Free UK A2 CofC Exam Flashcards

A forecast describes expected conditions over an area and time window; it cannot reveal every site-specific gust, rotor, fog patch, or shower. Compare reliable reports and forecasts with an on-site assessment immediately before flight and continue monitoring while airborne.

A mean wind can sit below the aircraft limit while gusts exceed it. Gusts rapidly change airspeed, attitude, power demand, drift, and stopping distance. Plan against the manufacturer's limits and the strongest credible conditions, not only the average shown by an app.

Wind is often weaker near the surface because of friction and stronger above nearby obstructions. A calm take-off point therefore does not prove the wind is acceptable at operating height. Check winds aloft and retain power and battery margin for the return leg.

Structures can channel and accelerate airflow through narrow gaps, bend it around corners, and create sharp speed or direction changes. Treat passages between buildings as possible wind funnels and position the aircraft with extra separation and escape space.

Rough, rotating airflow commonly forms on the lee, or downwind, side of buildings, trees, ridges, and other obstacles. It can extend beyond the obstacle and change with wind direction, so a sheltered-looking position may be less stable than the clear upwind side.

They reduce air density. A propeller or wing then produces less thrust or lift for the same operating condition, so the aircraft may need more power and have less climb, payload, and endurance margin. Apply the operating guide rather than assuming a cool-day result.

Cold can reduce usable battery capacity and increase voltage sag under load, shortening endurance or triggering an earlier low-voltage response. Follow the manufacturer's temperature limits, begin with a serviceable battery, and plan a larger landing reserve.

The first digit, 4, denotes protection against solid objects of 1 mm or larger; the second digit, 3, denotes protection against water sprayed up to 60 degrees from vertical. IP43 is limited ingress protection—not proof that flight in heavy rain or immersion is safe.

Ice or wet snow on propellers, wings, or sensors changes their shape and balance, increases weight and drag, and can sharply reduce lift or thrust. Small UAS have little reserve for contamination, so do not rely on power to overcome visible or forecast icing.

They can hide the aircraft, its orientation, obstacles, or other airspace users. A strong control link or clear camera image does not replace direct visual line of sight. If the pilot cannot continuously see and safely control the aircraft, the flight must not continue as Open-category VLOS.

They can produce severe turbulence, strong updrafts and downdrafts, heavy precipitation, hail, lightning, and sudden gust fronts well beyond the visible rain shaft. The safe response is generous avoidance, not testing whether the aircraft can hold position nearby.

It can signal an approaching weather system and worsening wind, cloud, or precipitation. Pressure alone is not a go/no-go decision; combine the trend with current reports, forecasts, visible conditions, and the aircraft's operating limits.

A tailwind outbound becomes a headwind home. The aircraft may travel away quickly yet consume far more energy returning. Plan the route, turnaround point, and battery reserve for the least favourable leg rather than assuming equal time in both directions.

Wind, visibility, precipitation, and temperature change drift, stopping distance, reliability, and the ability to see conflicts. Near people, those effects can invalidate a planned buffer. Increase separation, reconfigure, relocate, postpone, or land when the margin deteriorates.

Rotorcraft can hover but depend continuously on powered thrust. Fixed-wing aircraft need airflow and forward speed to generate lift and require room to turn and recover. Hybrids change behaviour between modes. Plan within the limitations of the actual configuration.

Lift or rotor thrust counters weight; propulsion counters drag to sustain motion. Climbing, accelerating, carrying payload, or fighting wind changes the balance and power required. Stable flight exists only while the aircraft can produce the necessary forces with control margin.

A stall occurs when the wing exceeds its critical angle of attack and lift drops. Low airspeed, steep turns, excess load, or abrupt control inputs can bring the wing to that angle. It is not defined by one universal groundspeed.

Maximum take-off mass is the approved ceiling for the aircraft, including payload and installed items. Actual take-off mass is what the aircraft weighs for this flight. Staying below MTOM is necessary, but the actual loading must also respect balance and performance limits.

A payload shifts the centre of gravity and changes the control effort needed to maintain attitude. An excessive or asymmetric shift can reduce stability and control authority. Mount approved payload securely and verify the manufacturer's mass-and-balance limitations.

Its shape, location, movement, and wind area can change drag, vibration, cooling, balance, and sensor performance. A light but poorly secured or bulky payload can be unsafe even when total mass remains below MTOM.

Kinetic energy is one-half mass times speed squared. More mass increases energy directly, while doubling speed multiplies it by four. Higher energy generally means more stopping distance and more severe consequences, so speed control is a major ground-risk mitigation.

It defines limitations, approved configurations, environmental ranges, warnings, maintenance, battery handling, and normal or emergency procedures for that UAS. Generic experience cannot override a model-specific limitation or required procedure.

Inspect structure, propellers or lifting surfaces, motors, fasteners, payload, batteries, controller, antennas, sensors, and software status. Resolve damage, looseness, contamination, warnings, or abnormal behaviour before launch; a successful previous flight is not today's inspection.

Follow the manufacturer: calibrate when its procedure or the command unit requires it, and keep approved software current. Blindly calibrating in a magnetically contaminated location or installing an update immediately before a critical flight can introduce new risk.

Controlled launch, hover or stable flight, climbs, descents, turns, orientation changes, route tracking, return, approach, landing, and—where relevant—fixed-wing missed approach. Accuracy must remain inside a planned volume with clear obstacle and people margins.

