Question: Is it easy to find a job as a drone pilot?

Answer:  Professional drone talent is desperately needed in several industries. For example, film and television, media and news, photo shoots for advertisements, public security, land, electric power, environmental protection, marine monitoring and control, emergency rescue, highway inspection, agricultural plant protection, logistics and expedited delivery, etc.  

Question: How to get a drone pilot’s licence?

Answer: One must pass a drone pilot exam which has both a theoretical and a partial component. Subjects covered in the theoretical part include pertinent laws governing unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), an overview of UAVs, system composition and introduction, meteorology, airspace, take-off and landing locations, mission planning, rotor UAV principle structure startup layout, etc. Meanwhile, the practical flying part includes driving within and beyond visual range and other flight-related tasks.

Question: What are the prospects for the drone technology profession?

Answer: As science and technology have advanced, so too have people’s efforts to explore previously uncharted territories. When faced with activities that require a high degree of danger, efficiency, or intensity, people have started to substitute unmanned aircraft for manned aircraft. There is a constant need for talent in the drone technology profession, especially where drone application is widely adopted.

Question: What are the practical training courses for drone training?

Answer: Simulated flight, drone assembly and debugging practice, takeoff and landing training, drone repair and maintenance, drone system safety management, emergency response practice, remote control parameter adjustment, etc. 

Question: What are the theoretical training courses for drone training?

Answer: Relevant civil aviation drone regulations, drone overview and system composition, drone structure and mainstream layout forms, drone flight principles and performance, multi-rotor plant protection aircraft principles and performance, use of charging equipment and batteries, system safe operation management, drone remote control device setup, airspace flight and declaration, drone control specifications and emergency handling, system program inspection, mission execution command, post-data processing technology, etc.

Question: What is the registration process for drone pilot training?

①. Fill in the student registration form

②. Prepare registration materials and items

③. Pay tuition

④. Sign the training contract and student safety agreement

⑤. Students register at school on the specified date.

⑥. Receive teaching materials and student clothing, etc.

Question: Is a drone a model airplane that can fly?

Answer: Drones have historically been a significant component of many nations’ armaments and gear as well as a key indicator of a nation’s military technological prowess. The bar for developing and producing civilian drones has significantly decreased over the last five years, particularly in the last two years, thanks to advancements in CPU and sensor performance as well as cost reductions. Outstandingly performing civilian drones can be purchased for less than 10,000 CNY, and consumption level drones are even more reasonably priced. Therefore, many enthusiasts have purchased drones and upgraded to become a blue-sky “flyer”.

In addition to being a “high-end toy” in the hands of players, drones also have more “professional duties” and are used in agricultural production, aerial surveying and mapping, film and television broadcasting, power line inspections, highway inspections, forest fire prevention and other fields. It is possible to complete jobs like electricity wiring and aerial photography by attaching cameras, manipulators, and other equipment to drones. According to China Drone Network Research, throughout the previous five years, the global demand for drones has increased at a double-digit pace annually. As the global civilian drone industry develops over the next 10 years, it is predicted that the share of this market will be almost 8.56 billion yuan. It is important to recognise the enormous potential of the drone market.

Question: Why do I need to get a licence to fly a “small plane”?

Answer: Some people think that drone training is just operational practice, and practice will make you perfect if you take more time; this is not the case. A drone can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars. If you include the filming equipment it carries, if it falls from the sky due to poor flying, the loss can be quite painful. In addition to financial damages, “driving without a licence” carries the possibility of jail time. Three employees of a Beijing aviation technology company were sentenced to one and a half years in prison for flying drones for illegal aerial photography without a licence. Also, drones had left a disgraceful record in the White House and the German election campaign.

Therefore, a very important part of drone training is knowledge of relevant laws and regulations, which tells you when and where you can fly, and under what circumstances you cannot fly. This is very similar to car driver’s licence training. Not only do you need to know how to drive a car, you also need to know how to do it legally and how to do it safely. Moreover, compared with ground operations, the safety of air flight can be a bigger cause of concern. Thus, the training requirements for drone flights are more stringent, and the learning of relevant laws, regulations and safety content is more important.

Question: With a pilot licence, can I legally fly all drones?

Answer: Unfortunately, drone pilot licences, like car driving licences, are divided into many types. Licence holders can only fly drones that match the type of driver’s licence. For example, according to the type of platform, UAV driver’s licences can be divided into three categories: fixed-wing, helicopter and multi-rotor aircraft. There are special training for these three types of drones, and the final driver qualifications are also different.  Moreover, the same type of drone can be further divided into four categories: large, small, light and micro according to their empty take-off weight. In addition, the training is divided into two levels: pilot and captain. The pilot training shall be no less than 44 hours, and the captain training shall be no less than 56 hours.

The captain needs to be responsible for the safety of drone operations, and also needs to have multiple skills in drone takeoff, landing operations, and ground station operations.  But there are no exceptions. Large unmanned fixed-wing and large unmanned helicopters are the most complex to control, with a take-off weight greater than 5.7 tons. They may fly in the same airspace as manned aircraft in the future, so the training requirements are higher. Pilots who have passed relevant training and assessments can operate all types of civilian drones.