Drone pilot training syllabus

ByMDG

An initial aeronautical knowledge test and recurrent training cover the following areas of knowledge:

  • Applicable regulations relating to small unmanned aircraft system rating privileges, limitations, and flight operation;
  • Airspace classification, operating requirements, and flight restrictions affecting small unmanned aircraft operation;
  • Aviation weather sources and effects of weather on small unmanned aircraft performance;
  • Small unmanned aircraft loading;
  • Emergency procedures;
  • Crew resource management;
  • Radio communication procedures;
  • Determining the performance of the small unmanned aircraft;
  • Physiological effects of drugs and alcohol;
  • Aeronautical decision-making and judgment;
  • Airport operations;
  • Maintenance and preflight inspection procedures; and
  • Operation at night.

Knowledge Requirements for Drone Pilots

Regulatory Requirements

  • Classification
  • Basic Regulations
  • Do’s and Don’ts

Basic principles of flight

  • Fundamentals of flight
  • Aerodynamics
  • Take-off, flight, and landing
  • Manoeuvres, turns, and circuit pattern

ATC procedures & Radio Telephony

  • Understanding ATC operations
  • Airspace Structure and Airspace Restrictions with knowledge of No Drone Zones
  • Communicating with ATC including Position and Altitude Reporting
  • Flight Planning Procedures
  • Collision avoidance
  • Radio Telephony (RT) techniques
  • Standard radio terminology and RT Phraseology
  • Practice Session in Radio Communication

Fixed-wing operations and aerodynamics

  • Types of fixed-wing drones, make, parts and terminology
  • Operation and manoeuvres of fixed-wing drones
  • Applications and operations
  • Advantages/disadvantages over multi-rotor drones

Multi-rotor introduction

  • Basic drone terminology
  • Types of drones, material used, and size of drones
  • Motors and propellers
  • Electronic Speed Controller (ESC), flight controllers
  • Operation and Applications of drones
  • Advantages/disadvantages over multi-rotor drones

Weather and meteorology

  • The standard atmosphere
  • Measuring air pressure
  • Heat and temperature
  • Wind
  • Moisture, cloud formation
  • Meteorological Terminal Aviation Routine Weather Report (METAR)

Drone equipment maintenance

  • Maintenance of drone, flight control box, ground station
  • Maintenance of ground equipment, batteries, and payloads
  • Scheduled servicing
  • Repair of equipment
  • Fault finding and rectification

Emergency identification and handling

  • In-flight emergencies
  • Loss of link
  • Fly-aways (Straying)
  • Loss of power
  • Control surface failures

Payload, installation and utilization

  • Types of payloads
  • Parts of payloads
  • Installation
  • Features of payloads
  • Utilization

Flight simulator training

  • Pre-flight checks and start-up
  • Preparation cum coordination for flight
  • Take-off and flight stage
  • Approach and landing
  • After flight checks

Practical lessons in Lab

  • Assembling of drone
  • De-assembling
  • Integration of subsections/modules
  • Integration of engine/propulsion system
  • Fault finding and rectification
  • Repair maintenance and documentation