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FAA Announces Part 107 Re-Testing Criteria

For "recertifictation", I'm not seeing anything in FAA-S-ACS-10A about the online course needing repeated. Where are you seeing that? That was required of current Part 61 pilots for initial 107 certification but I don't see anything about repeating it. No mention of repeating it for non-61's either for that matter.

They haven't addressed Part 61 yet. More details should come out this week per my FAA liaison said last week. He did say we will have an online version for Part 61 (who are current).
 
The short answer is "no." The FAA stipulates that a Part 107 pilot can only skip the re-exam if he/she is also a Part 61 certificate holder with a current "biannual." But, if the FAA were to eventually authorize current Part 107 certificate holders to take the FAA ALC-451 online course, a CFI (or FSDO, DPE, or ACR) would be authorized to sign off the results.

Understood....My post may have been in hopes of a Fed reading it and taking the idea up the ladder. In speaking with my local FSDO UAS supervisor, he informs me that he monitors forums, so I'm sure other feds are, so with that in mind: First re currency testing or flight reviews should not be to weed people out or make money. The whole premise of aviation is safety and risk management, as per the beginning of any document they put out, ie PTS, ACS the beginning chapter always uses words like ADM, Risk Mitigation, Sit. Awareness, Judgement etc...If they truly care and thought about those things, which is evidenced in their opening about using a "systematic approach" in their development of this recurrency thing, then I would hope they refer back to their reasoning of a Pt 61 FR (or Biennial Flight Review) . It is conducting by a certified flight instructor not with the intent of testing an applicant, but to interact and help the pilot maintain a level of proficiency to stay safe in the NAS. How can an online test do that? How can it interact and find what type of operations you conduct and what you have questions on and how can you become a safer better pilot with an online test. There is book learning and there is the street, or skies and if UAV guys are going to play in the skies, then only a Pt 61 cfi can fulfill that role. You may find out things that aren't written.
Sorry, for the run on, and I hope a fed takes this to heart, I'll contact my guy. Maybe my language and credentials with the fsdo helps, I have authorization to fly commercial ops just off approach/departure ends of Philly international, Military bases too, day or night. Experience is not in a book, but should be shared and only by talking to someone who has been down that road, will you know what to expect when u walk it...or fly it!
 
Doesn't this portion address Part 61 Pilots?

View attachment 572
I think it does. Pt 61 your certificate doesn't expire, same with your planes airworthy certificate, but to keep it "legal" there are certain requirements that must be met. 1 is a 61.56 flight review, or annual on ur aircraft, etc..Just because you are "current and legal" does not mean you are proficient! In fact, my partner and I frequently discuss this. We are a commercial UAV company, I must say we are ahead of many others because of our backgrounds and experiences, we have learned much and grown. My partner says we are very good, I say no landing is ever my best, my best is always ahead of me, I never settle, never complacent, never lazy. Prior to every takeoff, I brief: If this happens, I'm ready for this...It is a mental process to stay ahead of the plane, once you get behind the curve....I'd rather be lucky than good....I'm about to say so far I've been very lucky, but as I think it's really been my preparations on the ground, not my actions in the air. As I prepare in the next couple days to ferry a twin, that had an emergency and geared up on a military base, I'm staying with lucky rather than good. The mechanic is good, the pilot,,,well...
Steve
(ASEL, ASES, AMEL, CFI/I/MEI, PA30-1773, phantoms, inspires, matrice...)
 
They haven't addressed Part 61 yet. More details should come out this week per my FAA liaison said last week. He did say we will have an online version for Part 61 (who are current).

Okay, I'll be looking for it.

Doesn't this portion address Part 61 Pilots?

I'm reading that as addressing test 1 (below).

There are 2 tests of knowledge that were required to certify under part 107.
  1. An online suas operational test that everyone had to pass.
  2. And, the test regarding general operation in the NAS. This test was not required of Part 61 pilots that had passed a flight review within the past 24 months.
FAA-S-ACS-10A does not mention the 2nd test with regard to recurrency.
 
