Part 107? Sure, Why Not...

[RUFFSTUFF]

So I got an Air 2S earlier this month and I love it. Built an Apache 3800 case and bought a bunch of accessories. Found this forum and some cool people, you know, the usual stuff.
Then everyone is going "TRUST is here! TRUST is here!", so I went and got the TRUST certificate last week (6/24). Woohoo! I'm a cool kid. Watch me now.

So, then I see so many people posting "if you're wearing socks you need a 107", "if you drone is grey, you need a 107". Oh great, 107. 14CFR107? Ugh. My industry falls under 10CFR... CFR sucks. No thanks.

And then I start thinking, well maybe. There's some online schools, and there's this and there's that. How hard could it be? Blah blah blah. Oh and the schools are $150-250? Come on man. No way. Found a practice test online and got crushed. I don't know nuthin'. Except for a question about being impulsive. I know impulsive.

By accident, I came across a 4hr course on Udemy, on sale for a whopping $13. I got 4 hrs to kill, so on Saturday (6/26) I do the 4hr course. Wow, a 107 drone operator has to know all that stuff? Good grief. I miss 5 questions on the final practice quiz and then score 100% on the Practice Exam (honestly a lot of the same questions). Well now I'm obviously ready to go get my 107! I've been to school! Watch me now.

I somehow make my way through the internet nightmare of trying to set up a S-UAG exam and find a testing center at an airport 40miles from me for 0900 Wednesday morning (6/30). Let's do it! Pay $173, get the appointment and confirmation. No refund, pass or fail. It's real now.

Sunday. Take some practice tests online. A little tricky, but okay. The same on Monday. Come Tuesday, I find 2 study guides with some stuff that I'm like "That wasn't in my class! Uh oh." It's real now.

Wednesday. Man, this is a nice Pilot Training Center. One other guy taking the S-UAG. Him: "How long have you been studying?" Me: "Oh, maybe 3 or 4 days..."
I get the look. You know which one.

Do all the pre-exam stuff, how to manage the exam on the computer, blah blah blah. 0905 I start the exam.

Question 1. Ugh, BOOKMARK. Question 4. Ugh, BOOKMARK. It's real now.. Keep on working... This chart, that chart, that's in the legend, 54x1.414, definition... Keep on working... Answer question 60. Man, I have 6 bookmarks. No sweat. Answer those. It's 0950.

Ok, let me go through and check my answers. Don't like this one, change it. Looks good, looks good,.. Don't like that one, change it. Looks good, looks good,... I'm done with this mess. Exit. Submit. 1015.

Wait for the proctor to run my exam. 45 seconds seems like 45 minutes. "Well, sir, you came just a few questions away from..."
"Scoring 100."

90.

Watch me now. Impulsive as ever. Not so fast. Think first.

 

[ABQKen]

congrats! I take mine tomorrow

 

[RUFFSTUFF]

congrats! I take mine tomorrow

When they say the FAA tests concepts not practice questions, they aren' t kidding. Know the who and what and also the how, why and when. The Knowledge Test Supplement is your best friend.

Break a leg!

 

[SethB]

Congratulations! Cool that this approach served you well. I went at it quite a bit harder and was disappointed not to score 100%.

”If you’re wearing socks you need a 107” ?

 

[RUFFSTUFF]

Btw, I did have several questions on the new Remote ID, flying at night and Categories 1-4. The Category questions were detailed.

 

[maggior]

Congrats on passing the test!! Nicely done with a 90!!

 

[spsphotos]

Congrats. Everyone needs to study their own way, glad you found one that worked for you. Curious though, was the UDEMY course a "teach to the test" or did they go into details on WHY things are the way they are?

 

[itallica]

Congratulations! Cool that this approach served you well. I went at it quite a bit harder and was disappointed not to score 100%.

”If you’re wearing socks you need a 107” ?

It really depends on the thickness of the socks, not so much the color.

