North Carolina Drone Pilot Training and Part 107 Test Info
Find drone training North Carolina plus all the information that you need to get your Remote Pilot Certificate aka Drone License and fly drones commercially in NC. The future is bright for the Unmanned Aircraft System industry as the demand for commercial drone pilots increases.
On June 21, 2016, the FAA released its long awaited Part 107 to Title 14 of the Code of Federal Regulations (14CFR). These rules allow small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) which are under 55 lbs to be flown commercially in the National Airspace System. On August 29, 2016 the new Part 107 rules became effective and you are now required to get a Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS Rating in order to legally fly drones for commercial or business purposes. To get this certificate, you must PASS the FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot aeronautical knowledge test.
Click here to find an FAA Part 107 test center location.
Please note: If you already have a Part 61 pilot certificate, you may only be required to take the online training course Part 107 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS)ALC-451. All others can use this online course as a practice test.
To apply for your Remote Pilot Certificate aka drone license after passing the Part 107 knowledge test, click through to How Do I Become A Drone Pilot for your next steps.
Part 107 Knowledge Test Study Guide
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has published a free Study Guide to help prepare you to take the Remote Pilot Certificate with an sUAS Rating Airman Knowledge Test. To download your free copy, click here.
Drone Training in North Carolina:
Wake Technical Community College
Raleigh, North Carolina
FAA Part 107: Commercial Drone (UAS) Pilot Exam Training
This course is given at the Northern Wake Campus for anyone interested in flying a drone for commercial or business purposes.
The course will provide you with the information that you need to pass the Part 107 exam through classroom instruction and hands-on flight training. The cost is $175.
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, North Carolina
These are online courses that are offered through the Trusted Operator Program (TOP) which was developed by the Association of Unmanned Vehicle and Systems International (AUVSI).
TOP provides a higher level of knowledge and flight proficiency practices that is valued by employers and customers of commercial sUAS pilots.
NC State is one of four institutions in the US that are certified by AUVSI to offer the three levels of TOP drone pilot certification.
TOP Level 1 operators are identified as skilled for flying missions that don’t utilize waivers and for aircraft weighing less than 5 pounds.
Cost:
$629 general registration
$569 for first responders (requires discount code)
$329 for students, educators, and military/veterans (non-NC State) (requires discount code)
$120 for NC State employees (requires discount code)
Free for NC State students (requires discount code)
TOP level 2 operators are skilled for flying missions that utilize waivers, visual observers or sensor operators and operate with elevated risk factors and complexity.
Cost:
$1,299 general registration
$1,239 for first responders (requires discount code)
$650 for students, educators, and military/veterans (non-NC State) (requires discount code)
$120 for NC State employees (requires discount code)
Free for NC State students (requires discount code)
TOP Level 3 operators are identified as skilled for flying missions in safety critical and complex areas that require higher levels of risk mitigation and for operations requiring development and testing of new procedures.
Registration is opening soon.
Looking for drone pilot training in a different state? Check out the map on our drone pilot schools page.
The first ever North Carolina Drone Summit and Flight Expo was held this past August 2018 in Greensboro, NC.
Speakers included Earl Lawrence, the Director of the Office of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration at the FAA, representatives from NCDOT, Intel and NASA.
They spoke about the importance for drones to be safely integrated into the National Airspace now and in the future. The FAA’s UAS Integration Strategy that is being developed will provide the drone industry with the ability to achieve that goal.
Public safety is key and building a regulatory framework for drones is essential.
Topics that were discussed at the Drone Summit were privacy, regulation, training & licensing and conservation & wildlife.
In North Carolina, the NC State Highway Patrol currently uses drones to map accident scenes and the NCDOT has said that it will use drones to oversee 13,500 bridges and 80,000 miles of roads. There are cost and safety advantages to using drones over traditional infrastructure inspection methods.
Part 107 Highlights:
- You must be at least 16 years old.
- You must hold a Remote Pilot Certificate with a Small UAS Rating or be supervised directly by someone who does have this certificate.
- The drone must not weigh more than 55 lbs including any attached cargo.
- The UAS is not allowed to fly higher than 400 feet above the ground.
- The maximum speed allowed for the drone is 100 mph.
- The UAS needs to always be within the pilot’s line of sight without binoculars.Operation of the UAS is limited to daylight hours and during twilight hours only if the drone has anti-collision lights.
- You are not allowed to fly the drone over people who are not directly involved in the UAS operation.
- If the FAA requests your drone for inspection or testing, it must be made available with all records that are required under the new rule.
- Any UAS operation that causes a serious injury, loss of consciousness or property damage (not to the UAS) of at least $500 must be reported within 10 days to the FAA.
You can read the Summary of Part 107.
Read the complete Small UAS Rule here.
Drone Pilot Training Center is dedicated to providing the information that you need to become a successful drone pilot. Check back for updates at https://www.dronepilottrainingcenter.com for drone pilot license info.
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