Airman certificate

[Hawkmaster]

Thinking about getting a license. Looks like a tough test, looking at a few online courses for help.
They range in price from $99 to $299 Has anyone used one of these ? Any recommendations ?
Thanks

 

[Hawkwind]

I cannot comment on the online courses, I have no experience with these.

I took mine last Saturday. You do need to prepare.

There are a number of threads about this. I highly recommend the Northrup video and read the FAA Study Guide.
FREE Drone Certification Study Guide: FAA Part 107 sUAS Test

3DR has an online test that is helpful for practice.

There were a series of test questions with answers posted on this forum not long ago.

Also, I purchased the ASA Test Prep book from the local test facility. It included a hardcopy of the test suppliment, which is useful since it is exactly what you will be using during the exam. It also included 5 online practice tests. Very much worth the $20.

That's all I paid and I only missed one question on the actual exam (59/60). Your mileage may vary.

 

[Hawkwind]

PS: Like the name @Hawkmaster !

 

[msinger]

Any recommendations ?

You can find a list of free and paid FAA Part 107 courses and study resources here.

 

[migmatite67]

There are a ton of free information for the test online. After studying for about 3 weeks, I passed on the first try. I would not pay over $100 for any test prep course but then again I am cheap. There are also very helpful (free) videos on YouTube and if you really get stuck you can always ask questions here. Don't get me wrong, I am sure a lot of the pay courses are very good and reputable. I just personally don't feel the ones that are higher price are of value. Just my opinion for what its worth.

Safe flying!

 

[brett8883]

Thinking about getting a license. Looks like a tough test, looking at a few online courses for help.
They range in price from $99 to $299 Has anyone used one of these ? Any recommendations ?
Thanks

I studied for like 5 hours but I already knew a lot of the stuff. I used King Schools course

Part 107 Drone Ground School & Test Prep

Looking for drone pilot ground school? Guaranteed to pass your Part 107 test, or your money back.

www.kingschools.com

and I think the difference between something like that and a free one is that it covers EVERYTHING in as short a time as possible but still gets the point across.

It’s also very linear. You start here and you end here and as long as you watch all the videos and pass the little tests at the end of each module you are literally guaranteed to pass. Literally... they have a guarantee.


The break it up into several modules based on the subject and each module is split up into sections that average like 4 minutes each so it’s easy to stop and come back without skipping a beat. What I liked about it is there’s no BS, they people are trained instructors and you could tell there was thought that went into being as concise as possible. When I was watching free videos I was about to blow my brains out if then it said um one more time. It’s really just some guy off the cuff trying to explain something. I don’t need all these words I just need the information as concisely as possible.

They also have video in the background that goes with the particular point they are getting across and I feel like that imagery helps a lot. For example, “the Pilot In Command doesn’t need to be the actual person at the controls but the PIC needs to be able to take control at any time in case of emergency.” During this they had video of a person who was clearly the PIC and a young kid who was flying at the controls. The PIC takes the controller away from the young kid to regain control of the aircraft. Now I realize this isn’t hard to understand or in need of imagery but it forever burned that point into my head and theres no way I’ll forget it. If it was something more complex seeing that imagery on the screen is helpful. In addition to the videos everything in the video is typed out as well so you can read along or if you aren’t in place to watch video you can read instead.

Hopefully they won’t sue me over this but heres a very small example of what the lesson looks like. They are explaining how to read lat and long on the sectional. The video had the picture up on the screen with someone reading the bullets as shown


It seems very easy once they explain it to you but if you think it’s easy to describe the lat and long on a sectional just go to any airport on a sectional and see if you you can figure out the lat and long of the airport.

It has random question generator so you can take as many practice tests as you want. You also can take like a 10 question one if you don’t want to take the full time.

The videos seemed dated though I suppose the information is all the same.

Something like 75% of the questions have to do with reading a sectional so if you study anything, study that.

 

[Hawkmaster]

wow, thx for all the replys
the Northrop vid is great !! checked internet help
Decided on going the free way. going to start now.
Hope to take the test in about a month
let you know

☮

 

[Neil Reid]

There are a ton of free information for the test online. After studying for about 3 weeks, I passed on the first try. I would not pay over $100 for any test prep course but then again I am cheap. There are also very helpful (free) videos on YouTube and if you really get stuck you can always ask questions here. Don't get me wrong, I am sure a lot of the pay courses are very good and reputable. I just personally don't feel the ones that are higher price are of value. Just my opinion for what its worth.

Safe flying!

I agree. Multi-hundred dollar courses are over priced, painfully slow, not crafted to what you don't know, and they require a significant chunk of your time. I took a 107 practice exam with zero prep and scored a 60. I'd way rather go through freebie course material, retake the practice test a couple times and then hit it for real. Each to his own for sure, but instead of a $300 course in a stuffy classroom, you could pick up a pretty sweet acro quad to compliment your drone, and still get your license. Just saying. : )

 

[Citizen Flier]

A fellow flight buddy told me that once you are licensed, you are subject to more restrictions than a recreational pilot. Is there any truth to this? I could probably get real estate work where I live. But most of my county is NFZ parkland, and with any more restrictions I should either move or sell the bird.

 

[Redleg]

A fellow flight buddy told me that once you are licensed, you are subject to more restrictions than a recreational pilot. Is there any truth to this? I could probably get real estate work where I live. But most of my county is NFZ parkland, and with any more restrictions I should either move or sell the bird.

Sounds like something a person who doesn’t want to do the work to get an airman certificate would say.

Just because you have a Part 107 license doesn’t mean you always fly according to Part 107 rules. If you’re flying for fun, you’re flying as a recreational pilot. If you’re making money, you’re flying as a commercial pilot. All that aside, I have yet to encounter any situation in which having a Part 107 certificate caused more restriction than not having one would. ?

 

[brett8883]

A fellow flight buddy told me that once you are licensed, you are subject to more restrictions than a recreational pilot. Is there any truth to this? I could probably get real estate work where I live. But most of my county is NFZ parkland, and with any more restrictions I should either move or sell the bird.

This is better asked in a new thread but that’s not the case anymore in regards to airspace. 107 Remote Pilot Certificate holders have the ability to get LAANC authorizations in certain locations that Rec pilots would need to apply for an authorization but is otherwise the same so in that sense 107 pilots have less restrictions in regards to airspace than Rec pilots.

There are some specific things that require a waiver under 107 that are allowed for rec pilots (flying at night, over people) but there are many more things that a 107 pilot CAN get a waiver for that rec pilots are forbidden from doing (exceed height limit, fly beyond line of sight, etc.)

 

[Ems_pilot]

I cannot comment on the online courses, I have no experience with these.

I took mine last Saturday. You do need to prepare.

There are a number of threads about this. I highly recommend the Northrup video and read the FAA Study Guide.
FREE Drone Certification Study Guide: FAA Part 107 sUAS Test

3DR has an online test that is helpful for practice.

There were a series of test questions with answers posted on this forum not long ago.

Also, I purchased the ASA Test Prep book from the local test facility. It included a hardcopy of the test suppliment, which is useful since it is exactly what you will be using during the exam. It also included 5 online practice tests. Very much worth the $20.

That's all I paid and I only missed one question on the actual exam (59/60). Your mileage may vary.

My humble opinion is to study the FAA site material. Everything you need to know... As a pilot
since 1986 it seems clear to me the FAA wants you to know what airspace you are flying in to avoid incursions while flying 107. Before you shell out $150 for the CAT center fee, study the test questions.