An aircraft pilot (for this example USA FAA Private Pilot Single-Engine Land Airplane):
1. Obtain a student pilot certificate establishing medical eligibility via physical exam and disclosure of health history.
2. Enroll in flight school.
3. Pass all stage checks (stalls, steep turns, slow flight, night flight, emergency procedures, navigation, weather theory, aircraft systems, airspace system, avionics, soft and short-field operations, LAHSO, RVSM, tower operations just to name a few).
4. Pass the FAA written knowledge exam.
5. Pass an oral exam and practical checkride with an FAA Inspector or DPE for issuance of certificate.
6. Pass a mandatory flight review every two years thereafter with an FAA Inspector or Certified Flight Instructor; mandated as a minimum of one hour of oral examination on the ground and one hour practical exam in the air.
7. Obtain a new medical certificate as required via medical exam (duration of medical certificate depends on applicant age).
Average cost of training for initial Private Pilot certification: $15,000 - $20,000.
A drone operator:
1. Buy a drone.
2. Pretend you are an aircraft pilot.
I guess nowadays you can buy a model rocket and call yourself an astronaut.