Friday, June 24, 2016

All You Need to Know About UAV Certifications, Training and Licensing


Drones are the newest gadget in the market and everyone wants to play with them. This is the reason why these aerial vehicles have become a rage all over the world and people both young and small want to own them. While buying a drone isn’t much a problem, flying it is a nightmare. First of all, the authorities controlling the airspace do not allow people to fly such vehicles without having the right certification and licensing. Secondly, flying the drones isn’t as easy as you might think and you need proper training before you can even dream about getting your drone airborne.

UAV Certification
United States law requires that any aircraft being operated in its airspace has been granted a certificate for doing so. Moreover, the laws also state that the aircraft must be operated by a licensed pilot who has gained the necessary approval from the airspace authority. The section 333 of the FAA modernization and reform act of 2012 is considered the guideline for granting certificates of airworthiness to all aircrafts including drones.

Who Needs UAV Certification?
People who wish to fly drones for commercial purposes have to apply for UAV certification or they would not be able to get their drone in the air. On the other hand, if you intend to fly a drone just for fun then there is no need for any certification. However, there are certain guidelines laid out by FAA that you will have to follow even when flying your drone for recreational purposes. The following are some of the safety guidelines:

·         You must fly the drone in day light
·         You must not take your drone 400 feet above the ground
·         You must always maintain direct line of sight with the drone
·         You cannot fly the drone in national parks
·         You must not fly the drone directly over people

Benefits of Getting UAV Certification
If you are planning on flying the drone for commercial purposes then it is mandatory for you to get the exemption from section 333, simply known as UAV certification. Having this certificate can offer you a number of advantages like,

·         During the promotion of your business you can flaunt out that you have the certification which will surely work in your favor.

·        The rules and regulations that are being formulated for drone flying are in their developmental stage and if you already have this certificate, you will have an upper hand when the rules are implemented in the future.

·         You may get more favorable rates while applying for the drone liability insurance just because you have this certificate.

·         Professional pilots can fly drones for commercial purposes if they have successfully obtained this certification.

UAV Licensing
After getting the required certification, the next thing you should focus upon is getting the required licensing. Now, companies or businesses that are using the drones for commercial purposes don’t need to get the licenses if they have obtained the section 333 exemption. The pilots or the operators of these drones on the other hand need to get the proper license as they are the ones responsible for maneuvering the drone. There is no separate UAV license required for flying UAVs. Having a simple pilot’s license is enough for you to qualify as a licensed drone pilot. So, people who have a recreational pilot license or a sport pilot license can fly the drone without any issue. However, those people who don’t have these licenses should first get them before they start flying drones. Do keep in mind that you don’t have to have a pilot’s license to apply for UAV certification.

UAV Training
The drone is an aerial vehicle similar to an aircraft therefore you must first learn how to operate it properly. This is important because without proper training, you might cause serious damage to a person or property with your drone. Just like you have to learn to drive a car before you can get your driving license, you need to get the proper training for flying a UAV before you actually do it yourself.
Not being trained in flying a drone will put everyone at risk of accident and damage due to collision of the drone with people or their property. So, it becomes important that you join a UAV training school before you actually fly a drone on your own.

Phases of UAV Training
The UAV pilot training does not require any degree or experience in this field. The training involves three phases. The first phase is the 16 hours long web-based training program. The second phase is ten hours of simulator-based training which is conducted at your home as the simulator is sent to you. The third phase lasts for two days and is conducted by an expert in drone flying.  You will have to personally visit the training school to complete this phase of training. The experts may even come to your place if you have a group of students who are interested in training for drone flying.
In the first phase, you will have to learn about the UAV itself. You will be required to gain a complete understanding of the drone’s general features, its design, its controls and its working principles.
In the second phase, a simulator will be sent to you, comprising of a software program and a controller that can be plugged in to the computer. You will have to install the software into your computer after which you can begin learning how to fly a drone in the virtual world. There are various kinds of exercises for learning every aspect of UAV flying. Before the third phase, you will be contacted by the training instructor and he will answer all the questions that you might have.

In the third and final phase of training, you will be required to attend a practice session at the training institute. This is where you will be trained in all the practical aspects of drone flying. Moreover, you will also get to fly the UAV for real.




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