# Risk Management System (RMS)
Version 3.0 | 20 SEPT 2026
## RMS Methodology
A sortie with a lot of risk will not automatically result in an incident or accident. Human accept all kinds of risk every day - from driving in the rain to scuba diving. This system attempts to create a uniform measurement of risk, but ==aviation doctrine (learned the hard way, with decades of terrible outcomes) dictates that accepting risk and making a go/no-go decision is the sole responsibility of the RPIC and crew==. There is no formula, table, or app that will make that decision for the crew.
A flight categorized as Low overall risk may result in an accident. A Critical risk flight may land uneventfully. Risk is not a guarantee one way or the other of the outcome of a sortie - it simply indicates that additional care and skill is required to maintain a level of safety.
Review each factor listed in the table below. For each factor (such as Payload, Wind, etc.) assigned an availble category (Low, Medium, or High).
**Mentally calculate the total number of [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] chips and the number of [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] chips.**
| Factor | Risk Category |
| -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------: |
| **Aircraft ->** | |
| **Type** | |
| Multirotor | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Fixed Wing | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Hybrid/VTOL
| [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Condition** | |
| FMC | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| PMC
| [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Damaged/Field Repair | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Payload** | |
| Automated / Integrated | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Manual Control, no Sensor Operator | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| **Collision Avoidance** | |
| UA equipped with collision avoidance system | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| UA is not equipped with collision avoidance | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| **Failsafes** | |
| UA equipped will full failsafes including 'smart' return to home (RTH). | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| UA has a direct RTH only. | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| UAS not equipped with RTH | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Checklists and Procedures** | |
| UAS has up to date checklists and procedures | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| UAS checklists and/or procedures are out of date | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| UAS has no checklists or procedures | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Sortie ->** | |
| **Duration** | |
| Less than 70% Max Endurance | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| 70-85% Max Endurance | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Greater than 85% Max Endurance | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Op Tempo** | |
| Less than 3 sorties that operational period | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| 3-8 previous sorties that operational period | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| 9+ previous sorties that operational period | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Reserve UA** | |
| Reserve UA available that can accomplish taskings | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| No reserve UA available | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| **External Completion Pressure** | |
| No mission pressure (training, testing, etc.) | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Some mission pressure (activation, real world, financial pressure) | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| High mission pressure (life safety/search, command pressure) | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Environment ->** | |
| **Wind** | |
| 10 knots or less sustained wind at ground level | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| 10-15 knots of sustained wind at ground level | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| 15+ knots of sustained wind -OR- gusts above 24 knots at ground level | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Ceiling / Visibility** | |
| Good - Clear (5000ft Ceiling, 10 miles visibility) | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Fair - 3000ft Ceiling, 5 miles visibility | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Poor - 1000ft or below ceiling, 3 miles visibility | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Precipitation** | |
| None | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Potential precipitation, greater than 60% or radar indicated | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Current precipitation (it's raining... rethink this) | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Elevation / Density Altitude** | |
| 0-5,000' MSL | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| 5,000-8,000' MSL | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Above 8,000' MSL | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Obstacles (at Mission Alt.)** | |
| None | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Small/minor obstacles at altitude (singe tower, lines, etc.) | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Large/major obstacles at altitude (buildings, towers, etc.) | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Terrain** | |
| Flat | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Hills, slight rising terrain | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Mountainous | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **ATC Coordination** | |
| None required (LAANC, COA, etc.) | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Required by COA, etc. | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| **Airspace Deconfliction** | |
| No additional aircraft | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| All additional aircraft in mission airspace are cooperating and in communication | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Response or disaster conditions with non-cooperating aircraft and poor situational awareness | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Flight Over Water** | |
| No open water in mission area | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Part of sortie will be over open water | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| All or majority of sortie is over open water | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Structures** | |
| No close approach of structure is required | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Close approach within 20' of structure is required | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Close approach within 10' of structure is required | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Time of Day** | |
| Daylight operations | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Dawn/dusk/twilight | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Nighttime operations | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Launch and Recovery Area** | |
| Clear and of adequate size. Clear of obstacles and obstructions. No wired environment | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Restricted. Some obstacles or obstructions present. Usable but 'tight' for sortie airframe | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Restricted. Significant obstructions. Edge of possibility and no room for error. | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Line of Sight** | |
| Unrestristricted | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Some or few obstacles to LOS | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Many obstacles to LOS. Large Trees. | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Crew ->** | |
| **Composition** | |
| Full crew | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Pilot plus single VO | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Pilot only (against SOG) | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Training** | |
| All crew certified on type | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Partial crew certification on type | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| No crew certification on type | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Experience** | |
| Crew has 60+ previous operational sorties - no including training | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Crew has 8-60 previous operational sorties | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Crew has less than 8 previous operational sorties | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Crew Rest** | |
| Crew rested 8+ hours the previous night (off duty) | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Crew rested 6+ hours the previous night (off duty) | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Crew rested less than 6 hours the previous night (off duty) | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
| **Other ->** | |
| **Observers** | |
| No observers | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Observers present | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| **Demo / Student Pilots** | |
| No factor | [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] |
| Demonstration Flight / Students pilots after comfortable with the specific UA | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] |
| Training / Student pilots operating the UA for initial training | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] |
### Total Risk Calculation
There is no formula for determining overall risk of the sortie or mission. The table below provides a guideline, but it is up to the crew to determine the final overall risk determination.
**Different crews will have differing levels of comfort with risk.** This system allows for different crews to assign appropriate risk levels.
The crew determines risk - not command, not observers, not other crews.
!!!danger
**Remember "three to go, one to say no"**. If **any** crewmember feels the flight is unsafe, that flight cannot launch until the risk is mitigated or conditions improve. Do NOT find your aircraft in the air, wishing that it wasn't.
!!!
### Overall Risk Guidelines
| Overall Risk | [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] Chip Count | [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] Chip Count |
| ------------------------------------------------------------------------ | :-------------------------------------------------: | :----------------------------------------------: |
| [!badge variant="success" text="Low"] Overall Risk | 3 or less | 0 |
| [!badge variant="warning" text="Medium"] Overall Risk | 5 or less | 1 or less |
| [!badge variant="danger" text="High"] Overall Risk | 11 or less | 2 or less |
| [!badge variant="dark" text="Critical"] Overall Risk. Don't be an idiot. | More than 11 | More than 2 |
### Go-No Go Decisions
Each flight should have a clear go/no-go decision after the Crew Briefing. This decision should be deliberate, not automatic or by default.
!!!warning
No one outside of the crew can make a final go/no-go decision.
!!!
### Risk Guidance
**If a crew has a calculated [!badge variant="dark" text="Critical"] overall risk, they should consult with the UAS Program Manager or a senior pilot on mitigation factors.** There is no automatic, policy-based prohibition of the sortie - just know that... there are a lot of risk factors.
!!!danger
Utilizing this system does not permit, excuse, or condone gross negligence on the part of the RPIC or crew.
!!!