Good Morning Aviators
Tom Cruise – Top Gun Maverick
Why You Are a Professional Pilot
Top Gun quotes are great and a little cheesy but the fact is, as a drone pilot, are not just a hobbyist but a professional pilot. Being a professional drone pilot comes with a responsibility upheld by a framework of laws and regulations, especially if you’re operating in the United States. Let’s look at why being a professional pilot is not just a formality but a significant mark of your expertise and responsibility.
The Law Says You Are a Professional Pilot
The FAA’s Clear Stance
At the heart of professional drone operation in the U.S. are the laws enacted by congress. These laws are enforced by the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA). This isn’t mere bureaucracy; it’s a legal framework designed to ensure safety, privacy, and efficiency for commercial drone operations.
Certification: More Than Just a Piece of Paper
If you’re using your drone for commercial purposes, you’re legally required to obtain Part 107 certification. This isn’t a formality. It’s a rigorous process that certifies that you have the knowledge to conduct yourself as a professional pilot. Holding the Part 107 certification is a basic certification of your skills and commitment to safe and responsible flying.
If you work in the drone industry, you probably know what a “commercial” drone is. It’s a drone used for business, a drone used to make money.
https://www.commercialuavnews.com/regulations/what-is-a-commercial-drone
In order to fly your drone under the FAA’s Small UAS Rule (Part 107), you must obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA. This certificate demonstrates that you understand the regulations, operating requirements, and procedures for safely flying drones.
https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/become_a_drone_pilot
To summarize the previous quotes: If you are flying commercially (making money) then you need to obtain an FAA Part 107 Certificate.
Once you obtain your Part 107 Certificate you are in the same pilot’s database as the pilot who flies a commercial airliner. You are also most of the way through ground school for a Part 61, or regular aircraft pilot certification. Under the rule of law in the United States, when you obtain your Part 107 certificate you are a government regulated pilot.
Common Sense (AKA Safe Operations)
Now that you have your Part 107 certificate and are operating your drone commercially, you are in a small club of professional pilots. Like it or not you need to operate professionally to extend the professional courtesy to the rest of the commercial drone operators. Commercial drone operation is an extremely new thing in the United States and the FAA can and will vigorously prosecute you for flying outside of your Part 107 authorizations. This is because they also expect you to operate safely professionally.
Drone Law and Drone Attorney Assistance provides a good analysis of FAA enforcement. Their analysis shows that fines for unprofessional drone operation can range from a few thousand dollars up to almost $2 million. Although the $2 million fine is an outlier and most fines are significantly lower than that.
The Professional Pilot In Action
Safety: A Non-Negotiable Priority
Professionalism in drone operation is synonymous with safety. Conducting pre-flight checks, understanding the complexity of the airspace, and adhering to operational limits are the bedrock of safe drone operation. Safety starts before you even leave the ground. Understanding the complexity of the airspace and pre-flight checks both happen before actual flight. One you leave the ground you are responsible for both the safety of the airspace as well as the task at hand.
Continuous Learning: Staying Ahead of the Curve
The drone industry is dynamic, with constant technological innovations and regulatory updates. Embracing continuous learning is crucial to being professional. Continuous learning is the hallmark of being a professional pilot.
Be Professional: Know Your Airspace
As a professional drone pilot it is vital to know your airspace. The best way to know your airspace is by monitoring ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) and reading FAA (Federal Aviation Administration) Sectional charts.
ADS-B enables aircraft to broadcast their position, altitude, speed, and other relevant data. Some drones are equipped with ADS-B receivers while others are not. It is important to monitor ADS-B in some form, if you don’t have it built into your drone, monitor it via an ADS-B service like Flight Radar 24. Monitoring ADS-B lets drone pilots identify airspace conflicts.
FAA Sectional charts are detailed maps that depict various airspace classifications, such as controlled airspace, restricted areas, and prohibited areas. These charts provide information on altitudes, radio frequencies, navigation aids, and other critical details. Drone pilots should study these charts to understand the airspace structure and whether they are allowed to fly in a particular area. It is important to know the airspace you are flying in and not just rely on your drone’s built in area restrictions.
Bonus! To be a top notch professional it is also important for you to monitor the frequencies listed on your FAA sectional chart. This lets you listen to what other aircraft are saying. The FAA Part 107 certification process teaches both the sectional maps, airspace and how aircraft communicate over the radio.
Bottom Line
The bottom line is that drone mapping involves commercial operations. Once you start operating commercially you are a professional pilot who needs to hold a Part 107 pilot’s certificate. That puts you in the same database as a commercial aircraft pilot. Holding a Part 107 certificate also greatly increases the expectations for professional operation. The government, the public and your employer all expect that you operate professionally.
I will also say the obvious. FAA Part 107 was enacted to ensure safe drone operation inside the National Airspace. Operating under Part 107 regulations will not only make you a professional pilot, it will make you a safer pilot.
More resources
Please visit my Resources page for more resources on the topic of Professional Drone Operation.
