Certified Drone Pilot Training Course

This thread is dedicated exclusively for those students currently enrolled in InterNACHI’s free, online Certified Drone Pilot Training Course.

Upon successful completion of this course you shall be able to understand: the requirements to become a drone pilot; effects of weather on small unmanned aircraft performance; emergency procedures; and preflight inspection procedures.

Students are free to pose questions and comments here and join in the conversation with other students. The thread will be monitored by the course instructor.

Contact: Tanya, Education Director tanya@internachi.org

Thank you.

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This course looks very interesting about Using Drones.

Chapter 2: Aeronautical Decision-Making teaches us about the mental process that goes into making good decisions during flight. We learn that illness, medication, stress, alcohol, fatigue, and emotion are all factors in determining our mental and physical readiness for flying.

After reading through the FAA guide I have chosen chapter 13 Aviation Weather Services. The discuss how weather directly affect flying and how to pre-plan for weather conditions before flying. When flying a UAS device you must not fly during any wet weather or bad visibility. You use stay away from clouds both vertical and. Horizontal.

Air flows is high pressure into areas of low pressure… because air always seeks out lower pressure. The combination of atmospheric pressure differences, friction, Coriolis
force, and temperature differences of the air near the ground cause 2 kinds of atmospheric motion.

I chose to write about weather theory (chapter 12). I was particulary interested in wind shear, especially in relation to thunder storms and thier distructive power. Developing thunderstorms can produce updrafts in excess of 3000fpm while producing downdrafts of compairable magnitude.

Chapter 15: Airspace

This chapter discusse the different types of air space that exist. The air space classifications and sizes vary with the volume of air traffic. For example a small uncollected air port versus a large international air port.

Apparently learning to fly an airplane is essential for knowing to operate a drone. Especially knowing the radio frequencies of airport communication since drones typically do not have radios. Also, to operate a drone one must know the G forces encountered by an airplane at certain banking degrees. Brilliant.

For this writing assignment I read Chapter 3 Aircraft Construction. I was particularly interested in the disadvantages of composite skin on aircraft. I learned that a low energy impact such as dropping a tool on it may cause damage to the back side that is not visible from the exterior. It is also susceptible to water infiltration if there is minor damage and it is sensitive to heat so often the underside of the wings are painted light colors to control the heat that could be absorbed while parked on asphalt during a sunny day.

Affect & Performance of a overloaded aircraft . Higher take off speeds , longer take off runs , Shorter range , reduce rate & angel of climb ,longer landing rolls , reduce cruising speed , Lateral / unbalance will cause wing heaviness , Drone course completion assignment .

Cant wait to see what this course consist of.

Air Space. There are Two Categories of Air Space Regulatory and Nonregulatory.
Within these Two Categories there are Four Types of Airspace, Controlled Uncontrolled Special Use and Other.
Controlled AirSpace consists of Four Classes.
Class A B C D and E.
Class A is all Air Space from 18,000 to 60,000 feet mean sea level (MSL) plus up to 12 Nautical Miles off USA coast lines.
Class B is over the Busiest Airports, it is layered like an upside down wedding cake. Each airport Tailors their Class B according to their specific needs and busyness. Class B usually is from the Surface to 10,000 feet (MSL). The smaller layers are announced by the individual airport. All class B is IFR Airspace and controlled by the Tower with Two Way communication.
Class C airspace is usually from the Surface up to 4,000 feet (MSL) and IFR controlled by the Tower by Two Way communication.
Class D airspace is usually from the Surface up to 2500 feet (MSL). Controlled by the Tower.
Class E is all other Controlled Airspace.
All Controlled Airspace must use IFR and have Two Way communication and a Transponder and Never Entered without prior permission from the Airport Tower.

Being an InterNACHI certified Florida based home inspector I’ve had a scepticism of owning a drone and using it for commercial uses. This was a fantastic course and highly recommended! Any inspector who is looking for training this is by far the best you can take!!

My essay:

5.8 Operation Near Airports; in Certain Airspace; in Prohibited or Restricted
Areas. You would think pilots would have common sense about flying near airports. I have software on my drone that shuts me down and prohibits me from powering up. :):):slight_smile:

Before I put in the time for the drone course - or eventually taking the FAA Exam - am I ruled out based on this clause in the law: “Be in a physical and mental condition to safely operate a small UAS”? I have an implanted Pacemaker/Defibrillator as a result of open heart surgery 33 months ago.

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I learned what controls on the air craft control parts of the plane that determine its speed, direction, and ability to stay in the air vs. crashing into the ground. Also, I leaned why it is importaint not to stall the aircraft to avoid having it fall to earth lock a rock.

The operating weight of an aircraft can be changed by simply altering the fuel load. Gasoline has considerable weight6 pounds per gallon. Thirty gallons of fuel may weigh more than one passenger. If a pilot lowers airplane weight by reducing fuel, the resulting decrease in the range of the airplane must be taken into consideration during flight planning.

I chose the Weather Theory part of the FAA Regulations handbook. A very informative article that discusses weather, its affect on aircraft and how weather if a key factor in planning flights locally or long distance. Although important, this article is not really applicable to flying a drone at roof top altitude. The real estate inspector should be aware of local weather conditions. High gusty winds, mist / light rain and time of day (UAV’s cannot be flown at night. The inspector should be aware of local surroundings when deploying a drone in order to inspect a roof. Assessing local conditions in a neighborhood is critical to safe use of this versatile tool. A strong gust of wind can quickly turn a routine fight into a crash. Being aware of the affects wind has on a UAV when rising above a roof ridge, and the turbulence that are created, enables the pilot to react to a sudden movements of the drone. A UAV is a great tool when used in the correct situations and can provide pictorial information that may not be visible from the ground for roofs that are not safe to walk.

Chapter 14 Airport operations. Basically two types of airports, towered or not towered. Towered has two way communication between pilot and tower. Untowered the pilot is recommended to use 122.9 to announce approach and landing information and to monitor other traffic.

Drone flying has far more technicalities than just putting in a set of batteries and taking off. The rules and responsibilities involved are extensive and almost overbearing. The reasons are valid but the bureaucracy involved takes all the fun out of the flying adventure.

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