RPIC Qualifications: ARC Digital Site is led by Randy Hood, a FAA certified Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC) holding an active FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. Randy has extensive commercial flight experience in Nashville and Middle Tennessee.

ARC Digital Site carries comprehensive general liability insurance specific to UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) operations, along with inland marine coverage for equipment.

RPIC Authority: Per FAA 14 CFR § 107.19, the Remote Pilot in Command has the sole and final responsibility to determine whether flight operations are safe to conduct. The RPIC may delay, suspend, or cancel operations at any time due to weather, airspace congestion, or site-specific hazards — regardless of project schedules.

This is not a discretionary guideline. It is federal regulation. ARC Digital Site operates under this standard on every engagement, and our clients should expect that flight safety will never be compromised to meet a deadline.

Airspace Authorization: Not all airspace is open for drone operations. Much of the Nashville metro area falls within controlled airspace (Class B, C, D or E(Surface)), which requires prior authorization before any flight can take place. ARC Digital Site manages this process as part of every engagement.

LAANC (Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability): For many controlled airspace locations, we obtain real-time authorization through the FAA's LAANC system, which provides near-instant approval for flights within published altitude grids.

Manual FAA Authorization: For flights that fall outside LAANC coverage or require operations beyond standard grid altitudes, we submit manual authorization requests directly to the FAA. These requests can take up to 90 days for approval — a timeline we account for during project planning so it does not delay your work.

If your project is in controlled airspace, we will identify the authorization requirements early and build the approval timeline into your project schedule.

Crew Configuration: ARC Digital Site scales crew size to match mission complexity and airspace requirements.

Single-pilot operations are standard for straightforward missions in uncontrolled and controlled airspace where the RPIC can maintain full visual line of sight (VLOS) and situational awareness without assistance.

Two-person flight crews are deployed for high-complexity missions, restricted airspace operations, or sites with elevated safety requirements. In these configurations, a Visual Observer (VO) maintains constant scanning for non-participating personnel and manned aircraft while communicating with the RPIC via two-way radio. This ensures full VLOS compliance while the RPIC focuses on technical telemetry and sensor data.

Prior to every mission, all crew members receive a pre-flight briefing covering the flight plan, emergency procedures, communication signals, and site-specific hazards.

On-Site Flight Operations: Every flight begins with a standardized pre-flight inspection covering airframe integrity, propeller condition, battery health, and sensor function. We do not fly equipment that has not passed this check.

Weather minimums: Operations cease if winds exceed 20 mph or visibility falls below 3 statute miles. These are firm limits, not guidelines.

Obstacle avoidance: Active obstacle sensors are enabled on all flights. The RPIC maintains visual line of sight at all times.

Launch and recovery: A designated safety radius is cordoned off for takeoff and landing at every site. No personnel other than the flight crew enter this zone during operations.

Aviation monitoring: On missions in or near controlled airspace, the RPIC monitors local aviation frequencies using a handheld transceiver, maintaining real-time situational awareness of manned aircraft traffic — including medical helicopters, commercial flights, and general aviation. In the event of approaching manned aircraft, the UAS yields right-of-way and immediately descends to a safe hover or landing until the airspace is clear.

Example Project Safety and Security Plan (PSSP)

Emergency Procedures

Lost link: If communication between the controller and the aircraft is lost, the UAS is programmed to return to its launch point at a pre-set altitude calculated to clear all site obstructions.

GPS loss: The RPIC is trained in manual (ATTI-mode) recovery, allowing controlled flight without GPS assistance.

Fly-away: If the aircraft departs its planned flight path and does not respond to control inputs, the RPIC will activate the emergency motor stop if the aircraft is over an unpopulated area. If over an occupied area, the RPIC will attempt manual recovery while the VO clears personnel from the projected flight path.

Incident Reporting: In the event of any incident, near-miss, or equipment issue during flight operations, ARC Digital Site follows a structured reporting protocol:

The RPIC immediately ceases all flight operations and secures the aircraft. The site safety officer and project manager are notified verbally within 15 minutes. A written incident report — including flight telemetry data, weather conditions, and a description of the event — is prepared within 24 hours. Any incident meeting FAA reporting thresholds under 14 CFR § 107.9 is reported to the FAA within 10 days. ARC Digital Site provides a root-cause analysis and corrective action plan before resuming flight operations on the affected site.

Project Safety and Security Plan: For every commercial engagement, ARC Digital Site prepares a Project Safety and Security Plan tailored to the specific site, airspace, and operational requirements. The PSSP covers pilot qualifications, airspace authorization, crew configuration, security coordination, flight operations protocols, emergency procedures, and incident reporting.

A copy of our standard PSSP template is available for download. If your organization's safety team requires a project-specific version prior to authorizing drone operations on your site, we will prepare one as part of the engagement scope.

Data and Legal Disclosure: All spatial data captured by ARC Digital Site is intended for visual documentation, progress monitoring, and BIM integration. No data provided constitutes a legal survey or engineering-grade measurement.