Passed my FAA Commercial sUAS Drone pilot test!

After many weeks of studying, I have passed my Part 107 knowledge test and can legally fly a drone for commercial use. A co-worker of mine and I were discussing how to make our jobs easier back in October - we do work that is related to surveying and inspecting properties. We wanted to simplify our process of mapping a property, taking photos, and being precise. Getting a drone became an exciting idea and we immediately got on google to shop and place an order for a state of the art drone. Someone else in our office said, "we should check the legalities and insurance issues first", well he was right, as of 12:01 a.m. EDT on August 29, 2016 all drone pilots operating for commercial purposes had to obtain an FAA small unmanned aircraft pilots certificate The NEW Small UAS Rule (Part 107).

GLOATING SHOT OF MY TEST

My co-worker and I began studying all written materials suggested at the FAA website:
-Airmen Certification Standards (PDF)
-Part 107 Advisory Circular (PDF)
-Pilot's Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge (pretty cheap on Amazon)
-Knowledge Test Study Guide (PDF)
-Knowledge Test Sample Questions (PDF)

As we were going through the material we realized we are getting almost half of all information small aircraft manned pilots get while preparing to get a pilots license. We had to learn VFR Sectional Charts, Longitude and Latitude, Aviation Weather, Aviation radio practices, the flight path an aircraft lands at an airport, load factors, center of gravity, and everything about the different kinds of airspace we have near airports. In addition were commonsense skills: risk management, not being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and good decision making in general. At this point, with the knowledge base I have from the test and studying, I am considering going further with a private pilots certificate.

The test consists of 60 questions and you need 70% correct to pass. It took us about 3 weeks of hitting the materials hard to pass. We studied a bit at work during the week and put in a lot nights on our own at home. I got a 90% and my co-worker got 87%. We feel that purchasing an online guide was helpful in addition to the recommended materials. It was nice to have a real pilot go through all of the materials on a video and explain charts and weather. There are a lot out there, but we used RemotePilot101, his pass rate is pretty high.

We are now waiting for our permanent certificate to arrive which can take up to 90 days but we are legal to fly with our temporary certificate at this time. We are also comparing all of the drones on the market as there are a ton with many different features, chime in if you have experience with a certain model. We need it to handle 30knots. The test has to be repeated every 2 years as this is an ever changing industry and the FAA will constantly be updating the requirements and airspace rules. Please feel free to ask any questions - I cannot disclose particular questions from the test, but I can help with the process.

The amount of things a drone can do across many industries is mind boggling to think about! What this will do for us at work is incredible - save time, save money, reduce human error, and enhances workplace safety.

#technology #drones