When I decided to pursue my hobby of photography more earnestly, one of the pieces of equipment that I was very keen to get my hands on was one of DJI’s fantastic drones. After watching hours and hours of comparison videos and footage compilations, I was so excited to take my photo and video game to new heights (both literally and figuratively).
I was fortunate enough to have received my DJI Phantom drone as a gift and was incredibly excited to start flying. The gift came with a message from my family: “Find a way to turn this into a way to earn some income.” To be honest I hadn’t much considered this as I was just excited to see what I could create with it, but eventually as I became more adept in the use of my drone, it started to make more and more sense that perhaps I could make some money on the side flying my drone for people. What really was the first step in all this was an article from CNET titled How to get your drone license (and legally make money). If you’re interested in taking the first steps to get your own FAA license it's a good read. I’ve linked it here.
The legalities around flying a drone commercially and abiding by FAA airspace rules seemed a bit cumbersome to have to learn on the surface. However, both my family and I knew that the benefit of an official license could become a marketable skill set to add to my repertoire. I knew plenty of drone owners, none of whom had taken the time to get their license or thoroughly go over the FAA rules. Plenty of the content from photographers on Instagram that made me want a drone so badly in the first place turned out to actually infringe on many of the FAA’s rules. As I learned throughout my studies for the FAA 107 exam, I could have just as easily walked into thousands of dollars in fines, tickets, or confiscation of my drone had I not taken the time to make myself aware of the rules around drones in my attempts to capture similar images.
As drones have become more accessible to the public and automation capabilities within these crafts make them more and more simple to operate, the greater public has begun to zero in on drone operators and crack down on illegal usage. The landscape for drone owners is far different now in 2019 than it was only a few years ago. Municipalities and property owners have begun to take more aggressive steps to restrain and ban the use of drones in many areas. In addition, the FAA and local authorities have become more and more involved with policing drone usage. I realized I couldn’t afford to just “wing it” anymore as the public eye is no longer blind to these aircraft. If I wanted to really do this and do it right, I’d need to get my license.
San Francisco airspace map. Yeah, trying to decipher this at first was a nightmare.
When browsing around for how to go about getting the training done in preparation for the FAA Part 107 remote pilot exam, you’ll find there are a plethora of options at your disposal to educate you on the laws of the land. While there were some paid programs that offered training classes, I opted to use the free resources at my disposal in order to prepare. I’ve listed out and linked the resources I used below in case you’d like to review them yourself in advance of the FAA Part 107 exam. The first resource I used was Tony and Chelsea Northrup’s video and web guide to the FAA part 107 exam. Tony Northrup covers all the various subject matter that one will need to understand at a high level when taking the FAA Part 107 exam. As the exam costs $150 each time you take it, I had no intentions of taking the exam more than once and Tony’s content covered everything needed to give me the peace of mind that I was going into the exam well prepared. I took notes throughout the video to study from and then combined this with rewatching the video and other free videos on YouTube for subject matter that I needed more in-depth training on. Throughout his video, Tony Northrup goes over practice questions from the actual exam (a few of which did actually show up on my 107 test) and encourages you to take practice exams that Tony links on his web page. Before taking the practice exams, I also skimmed the FAA’s study guide for the 107 exam. The FAA study guide is a bit more on the dry side but it rehashes what is covered generally by Tony in greater detail. I highly suggest reading this resource through as it is a good detailed explanation that compliments Tony’s high-level overview. The practice test from 3D Robotics that Tony linked on his website was 100% free and was an amazing way to prepare for the real test as it includes as many questions you will face on the actual exam. Only a 70% is needed to pass the exam which includes 60 questions, all of which are multiple choice and present 3 choices so the odds are absolutely in your favor in regard to how the test is structured. One resource that I did pay for during my studies was an airspace map of the San Franciso bay area. I purchased this from my local private airport (Reid-Hillview in San Jose). The airspace map is something drone pilots should have on hand and cross-reference before flying to ensure they are aware of all the restrictions before setting out to fly and understanding the airspace maps is something the FAA wants to ensure you are aware of as you will be sharing the sky with actual passenger aircraft. I think this was the most daunting task for me to learn, however, I was able to eventually get a hang of it. The San Francisco airspace map is definitely a confusing and crowded looking thing at first glance as our area has a number of airports with overlapping airspace, but once you crack the code, it becomes a bit more understandable and is very helpful for planning flights. Apps such as Airmap are also helpful but one should rely most on the aeronautics charts as these are the official and most trustworthy resources used by pilots and drone operators alike.
All in all, I spent about 2 weeks to prepare for my test and scheduled it only after feeling confident in my ability to pass. I took my exam at Reid-Hillview airport as it was my nearest testing center. I was one of two people to take a test that day. The exam process was very similar to taking STAR tests back in elementary school and I was provided with a booklet that included test questions and the airspace chart and chart supplements. The answers were input on a computer program they had opened in front of me. The only thing I was permitted to bring was a 4 function calculator and was provided with pencil and paper. All the other items on my person needed to stay in my car. I passed my exam with a 90% on my first try and finished with almost an hour to spare. I was given a temporary license and eventually received my physical license in the mail. I also registered my drone with the FAA (which was only $5) and had all the paperwork and education needed to commercially pursue drone projects following the exam.
The whole process, from learning to receiving my license was at times burdensome, however, I feel as though the understanding I gained has made me a more knowledgable and informed member of the drone community. I have really enjoyed this hobby and I encourage people to learn a little more on drone rules to become responsible members of the community in order to minimize the criticism and heavy legal supervisions levied at drone operators. The more educated pilots there are, the better it will be for everyone. Drone laws are still very frequently ignored by IG-hype photographers but these folks are ultimately flying on borrowed time. Selling drone photos and videos without a license can carry a $1,100 fine and can also lead to the confiscation of a piece of equipment that costs over $1,000. In addition, ignoring FAA regulations can result in putting yourself and others in unnecessary danger should you crash your drone or fly in proximity to protected areas.
Since acquiring my license, I’ve been fortunate enough to do a few paid gigs and earn some cash to supplement the cost of my equipment and software and have had a blast working on projects. Best of all, when someone approaches me in the park with the “Excuse me, sir, I don’t think you can fly your drone here” or “Excuse me do you have your license for this?” I can whip that card out and confidently tell them more than they expected me to know and fly in peace.