Maine is within the coronary heart of New England and a fascinating coastal state with clear skies, rolling seas, riveting cliffsides, and lighthouses galore.
It’s an idyllic place to seize drone footage, particularly at sundown when the sky turns electrical and neon. You may’t launch your drone in Maine’s colourful skies with no license. What do that you must do to earn yours?
Methods to get a drone license in Maine?
Right here’s the right way to get a drone license in Maine:
- Meet the FAA’s eligibility necessities
- Join on IACRA to your FTN
- Discover a Data Testing Middle and register
- Research for the examination
- Earn a passing grade
- Ship in your certificates request
- Fly your drone
This information for Maine pilots searching for a drone certificates is packed stuffed with newbie info and glorious sources to arrange you for getting your license.
Prime Drone Programs
Right here’s the right way to get hold of a drone license in Maine
Maine is perhaps one of the crucial fashionable east coast states to fly a drone, however like the remainder of the nation, it requires pilots to carry a industrial or leisure certificates.
The leisure license, referred to as the TRUST certificates, is for hobbyists who fly for the enjoyable of it. When you’re concerned about utilizing your drone commercially (i.e., for revenue), you could get hold of a Distant Pilot Certificates, informally known as the Half 107 license.
The next steps will stroll you thru the method.
» MORE: How I Handed Half 107 (& The Course That Helped Me do That)
Meet the FAA’s eligibility necessities
Earlier than taking the Unmanned Plane Normal – Small (UAG) check, generally often known as the Half 107 examination, you could test the FAA’s guidelines on eligibility for test-takers.
Though you possibly can fly a drone (with supervision) in the event you’re beneath 16, you possibly can’t take the Half 107 examination till your 16th birthday.
The FAA additionally requires pilots to know the total scope of English to allow them to comprehend the fabric on the examination and be in a ok psychological and bodily situation for drone use.
Join on IACRA to your FTN
Nice, you bought by means of step one of the method already. That wasn’t so unhealthy!
Subsequent, it’s time to hitch the legion of aeronautic specialists on IACRA, quick for the Built-in Airman Certification and Ranking Software.
Each new drone pilot coming into the FAA system will need to have an FAA Monitoring Quantity or FTN, which the FAA makes use of to observe drone actions and hold the skies protected. The one approach to get an FTN is on IACRA.
Making your IACRA account is tremendous easy and solely requires a few minutes. Click on the hyperlink above to the IACRA homepage, then navigate to the higher proper. You will note a hyperlink to register beneath the place you log in.
Click on the hyperlink, and also you’re able to register. The primary web page requires you to pick out a related function. You have to test off one thing, however you don’t have to pick out a number of roles. You’re most likely not a certifying officer or teacher, and also you doubtless don’t have an admin function both, so test applicant.
Don’t neglect to conform to the phrases of service to maneuver on to the second web page.
The second web page of IACRA registration begins with a bit on certificates info. You may go away this clean, as you’re attempting to get your certificates, so you don’t have any related info to share.
Fill in your private particulars inside 50 characters, then choose two safety questions from a dropdown. Kind in your solutions.
As you scroll all the way down to the underside of the web page, you’ll see an choice to create a novel login and password. Kind this info, affirm your password, after which click on the register button.
You may log into IACRA along with your new credentials. You will note your FTN in your account.
Discover a Data Testing Middle and register
Leisure pilots can take the TRUST check anyplace, because it’s online-based. As for you, aspiring industrial pilot studying this proper now? You’re not as fortunate.
The Unmanned Plane Normal – Small (UAG) examination is just supplied in particular person at FAA Data Testing Facilities. These particular testing services are unfold throughout the nation, with lots in Maine. You may register for one to set into movement acquiring your industrial license.
You’ll want an account on PSI to do this. PSI is an FAA accomplice for locating and registering at a Data Testing Middle.
» MORE: FAA and the Data Testing Facilities (PSI)
Once you click on the PSI hyperlink above and navigate to the a part of the homepage that claims Create an Account, after clicking that, you’ll notice that you must confirm your id along with your FTN. You may see now why it was so necessary to acquire it.
As soon as PSI verifies you, you possibly can register on their platform. You’ll obtain an e mail affirmation when you create your account, then you possibly can log again in.
Subsequent, click on Discover a Check Middle on the PSI homepage. This hyperlink will take you to a Data Testing Middle search. You may enter your postal code and most popular distance from dwelling.
Don’t neglect to pick out america for the nation from the dropdown and select Unmanned Plane Normal – Small (UAG) for the kind of examination.
You will see FAA Data Testing Facilities throughout Maine, from Freeport to Biddeford, Kennebunkport, Portland, Bangor, Ogunquit, and Bar Harbor. Choose one closest to you, choose a date and time to take your check, and also you’re formally able to go.
