Subsequent up in our “Ask Drone Lady” collection is in regards to the FAA Half 107 Licensed Distant Pilot database and discovering out whether or not a drone pilot is licensed. If in case you have a query for Drone Lady, contact her right here.
Does the FAA have a web site the place you possibly can see if a drone operator has a license to fly commercially?
-Dave
Hi there, Dave!
The brief reply is sure, it’s comparatively simple to seek out out if a drone pilot is licensed! You possibly can browse the FAA’s public registry of Half 107-certifed distant pilots right here on a webpage referred to as the Airmen Inquiry.
To be able to browse the database, you’ll have to begin by submitting details about your self, together with your identify and deal with. From there, you possibly can browse all airmen (okay, how about airwomen?!), whether or not they’re manned or distant pilots. You’ll have the ability to see every pilot’s certificates and their ranking (together with that of yours really). In fact, the FAA doesn’t show some extremely private, more-private particulars resembling Social Safety Quantity, certificates quantity, or date of delivery.
If you happen to’re hiring somebody to do business drone give you the results you want, the FAA’s Airmen Inquiry web page is a superb place to verify if that drone pilot is definitely licensed.
As of December 2020, roughly 206,347 Distant Pilot certifications have been issued.
And if you happen to’re a drone proprietor who flies commercially however is just not but Half 107-certified, save your self the embarrassment of not exhibiting up on this database by taking the Half 107 take a look at. I promise, it’s not as exhausting as it could appear, even if you happen to don’t have a background in aviation. (Right here’s my information and video to taking the Half 107 take a look at, which is a 60-question written take a look at that takes as much as 2 hours. If you happen to don’t have a background in aviation, you’ll actually have to dedicate a couple of evenings to finding out, but it surely’s not one thing you possibly can’t do.
Notice that not all pilots who’ve certificates might present up in your database search. Pilots do have 90 days to opt-out of getting their deal with posted so there’s a vital lag in posting, and somebody’s authorized identify will not be the identify you realize then as while you search them.
On the lookout for examine assets to make sure you go? I used Drone Pilot Floor College and handed on the primary attempt. I’ve additionally detailed out tons of different suggestions for the greatest Half 107 on-line programs right here.
Pleased flying, and comfortable test-taking!