No practical component: Why the FAA won’t require actually flying as part of the drone pilot’s license test

There’s no practical component required in the process to earn a Remote Pilot Certificate (aka, a drone pilot’s license) under the Federal Aviation Administration’s Part 107. It’s just a written exam.

And there likely won’t ever be any sort of test of your actual drone piloting skills — at least anytime soon.

“The FAA understands formal training would be overly burdensome to an applicant,” according to the 2020 FAA Final Rule for operations over people. “By requiring a person to only take a knowledge test for certification, allowing online recurrent training, and not requiring formal training, the FAA anticipates that this will result in cost savings for remote pilots.”

As it stands, the written Part 107 test typically costs $150 to take — and it only makes sense that an in-person exam would cost much more to administer (the FAA specifically states that test administrators cannot charge more than $160).

Besides cost burden for the pilot, the FAA cited a number of other reasons for not requiring a practical component to getting your drone pilot license, including:

• limitations of many small drones (size, ease of landing, lack of people on board) minimize need for such a process
• current operational restrictions (such as inability to fly beyond line of sight without a waiver) also minimize need for such a process

“The Agency continues to find that formal training, a practical test for the issuance of a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, and testing requirements similar to those for Part 61 Commercial Pilot Certificates, are not necessary,” according to the FAA. Part 61 is what most pilots of manned aircraft fall under — and those pilots must take a written and practical component of the test in order to get licensed.

Instead, the FAA says their stance allows drone pilot license applicants to educate themselves in a style that works for them, which may include:

• self-study
• enrolling in a training seminar or Part 107 online course
• through one-on-one instruction with a trainer familiar with small UAS operations and Part 107

“This performance-based approach is preferable because it allows
individuals to select a method of study that works best for them,” according to the FAA.

Do you think the test to receive your drone pilot license should have a practical component? Or are you relieved that only your knowledge, rather than your drone-flying skills, is being tested? Leave a comment!