To legally fly a drone for commercial use, the pilot of the aircraft must have a remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating. To obtain a remote pilot certificate, a drone pilot must pass the FAA’s Airman Knowledge Exam. The Federal Aviation Administration needs to make sure that all commercial drone pilots have the ability to act responsibly, coordinate with Air Traffic Control in case of an emergency, read aeronautical maps, and abide by all regulations pertaining to UAV regulations and also general aviation regulations.

DARTdrones has trained thousands of pilots to pass their Part 107 Exam with both our In-Person Part 107 Test Prep Course and Online Part 107 Test Prep Course.

The remote pilot certificate is sometimes referred to as:

• Drone License
• Remote Pilot Exam
• Aeronautical Knowledge Exam
• Part 107
• Remote Pilot Certification

• Flights must be conducted within 400 feet of the ground or 400 feet from the top of a structure, provided the sUA remains within 400 feet of the structure itself.
• Flights within Classes of Controlled Airspace require a specific Airspace Authorization or Waiver issued via the FAA using an online submittal system.
• The unmanned aircraft must remain within the unaided visual line of site of the pilot and/or a visual observer with a direct line of communication to the pilot.
• The unmanned aircraft cannot be flown directly above any non-participants or members of the public.
• All aircraft utilized must weigh less than 55 lbs on takeoff, including everything onboard (cameras, lights, etc.) in order to qualify as a sUAS under Part 107.
• All sUAS pilots for Part 107 operations must possess an FAA issued Remote Pilot Certificate with an sUAS Rating.
• All sUAS pilots must pass a biannual flight review every 2 years.

The FAA considers any drone flight that promotes a business in any way to be a “commercial” UAV flight (also known as non-recreational use). Non-recreational use, as defined by the FAA, can include everything from a fire department conducting search and rescue missions, a business filming event footage to train employees, and architects or engineers surveying property.

Test-takers have two hours to answer 60 multiple choice questions. A 70% or higher is considered a passing grade. To pass the FAA Airman Knowledge Exam, a remote pilot must fully understand twelve different aeronautical knowledge topics including:

• Regulations Under Part 107
• Airspace Classifications
• Flight Restrictions
• Aeronautical Charts
• Airport Operations for Drone Pilots
• Radio Communications for sUAS Pilots
• Aviation Weather for Drone Pilots
• Maintenance and Preflight Procedures
• Crew Resource Management and Aeronautical Decision Making
• sUAS Loading and Performance
• Hazards to Flight and Emergency Procedures
• Physiology for Drone Pilots Under Part 107

Most of our students take a total of 15 – 20 hours to study for the exam. When studying with our In-Person Part 107 Test Prep Course, students typically complete the 8 hours of in-person training and then continue to study with our Online Part 107 Test Prep Course. Most students take and pass the exam between two and three weeks after completing the course.

The exam costs $150 for every attempt. If a test-taker fails the exam, they must wait 14 days before taking the exam again. DARTdrones students have achieved a 99% pass rate. Students who complete our course should not expect to pay for the exam multiple times.

The Airman Knowledge Exam must be taken at an FAA approved Airman Knowledge Testing Center. There are over 670 testing centers across the country. Students are typically able to find a testing center with availability near their home. Each testing center has a proctor and a few computer stations for the electronic exam. Test-takers can pre-register and pay for the exam on www.catstest.com, but will not be able to choose a test date. Within a few days, a representative from a CATS Testing Center will call to reserve a time slot. Test-takers can also call the CATS facility directly to book an exam time at 800-947-4228.

Test-takers will receive their score from the exam immediately upon completing the test. After passing the exam, remote pilots need to submit their test score on IACRA. Within one week, a temporary certificate is typically made available on the IACRA site. Remote pilots can then fly legally with the temporary certificate. Within 1 to 3 months, a permanent Remote Pilot Certificate arrives in the mail.

“Comprehensive and informative! Well worth the time. The instructor ensured that students understood the concepts as they were presented. “

“Team thought Mark was great. Super informative. Worked really well with the limited time we had. Mark did a great job of identifying the important information not only needed for the test, but for practical flying. Prep material and study guide are amazing. Highly recommended using you and DARTdrones.”

“Once again Colin knocked it out of the park. His knowledge and professionalism exemplifies his passion to teach new pilots key and important issues concerns and updates about the drone industry.”

“The class was jam packed and interactive which helped to understand Part 107 for those of us that are new to the aviation world. The flight class was invaluable for me! I have never even touched a drone prior to the class and left with some confidence that I can fly either the Phantom or Inspire without destroying my investment in equipment on the first flight.”

“Excellent courses. The instructor made things interesting and informative for both the novice and experienced pilot. No matter your level of experience flying drones, you will take away valuable knowledge and skills.”

“I absolutely loved my two day course with DARTdrones! I was excited before I got there but got even more excited about flying drones commercially after attending class! Karl was an exceptional instructor and made the class fun as well as informative!”

“The instructor was great! He used his real world experiences in the field to tie in the industry material. I would highly suggest this training to anyone looking to gain knowledge in the sUAS field.”