VLOS, See and Avoid, and Collision Risk
Maintaining direct visual awareness, monitoring the surrounding airspace and taking early action to avoid conflict.
How to prepare for the CAA A2 CofC
Learn the applicable aircraft route first, then connect weather and performance limits to site planning, separation, practical drills and safe operational decisions.
Core concepts
Concept 1
VLOS means maintaining direct unaided visual contact, with normal corrective lenses allowed, so the remote pilot can control the flight path and avoid collisions.
Exam cue: Ask whether the pilot can see both the aircraft and enough surrounding airspace to act.
Concept 2
A camera feed, map display, telemetry or tracking icon can support situational awareness but cannot by itself satisfy VLOS.
Exam cue: If orientation or distance can no longer be judged reliably, choose recovery rather than relying only on the screen.
Concept 3
The remote pilot must continuously scan for aircraft, people, obstacles and changes in the operating area and give priority to avoiding manned aviation.
Exam cue: Treat an approaching manned aircraft as an immediate avoid-and-land or otherwise deconflict cue.
Risk pitfalls and guardrails
Equating a live video feed with direct visual contact.
Guardrail: Do not treat a certificate, automated function or minimum distance as permission to ignore current class, airspace, weather, performance or overflight restrictions.
Looking continuously at the controller and failing to scan the airspace.
Guardrail: Do not treat a certificate, automated function or minimum distance as permission to ignore current class, airspace, weather, performance or overflight restrictions.
Assuming a small UAS is entitled to continue because it launched first.
Guardrail: Do not treat a certificate, automated function or minimum distance as permission to ignore current class, airspace, weather, performance or overflight restrictions.
Memory anchors
VLOS
VLOS keeps the aircraft directly visible so the remote pilot can control it and avoid collisions.
Corrective Lenses
Normal glasses or contact lenses may be used while maintaining VLOS.
Screen Support
Telemetry and camera views support awareness but do not replace the required external view.
Airspace Scan
Scan around the aircraft and the planned route, not only at the aircraft itself.
Manned Aviation
Take immediate safe action to avoid any conflict with a manned aircraft.
Recover on Doubt
If visual orientation or surrounding-airspace awareness is lost, execute the safe recovery procedure.
Checkpoint rule
Do the check-up only after you can summarize each concept in one sentence and identify one dangerous pitfall from memory.
Knowledge Check (after reading)
Short check-up to confirm understanding of this module.
Check-up Questions
What does VLOS require the remote pilot to do?
Are normal prescription glasses compatible with VLOS?
Answer all questions to submit.
Next step personalized recommendations
Continue learning
Move forward only after this module is stable.
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