Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.
01
Evaluation factor
Ratings and technical competence
30% weight
Verify Part 107 or national UAS licence, night and BVLOS waivers, logged flight hours per airframe (DJI M350, Matrice 30T, fixed wing), and payload experience such as LiDAR or thermal.
Evidence to listen for
Holds the current ratings, licences, or endorsements the position requires
Knows the rules, minima, and standards cold, not approximately
Familiar with the equipment and airspace, network, or plant in question
Clear on the boundary of their own authority
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Lacks required ratings, or shaky on the standards that keep people alive.
2
Needs Improvement
Holds the ticket but hesitant on rules and minima.
3
Satisfactory
Competent and current; slower on unfamiliar configurations.
4
Very Good
Rules and minima are second nature; strong on the specific environment.
5
Excellent
Holds current remote pilot certificate with waivers, names airframes and payloads flown, and cites logged hours plus recurrent training dates.
02
Evaluation factor
Situational awareness under load
30% weight
Probe how they run pre-flight surveys: LAANC authorisation, NOTAM and TFR checks, KP index and wind limits, visual observer briefings, and monitoring battery telemetry mid-mission.
Evidence to listen for
Keeps the whole picture while handling one problem
Describes how they shed or reprioritise tasks when volume spikes
Notices the thing that has gone quiet, not just the thing that is loud
Knows their own saturation point and says so before reaching it
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Tunnel vision under load; loses the wider picture entirely.
2
Needs Improvement
Copes at normal volume; degrades badly when it spikes.
3
Satisfactory
Holds the picture in most conditions; occasional fixation.
4
Very Good
Maintains awareness under high load and reprioritises deliberately.
5
Excellent
Describes a repeatable site survey and airspace check routine, and tracks link quality, battery percentage, and crowd movement simultaneously in flight.
03
Evaluation factor
Decisions under pressure
25% weight
Test responses to lost link, GPS drift near structures, sudden gusts, or a bird strike: when they trigger return to home versus manual recovery or controlled ditch.
Evidence to listen for
Decides on incomplete information rather than freezing
Chooses the safe option when uncertain, and can say why
Recovers from their own error without concealing it
Can describe a real event where they made the call
Five-point scoring guide
1
Poor
Freezes, or gambles when the safe option was available.
2
Needs Improvement
Slow to commit; defers decisions that were theirs to make.
3
Satisfactory
Decides adequately in familiar situations.
4
Very Good
Decides quickly and safely, and owns errors openly.
5
Excellent
Recounts specific aborts and emergency landings, explains the threshold that triggered each call, and prioritised people on the ground over the aircraft.
04
Evaluation factor
Communication discipline
15% weight
Assess radio and crew coordination: ATC calls, comms with visual observers and ground crew, incident reporting to the regulator, and post-flight log and maintenance records.
Evidence to listen for
Uses standard phraseology and readback discipline without shortcuts
Hands over completely, including what is unresolved
Speaks up to someone senior when safety requires it
Stays measured on the loop when the situation is not
