To 107 or Not

petes · Aug 18, 2020

What with the direction over-regulation is heading in the US towards drones, as a non commercial recreational flyer would it be prudent to take the Part 107 test even if its just for grins?

Ty Pilot · Aug 18, 2020

I am not sure about the term 'over regulation'. I suppose it is from what perspective one is looking at how the rapidly changing industry is moving, some might say that the regulation is a little behind the curve. To me it is just the cost of doing business.

That said if one wants to have a greater understanding of our responsibility when flying in the National Air Space. I think studying all the different categories and regulations needed to get certified will make anyone; if not a better pilot, for sure a more aware, safer and responsible pilot. I know there are many pilots that have done it just to have that knowledge under their belt.

Electromen · Aug 18, 2020

I've decided to go for the 107. Mainly for the education but also for the chance I may sell some media. If I do, I'll invest the money in a more advanced drone.

Tentoes · Aug 18, 2020

petes said:
What with the direction over-regulation is heading in the US towards drones, as a non commercial recreational flyer would it be prudent to take the Part 107 test even if its just for grins?

Might as well, even if just for the knowledge.

It is neither hard nor expensive.

Jeff A · Aug 19, 2020

I was on the fence about this myself. I don't see myself going out and soliciting business although I wouldn't turn it down either. Probably the biggest driver for me was I had a career as a Corporate Pilot and pride drove me to enhance my qualifications. In addition, there is a back door approach for licensed pilots which allows you to do an abbreviated test on line and not pay a testing center $150.00 or so. I studied on my own for the Testing Center test but did the abbreviated test online. It was 35 questions and I missed one. Time will tell about how this turns out in the long run but I'm happy to have achieved my goal.

ronhend · Aug 19, 2020

Effects said:
I was on the fence about this myself. I don't see myself going out and soliciting business although I wouldn't turn it down either. Probably the biggest driver for me was I had a career as a Corporate Pilot and pride drove me to enhance my qualifications. In addition, there is a back door approach for licensed pilots which allows you to do an abbreviated test on line and not pay a testing center $150.00 or so. I studied on my own for the Testing Center test but did the abbreviated test online. It was 35 questions and I missed one. Time will tell about how this turns out in the long run but I'm happy to have achieved my goal.

Hi, I'm a pilot also.
Can you expand on how to take the abbreviated test online?

Thanks,

Ron

Forensics_Pilot · Aug 19, 2020

petes said:
What with the direction over-regulation is heading in the US towards drones, as a non commercial recreational flyer would it be prudent to take the Part 107 test even if its just for grins?

Undoubtedly you will learn more about drone operation than you thought possible and if you execute what you learn, you will become a safer pilot. Just do it!

theDRONEranger · Aug 19, 2020

I took the initial and the recurrent, both. I do not fly 107. I simply wanted to force myself to study rules. Otherwise, the reading was “Ho Humm” and I wouldn’t have done it!

BigAl07 · Aug 19, 2020

ronhend said:
Hi, I'm a pilot also.
Can you expand on how to take the abbreviated test online?

Thanks,

Ron

If you're CURRENT with Part 61 you can take the online option. But if you're not 100% current you have to take the FULL in-person Part 107. I "justify" staying current with my PPL this way LOL.

How Part 61 Certificate holders can apply for the Part 107 License
1. Qualifications
If you have an existing Part 61 certificate, you no longer need to provide any proof of age or mental and physical fitness. As we’ve mentioned, you only need to have proof that you have completed a flight review within the last 24 months. Flight reviews are regular checks that the FAA administers to determine the validity of existing Part 61 certificates. This allows the FAA to confirm that certified pilots can maintain the required level of skills and operational knowledge.

2. Take the online training course
If you don’t have an existing account on the FAA Safety Team website, the first step you need to take is to sign up for one. With the account, all you need to do is to complete the ALC-451 Part 107 Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems course. This course should only take about two hours to complete and consists of a couple of videos and a short quiz at the end.

Given the background of a pilot with a Part 61 certificate, this online course has been significantly trimmed down to cover only drone-related topics. Thus, the course covers only such topics as the relevant drone-related legislation, how weather affects drone performance, and how drones should be maintained and inspected before the flight.

3. Fill up a form in IACRA
After completing the course, you then need to sign in or create an account in the Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) website. You then need to fill in the 8710-13 electronic form, making sure to apply for a Remote Pilot Certificate. The form is pretty simple and straightforward, with automatic prompts that should help you complete it correctly.

