What you will know
Know how sun glare threatens the visual line of sight you are required to keep, what the crew is advised to do about it, and which solar forecast warns that the navigation system and the command and control link may degrade.
Before this lesson
- You know that keeping the aircraft in visual line of sight is a duty rather than a preference: no pilot shall operate unless the pilot or a visual observer has the aircraft in sight. CAR 901.11
- You know that a visual observer can be the person who holds that sight picture, because the advice below is addressed to the whole crew. CAR 901.11
- You know that the command and control link is the connection between the control station and the aircraft, because the second half of this lesson is about losing it.
How it works
1. Glare attacks the line of sight itself
The AIM opens with the effect rather than the remedy: the sun influences the conditions encountered by the system in direct and indirect ways, and the pilot and visual observers need to be aware of the sun glare that might prevent them from maintaining proper visual line of sight with the aircraft. AIM 3.2.22.10
That is why glare belongs with the weather rules rather than with the camera settings. Where the line of sight is a requirement, unmanaged glare is not an inconvenience — it is one of the conditions the requirement is measured against. CAR 901.11
2. One habit that reduces the exposure
The advice is concrete: crew members should take care to reduce the amount of time facing into the sun and looking at the sky. AIM 3.2.22.10
3. Flying in line with the sun
One situation carries its own instruction. Where the aircraft is flying in line with the sun, the crew should stare to the side of the aircraft and the sun — not at the aircraft, which has the sun behind it, and not at the sun. AIM 3.2.22.10
4. Polarized sunglasses and the tablet
The AIM names one piece of equipment that works against the crew here: polarized sunglasses can cause visibility issues on tablet displays, so they may not be a viable option for all crew members. AIM 3.2.22.10
The point is the pairing rather than the eyewear. A crew member who wears them to cut the glare may lose the display the operation depends on, so the choice is made crew member by crew member rather than for the crew as a whole. AIM 3.2.22.10
5. Solar activity reaches the aircraft, not only the sky
The same paragraph turns from light to magnetism: solar activities can create geomagnetic interferences that have been shown to impact the navigation system (GPS, GLONASS) and electronic components of the RPAS, specifically the C2 link. AIM 3.2.22.10
6. The forecast to check, and the direction of the effect
The AIM recommends that pilots refer to the Energetic Electron Fluence forecast and use caution in periods of moderate or higher radiation. The relationship runs one way: the greater the electron fluence, the lesser the range and quality of the C2 link, and the greater the possibility of a lost link. AIM 3.2.22.10
A higher number is therefore worse news rather than better, which is exactly the direction a question can reverse. AIM 3.2.22.10
Your checklist
| Question | The answer |
|---|---|
| Why does glare matter beyond comfort? | It can prevent the crew from maintaining proper visual line of sight AIM 3.2.22.10 |
| What reduces the exposure? | Spending less time facing into the sun and looking at the sky AIM 3.2.22.10 |
| The aircraft is in line with the sun — where do you look? | To the side of the aircraft and the sun AIM 3.2.22.10 |
| Are polarized sunglasses a problem? | They can cause visibility issues on tablet displays, so they may not suit every crew member AIM 3.2.22.10 |
| What can solar activity affect? | The navigation system (GPS, GLONASS) and the electronics, specifically the C2 link AIM 3.2.22.10 |
| Which forecast, and when to be careful? | The Energetic Electron Fluence forecast, with caution at moderate or higher radiation AIM 3.2.22.10 |
| Does more electron fluence help the link? | No — the greater the fluence, the lesser the range and quality of the link AIM 3.2.22.10 |
- Glare threatens the visual line of sight the pilot must keep CAR 901.11
- In line with the sun, look to the side of the aircraft and the sun AIM 3.2.22.10
- Polarized sunglasses can hide a tablet display AIM 3.2.22.10
- Solar activity reaches the C2 link and the navigation system AIM 3.2.22.10
- More electron fluence means less range and quality AIM 3.2.22.10
Where people go wrong
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| The aircraft disappears when you fly toward the sun | Glare, not distance, broke the sight picture | Re-position, or hand the sight picture to a visual observer AIM 3.2.22.10 |
| You have been staring at the sky and lose the aircraft | Time spent facing into the sun and looking up was not limited | Cut that time, and look to the side of the aircraft and the sun AIM 3.2.22.10 |
| A crew member cannot read the tablet in bright sun | Polarized lenses against the display | Check the eyewear against the display before the flight AIM 3.2.22.10 |
| The link degrades on a clear, quiet day | Solar activity rather than weather | Check the solar forecast before blaming the equipment AIM 3.2.22.10 |
| A high fluence figure read as good news | The relationship is inverse | Expect less range and quality, and more lost link AIM 3.2.22.10 |
Test yourself
Sources
- TC AIM, RPA chapter 3.2.22.10 — Sun
- CAR 901.11 — Visual Line-of-sight
- Space Weather Canada — the forecast site the AIM refers to