 

[MS Coast]

I passed the 107 test a couple of weeks ago. I had a Part 61 rating from 40 years ago, and the studying for the 107 was a great refresher. I know more about airspaces now than I ever did when I was flying power planes and gliders.

If you're considering taking the exam, check out PSI testing centers. There was one just three miles further away than the one at the USCG station. The fee was only $109 and they were first rate; the results were submitted to the FAA almost instantaneously. The FAA issued the temporary certificate in less than a week. I was impressed with both PSI and the FAA system. The FAA gets a lot of grief, but they did fine on this.

It's still a little troubling that there's no practical operations skill testing involved in a 107 certificate. I am now legal to fly a UAS weighing up to 55 pounds and flying up to 100 mph. I'm not sure the testing process evaluated whether my skill level is up to flying something that weighs more than my lawn mower that fast out in public airspace.

 

[RUFFSTUFF]

Congrats. Everyone needs to study their own way, glad you found one that worked for you. Curious though, was the UDEMY course a "teach to the test" or did they go into details on WHY things are the way they are?

I am very pleased with the material presented, the detail, and how it was presented. There is NO FLUFF. If he says it, or it's on the screen, you need to know it and be able to apply it. And it's updated. A couple of questions I think I missed I went back and sure enough, found it in the material. That's on me. There is no way you can convince me that I needed to spend 3x the class time and 10x the money to pass the exam. YMMV.

Besides, I heard there's more than 10 different versions of the test, maybe it's the 13 hour courses that are trying to do that. I don't know.

 

[Chaosrider]

Perhaps you folks can help clear something up for me I've seen a number of references to "finding a testing center to take the test".

Can't you just take the 107 test on-line directly with the FAA? That's what I did.

However I was taking the exam as a current Part 61 pilot. If you're going the "full" route, do you actually have to physically take the test somewhere?

Thx!

TCS

 

[MS Coast]

Perhaps you folks can help clear something up for me I've seen a number of references to "finding a testing center to take the test".

Can't you just take the 107 test on-line directly with the FAA? That's what I did.

However I was taking the exam as a current Part 61 pilot. If you're going the "full" route, do you actually have to physically take the test somewhere?

Thx!

TCS

There's a different route for Part 61 pilots who have a current flight review. Without the Part 61 ticket, you have to physically show up at a testing center.

 

[RUFFSTUFF]

There's a different route for Part 61 pilots who have a current flight review. Without the Part 61 ticket, you have to physically show up at a testing center.

Very true.

 

[Chaosrider]

There's a different route for Part 61 pilots who have a current flight review. Without the Part 61 ticket, you have to physically show up at a testing center.

Then getting my BFR was well worth it!

Thx!

TCS

 

[Lets Fly]

"if you're wearing socks you need a 107"

So TenToes you're safe.

 

[skeixnamelxlaldxniejs]

I am very pleased with the material presented, the detail, and how it was presented. There is NO FLUFF. If he says it, or it's on the screen, you need to know it and be able to apply it. And it's updated. A couple of questions I think I missed I went back and sure enough, found it in the material. That's on me. There is no way you can convince me that I needed to spend 3x the class time and 10x the money to pass the exam. YMMV.

Besides, I heard there's more than 10 different versions of the test, maybe it's the 13 hour courses that are trying to do that. I don't know.

Mind sharing the Udemy course you went with?

 

[ckoerner]

You have a knack for telling a story friend and I’m glad you did. Makes me think I should give it a try.

 

[RUFFSTUFF]

Mind sharing the Udemy course you went with?

(2021) 4hr FAA Part 107 Knowledge Test Prep for Drone Pilots

I like how you can bookmark and take notes right from the video. I should have used that feature more.

 

[RUFFSTUFF]

You have a knack for telling a story friend and I’m glad you did. Makes me think I should give it a try.

Do it.

It certainly opened my eyes to a whole world far beyond flying a drone around your neighborhood and the responsibilities therein.

 

[RUFFSTUFF]

Things are moving fast... Got my Airmen Cert number yesterday and I'm in the registry.