How to Become a Certified Drone Pilot in the USA

Drone School 101 UAV Prep

by Antonio Cordero September 01, 2016

As of August 29, 2016, new regulations have been put into place under Part 107 for commercial drone pilots. The new rules make it much easier to obtain certification and eliminate the long wait times that were a part of the previous process. This article will breakdown exactly what needs to be done to acquire the proper certifications for drone piloting. The level of certification you need varies greatly depending on how you’ll be using your drone: Recreational pilots If you’re simply flying your drone for recreational and hobby purposes, you do not need any pilot certification. There are, however, regulations on how and where you can fly your drone:

Drones that weigh more than .55 lbs must be registered with FAA
The drone may not be flown within 5 miles of any airport (unless air traffic control is notified beforehand)
Must always yield right of way to manned aircraft
Must follow community-based safety guidelines

Commercial pilots If you’re flying your drone for commercial purposes (any flying that results in direct economic gain), then some of the requirements for drone and pilots are more complicated:

Drones that weigh more than .55 lbs must be registered with FAA
Drones must undergo preflight check to ensure that they are safe for operation

For commercial drone pilots:

Must be over 16 years of age
Must have Remote Pilot Certificate
Must pass TSA vetting
Must pass a recurrent aeronautical knowledge test every 24 months

Additionally, commercial drones may only be flown in Class G airspace. That means that the drone:

Must keep the aircraft in sight (visual line-of-sight)
Must fly under 400 feet
Must fly during the day
Must fly at or below 100 mph
Must yield right of way to manned aircraft
Must not fly over people
Must not fly from a moving vehicle

Here is a great chart that compares the requirements for recreational drone pilots vs. the requirements for commercial drone pilots. How to get started as a commercial drone pilot It may sound like there is a lot of red tape to get the proper certification to fly your drone for commercial purposes, but the new Part 107 regulations actually make it much easier than it’s been in the past. Here are the steps:

1. Pass an initial aeronautical pilot test This test must be taken at one of the FAA approved knowledge centers in the U.S. To prepare for the test, you may want to take one of the many online prep courses offered. The test is comprised on 60 multiple choice questions, you’ll get two hours to take the test, and you’ll need a minimum score of 70% to pass. The test covers:

Regulations
Airspace and requirements
Weather
Loading and performance
Operations

If you’d like to prepare for the test beforehand, there are a number of study guides that you can purchase to get yourself ready. You can also sign up for one of the online courses offered, which will give you a very thorough rundown of all of the information that you’ll need to know going into the exam.

Obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate

After you pass your aeronautical pilot test, you’ll need to wait up to 48 hours to apply for your Remote Pilot Certificate via the FAA’s online system. This only takes a few minutes.

Get vetted by the TSA

After you’ve applied for your Remote Pilot Certificate, your application will be reviewed automatically by the TSA. Once the TSA clears you and your application has been accepted, you’ll receive a temporary electronic Remote Pilot Certificate. The FAA says that it will take about 10 days to receive a hard copy of your temporary Remote Pilot Certificate, and 6-8 weeks to receive a permanent certificate. The good news is, once you’ve received that initial temporary Remote Pilot Certificate, you can fully operate your drone for commercial purposes.