4. Get your certificate validated
You then need to print out the complete 8710-13 and have it validated by any of the following FAA-associated entities. Along with the form, you’ll need to show the proof of your current flight review, as well as the certificate of the online course completion, and a photo ID.

FAA Flight Standards District Office
FAA-designated pilot examiner (DPE)
Airman certificate representative (ACR)
FAA-certified flight instructor (CFI)

5. Receive your temporary certificate
After reviewing your application, the representative will sign it and issue a temporary certificate. A CFI cannot issue a temporary certificate but can forward your application so you can receive a permanent certificate. As with the normal process of getting a Part 107 certificate, you should receive your permanent certificate by regular mail in a few weeks.

How do I renew my Part 107 certificate if I still have a Part 61 certificate?
All Part 107 certificates need to be renewed after two years. For standard Part 107 license holders, renewing the license requires taking a recurrent knowledge test. For those who have Part 61 certificates, the process is much easier.

Again, you need to have a current flight review under 14 CFR Part 61.56 requirements. You then need to complete another online course – the Part 107 Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Recurrent. The course is free and shouldn’t take you any longer than 2 hours to finish. After completing the course, you only need to keep a copy of the course certificate as proof that your Part 107 certificate is current. No in-person validation needs to be done.

The above is from Getting a Part 107 License for Part 61 Certificate Holders and it was current as of 8/19/2020

Jeff A · Aug 19, 2020

BigAl07 said:
If you're CURRENT with Part 61 you can take the online option. But if you're not 100% current you have to take the FULL in-person Part 107. I "justify" staying current with my PPL this way LOL.

How Part 61 Certificate holders can apply for the Part 107 License
1. Qualifications
If you have an existing Part 61 certificate, you no longer need to provide any proof of age or mental and physical fitness. As we’ve mentioned, you only need to have proof that you have completed a flight review within the last 24 months. Flight reviews are regular checks that the FAA administers to determine the validity of existing Part 61 certificates. This allows the FAA to confirm that certified pilots can maintain the required level of skills and operational knowledge.

2. Take the online training course
If you don’t have an existing account on the FAA Safety Team website, the first step you need to take is to sign up for one. With the account, all you need to do is to complete the ALC-451 Part 107 Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems course. This course should only take about two hours to complete and consists of a couple of videos and a short quiz at the end.

Given the background of a pilot with a Part 61 certificate, this online course has been significantly trimmed down to cover only drone-related topics. Thus, the course covers only such topics as the relevant drone-related legislation, how weather affects drone performance, and how drones should be maintained and inspected before the flight.

3. Fill up a form in IACRA
After completing the course, you then need to sign in or create an account in the Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) website. You then need to fill in the 8710-13 electronic form, making sure to apply for a Remote Pilot Certificate. The form is pretty simple and straightforward, with automatic prompts that should help you complete it correctly.

4. Get your certificate validated
You then need to print out the complete 8710-13 and have it validated by any of the following FAA-associated entities. Along with the form, you’ll need to show the proof of your current flight review, as well as the certificate of the online course completion, and a photo ID.

FAA Flight Standards District Office

FAA-designated pilot examiner (DPE)

Airman certificate representative (ACR)

FAA-certified flight instructor (CFI)

5. Receive your temporary certificate
After reviewing your application, the representative will sign it and issue a temporary certificate. A CFI cannot issue a temporary certificate but can forward your application so you can receive a permanent certificate. As with the normal process of getting a Part 107 certificate, you should receive your permanent certificate by regular mail in a few weeks.

How do I renew my Part 107 certificate if I still have a Part 61 certificate?
All Part 107 certificates need to be renewed after two years. For standard Part 107 license holders, renewing the license requires taking a recurrent knowledge test. For those who have Part 61 certificates, the process is much easier.

Again, you need to have a current flight review under 14 CFR Part 61.56 requirements. You then need to complete another online course – the Part 107 Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Recurrent. The course is free and shouldn’t take you any longer than 2 hours to finish. After completing the course, you only need to keep a copy of the course certificate as proof that your Part 107 certificate is current. No in-person validation needs to be done.

The above is from Getting a Part 107 License for Part 61 Certificate Holders and it was current as of 8/19/2020

Thank you! I didn't want to do all of that typing!