As you may know, the FAA regulates commercial drone flight under CFR 14 Part 107, which means prospective pilots need to pass an aeronautical knowledge test focused on unmanned aerial systems (UASs) and receive a remote pilot certificate to use drones for commercial purposes. Tests can be inconvenient, but as with any aircraft, it’s important for everyone who flies to educate themselves about things like airspace, protocols, and safety. Training for the test might seem daunting and as an industry professional you’re busy and need to get flying, which makes finding time to study and take the test a bit of a hurdle. Well you’re in luck because there are several resources out there you can use to pass your test quickly and easily, while also retaining all the essential knowledge.
Free Resources
There are dozens of free resources you can find with a quick Google search, but that’s not to say they’re all helpful. Here are a few free resources that have all the information you need.
FAA Study Guide
A good place to start your studying efforts is the governing entity that created the test. The FAA has a free study guide you can use. The guide is 12 chapters long and contains all the information that is necessary for passing your Part 107 aeronautical knowledge test. With the study guide it might be a good idea to take notes as you study to absorb and retain information more efficiently.
FAA Practice Tests
After studying the FAA’s study guide, you can challenge yourself with free practice tests. Practice tests are a series of questions that are like the ones you’ll see when you sit down to take the official test. This will allow you to see the format of the questions and what to expect on the actual test. To get the most out of the practice test, you can give yourself a time limit to simulate a real test (you’ll have two hours to complete the real test).
YouTube
Some people don’t feel like they absorb material well when they read, so videos are a nice alternative to text. That’s why another great resource to learn or prepare for nearly anything is YouTube. Videos like this one are available and explain a lot of the questions that will appear on the Part 107 exam in depth, so you can gain a clearer understanding of things like METARs, sectional charts, and so forth. There are plenty of other videos on YouTube, but they’re not all helpful or high-quality, so use caution as you select videos to inform you.
Paid Resources
There are plenty of high-quality resources that won’t cost an arm and leg and will give you an awesome experience. One affordable resource is Drone Pilot Ground School. This online learning tool gives you access to practice tests, video lectures, and other useful materials. According to their site, they boast around a 99% pass rate for people who use their courseware and they’ll even pay for you to re-take the test if for some reason you don’t pass. We at Loveland Innovations use their services ourselves and have gotten a significant portion of our staff certified using their great tools.
Conclusion
The Part 107 exam doesn’t have to be a massive challenge to overcome. There are a wide range of resources you can take advantage of to learn the materials you should know to pass the exam. It’s important that everyone using drone technology is knowledgeable. If pilots use their drones carefully, we can ensure that the skies are safe and that aerial technologies are treated with respect.
