just make you think a bit more.than just. 3 single word answers.

Big head!???[emoji16]

 

[Lastrexking]

i agree they dont have powers of arrest, or confiscate your drone but they do have the authority to question you, and i have been spoken too on several occasions by over zealous rangers about do i know the drone rules for where i am flying etc, mostly once they know me they dont bother me again, and that is all because there have been complaints because of unsafe flying around the area and we all get tarred with the same brush.i bet you will find that local councils find any means to enforce these new rules especially if it frees up the polce to deal with more serious crime just my experience of these things

They absolutely don’t have the right to question you. As the holder of a warrant card I can tell you the only people that legally have the right to question you are warranted officers. And, even then you have the right to remain silent.
Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t answer questions from none warrant card holding officials, especially if you’re doing nothing wrong, however you’re not legally obliged.

 

[SpinItUp]

Big head!???[emoji16]

All it takes is to read the code before doing the test. The test is like 5 mins the other 15 mins is comprehending the DC.
I had the pages in another screen open in tabs to check I was sure for a couple/few of questions (the snow 1 was not 1 of them).
Nailed it the first time.

 

[sparkorc]

I thought the CAA may have introduced a compulsory third party insurance as part of the registering scheme, whilst it is for pifco operators but not for recreational pilots its only optional.

 

[J1mmy]

I just had a go through the CAA online test (Overview : Flying drones and model aircraft | UK Civil Aviation Authority). I got some really weird questions and dubious answers.
---------------------
Nick is out flying a drone when it starts to snow.
What does he need to consider to stay safe?

You answered:

That other people can still see his drone.

Correct answer:

That he is not getting too cold to be able to use his controller.
---------------------
???? Surely maintaining view of the drone is more important than "getting too cold"


And this one. None of the 4 answers seemed correct to me.
---------------------
Ameen wants to fly his drone over a flower show being held in a country field to get some good images from above. About 150 people are at the show.
Which of the following is correct?

You answered:

He can fly here, but he should remain at least 150m above the show to avoid invading people's privacy.

Correct answer:

He can fly here as long as his drone remains at least 50m away from the people at the show.
---------------------
Soooo.... a show of 150 people isn't a "busy area" that you need to keep 150m away from then? They seem to be saying you could fly over this group of 150 people as long as you are 50m up. This is not my interpretation of the "drone code" which is basically don't fly over anyone if you can help it, especially not any sort of event with a group of people.


I'm interested in what questions other people got that they might disagree with...

I got that one wrong too for the exact same reason.

 

[old man mavic]

They absolutely don’t have the right to question you. As the holder of a warrant card I can tell you the only people that legally have the right to question you are warranted officers. And, even then you have the right to remain silent.
Now, I’m not saying you shouldn’t answer questions from none warrant card holding officials, especially if you’re doing nothing wrong, however you’re not legally obliged.

thats fair enough i understand where you are coming from but you can bet that if you refused to interact with them it wouldnt be long before you were talking to the cops

 

[Lastrexking]

thats fair enough i understand where you are coming from but you can bet that if you refused to interact with them it wouldnt be long before you were talking to the cops

Maybe, but they don’t have power to detain you either. Again, I’m not saying you should just walk away, but it’s always best that people know their rights.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

I got the cold hand one wrong as well!

It’s probably not that much to do with cold hands, but hypothermia if exposed too long.
As a bushwalker I’m well aware of the signs and progress of this condition, but in the context of the test question, I’d say anyone answering VLOS is more topically correct !
It’s basically a trick question in my view.

On the whole subject of registration we are seeing coming in to the UK, US, and soon Australia, if they don’t make a licence a prerequisite for buying 250gm + drones, then the whole thing is a bit of a waste of time.

 

[schmooit]

I passed!
Got two wrong [emoji849]
One was keeping your hands warm, but i suppose makes some sense.
It’s a great idea and can be improved but it’s a starting point and the £9.00 fee is nothing really and I say should it be £200.00 or something?

