Maintenance — Part 107 practice questions

10 practice questions on maintenance from the FAA remote pilot knowledge test, each with the correct answer and why it is correct.

1. 01

   A small unmanned aircraft's manufacturer publishes no maintenance schedule. What is the operator expected to do?

   • Establish a reasonable maintenance schedule of their ownCorrect
   • Perform no scheduled maintenance, since none is specified
   • Return the aircraft to the manufacturer every 12 calendar months
   • Apply the maintenance schedule from 14 CFR part 43
   Why

   The absence of a manufacturer schedule transfers the job rather than removing it: the operator establishes a reasonable one of their own, informed by how hard the aircraft is worked. Part 43, which governs manned-aircraft maintenance, does not apply to small UAS under part 107.

2. 02

   Under 14 CFR 107.15, what must the remote pilot in command do if an unsafe condition develops during flight?

   • Discontinue the flightCorrect
   • Continue to the planned landing point regardless
   • Land only if the condition affects the control link
   • Complete the flight and note the condition in the maintenance record
   Why

   107.15 requires the flight to be discontinued. The obligation is not limited to control-link problems and does not permit pressing on to the planned landing point — the standard is a condition for safe operation, and once that is lost the flight ends at the first safe opportunity.

3. 03

   Why is a maintenance record recommended even though part 107 does not prescribe one?

   • It establishes what was done and when, so trends and completed work can be verifiedCorrect
   • It is required before an aircraft may be registered under part 48
   • It substitutes for the preflight inspection required by 107.49
   • It is required by Air Traffic Control before airspace authorization is granted
   Why

   Because it is the only thing that turns individual repairs into a trend you can see, and the only way a second operator can tell what an aircraft has been through. Part 48 registration does not ask for it, and it substitutes for nothing — the 107.49 preflight is still required before every flight.

4. 04

   When should a firmware update be applied to a small unmanned aircraft system?

   • On the ground with time to verify the aircraft afterwards, not immediately before a flightCorrect
   • Immediately before every flight, so the aircraft is always current
   • Only after an accident has been reported to the FAA
   • In flight, so any problem can be observed directly
   Why

   On the ground, with time afterwards to confirm the aircraft still behaves as expected. An update immediately before launch means flying software nobody has verified, and a failed or partial update can leave the aircraft unairworthy — which is a much better discovery on a bench than in the air.

5. 05

   Where should a compass calibration be performed?

   • Away from metal structures, vehicles, and reinforced concreteCorrect
   • Directly beside the transport vehicle, for convenience
   • Indoors, where wind will not disturb the aircraft
   • On a metal surface, to provide a consistent magnetic reference
   Why

   Away from anything ferrous: vehicles, structures, and reinforced concrete, which hides steel inside it. The procedure measures the earth's magnetic field, so calibrating next to a van teaches the aircraft the van's distortion and it flies off with a systematically wrong idea of where north is.

6. 06

   Which two factors do manufacturers typically specify for storing lithium batteries?

   • State of charge and temperature rangeCorrect
   • Altitude and humidity
   • Cycle count and cell chemistry
   • Discharge rate and propeller pitch
   Why

   State of charge and temperature. Lithium packs are happiest stored part-charged rather than full or empty, within a stated temperature band, because both a high state of charge and heat accelerate the internal breakdown that ends in a fire.

7. 07

   A small unmanned aircraft makes a hard landing but appears undamaged. What does this call for?

   • Unscheduled maintenance: an inspection before the next flightCorrect
   • Nothing, provided no damage is visible from a distance
   • A report to the FAA within 10 calendar days
   • Replacement of the airframe regardless of its condition
   Why

   A hard landing is exactly the event that triggers unscheduled maintenance — the point is to inspect because of what happened, not because something is visibly wrong. Cracked arms and loosened motor mounts frequently look fine until the airframe is examined closely. No FAA report is involved unless 107.9's injury or damage thresholds are met.

8. 08

   A remote pilot is unsure whether an airframe arm was damaged in a collision. What is the appropriate course of action?

   • Have the manufacturer or a qualified technician assess it before further flightCorrect
   • Fly a short test flight at low altitude to see whether it holds
   • Continue flying and monitor for vibration
   • Replace the propellers, since arm damage always originates there
   Why

   Doubt about a structural member is the point at which the job leaves the operator. A low test flight does not resolve it — it just chooses a worse place to find out — and monitoring for vibration accepts a failure in flight as the diagnostic. The manufacturer or a qualified technician assesses it first.

9. 09

   Which of the following is part of the preflight action required by 14 CFR 107.49?

   • Verifying that sufficient power exists to operate for the intended flight timeCorrect
   • Filing a flight plan with the nearest Flight Service Station
   • Recording the flight in a logbook retained for 24 calendar months
   • Obtaining a maintenance release signed by a certificated mechanic
   Why

   Confirming there is enough power for the intended flight is explicitly part of 107.49, alongside assessing the operating environment and inspecting the aircraft. The other options are manned-aviation obligations — flight plans, logbooks and maintenance releases have no part 107 equivalent.

10. 10

    A preflight inspection reveals a small crack in one propeller blade. What is the appropriate action?

    • Replace the propeller before flightCorrect
    • File the crack smooth and continue with the flight
    • Fly with reduced payload to lower the load on the blade
    • Balance the crack by making a matching cut on the opposite blade
    Why

    Replace it. A cracked blade is out of balance, and the vibration that follows both worsens the crack and loosens everything attached to it. Filing it removes material and the balance with it; cutting the opposite blade to match compounds the error. Propellers are consumable — this is the cheapest decision on the aircraft.