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Transport & Equipment

Drone Risk Assessment

A risk assessment for a drone operation, completed before the job is accepted: what the operation is and how complex, the location with a sketch or photos, airspace class and any authorization, people, property, roads and water under the flight path, a hazard list with likelihood, severity, mitigation and residual rating for each, the lost-link and fly-away plan and emergency landing spots, certificates and insurance held, an overall rating, and approval with signatures.

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This assessment is done before the job is accepted. On the day, at the launch spot, check the aircraft, weather and airspace with: Drone preflight checklist

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The Operation

What the job is, who is flying it, and how demanding it is.

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Drone rules differ by country, and in the US by the kind of operation. This form records what you checked and decided; it does not tell you what your rules require or make a flight legal.

The aircraft, the flight pattern, the height, how long, and what has to be captured.

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Location and Airspace

Where it happens, drawn or photographed, and what airspace it sits in.

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Mark up a map screenshot or a quick drawing: the launch and landing spot, where observers stand, property lines, the area to be flown, and every hazard you list below.

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Outside the US, use the zone names your authority uses.

e.g. Controlled airspace access through LAANC, or a waiver for night or over-people flight, where your rules call for one.

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People and Property Below

What the aircraft would land on if it came down anywhere on its route.

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Steel structures, deep valleys, dense buildings and strong transmitters all raise it.

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Hazards and Controls

One entry per hazard: how likely, how bad, what you will do, and what is left.

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Rate likelihood and severity as things stand, then the residual risk once your control is in place. A High residual means change the plan or decline the job.

Hazards

Nothing added yet.

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Lost Link, Fly-Away and Emergencies

Decided now, at the desk, so nobody has to think it up in the air.

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Above the tallest obstacle on the route.

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e.g. Note last position and heading, tell the observer, call the airport if it heads that way, warn people below.

Clear patches along the route where the aircraft could be put down fast.

Name and number.

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Certificates and Insurance Held

What the crew holds for this job, as recorded on the day of the assessment.

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Overall Rating and Approval

The overall risk, the decision, and who signed it.

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Usually the highest residual on the hazard list.

Sign above — Assessor
Sign above — Remote pilot in command
Sign above — Approver

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A drone risk assessment is written before a flight is booked, not at the launch spot. It describes the operation, looks at where it will happen and what is underneath, lists what could go wrong, and records what the crew will do about each hazard and how much risk is left afterwards. This form records that judgement, the plan if the aircraft loses its link or flies away, the certificates and insurance held, and who approved the operation. Fill it in here and download a PDF without an account, or speak while you walk, and the document writes itself.

When to write one

Write a risk assessment for any operation that is new to you, near people, roads, water or controlled airspace, at night, or for a client or employer who asks for one. Many operators keep one per recurring site and review it when anything changes, rather than starting fresh each visit.

It sits alongside the preflight checklist. The assessment decides whether and how the job can be done; the checklist confirms on the day that the aircraft, weather and site match what was planned.

Rating each hazard

Each hazard gets its own entry: what it is, how likely it is to happen, how bad it would be if it did, what you will do to control it, and the risk that is left once that control is in place. The form does not compute a matrix score. The person who knows the site and the aircraft makes each rating, which keeps the reasoning visible to whoever reads it.

A Medium residual is recorded as something to watch. A High residual is a safety finding: the operation should be changed, given extra controls, or declined. The overall rating at the end is usually the highest residual on the list.

Lost link, fly-away and where to put it down

Every aircraft will eventually lose its link or misbehave. The form asks what the aircraft is set to do when the link drops, the return-to-home height, what the pilot will do if it stops responding, and who to call if it strays toward an airport or over people. It also records spots where the aircraft could be landed in a hurry, which are easier to choose on a map at the desk than in the moment.

What is held, and the rules where you fly

Drone rules differ by country, and in the US the rules for commercial work (FAA Part 107) differ from those for recreational and government flying. The form does not say which rules apply or whether the operation meets them. It records what the crew holds: the pilot's certificate and expiry, the aircraft registration, any authorization or waiver, and the liability insurance with its limit and expiry. A missing certificate is a safety finding; missing insurance is recorded as a repair item to sort out before the job.

Approval and review

The assessor, the remote pilot in command and whoever approves the operation each sign. Approval can come with conditions, such as a lower ceiling, an extra observer, or flying only before the site opens. Set a review date so the assessment is looked at again before the next season, a new aircraft or a change in the site.

Common questions

Is a drone risk assessment a legal requirement?

It depends on where you fly and what kind of operation it is. Some authorities require a documented assessment for certain categories of flight; many clients, employers and insurers ask for one regardless. This form records the assessment; it does not make an operation legal or approved by any authority.

How is this different from a preflight checklist?

The risk assessment is done before the job, usually once per operation or site, and decides whether and how to fly. The preflight checklist is done at the launch spot every time, and confirms the aircraft, weather and site are as planned.

What counts as a high residual risk?

One where, even with your controls in place, something likely could go seriously wrong: flying over people who cannot be kept clear, near an airport without approval, or through an area with known signal loss. The form flags any High residual as a safety finding so it is dealt with before the job goes ahead.

Should I include a sketch of the site?

Yes, where you can. A screenshot of a satellite map marked with the launch spot, observer positions, boundaries, the flight area and the hazards tells the crew more than a paragraph. Add it, or photos from a site visit, in the location section.

How often should the assessment be reviewed?

Whenever the site, the aircraft, the crew or the rules change, and at least by the review date you set. For a recurring site, a quick review before each season is common practice.