Lesson 31: Aeronautical Decision-Making and Crew Resource Management 

Welcome! Today, in this chapter of safety, we’ll be learning about…  

Aviation is always risky! That’s why the FAA has created many different methods to help pilots plan for safety in a consistent way. 

Did you know that most air accidents are not caused by mechanical errors, but by simple human mistakes that could be easily avoided? 

When the FAA discovered this, they created a way for pilots to make better decisions.  

Let’s talk about the one big method that pilots follow to avoid risks. Within that idea, there are many different checklists we can use to help us prepare for safety. 

Exactly! Well, that big idea is called Aeronautical Decision-Making, or ADM for short! 

If we don’t follow it, it’s easy for an “error chain” to happen! That’s like a domino effect of things going wrong! Let’s give an example.   

Not checking weather conditions → flying in strong winds → losing control of your drone → crashing near a crowded area → needing an emergency response.

So let’s define Aeronautical Decision-Making – and how it can help us be better drone pilots. 

Aeronautical Decision-Making (ADM) is the process of making choices and using good judgments while flying a drone or other aircraft. 

When pilots use good decision-making skills, it lowers or removes the dangers in a flight.

Today’s 🔑 Word!

ADM involves analyzing things that can be risky, like weather conditions, potential risks, and your own skills to make sure your flight mission is safe.

ADM is basically about good risk management. 

It means looking at what could go wrong in a task, figuring out how bad it could be, and then making a plan to lower the risk.

Because aviation is always risky, it’s easy for a series of errors to happen. 

ADM is a thought process that helps us spot hazards, see how risky they are for a flight, and choose the best action in any situation related to our drone mission.

By keeping track of these safety steps, we can build up a collection of practices that will make future drone missions safer, efficient, and more successful.

Did you know in many studies, student pilots who did not get ADM training were way more likely to make decision-making errors than students who didn’t learn about it? 

We can think about ADM as a big umbrella term for avoiding risks! 

Great! There are different methods we can use for ‘risk management.’ Let’s explore them!

First, we have this graph to show us the idea that if something is more likely to be risky or dangerous, then pilots just shouldn’t do it. 

Hopefully that makes sense! Green is ‘go for it!’ Yellow is… ‘hmm… maybe, but use caution.’ And red is ‘Nope, that’s way too dangerous.’  

So, the way you use a risk assessment matrix is by making a list of risks that might happen in your drone mission.

Examples might include bad weather, losing control of the drone, or flying near people. 

Then, on a scale of 1 to 5, rate how severe the risk would be. This means, “how bad would it be if this happened?”

You kind of have to guess based on logical assumptions and prior experience!

Now, on a scale of 1 to 5, rate how likely each risk is to happen. Again, we’re making educated guesses here.

Look at where the risks fall on the matrix.

Low severity and low likelihood: These are minor risks and may not need much attention.

Either high severity or high likelihood: These are major risks that you need to address.

Both high severity and high likelihood: These are critical risks that need immediate action.

For each risk, decide what steps you can take to reduce the likelihood or severity. 

For example, if bad weather is a high risk, you might plan to check the weather forecast carefully and have a backup date for your flight.

This isn’t the only way to do risk assessments, but it’s important that you figure out all the potential risks and dangers so you can prepare effectively.

Here’s a tip! Don’t get caught up in worrying about every possible scenario. The goal of risk assessment is to prioritize the most important risks.

Exactly! Being a drone pilot means working with many people and different tech tools before and during your flight. You need to manage these resources well to make sure your mission goes smoothly.

So that leads us to our next big safety idea – it’s called Crew Resource Management, or CRM for short! 

Crew Resource Management is about using all your resources effectively—people, hardware, software, and information—to ensure successful missions.

Don't let the word "crew" confuse you! CRM isn't just about managing your team members. It includes handling resources on your drone and from outside sources.

As the rPIC, who might you talk to before starting your drone mission?

The FAA discovered that human error (like a lack of communication between the crew, bad decision-making, and a lack of good leadership) was the result of most air crashes.

As a response, they created a strategy called Crew Resource Management for pilots to fly smartly! 

Today’s 🔑 Word!

Crew Resource Management

Crew Resource Management (CRM) is when pilots effectively use of all of the resources available to them (like crew members, your equipment, and flight software) to make sure you have a safe, stress-free mission without mistakes. 

Firefighters also have their own type of crew resource management tips! 

By using all the resources available to you, pilots can avoid making simple mistakes. Always make sure to talk to  your crew! They’re there to help. 

Teamwork makes the ______ work! 

So, what does good Crew Resource Management look like for awesome drone pilots? 

Well, communication is a huge part of it!

Your VO should keep the drone in sight at all times and watch the surrounding airspace. This means always knowing where the drone is and being aware of other things in the sky.

The VO should update the remote PIC and the Person Manipulating the Controls about the flight status and any potential dangers.

The remote PIC should inform the crew about any changes or adjustments needed during the flight.

Teamwork makes the dream work!

The remote PIC, the PMC, and the VO need to be able to communicate in real-time. Texting won’t cut it!

We recommend using tools like walkie-talkies because they are easy to use and don't cause distractions.

Another important aspect of good CRM is task management. Task Management is about handling all the different parts of a drone mission effectively.

Drone missions involve a lot of multitasking, and you (as the rPIC) need to let every crew member know what they should be doing!

The tasks might be different depending on what the mission is. 

Make sure there are enough crew members to handle all tasks without anyone getting overwhelmed.

Preventing crew members from being overwhelmed helps reduce the risk of accidents.

It’s also important to gather information for your mission from a variety of sources!

Use information from weather reports, radio frequencies, the FAA, other pilots, and locals in the area where you plan to fly.

Collecting and managing all this information helps you make better decisions during your drone mission.

We talk a lot about situational awareness – being fully aware of everything happening around the drone, including its position, surroundings, potential hazards, and other aircraft or obstacles.

If a pilot gets too overwhelmed or loses focus, they might "get behind the aircraft," which means they lose control and awareness of what's happening.

It’s like too much is happening for the pilot to keep up with mentally!

Risk management in Aeronautical Decision-Making depends on being aware of your surroundings, spotting problems early, and making smart decisions to make flights safer —
by reducing risks.

What is something you can do to maintain situational awareness and prevent yourself from getting too overwhelmed?

And what do drone pilots love the most? Checklists! So that can be your own personal checklist to refer back to. 

Risk management in Aeronautical Decision-Making depends on being aware of your surroundings, spotting problems early, and making smart decisions to make flights safer —
by reducing risks.

In the next lesson, we’ll go through a few really helpful checklists that you can use to check in on yourself, your mission, and your surroundings. 

Using checklists is crucial in aviation! Especially for tasks you do often.

It’s easy to go into autopilot mode –
no pun intended!

Checklists help you remember all the important steps and show that you're a skilled and organized pilot when you use them consistently.

Great work today, everyone!