FAA Part 107 Study Guide

For those of us wanting to fly “drones” both commercially & lawfully, the FAA part 107 is music to our ears.  I’ve personally been waiting the day since I became serious about aerial cinematography over 3 years ago.  Aerial cinematography for me, is exciting as I get to “glue” together a couple of my true passions: “getting-the-shot” & flying high-tech remote-controlled aircraft.  Many of you who read this probably share similar passions.  This article is meant for those of us that are ready to get serious and get certified to fly small UAS under the new FAA part 107 rule.

This article is not meant to restate any info regarding the 107 but rather to provide those looking to study & pass the UAG Knowledge Test the resources needed to pass with “flying colors”.  Ready? Set? Go!

For those without a current pilot license… (like me):

  1.  Preregister for the UAG Knowledge Test
    1. Cost: $150
    2. Someone from CATS will call you to schedule your testing appointment.
  2. Start studying!
    1. Create an account at FaaSafety.gov
    2. Take the Part 107 UAS course intended for those who already have a current pilot’s license.  I stalled on this for a few days myself as it seemed like it might be a waste of my time as I don’t have my pilot’s license.  WRONG!  Not only does it help prepare you for all the UAS related questions but it also guides you through an optional sample general aeronautical test which lets you know if you got your answers right or wrong – which you can take again and again until you get all the answers right!  The best part of this is that they cite all the manuals needed for study.  I used both the resources cited as well as a few helpful youtube videos which I’ll list below.

According to the FAA, the test will feature questions from the following knowledge areas:

  • 15 – 25%: Regulations
  • 8- 15%: Airspace and Requirements
  • 11 -16%: Weather
  • 7-11%: Loading and Performance
  • 13 – 18%: Operations

The resources and pages cited in the FaaSafety.gov optional general aero test refresher for part 61 pilots are:

I’ve listed the size of each publication (in pages) just as a point of reference.  I don’t think it’s cause of too much alarm as the online sample test as well as this other sample test that I’ve seen online seem to focus on the areas of airspace, weather & reading sectionals.

Needless to say, you’ll also want to fully understand the part 107 rule. Full Info | Summary

I started reading through the entire 624 page document for the 107 rule and honestly, the summary linked above is the meat of what you’ll need to know. (was self evident after taking the online 107 course at FaaSafety.gov)

Of course after you pass the test, you’ll submit your passing test to the FAA so that you can then be vetted by the TSA, yada yada, but the tough part is over and soon you’ll have your shiny new remote pilot airman certificate with a small UAS rating!

For those of you with a current pilot’s license…

All that you’ll need to do is pass the online test at FaaSafety.gov and submit that to the FAA on August 29 or later.  Pretty slick.

Helpful Study Aids:

Here I’ll list helpful study aids as I find them:

Sarah Nilsson’s UAG Test Prep (Includes Answer Keys to Sample FAA Test!)

Airspace

Reading Sectionals

 

 

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