PLT532: sUAS Visibility and Cloud Clearance
What code PLT532 covers, why the FAA tests it, and how to study sUAS Visibility and Cloud Clearance before your checkride.
Recall operating limitations - small UAS aircraft visibility / distance from clouds
What this means for your checkride
Part 107 requires at least 3 statute miles of flight visibility from the control station, and the small unmanned aircraft must stay at least 500 feet below clouds and 2,000 feet horizontally from them. These weather minimums keep the drone visible and clear of aircraft operating near clouds.
Weather minimums protect the drone and other traffic, so the FAA tests the 3-mile visibility and the 500-below, 2,000-horizontal cloud clearances.
Operators fly right up to a cloud in good visibility. Part 107 still requires 500 feet below and 2,000 feet horizontally from clouds, no matter how clear it looks.
Where to study it
A code on your test report is an area of deficiency. An authorized instructor must review it with you and endorse that review before you take the practical test, and the examiner may revisit it during the oral. Study it until you can explain it out loud, not just recognize the answer.