The 5 Hazardous Attitudes and Their Antidotes
Anti-Authority, Impulsivity, Invulnerability, Macho, Resignation. Each one has a matching antidote phrase. Five attitudes, five antidotes, locked in once and you have 2 or 3 questions in your pocket on test day.
The FAA's five hazardous attitudes are Anti-Authority, Impulsivity, Invulnerability, Macho, and Resignation. Each one has a matching antidote phrase.
They appear on nearly every Part 107 knowledge test as short scenario questions. The kind of question that can trip you up reads like: "A remote pilot flies anyway despite a weather briefing he disagrees with. Which hazardous attitude does this show?" The right answer is Anti-Authority.
What are the 5 attitudes and their antidotes?
| Attitude | Self-talk that signals it | Antidote phrase |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-Authority | "Don't tell me what to do." | Follow the rules. They are usually right. |
| Impulsivity | "Do something quickly." | Not so fast. Think first. |
| Invulnerability | "It won't happen to me." | It could happen to me. |
| Macho | "I can do it." | Taking chances is foolish. |
| Resignation | "What's the use?" | I am not helpless. I can make a difference. |
How does the test ask about them?
Most questions read as short scenarios. A pilot does something, and you pick the attitude that matches.
The right answer is almost always the attitude that fits the action most directly; the wrong answers are the other four.
Less commonly, the FAA asks for the antidote phrase verbatim, which is why memorizing the exact wording matters. The antidote for Invulnerability is "It could happen to me," not "It might happen to me," and both versions can appear as answer choices.
Is there a memory device that works?
The acronym A I I M R captures the five attitudes in order. Mapping each letter to a concrete drone pilot example makes them faster to recall under test pressure than a flat list.
- A. Anti-Authority: the pilot who ignores the LAANC ceiling.
- I. Impulsivity: the pilot who launches without checking weather.
- I. Invulnerability: the pilot who skips the pre-flight inspection.
- M. Macho: the pilot who tries the shot anyway.
- R. Resignation: the pilot who lets a missing battery cap go because "it probably will not matter."
How are hazardous attitudes different from IMSAFE?
IMSAFE is a separate checklist that often gets confused with hazardous attitudes on the test. It stands for Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion.
IMSAFE is a fitness for flight self check. It is separate from attitude management but tested together because both are part of aeronautical decision making.
If a question describes a pilot who is exhausted, upset, or under the weather, IMSAFE is in play, not necessarily a hazardous attitude.
Content here is derived from the FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide (FAA-G-8082-22) and the FAA Airman Certification Standards. It is for educational purposes. Verify exact wording with current FAA publications before testing.
Practice with real FAA style questions and get detailed explanations for every answer.