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 § 107.12, the remote pilot in command is the person directly responsible for and the final authority for 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 →
Choice A incorrectly ties PIC status to the launch rather than to operational control. Launch is not the defining event. Choice C 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.SOURCE → 14 CFR § 107.12; 14 CFR § 107.19CHECKED APR 22ACS V.A.K8MED