The home point, trigger, return height, route, obstacle behaviour, battery logic, and landing action must suit the site. A default return path can climb into restricted airspace or cross people and obstacles. Verify the settings and know how to cancel or take manual control.

Position hold and automated navigation may become inaccurate or unavailable, so the aircraft can drift with wind. Recognise the mode change, maintain orientation and VLOS, use the manufacturer's procedure, take safe manual control if trained, and land before separation is lost.

Know the programmed lost-link response—hover, land, return, or another action—and check that its route and termination point are safe. Avoid testing by creating a real failure near people; rehearse the procedure safely and retain a contingency landing area.

Capacity, commonly expressed in amp-hours or milliamp-hours, describes stored charge. C-rate expresses charge or discharge current relative to capacity: for example, 1C for a 5 Ah battery is 5 A. Neither figure alone guarantees safe endurance under actual load and weather.

Use the correct charger and settings, charge on a non-combustible surface under supervision, prevent short circuits and physical damage, follow manufacturer storage guidance, and isolate a swollen, hot, leaking, or damaged pack. Never treat abnormal heating as routine.

It provides remote-pilot competency for VLOS operations in the Open category's Near People (A2) subcategory. It does not itself make an aircraft eligible, override airspace restrictions, authorise BVLOS, replace a Specific-category Operational Authorisation, or permit unsafe flight.

The UK Open-category subcategories are now described as Over People (A1), Near People (A2), and Far from People (A3). The clearer name does not remove the A2 aircraft, competency, separation, VLOS, height, or airspace conditions.

The Flyer ID proves the remote pilot's foundation knowledge and is the A2 test entry credential. The Operator ID is the registration of the person or organisation responsible for maintaining and managing the aircraft, and it must be displayed on the aircraft when required. The A2 CofC proves additional Near People competency; none substitutes for the others.

First complete the foundation training and examination for the Flyer ID. Then complete the required self-practical training, make the written declaration with supporting evidence, and pass the additional A2 theory test through a CAA-approved RAE. Order matters.

Use an aircraft with similar flight characteristics, control scheme, and weight to the intended A2 aircraft. If it has manual and automated functions, practise both and become proficient with its automated features. Repeat flights until control and judgment are reliable.

The declaration confirms that the self-practical training was actually completed; the flight log supplies evidence that flight time and relevant exercises were recorded. Submit them to the chosen RAE and never sign the declaration before completing the training.

Closed book, electronic or paper, at least 30 multiple-choice questions, 75 minutes, and at least 75% overall. On an exactly 30-question equally weighted paper, 22 is only 73.3%, so at least 23 correct answers are needed.

The CAA AMC requires a different set of questions after a failed attempt. It does not publish one national waiting interval or an escalating three-failure rule, so booking and commercial terms come from the selected current CAA-approved RAE.

It must carry and comply with the UK2 class requirements, have MTOM below 4 kg including payload, and be operated with active and updated direct Remote ID and geo-awareness. The pilot still needs the A2 CofC and must follow every operational limit.

A compliant EU C2 aircraft may be used in UK Near People (A2) as the corresponding UK class until 31 December 2027. From 1 January 2028, it is treated as legacy unless the manufacturer retrofits a valid UK class label; then the applicable weight-based rules govern.

An eligible non-UK2 aircraft placed on the market before 1 January 2026 and having MTOM below 2 kg may operate in A2 with at least 50 m horizontal separation from uninvolved people. From 1 January 2028, current law also requires active, updated Remote ID for this route.

Keep a safe horizontal distance of at least 30 m from uninvolved people and do not intentionally overfly them. The distance is horizontal—not slant range—and poor weather, speed, performance, or site conditions may require a larger safety margin.

Only for an eligible class-marked aircraft with low-speed mode actively engaged and after evaluating weather, aircraft performance, and segregation of the overflown area. Five metres is a minimum after that assessment, not a target or an automatic privilege.

As a ground-risk planning mitigation, horizontal separation should be at least the aircraft's height: at 60 m high, plan at least 60 m horizontally. Apply it in addition to the applicable legal minimum; it does not authorise a flight that otherwise breaches A2 rules.

An involved person has received clear safety instructions and precautions and explicitly agreed to participate. Others are uninvolved. An assembly is judged by whether people can move away from the risk; Open operations must not overfly assemblies, and A2 must not intentionally overfly uninvolved people.

The remote pilot must continuously see the aircraft sufficiently to control its flight path, know its orientation, and avoid aircraft, people, and obstacles. Telemetry or a camera view alone is not VLOS. An observer may assist under the rules but does not create automatic BVLOS permission.

Keep the aircraft within 120 m of the closest point of the Earth's surface, adapting to hills and other terrain. It is not always a simple vertical height above take-off. A geographical zone can impose a lower limit, which then controls.

Geo-awareness can warn about geographical zones, but its database may not contain every current temporary or local restriction. Check authoritative airspace information and obtain required permission for FRZs or other restricted zones; software does not grant authorisation.

Fatigue, illness, alcohol, drugs, medication, cold, distraction, lone working, and customer pressure degrade judgment and reaction time. Use a fit-to-fly check, set limits before the job, stop when safety margins shrink, and report qualifying occurrences rather than hiding them.

The certificate lasts 5 years. Before expiry, revalidation may use a fresh demonstration of the required competencies or CAA/designated refresher training. After expiry, the rule requires the competency-demonstration route again; past experience alone does not preserve A2 privileges.