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Becoming a Certified Drone Operator in the United States

Unmanned Aerospace Systems (UAS) in the year 2019 have a great deal of technology at their fingertips, with a handful of challenges that hold back the UAS from meeting their potential.  Most of the challenges are not necessarily technology related.  Safety, FAA permission, standardizations in operator training are some of those challenges.

UAV Operator Qualifications

The Federal Aviation Administration oversees permission of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operation operations.  The UAV must weight 55 pounds or less,  and fly under 400 feet during daylight with a FAA registration and pilot certification for commercial related flight.  A common example of this and more widely known to the public is aerial real estate photography (Wynbrandt, 2019).  In order to fly a UAV in a section 333 granted airspace, and Part 107 Certificate must be in the pilot’s possession.  There are 3 tracks to obtain a Part 107 remote pilot certificate: first time pilot, existing part 61 certificate holders and renewal (Faa.gov, 2019).

First Time Pilot

There are some basics qualifications for the process to obtain the Part 107 certificate.
Eligibility and requirements. He or she must be at 16 years of age, read write and speak English, be in a mental and physical condition to safely operate, and pass the initial aeronautical exam (Faa.gov, 2019).  The operator must hold the certificate in their possession during operations and will renew every 2 years.

The Process

The first step in the process is to pass the FAA administered aeronautical knowledge exam.  The operator will need to study regulations related to sUAS privileges, limitations and flight operations, restrictions, effects of weather, payload, and performance.  The exam also includes emergency procedures, radio communication, effects of drugs and alcohol, decision making and judgement, and maintenance procedures (Faa.gov, 2019).

After the test is complete, FAA Form 8710-13 application for remote pilot certificate must be completed using the online FAA application system (IACRA).  When the application is process and the background check is complete, a temporary followed by a permanent certifate is awarded.
The process seems fairly simple and should not shy away people of all ages to persue their Part 107 Certificate.  At just 16 years of age, the FAA is almost promoting young people to get involved early.

Existing Part 61 Certificate Holders

Part 61 Certificate holders have superseded the basic aeronautical knowledge exam and have a slimmed down process.  They must study and test on the material related to sUAS such as regulations, limitations, flight operations, emergency procedures and preflight inspection and maintenance.  Once complete they apply the same way as first time pilots.

Renewal

There are 2 circumstances for Certified Remote Pilots to maintain their certificate.  A recurrent knowledge test must be completed every 24 months, and Part 61 Certificate holders must complete an online recurring training course every 2 years (Faa.gov, 2019).

References

Faa.gov. (2019). Become a Drone Pilot. [online] Available at: https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/become_a_drone_pilot/#ech [Accessed 28 Feb. 2019].

Wynbrandt, J. (2019). How to Become a Professional Drone Pilot. [online] Flyingmag.com. Available at: https://www.flyingmag.com/how-to-fly-drones-as-career#page-3 [Accessed 1 Mar. 2019].

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