Two certificated remote pilots are on site. Pilot A launches the aircraft and hands the controls to Pilot B partway through the flight. Who is the remote pilot in command for the portions each pilot is flying?

Why →Under 14 CFR § 107.19, the remote pilot in command is the person directly responsible for and the final authority as to the operation of the small unmanned aircraft. When Pilot A hands the controls to Pilot B, Pilot B becomes the remote PIC. There can only be one remote PIC at a time. At that moment, Pilot B holds the responsibility, the authority, and the regulatory accountability. The handoff must be clear and deliberate.

The trap →Naming Pilot A as always the PIC incorrectly ties PIC status to the launch rather than to operational control. Launch is not the defining event. The shared-responsibility option describes a shared responsibility that does not exist under Part 107. Shared authority in the cockpit is a CRM concept that describes teamwork, not simultaneous PIC status.

Field note →Any control handoff between pilots should be explicit: 'You have the aircraft.' 'I have the aircraft.' This is standard procedure in manned aviation and belongs in drone CRM as well. An ambiguous handoff leaves both pilots uncertain about who bears responsibility.