The reason in my opinion because that would certainly make people think twice about buying a drone thus keeping some idiots away and on renewal perhaps reduce it from year to year as a loyalty thing towards existing pilots perhaps where he/she would be perceived to be more experienced and mature.

Only problem is that as there is no infrastructure in place to enforce this such as having to sign in via the apps that operate the drone software etc... all that will happen is the second hand market will boom (I reckon it wont be long be retailers ask for you Operator number prior to sale to cover themselves, that said you would have to register prior to purchase which wouldn't be a band thing.

I see the biggest issue here is enforcement, I mean unless you are flying in a very busy area with lots of people around (which isnt the best idea!) then its unlikely you will ever be questioned (when was the last time you actually saw a beat copper around!).

I suspect that the fine will not be enforced for the first offence either so there will be a get out of jail card there too, I see this working if someone does cause an accident or loses a drone they will then be easier to locate but only if they have registered or only if they have attached their registration to each aircraft they own, (So if Nick has 2 aircraft but only put his reg on one he can legally fly one for them within the drone code and if lost it will be returned (if its not at sea) the other one he can happily fly where ever he wants and not worry about the rules and if he gets caught he just ditches it by powering off and anyone who finds the drone wont be apple to prosecute because it wasnt marked with his Reg.

I get thats an extreme example but people drive around in cars that are un-insured/taxed/MOT's all the time and are at much greater risk to the public, also the Police often catch criminals where they are to only to be let off by the courts (I can think of numerous 30+ offenders gettign let off by judges as they are 'trying to turn their lives around' that said this is just a fine so is more likely to be enforced after he second warning perhaps.

I think it was made to be more like a basic certificate of achievement people are more likely to go for it but I think each drone needs to be registered on the site using SN Id's so each drone has an online DB like the DVLA so the responsibility is on the seller to transfer the sale of the drone new or on the second hand market and transfers should be free provided one of the operator ID's is valid/current either the buyer or the seller.

 

[old man mavic]

Only problem is that as there is no infrastructure in place to enforce this such as having to sign in via the apps that operate the drone software etc... all that will happen is the second hand market will boom (I reckon it wont be long be retailers ask for you Operator number prior to sale to cover themselves, that said you would have to register prior to purchase which wouldn't be a band thing.

I see the biggest issue here is enforcement, I mean unless you are flying in a very busy area with lots of people around (which isnt the best idea!) then its unlikely you will ever be questioned (when was the last time you actually saw a beat copper around!).

I suspect that the fine will not be enforced for the first offence either so there will be a get out of jail card there too, I see this working if someone does cause an accident or loses a drone they will then be easier to locate but only if they have registered or only if they have attached their registration to each aircraft they own, (So if Nick has 2 aircraft but only put his reg on one he can legally fly one for them within the drone code and if lost it will be returned (if its not at sea) the other one he can happily fly where ever he wants and not worry about the rules and if he gets caught he just ditches it by powering off and anyone who finds the drone wont be apple to prosecute because it wasnt marked with his Reg.

I get thats an extreme example but people drive around in cars that are un-insured/taxed/MOT's all the time and are at much greater risk to the public, also the Police often catch criminals where they are to only to be let off by the courts (I can think of numerous 30+ offenders gettign let off by judges as they are 'trying to turn their lives around' that said this is just a fine so is more likely to be enforced after he second warning perhaps.

I think it was made to be more like a basic certificate of achievement people are more likely to go for it but I think each drone needs to be registered on the site using SN Id's so each drone has an online DB like the DVLA so the responsibility is on the seller to transfer the sale of the drone new or on the second hand market and transfers should be free provided one of the operator ID's is valid/current either the buyer or the seller.

many good points there dont forget this is something new,you can bet that as time goes on many of the ideas in your post could be implemented further down the line,and then there are the new rules coming in in 2020 which we will probably implement to fall in line with europe