Interview scorecard template

UAV (Drone) Operator interview scorecard

Evaluate UAV (Drone) Operator candidates across 4 weighted areas: ratings and technical competence, situational awareness under load, decisions under pressure, and communication discipline. Ratings and technical competence leads at 30%, so verify Part 107 or A2 CofC certification, logged flight hours by airframe (DJI M300, Matrice 4E, fixed-wing VTOL), plus payload. Use the rubric to compare role-specific evidence consistently.

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safety critical operationsbvlosflight logspart 107uav
TL;DR
For ratings and technical competence, look for evidence the candidate names airframes flown, quotes logged hours and mission types, and explains RTK base setup or thermal calibration without prompting. For situational awareness under load, look for evidence the candidate describes a live flight where they caught degrading GPS HDOP or inbound traffic early and altered the mission before it became urgent. Apply the written 1–5 anchors to every answer, record the evidence behind each rating, and use the factor weights to reach a consistent overall assessment.
Complete evaluation framework

What to assess and how to score it

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 A2 CofC certification, logged flight hours by airframe (DJI M300, Matrice 4E, fixed-wing VTOL), plus payload work: RTK mapping, thermal, LiDAR.

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

Names airframes flown, quotes logged hours and mission types, and explains RTK base setup or thermal calibration without prompting.

02
Evaluation factor

Situational awareness under load

30% weight

Probe how they scan for hazards mid-flight: crewed traffic, signal loss, wind gradients near structures, battery voltage sag, and when they hand off to a visual observer.

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 live flight where they caught degrading GPS HDOP or inbound traffic early and altered the mission before it became urgent.

03
Evaluation factor

Decisions under pressure

25% weight

Test their response to flyaways, RTH failure over water or crowds, and lost link. Ask about aborted missions and how they judged weather against LAANC or NOTAM constraints.

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 a specific abort or emergency landing, states the deciding factor, and shows they scrub flights when conditions breach their own minimums.

04
Evaluation factor

Communication discipline

15% weight

Assess radio and crew coordination: briefing visual observers, ATC or tower calls in controlled airspace, incident reporting, and how flight logs and site risk assessments are recorded.

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

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Sloppy phraseology; incomplete handovers.

2
Needs Improvement

Drifts from standard phrasing under pressure.

3
Satisfactory

Disciplined communication; handovers occasionally thin.

4
Very Good

Precise phraseology and complete handovers, and will challenge seniority on safety.

5
Excellent

Runs structured pre-flight briefs, uses standard phraseology on airband or crew comms, and keeps auditable flight logs and post-incident writeups.

Evidence-led prompts

Interview questions for a UAV (Drone) Operator

Use these prompts to surface evidence for the weighted factors above and compare candidates against the same role-specific criteria.

  1. 01

    Are you licensed to operate a UAV in the jurisdictions we work in, and can you evidence it?

  2. 02

    What is your previous experience flying drones commercially?

  3. 03

    Do you have experience flying various types of drone, and which platforms?

  4. 04

    How consistently do you follow pre-flight checklists and procedures?

  5. 05

    Are you able to perform maintenance and basic repairs on drones?

See the complete UAV (Drone) Operator question set
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