Why do we have all of these regulations? In short, safety and situational awareness. A remote pilot must be aware of what is going on around them and operate with safety as the top priority.
Safety
Think about this ...
You're piloting an aircraft that can weigh up to (but not including) 55lbs (24.94 kg). What could go wrong? What are the consequences of things that could go wrong? Although it depends on what you're flying over and amongst, it shouldn't take too long to realize that such an aircraft falling from the sky or crashing into things during flight could cause significant harm.
Now think about how you'd fly an aircraft to mazimize the probability of avoiding such harm. That's where the rules come from.
If you keep questions like these in your head at all times, it's likely you'll become a safe remote pilot.
Situational Awareness
Situational awareness is a key to safe flight.
In the FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide (see Resource Library), situational awareness is described as ...
"... the accurate perception and understanding of all the factors and conditions within the five fundamental risk elements (flight, pilot, aircraft, environment, and type of operation that comprise any given aviation situation) that affect safety before, during, and after the flight.
"Maintaining situational awareness requires an understanding of the relative significance of all flight related factors and their future impact on the flight. When a pilot understands what is going on and has an overview of the total operation, he or she is not fixated on one perceived significant factor. Not only is it important for a pilot to know the aircraft’s geographical location, it is also important he or she understand what is happening."
That's a lot.
Essentially, situational awareness is knowing what's going on around you and how it might affect your mission. Here's an article written for general aviation pilots that has relevance for remote pilots.
Remote pilots can work with a crew to help improve situational awareness - visual observers can help, for example, by keeping an eye on different sectors of the sky looking for emerging hazards.
Checklists
Checklists are a mainstay of aviation. There's a checklist for almost everything, each designed to maximize safety by making sure that pilots don't forget anything. "Always use the checklist," is an aviation mantra.
Carefully creating your own checklists is a great way to build a safetly mindset. Be aware that if an aircraft manufacturer has a checklist, you must ensure any checklist you create includes all the elements on the manufacturer checklist.
This folder contains several checklists for use during this course. There are many more out there.
Flight Risk Assessment Tool (NC State U) - a pre-flight checklist to evaluate flight conditions and make a decision about whether to proceed with the flight
Day before (Hess) - a checklist to ensure that all equipment is ready to go and that you've checked flight conditions [ Not there yet ]
Checklist DJI Mini 2 (Hess) - a pre-, during-, and post-flight checklist for the DJI Mini 2 aircraft
Checklist DJI Mini 3 (Hess) - a pre-, during-, and post-flight checklist for the DJI Mini 3 aircraft
Checklist Tello (Hess) - a pre-, during-, and post-flight checklist for the DJI Mini 2 aircraft
Emergency Procedures Checklist (Dart Drones)- a basic checklist for emergency procedures