Passing your Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Part 107 test and earning your remote pilot certificate as a commercial drone pilot might seem like a difficult or time-consuming process, especially without experience. You may be asking “When do I have time to study? It’s been forever since I’ve studied for anything.” And some people have considerable test anxiety. But you don’t need to be worried—the whole process is straightforward. In fact, it’s much simpler than most people think. In this post we’ll explain what’s involved.
But first, we’ll cover who actually needs a Part 107 drone pilot license and some basics about flying your drone.
Do I need a Part 107 drone license?
Depending on if you want to fly a drone recreationally or professionally changes the answer to this question. If you plan to fly a drone in for business purposes then yes, you do need to obtain your Part 107 drone license before doing so.
However, if you want to fly your drone recreationally, a different set of more informal requirements exists. All you have to do to be able to fly your drone recreationally is to first take an online course, which should only take about 30 minutes to one hour to finish. At the conclusion of the course is an online test that you must pass. The test is called TRUST, which stands for “The Recreational UAS Safety Test.” Access to this test can be found here.
Once you complete these prerequisites, you will be all set to fly your drone. Here are some additional ground rules that are good to follow to avoid any mistakes or accidents.
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- Register your drone: Make sure that you register your drone on the FAA website. Also carry proof of registration anytime you are flying your drone, especially in public areas or in environments where the drone could be easily lost.
- Fly your drone at or below 400 feet and avoid controlled airspace: Knowing if you are flying in or around controlled airspace can be difficult, but if you do end up flying in controlled airspace it can result in a significant fine or worse. If you are unsure if you are around controlled airspace check here.
- Keep your drone within your line of sight: For drones with camera attachments that can be operated remotely, it may be tempting to fly into areas outside of your direct line of sight. But doing this makes it very easy to lose your drone or even crash it. Similar to the reverse cameras on cars, the in-flight camera view does not always give you the full perspective and can result in unexpected accidents.
- Never fly your drone in an inebriated state: Don’t treat your drone as an expensive toy. Keep in mind you can do a lot of damage with a drone and can land yourself in hot water if you act irresponsibly. Never operate a drone under any circumstances if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
How to get a commercial drone license?
In the United States, you must follow FAA rules in order to legally fly a drone. The FAA governs airspace across the country and requires drone pilots to have a license to operate in certain areas and situations. However, pilots only need a drone license in the U.S. if they are operating for commercial reasons. Basically, commercial drone use is broadly defined, meaning you’ll need a license if your intent to fly is non-recreational.
As mentioned above, drone licenses are often referred to as FAA Part 107 certificates, named for the regulation that controls commercial drone flights. They are also known as “remote pilot” licenses. The Part 107 license is meant to ensure that commercial drone pilots have a basic understanding of what airplane and helicopter pilots are doing in the surrounding airspace. Drone pilots can obtain all the information needed from the FAA’s website. But the goal of the Part 107 drone license is to confirm that they understand the basics, in case an issue arises midflight, or they need to verify their current airspace.
So how do you go about obtaining a drone license? The requirements are pretty straightforward. You must be:
- At least 16 years old
- Mentally and physically fit to fly a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle)
- Able to read, write, understand, and speak English
Provided you meet these criteria, you then need to pass a 60-question multiple-choice exam that tests your knowledge of airspace, weather, regulations, airport operations, aeronautical decision-making, among other flight-related topics. The drone license test is a bit harder than the driver’s test. Everyone drives a car. But the Part 107 certification process isn’t overwhelming by any means. Even people who haven’t picked up a book in years can easily pass. The FAA also offers a free study guide to use in preparing for the exam.
Here’s the process to follow to obtain your commercial drone license:
- Open an account on the FAA’s IACRA system. This has to be completed before you can schedule your exam.
- During the registration process, you can note whether you’ll need specific accommodations during the test, such as extra breaks, a left-hand mouse, or a time extension due to a learning or reading disability.
- After studying, take the 60-question multiple-choice test in-person. Testing centers are available across the U.S. Make sure to bring a government-issued photo ID with you when you go to the testing center.
- You’re directed to a testing room, just as if you were testing for your private pilot’s license, and are given two hours for the test. You’re monitored with cameras to ensure you’re not doing anything out of order. When you’re done, you receive your test results right away and learn if you passed or failed.
