COURSE DESCRIPTION

The primary focus of this course is to prepare students and professionals for the FAA 107 pilot’s certification exam, which is required of all drone pilots operating Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) in the United States. Learn about all topics covered in the FAA Exam including rules and regulations, the national airspace system, aviation weather, aircraft performance, and flight operations. By end of the course, participants will earn their FAA TRUST permit, be prepared to pass the Part 107 FAA Remote Pilot Exam (by taking and discussing practice exams), and learn how to maintain these permits.

Participants will also have the option to gain flight experience in this course using an online flight simulator, Zephyr, or your own drone. If you are new to drones, simulator training is highly recommended. Module 1 of the course will introduce you to how to access Zephyr and complete the basic exercises. If you have prior flight experience or have access to a drone and wish to use flight experiences to satisfy the objectives of this part of the course, there is an optional reflective assessment exercise you can submit. If you choose to use hands-on flight experiences, you will need to self-evaluate your flights specifically with exercises that will be provided by your instructor.

PREREQUISITES

None. If you are new to drones, simulator training is recommended, but not a course requirement (see details below).

DRONE SIMULATORS

If you choose this option, you will have the option to submit a self-evaluation of your learning experiences as you go through the following scenarios: Basic Training, Community Park, and The Yard. The “Hobbyist” option with Zephyr ($9.99) will satisfy this requirement. If you choose to subscribe to the Professional subscription, you will have access to these trainings as well as more complex scenarios which are both fun and challenging.

Participants opting for access to the Zephyr subscription will also have the option to buy an Orqa controller designed specifically for drone simulators; alternatively, subscribers can use the following:

Xbox one controller
Playstation 4 or 5 controller
Fly Sky FS-i6s controller
DJI FPV 2 remote controller

Zephyr Drone Simulator System Requirements:

Operating System: Windows 10 or higher / Mac OS High Sierra
10.13 or higher
CPU: Intel Core i7 @ 3.6 GHz or equivalent
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Hard Drive: 8 GB available in hard disk
Graphics Hardware: Direct X 10 or higher compatible graphics card
(GTX660 equivalent or higher)
Internet Connection: DSL or higher

COURSE FORMAT

INSTRUCTOR SUPPORT

Learn at your own pace over 3 months as you work through prerecorded lectures, readings, exercises, and quizzes. Flight and quiz feedback is available on-line within Canvas. One-on-one instructor support will come via email or zoom meetings on request. You may return to any module, (video, readings, quiz) at any time to review or improve your scores.

DATES & PRICES:

Start anytime: $150 professional / $100 student

TOPICS, LEARNING OBJECTIVES, & LEARNING OUTCOMES

Learning Objective: Hands-on flight simulator experience will prepare students to fly rotary-wing aircraft.
Learning Outcomes:
- Demonstrate understanding of drone flight through Basic Training
- Model proficient drone flight within the following simulation scenarios:
1. Obstacle Course – 490 points
2. The Hill – w/ no violations
3. The Yard – w/ no violations
4. Parking Lot – w/ no violations
Note: Module 1 covers flight simulation while all other modules will cover the headwork content required for passing the FAA exam. It is recommended students work on Module 1 while working on all the other modules.
Learning Objective Identify regulations associated with sUAS requirements by the FAA
Learning Outcomes:
- Summarize sUAS uses and permitting.
- Interpret visual flight rules and regulations associated with sUAS.
- Identify regulatory mechanisms as they apply to drone flight.
- Demonstrate proficiency with procedures required by the pilot in command and other team members.
- Describe and apply principles of flight safety principles, and practices along with related U.S. Federal Aviation Administration regulations to the planning and operation of various UAV/UAS.
Learning Objective: Cover the key concepts of the National Airspace System and their relevance to drone operations.
Learning Outcomes:
- Identify map features that impact flight.
- Identify aviation resources available to sUAS pilots.
- Understand flight operations within specified airspace .
- Interpret airspace characteristics using charts and maps.
- Demonstrate understanding of sUAS integration the NAS.
Learning Objective: Cover the key concepts of aviation weather and apply them to sUAS operations.
Learning Outcomes:
- Interpret weather reports.
- Identify weather hazards.
- Identify features of weather and how they impact flight.
Learning Objective: Cover the key concepts of how aircraft fly.
Learning Outcomes:
- Describe flight principles and basic aerodynamics as applied to operating various UAV/UAS.
- Identify components of aircraft systems and their applications.
- Compare loading parameters and their impact on aircraft performance.Operations Assessment
Learning Objective: Cover the key operational concepts of flight
Learning Outcomes:
- Evaluate various elements of human factors and UAV/UAS usability as applied to mission planning and implementation.
- Identify and apply the elements of Crew Resource Management (CRM) as related to UAV/UAS operations.
- Identify and apply the elements of situational awareness for various UAV/UAS operations and settings
- Demonstrate examples of proper mission planning and operations on each phase of a flight.
- Model appropriate communication techniques.
- Identify inappropriate attitudes and behaviors associated with commercial aviation.
- Understand aeronautical decision making, risk management, hazards, and mitigation as they pertain to unmanned aircraft operations.

CONTINUING ED / ACADEMIC CREDIT

CONTINUING EDUCATION CREDIT

This course has been pre-approved for continuing education by The Wildlife Society for 44 CEUs in Category I of the Certified Wildlife Biologist® Renewal/Professional Development Certificate Program (in review for approval). Participants must complete all exercises to earn CEUs and receive a Certificate of Course Completion. See our continuing education credit page for details.

UNDERGRADUATE OR GRADUATE CREDIT

This 2-semester credit equivalent course can be taken with pre-approval from an administrator at a student’s college or university. In addition to meeting the requirements for course completion, students must take a final assessment to earn academic credit (e.g., Pass/Fail, letter grade) for this course. See our academic credit page for details.

SCHOLARSHIPS

Full scholarships are available to participants from countries designated as “lower income” and “lower middle income” in the World Bank List of Economies. Please see our CWS World Scholars Program page for details.