UTC Commercial UAS Training Level 1

[OFAP]

Actually...the UAVSI certification appears to be more in line with what I've been seeking. The program manual outlines specific skills and expectations. Not certain I'd make it to Level 3, but a clear path is laid out here, and not simply a generic or vaguely categorized course outline.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

The Level 1 Certification is an easy one for anybody with enough interest to get. It’s basically the entry level introduction to the program to familiarize you with what it’s all about and general operations standards and expectations. It’s good for someone who needs some basic guidance in responsible drone operations and a platform to build on. Level 1 is of little real value as a validation or certification of experience and ability. Anyone riding it as such is delusional....as the example you provide....but that’s of the individual, not the content. Used to see that all the time in IT with the multitude of worthless “certifications” you get presented with. You start to learn what’s worthless, and what is valuable, like RHCSE or CCNE.

The real meat of the program, and the value of the certifications come at Level 2 and Level 3. Those levels, in addition to material, standards and practices, require a flight evaluation by an examiner. It’s a pretty challenging course to fly with standards of execution that will quickly weed out those lacking flight experience. I’m trying to get our local chapter to sponsor L2 and L3 programs, but it’s tough. They’re really strict with who conducts it, who the examiners are and how the course and obstacles are constructed.

You can download the TOP Operator Program Manual. I tried to attach it here but the file is too large.

Just another fly by night money-making scheme. (I'm a UAVSI member and they should stick to their core mission, advocacy on our behalf and not think of ways to squeeze more money from us.) The only manner in which all these "UAS certification" schemes will eventually fail is, if us as a community, refuse to sign up and pay their outrageous fees.

I am not against recurrent training, Just spend all day in Phoenix at a very educational workshop, put on by Unmanned Arizona (UAZ) and the North Carolina DOT Dept. of Aviation, which didn't cost a dime.

I began flying planes in 1969, hold an FAA Commercial ticket, flew SAR for the Civil Air Patrol, spent 8 years in and around Army aviation, flown UAS since 2015, created a Police UAS program from scratch, trained six cops to pass their 107, plus basic flight training, run my own UAS business and attend training as often as possible (I've never referred to myself as a UAS expert).

I'll be d-mn if I will allow some kid with a pair of Oakleys, a polo with a cool logo, a beard, a lanyard and a backpack (they all look the same to me)who's never sat in a cockpit sweating a dead engine or stuck landing gear tell me how to fly a freaking drone!!!! Ain't going to happen. I have the 107 the government says I must have. When the feds start mandating skills testing I will meet the standards.

All these "experts" can just go pound sand because they ain't getting my money.

A 70 year old can hold a pilot's license but can't sign up for a mickey mouse drone course? Please.....

Sorry, as a 66 year old, OFAP's posting just got my goat.

 

[PatR]

I’m trying to figure out how anyone can obtain an aviation certification from an uncertified instructor or organization lacking FAA accreditation.

I know I have UAV operator certificates from Basic to Senior operator but none of them mean squat in the aviation world as they are all of corporate issue. Under the law some 16 year ild kid with a 107 ticket would be more qualified than I if I did not have a 107. Making things a bit more irritating is that some years ago the FAA ruled that UAV operators could log all their hours but none of them could be used to qualify for a rating or pilot certificate. There’s still no FAA consensus about how or why a UAV operator should log flight hours.

I’m pretty much in the camp that sees all these independent organization operator/instructor certifications as little more than revenue generating marketing scams. They laugh all the way to the bank. The only ones of significant value are manufacturer courses that train how to properly use payloads. But that’s just my perspective[emoji6]

 

[PatR]

Footnote to my intern post as it had a silver lining.

Ended up sharing a young female intern that had already obtained two engineering degrees. Her goal was to become an honest to God rocket scientist. For three months she happily performed whatever dirty, greasy, engine drudge work she was given, got to interact with UAV propulsion systems and software, review incident telemetry, and did a great job. At the end of her term she stopped in before departing to give me her business card and inform me that she enjoyed being allowed to participate in “man work” and how what she learned and experienced would build better interaction between engineers and technicians, along with simplification of operating systems. Her work was her passion, not just a job.

 

[R.Perry]

As Fred said, beyond the 107 and insurance most clients could care less about your experience. Showing your little 107 card will make many believe you must be qualified because you have a license.
I'm certainly not implying training and education isn't important but a lack of a certification most likely won't keep you from getting some work, and with that work you will gain experience. I flew for Multivista for almost a year before they decided I needed to go to the Avion school, I had already accumulated over a hundred hours by that time. I did learn some a lot and enjoyed the school, but was it necessary, no.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

I’m trying to figure out how anyone can obtain an aviation certification from an uncertified instructor or organization lacking FAA accreditation.

I know I have UAV operator certificates from Basic to Senior operator but none of them mean squat in the aviation world as they are all of corporate issue. Under the law some 16 year ild kid with a 107 ticket would be more qualified than I if I did not have a 107. Making things a bit more irritating is that some years ago the FAA ruled that UAV operators could log all their hours but none of them could be used to qualify for a rating or pilot certificate. There’s still no FAA consensus about how or why a UAV operator should log flight hours.

