Part 107 loading and performance
How weight, balance and the air itself change what a drone can do, with the aircraft basics from the FAA's Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge behind each one.
What does the Part 107 test ask about loading and performance?
Loading and performance is the smallest area of the 60-question test, at 7 to 11 percent. The FAA's Airman Certification Standards ask about the effects of loading changes; balance, stability and center of gravity; and how to use performance data to work out the effect on a small drone's performance.
| UAS Topics | Percentage of Items on Test |
|---|---|
| I. Regulations | 15-25% |
| II. Airspace & Requirements | 15-25% |
| III. Weather | 11-16% |
| IV. Loading & Performance | 7-11% |
| V. Operations | 35-45% |
| Total Number of Questions | 60 |
Source: FAA-S-ACS-10B, Remote Pilot Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Airman Certification Standards, p. A-1
The other test areas: regulations, airspace, weather, operations.
Task A. Loading and Performance
Objective
To determine that the applicant is knowledgeable in the loading and performance of an sUAS.
What the FAA lists for this task (4 items)
- UA.IV.A.K1 General loading and performance, including:
- UA.IV.A.K1a a. Effects of loading changes
- UA.IV.A.K1b b. Balance, stability, and center of gravity
- UA.IV.A.K2 Importance and use of performance data to calculate the effect on the aircraft’s performance of an sUAS.
Source: FAA-S-ACS-10B, Area of Operation IV, Task A
- FAA-G-8082-22, ch. 4How does weight affect a small unmanned aircraft?
- FAA-G-8082-22, ch. 4What happens when an aircraft is loaded past its center of gravity limits?
- FAA-H-8083-25C, ch. 4 and 11What is density altitude, and what factors affect aircraft performance?
- FAA-H-8083-25C, ch. 5What is load factor, and how does bank angle raise it?
- FAA-H-8083-25C, ch. 5How does a higher load factor affect stall speed?
- FAA-H-8083-25C, ch. 5What causes a stall, and what is the critical angle of attack?
- FAA-H-8083-25C, ch. 5What are the four forces of flight?
- FAA-H-8083-25C, ch. 4How does a wing make lift (Bernoulli or Newton)?
- FAA-H-8083-25C, ch. 5What is induced drag and what makes it increase?
- FAA-H-8083-25C, ch. 5What is parasite drag and what are its three types?
- FAA-H-8083-25C, ch. 5What are the three axes of rotation, and what are roll, pitch and yaw?
Practice this topic
UAV Campus has 24 practice questions in this topic, each with its FAA source. The free practice test mixes all five topics the way the real test does; the UAV Campus AI Flight Instructor quizzes you on the ones you miss. The questions are similar to the FAA test, not the actual test questions.