A new world of opportunities for drone operators opens Aug. 29 when the new small drone rule for non-hobbyists becomes effective, according to officials with the FAA.
What do you need to do the take advantage of these opportunities?
Aeronautical Knowledge Test
One important step you have to take is to obtain your remote pilot certificate. Under the new rule — also known as Part 107 — the person actually flying a drone must have a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating, or be directly supervised by someone with a certificate.
To qualify for the certificate, you must either pass an initial aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved knowledge testing center or have an existing non-student Part 61 pilot certificate.
If you are qualifying under the that provision, you must have completed a flight review in the previous 24 months and must take an FAA UAS online training course.
TSA
The Transportation Security Administration also will conduct a security background check of all remote pilot applications prior to a certificate being issued.
The FAA has posted extensive materials, including a test guide and sample questions, to help you prepare for the knowledge test. You can review the materials by clicking on the “Knowledge Test Prep Part 107” button at FAA.gov/uas.
You also can watch a short video about the knowledge test here:
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