UAS Pilot Testing, Certification and Responsibilities

General:

Part 107 Operations. Any person who operates a civil sUAS in the NAS, for any operation that is not for recreational/pleasure purposes, must have a UAS pilot's certificate (also called the “Part 107 Certificate”) with a Small Unmanned Aircraft System Rating.

Recreational Flyer Operations. A person who is flying a UAS for recreational/pleasure purposes in the NAS must have taken and passed TRUST, as required by 14 USC 44809.

Eligibility for Testing:

Part 107 operations. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age and be able to speak and understand English. For further information on part 107 testing see the FAA's website, Become a Drone Pilot.

Recreational Flyer Operations. There are no minimum age or other eligibility requirements for a recreational UAS pilot to take TRUST.

Initial Testing for Certification:

Part 107 Operations:

Current 14 CFR part 61 certificate holder (Online Training). A person who holds a part 61 manned pilot certificate (other than a Student pilot certificate), and who has a current flight review, as per 14 CFR section 61.56, may complete Online Training that is offered by the FAA to obtain their 14 CFR part 107, in lieu of taking the Initial Knowledge Test. However, a part 61 certificate holder may also take the sUAS Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test for certification.

Non 14 CFR part 61 certificate holder, or 14 CFR part 61 certificate holder lacking currency (Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test). A person who does not hold a 14 CFR part 61 manned pilot certificate and/or they do not have a current flight review must take the Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test at an FAA designated Knowledge Testing Center to obtain their sUAS Certificate.

Recreational Flyer Operations. Any person who flies a UAS for recreational use under 49 USC 44809 must take and pass TRUST. See the FAA website, The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST).

Recurrent Training (Testing) Requirements:

Part 107 operations:

To exercise the privileges of a sUAS certificate that was issued under 14 CFR part 107, a person must maintain currency. Therefore, the FAA requires that a person take a recurrent course within 24 months from the month the Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test was passed, or the Online Training was completed.

Recurrent training (online training) is found at the FAA's Become a Drone Pilot website.

Recreational Operations. TRUST is taken on a once-and-done basis; no recurrent testing is required.

Pre-test Training Requirements:

Part 107 Operations:

No documented pre-test training is required under part 107 to take the Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test. However, the FAA Remote Pilot Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Study Guide is an excellent resource.

Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test subject areas. The testing topics for the sUAS Knowledge Test can be found in 14 CFR section 107.73, Knowledge and Training.

Part 107 online training. This online training may be used by those who hold a 14 CFR part 61 pilot certificate (not including a student pilot certificate) seeking 14 CFR part 107 remote pilot certification. A person who holds a 14 CFR part 61 pilot certificate must also show, at the time of certification, a current Flight Review as per 14 CFR section 61.56.

Recreational Flyer Operations. No pre-test training is necessary to complete TRUST.

Endorsements and re-testing. Neither the part 107 Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test nor the Recreational TRUST have any requirements for flight instructor endorsements prior to testing. A person who fails the Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test must wait 14 calendar days before they may retake the test. TRUST may be retaken at any time.

Registering to take the part 107 sUAS Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test:

Before a person can take the sUAS Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test at an FAA recognized testing center, that person must obtain an FAA Tracking Number (FTN). To obtain an FTN a person must create an account in the Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) system. For detailed instructions on how to obtain an FTN, see the FAA Airman Certificate Testing Service (ACTS) Contract Briefing.

Once an applicant has their FTN, they will go to the testing vendor's website and register for the test. The FAA testing vendor is PSI Services LLC.

Applying for a 14 CFR Part 107 sUAS Certificate. The Become a Drone Pilot website has instructions on how to obtain the 14 CFR part 107 Pilot Certificate, following testing or online training completion.

Night Operations and Operations over People:

A person who holds a sUAS Certificate is afforded all of the privileges of the certificate. This includes the ability to operate at night and over people without a waiver, under certain conditions. See paragraph 11-8-3, Precautions: Flight Over or Near People, Vehicles, Manned Aircraft, and Night Flight, for further information on these operations.

Any remote pilot who holds a 14 CFR part 107 sUAS certificate issued prior to April 6, 2021, must take the updated recurrent training (the online training) to operate at night or over people.

When operating as a PAO, the operator is required to train and the agency will self-certify pilots as competent to safely operate in the NAS.

For more information and best practices on pilot certification and training within the framework of a PAO, refer to AC 00-1.1, Public Aircraft Operations—Manned and Unmanned.

Currently, FAA regulations require a commercial pilot certificate for 14 CFR part 135 Remote PICs.

Pilot certification for 14 CFR part 137. For civil UAS agricultural aircraft operations, the 14 CFR section 137.19(b) and (c) requirement (that the pilot hold a private or commercial pilot certificate) is exempted; only a 14 CFR part 107 pilot certificate is required. This policy pertains to all UAS regardless of weight. However, all civil pilots conducting agricultural aircraft operations must satisfactorily pass the knowledge and skill test of 14 CFR section 137.19(e) and 14 CFR section 137.41(b) or (c).

Pilot certification for other large civil UAS. Requirements for future large civil UAS operations will be addressed in future rulemaking.

Part 107 Operations:

Foreign national holding a U.S. issued 14 CFR part 61 certificate. Foreign nationals are eligible for a sUAS certificate in the same way that a U.S. citizen is eligible.

Foreign national not holding a U.S. issued 14 CFR part 61 certificate. A foreign national who does not hold a U.S.-issued 14 CFR part 61 certificate, must take and pass the Initial Aeronautical Knowledge Test to obtain a sUAS Pilot Certificate in order to operate in the NAS.

Recreational Flyer Operations A foreign national is required to have passed TRUST to fly a UAS recreationally under 49 USC 44809 in the United States.

Security vetting. All applicants, regardless of nationality, must pass a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Threat Analysis (STA) before the FAA will issue a temporary or permanent Pilot's Certificate under part 107.

Bi-lateral agreements. Currently, the United States does not have any bi-lateral agreements with any other countries that would allow the issuance of a U.S. sUAS certificate that is based on a foreign UAS Pilot's Certificate.