For "recertifictation", I'm not seeing anything in FAA-S-ACS-10A about the online course needing repeated. Where are you seeing that? That was required of current Part 61 pilots for initial 107 certification but I don't see anything about repeating it. No mention of repeating it for non-61's either for that matter.
For "recertifictation", I'm not seeing anything in FAA-S-ACS-10A about the online course needing repeated. Where are you seeing that? That was required of current Part 61 pilots for initial 107 certification but I don't see anything about repeating it. No mention of repeating it for non-61's either for that matter.

The Part 107 recertification/biannual requirement that a Part 61-certified pilot (who has a current Part 61.56 flight review/"biannual") retake ACS-10A (or its recurrent equivalent, should the FAA create one) is indicated in FAR Part 107.65(c). It is not, and has not been, an option for "non-61s."

Recurrent training does not require a review of 107.74(a)(2), (3), or (6). However, (until the FAA rolls out a recurrent equivalent) repeating ACS-10A is a cheaper alternative to the paid-for 107 recurrent test for Part 61/107 pilots who are 61 current.

The other point I was making was that the FAA could offer all current sUAS Remote Pilots (61/107 and non-61) a free alternative (either ACS-10A or a recurrent equivalent) to the recurrent test non-61 Remote Pilots are obliged to pay for.
 
Recurrent training does not require a review of 107.74(a)(2), (3), or (6). However, (until the FAA rolls out a recurrent equivalent) repeating ACS-10A is a cheaper alternative to the paid-for 107 recurrent test for Part 61/107 pilots who are 61 current.

Do you work for the gov't? Sorry, I'm having a difficult time getting exactly what you are saying. Maybe others are getting it and they can translate.
Are you saying that the choice for a current part 61 is either:

A. take and pass the online test taken for initial certification and then get a cfi to do the paperwork for you same as initial certification.

B. Or pay and take the test required of not-part 61s ?

I would have no objection to taking the online test again. However, I don't know why there would need to be a CFI involved.

The other point I was making was that the FAA could offer all current sUAS Remote Pilots (61/107 and non-61) a free alternative (either ACS-10A or a recurrent equivalent) to the recurrent test non-61 Remote Pilots are obliged to pay for.

Did non-part 61s have to pay for 2 tests? Sorry, again, you've lost me. The current 61s are paying for the flight review which covers the material that non-61s have to pay to take a test for. The non-NAS stuff specific to suas is rather irrelevant. The FAA is more concerned about the NAS.
 
Do you work for the gov't? Sorry, I'm having a difficult time getting exactly what you are saying. Maybe others are getting it and they can translate.
Are you saying that the choice for a current part 61 is either:

A. take and pass the online test taken for initial certification and then get a cfi to do the paperwork for you same as initial certification.

B. Or pay and take the test required of not-part 61s ?

I would have no objection to taking the online test again. However, I don't know why there would need to be a CFI involved.



Did non-part 61s have to pay for 2 tests? Sorry, again, you've lost me. The current 61s are paying for the flight review which covers the material that non-61s have to pay to take a test for. The non-NAS stuff specific to suas is rather irrelevant. The FAA is more concerned about the NAS.

The Part 61 flight review is not a test. It is a two-part review (flight and ground) and sign-off. Since there is no flight proficiency requirement for the 107, that portion of the Part 61 review is not applicable (and its cost is irrelevant.) The ground portion of the Part 61 review (including endorsement upon completion) can be done online for as little as $29.95. And the FAA's online initial/recurrent training course for Part 61 pilots who are review-current is free.

If a Part 107 pilot is still qualified to exercise his/her flight privileges (i.e., still within 24 months of his/her original test date) there is no practical reason why he/she should not be able to do a similar online review (say with Gleim or ASA or AOPA) - or complete an sUAS-specific stage of the Wings program, should the FAA see fit to create one - and then complete the free FAA ACS-10A course to satisfy FAR Part 107.73(b).

And yes, until Black Friday of every year I work for Uncle Sam (or at least his minions at the IRS). Don't we all?
 
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