I would start by saying that my experience doesn’t intend to set any expectations on how to get licensed as a drone pilot or on how to pass the exam. I am not trying to minimize the test difficulty. My purpose here is to share my experience about how I got started and got my drone pilot license.
That said, I would like to start answering the question: How did I become a drone pilot in 5 days? I would say through focus and discipline. I got my license after several years of flying drones. I bought my first drone years ago when I fell in love with aerial photography and the beauty that shots from above unveil. Aerial photography offers a captivating perspective often inaccessible to the human eye.
Since I bought my first drone, I have flown it recreationally. Getting FAA licensed was something that I wanted to do. It was on my to-do list, and I talked about it many times with some friends. The truth is that I did so many other things in the meantime. I sold my first drone. I bought my second drone. I sold my second drone. I bought the third one. So, what changed? When I decided to become a commercial aerial photographer, I knew that I could not delay getting licensed any further. You must have a license to fly your drone for business. In other words, to get paid. This does not constitute the only reason to become a drone pilot. The Federal Aviation Administration defines what is recreational and non-recreational flights. Since June 2021, Recreational Flyers are required to take TRUST (The Recreational UAS Safety Test), a free online exam to get certified.
Starting on August 29, 2016, and under Part 107, a commercial drone pilot needs to obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate with a Small UAS rating. One of the requisites to get licensed is to pass the Unmanned Aircraft FAA Knowledge Exam. Other requirements are being 16 years old, speaking and writing English, and being physically and mentally able to operate a drone. Before the exam, you must register your drone on the FAA website and get an FAA tracking number. The FAA tracking number is generated once you create your profile on IACRA (Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application). Drones over 0.55 lbs. must be registered on the FAA website disregarding recreational or non-recreational use and this number should be visible on the drone.
Once you pass the exam, you will go on the IACRA website to fill out the FAA Form 8710-13. The FAA will issue a temporary license that is valid for 120 days. Be patient because you must wait for your license to be mailed to you. To renew your license, you must complete online training every 24 months.
Despite the FAA website offering a lot of valuable information, the best and safest way to get prepared to pass the exam is to take a dedicated course. There are a bunch of schools and companies dedicated to this. Many of these courses offer a guaranteed pass rate. For example, you must pass the practice exam of the course with a certain grade to qualify. If you don’t pass the real exam, you can get your money back. Some schools offer to pay the exam fee back. I bought the Drone Launch Academy Part 107 course on a Saturday. I started the course Sunday, and I passed my exam on Friday. Maybe the timeline is not that relevant, but I dedicated 5 days to completing the course and studying for the exam. I knew that I had to pass. I did not want to retake and pay $175 again. The course can be completed in a couple of weeks with no rush.
The course is divided into 15 main modules:
1. Getting started
2. Regulation
3. Radio Communications
4. Airspace
5. Reading Sectional Charts
6. Effects of Weather
7. Sources of Weather Information
8. Loading of Performance
9. Airport Operations
10. Emergency Procedures
11. Maintenance and Inspection
12. Physiology
13. Aeronautical Decision-Making (ADM)
14. Practice Exams
15. Final Practice Exam
When I opened the course and gave the first glance at the sections I freaked out when I saw the Reading Sectional Chart module. Although this module is the most challenging one, the course was so thorough that you will learn it with some practice.
Sectional Chart from the Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement
Besides the Drone Launch Academy course, I watched some YouTube videos that were very helpful. I listened to the videos when I was walking my dog or driving.
?si=YXMKhFrnLhY6tOdDThe exam has 60 multiple-choice questions. You get 2 hours to take it. The total cost to get licensed is between $400-500. If you are planning to do business, get paid, or do jobs using drones, this is something you can’t miss.