- Score at least 70% on the exam in order to pass. Once you pass, the testing center provides you with a form you can use within the IACRA system to submit your drone license application.
- The FAA will then send your information to TSA for a background check.
- Once the background check is complete, the FAA will issue you a temporary certificate that you can use to fly your drone commercially. (You’ll receive your permanent card in the mail in about a month)
Remember, while your drone license allows you to fly commercially, according to the Part 107 rules, you must still register each drone you plan to use with the FAA.
Finally, it’s important to remember that even though your drone license never expires, you have to renew it every two years to remain current by taking a shorter, 40-question exam and passing with a grade of 70% or better.
What is a sectional chart?
A sectional chart is an old-school way for pilots to navigate different airspaces and hazardous terrain. It’s basically a map that doesn’t require a phone or functioning GPS [image below].
You have to be able to look at that map, understand what airspace is what, and the meanings behind all the different symbols.
Weather is also an important topic covered in the exam. Make sure you can understand METAR reports. You should also have a basic understanding of radio communication protocol. Once you fully understand these key components, you’re almost guaranteed to pass!
What knowledge do you actually use when flying a site?
Some of the more important aspects of flying a drone to survey your site are remembering to fly 400 feet or lower, knowing the difference between open airspace and restricted, and understanding how close you can fly to buildings or how to report an accident. It’s crucial to know this practical information that may only arise in certain situations. Being well informed, you’ll be able to avoid fines for something you didn’t even know was illegal.
Besides Propeller’s free study guide there are many free resources to help you prepare for the exam. Across all of these separate study guides, you will find any area of focus that you need to properly prepare for the Part 107 exam. Our study guide offers a lot of in depth information about the questions you will be asked on the exam so make sure that you give yourself an adequate amount of time to prepare for the exam. For people who are more familiar with the subject matter some will be able to pass the test with only 2-3 nights of focused study, but if this is your first time taking the exam, we recommend you spend a bit more time and commit at least 4-5 days of study before the exam.
Do I Need a Part 107 Drone License?
Depending on if you want to fly a drone recreationally or professionally would change the answer to this question. If you are going to be flying a drone in a commercial environment for business purposes then yes, you do need to obtain your part 107 drone license before doing so.
However, if you want to fly your drone recreationally there is a different set of much more casual requirements that you have to pass first. All you have to do in order to be able to fly your drone recreationally is to first take an online course which should only take about 30 to one hour to finish. At the conclusion of the course is an online test which you must pass. The test is called TRUST, which stands for “the Recreational UAS Safety Test”. Access to this test can be found here.
Once you get beyond these prerequisites you will be all set to fly your drone. But there are some other ground rules that are good to follow to avoid any mistakes or accidents.
- Register your drone – Make sure that you register your drone on the FAA website. Make sure you also carry proof of registration anytime you are flying your drone, especially in public areas or in environments where the drone could be easily lost.
- Fly your drone at or below 400 feet and avoid controlled airspace – It can be difficult to figure out if you are flying in or around controlled airspace, but if you do end up flying uncontrolled airspace it can result in a significant fine or worse. If you are unsure if you are around controlled airspace check here.
- Always keep your drone within your line of sight – For drones with camera attachments that can be operated remotely it is tempting to take them into areas outside of your direct lines of sight. But when doing this it’s very easy to lose your drone or crash it. Similar to the reverse cameras on cars the camera view does not always give you the full context that you need and can result in unexpected accidents.
- Never fly your drone in an inebriated state – With drones being as fun as they are it can be tempting to treat them like an expensive toy. But keep in mind that you can do a lot of damage with a drone and can land yourself in hot water if you act irresponsibly. Never operate a drone under any circumstances if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Breathe easy
If you’re getting your Part 107 drone license for general surveying, you don’t have to get into the weeds of understanding every detail of the drone. The drones Propeller recommends literally fly themselves. You’re just there as a failsafe.
So yes, the Part 107 license is a necessary part of commercial drone operation, but don’t get overwhelmed by the false idea that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will be breathing down your neck about every detail of your small unmanned aircraft flights. They won’t. And if you need additional assistance, our fantastic team of customer success engineers is available to help get you the resources you need to pass the Part 107 test.
