I’m a Pilot! (Almost)
So here’s the deal… I’m not a PILOT pilot…. and I don’t even have my permanent license yet… but never the less, I’m on my way to becoming one!
Yes, this is me flying this plane back in 2020 during my discovery flight, but I’m not this type of pilot! I’m a DRONE pilot!
Drone photography has taken hold in the real estate market, and it seems like everybody wants aerial shots of properties… so to expand my current offerings, I’m moving towards drone photography in my real estate packages!
I’m eagerly waiting for my official remote pilots license to arrive in the mail, but I though I would use this forum to talk through what my experience was like studying for the Part 107 knowledge test!
How Do You Become a Drone Pilot?
This is where I, along with many other people start… How do you become a drone pilot?
Luckily, it’s pretty straight forwards, however, the FAA website can be intimating to navigate.
To be eligible to become a drone pilot there are 4 criteria that must be met:
You must be at least 16 years old
You must be able to read, speak, write, and understand English
You must be in physical and mental condition to safely fly a drone
You must pass initial aeronautical knowledge exam: “Unmanned Aircraft General - Small (UAG)”
Criteria 1-3 are pretty easy to meet… but criteria 4 is where many people get hung up… and rightfully so, because there’s a couple of ways to get this. The first way is to already hold a Part 61 certificate… if you’re here, you probably don’t have a Part 61 certificate. If you don’t have a Part 61 certificate, you need to take the Unmanned Aircraft General - Small (UAG).
So You Have to Take the Knowledge Exam… How do you do this?
The process is very formal, and can be overwhelming, so here’s how do it it step-by-step
Obtain an FAA Tracking Number (FTN). You can do this by creating an IACRA (Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application) profile prior to registering for your exam.
Start studying for you exam
Pass the Unmanned Aircraft General - Small (UAG) at an FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Center. Again, all of this informatio can be found on the FAA website.
Complete FAA From 8710-13.
Pass a TSA security background check.
Obtain a temporary license while the official license is printed and mailed
Receive your official license!
Always carry your license when flying your drone
What’s a Part 107?
Part 107 is a section of the Code of Federal Regulations that prescribes regulations related to small unmanned aircrafts systems (drones). Receiving your drone license demonstrates that you understand the regulations, operation requirements, and procedures for safely flying a drone.
But I can just pay for a study course, do I really need to know this section???
YES. 100% YES YOU DO.
In fact, I never even bought a course for my license. I studied Part 107… that’s the SOURCE of the exam. If you understand Part 107, you’ll understand the exam.
So How Did I Study?
This is where you may not want to take my advice… My dad was a helicopter pilot, and a couple years ago I started studying for get my private pilots license… so I’m a bit more advanced than somebody looking to fly for this time.
However, I recommend learning Part 107 as the starting point. I then recommend following the Knowledge Test Study Guide found here on the bottom of the page.
Personally, I don’t think you need to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for a study course… the FAA materials are solid choices. And once you have completed that, I then suggest finding practice exams online and taking those… once again, there are PLENTY of free options, so DO NOT PAY FOR A PRACTICE EXAM.
Overall, it was a great experience, and I hope that anybody who finds this, will also find the process of earing their drone license rewarding!
Cheers,
Garrett