I’m pretty much in the camp that sees all these independent organization operator/instructor certifications as little more than revenue generating marketing scams. They laugh all the way to the bank. The only ones of significant value are manufacturer courses that train how to properly use payloads. But that’s just my perspective[emoji6]

I recently lost an opportunity to train the UAS pilots at a public safety department in my city because my competitor, the other training organization (a major national public safety trainer) told the city they were "FAA approved". After explaining to the city manager that they were lied to , and obtaining FSDO documentation the there is no such animal as "FAA UAS training organization certification" they still went with my competitor. No worst fool than one who desires to be fooled.

 

[PatR]

Luis,

You likely didn’t have a chance from the get-go. The long established public safety training outfits have a foothold very hard to break.

Even with “inside connections” an outsider has little chance because public agencies prefer to contract within the circles they are already accustomed to, or form new training processes built around people within their organizations. Making things more difficult is product manufacturers, one drone maker in particular, made training part of their product sales pitch. Combined with a service and user documentation development and CoA prep assist service I found it nigh on impossible to get a foot in their doors.

 

[ZBlackwood]

I'm very much in the beginning stages of being a drone pilot with just over 10 hours of flight time. I don't do this for a day job and it's pretty much just real estate still photography on the side so my opinion likely won't carry much weight. I agree that many of these programs and trainings are mostly just to make additional money, but I think some of them are a step in the right direction such as the TOP program. I have no personal experience, but the way they go about the process sounds like a good way and once the industry adopts a standard, I imagine it will carry many of the same attributes. Knowledge Test, Skills Test and the use of certifying bodies for the auditing. Of course as many are saying here it carries no weight with the government or mean anything really. But it is a tangible way to demonstrate you care about your flying ability and can help make you stand out from every other Part 107 pilot.

I sort of liken it to when searching for a photographer to some extent. You can look at a ton of different websites all may have quality work, but the ones that have logos from paid memberships, positive reviews or big name clients often pass the "first glance" more frequently than someone who has none of those readily available. I think it's still too early for all of these to carry much weight, but I like the way they are going and I suspect one will eventually pull ahead and become more of an accepted standard. But in such a saturated market, every little advantage one can take to stand out from the rest can be beneficial for them in gaining more business. That doesn't negate being able to properly sell your services and interact with people, but it may help get you that phone call so to speak.

 

[LUIS MARTINEZ]

I'm very much in the beginning stages of being a drone pilot with just over 10 hours of flight time. I don't do this for a day job and it's pretty much just real estate still photography on the side so my opinion likely won't carry much weight. I agree that many of these programs and trainings are mostly just to make additional money, but I think some of them are a step in the right direction such as the TOP program. I have no personal experience, but the way they go about the process sounds like a good way and once the industry adopts a standard, I imagine it will carry many of the same attributes. Knowledge Test, Skills Test and the use of certifying bodies for the auditing. Of course as many are saying here it carries no weight with the government or mean anything really. But it is a tangible way to demonstrate you care about your flying ability and can help make you stand out from every other Part 107 pilot.

I sort of liken it to when searching for a photographer to some extent. You can look at a ton of different websites all may have quality work, but the ones that have logos from paid memberships, positive reviews or big name clients often pass the "first glance" more frequently than someone who has none of those readily available. I think it's still too early for all of these to carry much weight, but I like the way they are going and I suspect one will eventually pull ahead and become more of an accepted standard. But in such a saturated market, every little advantage one can take to stand out from the rest can be beneficial for them in gaining more business. That doesn't negate being able to properly sell your services and interact with people, but it may help get you that phone call so to speak.

Ten hours....I predict your assessment of these "certification" courses will change by the time you hit 200. You can't buy experience.

Experience is a hard teacher because she gives the test first, the lesson afterwards.

 

[shooter]

The Level 1 Certification is an easy one for anybody with enough interest to get. It’s basically the entry level introduction to the program to familiarize you with what it’s all about and general operations standards and expectations. It’s good for someone who needs some basic guidance in responsible drone operations and a platform to build on. Level 1 is of little real value as a validation or certification of experience and ability. Anyone riding it as such is delusional....as the example you provide....but that’s of the individual, not the content. Used to see that all the time in IT with the multitude of worthless “certifications” you get presented with. You start to learn what’s worthless, and what is valuable, like RHCSE or CCNE.

The real meat of the program, and the value of the certifications come at Level 2 and Level 3. Those levels, in addition to material, standards and practices, require a flight evaluation by an examiner. It’s a pretty challenging course to fly with standards of execution that will quickly weed out those lacking flight experience. I’m trying to get our local chapter to sponsor L2 and L3 programs, but it’s tough. They’re really strict with who conducts it, who the examiners are and how the course and obstacles are constructed.

You can download the TOP Operator Program Manual. I tried to attach it here but the file is too large.

It grates on me more than a little to have to pay for something that I could teach...ya know?