Research for the examination
Properly, not precisely but. You must research for the Half 107 examination earlier than you sit all the way down to take it. This can be a paid examination that prices over $150 per try, so aspiring pilots want to decrease failure as finest they’ll.
The time between now and the examination date is yours to profit from, and one of the crucial helpful issues you are able to do is enroll in a web based newbie drone faculty.
These Half 107 prep programs will train you all the pieces that you must find out about FAA drone legal guidelines.
You’ll grow to be masterful at airspace classifications, drone efficiency, emergency procedures, radio communications, airport operations, nighttime flights, and all the opposite materials the FAA will quiz you on.
These programs divide the content material into video and textual content classes, and follow quizzes on the finish of the chapter will drive dwelling the fabric you realized.
FAA specialists, together with industrial pilots and instructors, will train you the ropes so you possibly can relaxation assured you’re studying from one of the best.
What in the event you don’t cross after enrolling in a web based Half 107 prep course?
It’s unlikely, as many faculties have a 99 p.c cross charge, however these drone faculties are ready. You’ll obtain a refund for the total course price and cash towards your subsequent attempt on the examination.
Are you desirous to supercharge your coaching and grow to be an official Half 107 license holder? Try one of the best drone programs for freshmen right here.
Earn a passing grade
You have to rating 70 p.c to cross the FAA industrial examination. The examination consists of multiple-choice questions, with 60 in all. You may select from three solutions per query.
Don’t rush by means of, as you should have two and a half hours to reply all of the questions.
Earlier than you sit all the way down to take the check, you could confirm your id, so please carry your driver’s license or one other type of authorities picture identification. Plan to depart your cellphone; you should have entry to a locker to stash it.
You may carry protractors and math calculators, however you don’t need to. All of the testing supplies you require are offered, together with a dry-erase marker, scrap paper, and the testing booklet.
Your check outcomes will seem in your IACRA account, however it may take a number of weeks for the outcomes to be prepared.
Ship in your certificates request
Congratulations on passing the Half 107 examination! Whether or not you probably did it the primary time or it took you just a few makes an attempt, you made it.
The FAA should do a whole lot of inside processing, and whereas they may ship you a everlasting license, it can take just a few weeks for it to reach within the mail (generally).
Within the meantime, you possibly can request a brief license from IACRA by finishing FAA Type 8710-13.
Yep, it’s time to log again into IACRA! This time, choose Begin New Software, then Pilot to your software, Distant Pilot, Different Path Info, and Begin Software.
Type 8710-13 is easy, so observe the prompts. Once you attain the tip, you’ll be requested to signal your software digitally. When you submit it, IACRA will ahead your info to the TSA.
You may be topic to a background test. When you cross, you’ll obtain an e mail from IACRA along with your non permanent Distant Pilot Certificates with downloading and printing directions. Observe these directions.
Fly your drone
Preserve your Distant Pilot Certificates in your particular person everytime you use your drone. Preserve checking your mail till the FAA sends your everlasting license. You need to use that going ahead.
I’ve my industrial drone license in Maine – Now what?
You’re a Distant Pilot Certificates holder, however you continue to should full just a few extra duties earlier than you start flying.
For one, you could register your drone beneath FAA legal guidelines. The registration is just $5, so it’s far cheaper than taking the Half 107 examination.
When you’ve registered, it is best to take into account drone insurance coverage. It’s optionally available, however as a newbie, you’re likelier to make errors greater than seasoned pilots. When you trigger property injury or an damage along with your drone, you’ll be glad you paid for the insurance coverage.
Do your self a favor and be taught Maine’s drone legal guidelines now that you’ve the FAA’s drone legal guidelines burned into your mind. You have to abide by state and native legal guidelines as you could observe federal rules.
LD 25 is considered one of two lively state drone legal guidelines in Maine. This legislation prohibits pilots from accumulating non-public info through drone until in a legislation enforcement capability and with the right permissions.
The Bureau of Parks and Lands Drone Coverage prevents pilots from flying in any Maine state park, DACF boat launch, or historic website.
Maine has no native legal guidelines, all of the extra motive to memorize the state legal guidelines.
What do you do when your Distant Pilot Certificates expires? That’s proper, it received’t final without end. It’s going to expire inside two years, so you possibly can’t get lax in your drone data.
Till 2021, drone pilots in Maine and the remainder of the US needed to take the Half 107 examination over again, repeating that each two years for so long as they needed to carry a industrial license.
Fortuitously, it’s lots cheaper, sooner, and simpler to resume your certificates nowadays. You may take a free on-line examination.