UAS Air Carrier Operations Survey: Training Requirements

DOT/FAA/AM-23/09

Aviation Safety

Office of Aerospace Medicine

Washington, DC 20591

UAS Ai

r Carrier Operations Survey: Training Requirements

Kevin W. Williams

Theodore C. Mofle

Peter T. Hu

Federal Aviation Administration

Civil Aerospace Medical Institute

Oklahoma City, OK 73125

Cherokee Nation 3S, LLC

Oklahoma City, OK 73125

March 2023

TICE

This document is disseminated under the sponsorship of the U.S. Department

of Transportation in the interest of information exchange. The United States

Government assumes no liability for the contents thereof.

This publication and all Office of Aerospace Medicine technical reports are

available in full-text from the Civil Aerospace Medical Institute’s

publications Web site: (

www.faa.gov/go/oamtechreports)

Technical Documentation Page

1. Report No.

2. Government Accession No.

3. Recipient's Catalog No.

DOT/FAA/AM-23/09

4. Title and Subtitle

UAS Air Carrier Operations Survey: Training Requirements

5. Report Date

March 2023

6. Performing Organization Code

7. Author(s)

8. Performing Organization Report No.

Williams, K.

, Mofle, T.

, Hu, P.

9. Performing Organization Name and Address

10. Work Unit No. (TRAIS)

Federal Aviation Administration

Civil Aerospace Medical Institute, AAM-500

Oklahoma City, OK 73169

11. Contract or Grant No.

12. Sponsoring Agency Name and Address

Office of Aerospace Medicine

Federal Aviation Administration

800 Independence Ave., S.W.

Washington, DC 20591

13. Type of Report and Period Covered

15. Supplementary Notes

16. Abstract

There is an increasing demand to utilize unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for an array of new applications

currently outside the scope of written regulations, such as air taxi services, package delivery, and crop dusting.

The Code of Federal Regulations on Aeronautics and Space (14 CFR) is restrictive to air carrier applications for

UAS. In particular, small UAS (sUAS) regulations (14 CFR § 107 [Federal Regulation for Commercial sUAS])

do not explicitly address air carrier operations. Regulations relevant to air carrier operations (14 CFR §

121

ederal Regulation for Air Carriers] and § 135 [Federal Regulation for Commuter Air Operations]) were not

written to include the use of UAS. Training requirements have been extensively researched in traditionally piloted

aircraft operations (see Torrence et al., 2020), but recent and continuing developments in UAS applications and

UAS automation have resulted in changing roles and responsibilities for crewmembers. Training literature was

gathered in an annotated bibliography, and experts in both industry and academia were surveyed about current

and future policies from their companies to gauge the future direction of UAS operations. This survey will help

inform current and planned future UAS operations related to training. It will also allow for regulations of last-

mile and high-altitude-long-endurance operations so that these novel applications of UAS can be safely integrated

into the National Airspace System (NAS). Findings may inform future regulations concerning UAS training for

crewmembers related to air carrier operations and potentially help standardize these requirements. Altogether, this

will support the safe and efficient integration of UAS into the NAS.

17. Key Words

unmanned aircraft systems, UAS Training, UAS

Training requirements, air carrier operations,

testing, knowledge

18. Distribution Statement

Unlimited

19. Security Classif. (of this report)

Unclassified

20. Security Classif. (of this page)

Unclassified

21. No. of Pages

106

22. Price

Form DOT F 1700.7 (8-72)

Reproduction of completed page authorized

iii

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank our sponsors, Barbara Adams (AJF-100) and Autumn

Alderdice (AFS-280) and our program manager, William Oehlschlager (ANG-C21) for their

expertise, continued support, and constructive feedback throughout the research process. The

authors would also like to thank Suzanne Thomas especially for her support in building the

survey instrument and in aggregating the results for reporting.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements ....................................................................................................................... iii

Table of Contents ......................................................................................................................... iv

List of Figures ............................................................................................................................... vi

List of Tables ............................................................................................................................... vii

List of Abbreviations .................................................................................................................... x

Abstract ......................................................................................................................................... xi

Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 1

UAS Air Carrier-like Training Issues ......................................................................................... 1

Certification and Qualification Requirements............................................................................. 2

Method ........................................................................................................................................... 2

Stratification and Sample Selection ............................................................................................ 2

Survey Items ................................................................................................................................ 3

Survey Administration ................................................................................................................ 4

Results ............................................................................................................................................ 4

Eligibility ..................................................................................................................................... 5

Demographics.............................................................................................................................. 6

Qualification Requirements....................................................................................................... 10

Training ..................................................................................................................................... 12

Organizational Certifications ................................................................................................. 12

Organizational Programs ....................................................................................................... 12

Pilot Training ......................................................................................................................... 17

Discussion..................................................................................................................................... 22

Conclusion ................................................................................................................................... 24

References .................................................................................................................................... 26

Appendix A. Survey Questions Related to UAS Training .................................................... A-1

Example of Report Format ...................................................................................................... A-1

Definitions of Descriptive Statistics ........................................................................................ A-1

Respondent Eligibility ............................................................................................................. A-2

Section A. Demographics ........................................................................................................ A-3

Section B. Air Carrier Operational Considerations for Unmanned Aircraft Systems ............ A-8

Section C. Qualification Requirements ................................................................................... A-8

Section D. Training ............................................................................................................... A-10

Appendix B. Text Response to Open Ended Questions for Air Carrier Operational

Considerations for UAS: Training .......................................................................................... B-1

Section A. Demographics ........................................................................................................ B-2

Section B. Qualification Requirements ................................................................................. B-17

Section C. Training ............................................................................................................... B-21

List of Figures

Figure 1 Respondents Who Work with an Organization that Operates/Plans to Operate UAS;

Organizations that Have Established Pilot Qualifications (n = 173) .............................................. 5

Figure 2 Number of Pilots Employed by Each Organization (n = 127) ....................................... 6

Figure 3 Pilots Employed by Each Organization, by Industry Sector (n = 127) ........................... 7

Figure 4 Years of Experience in Current Job Role (n = 168) ........................................................ 8

Figure 5 Required Training Flight Hours upon Hire (n = 115) ................................................... 11

Figure 6 If Yes, Flight Hours Required at Hire (n = 28) ............................................................. 11

Figure 7 Topics Taught by Instructors and Instructors' Ratings of Topic Importance (n = Percent

Taught/ n = Importance) ............................................................................................................... 18

Figure 8 Topics Taught by Instructors and Instructors' Ratings of Topic Importance (continued;

continued; n = Percent Taught/n = Importance) 19

Figure 9 Topics Taught to UAS Operator/Pilots Ranked by Percent Taught (n = Provided by

Topic) ............................................................................................................................................ 21

Figure 10 Recurrent Training Intervals (n = 67) .......................................................................... 22

vii

List of Tables

Table 1 Respondent Recruitment Targets ...................................................................................... 3

Table 2 Main Survey Sections ....................................................................................................... 4

Table 3 Final Respondent Recruitment .......................................................................................... 5

Table 4 Commercial UAS Sector that Best Describes Respondents’ Current or Planned

Operations (n = 168) ....................................................................................................................... 8

Table 5 Commercial UAS Industry that Best Described Respondents’ Current or Planned

Operations (n = 168) ....................................................................................................................... 9

Table 6 Certifications Held by Respondents Who Currently Have a License or Certification to

Fly a UAS (n = 158). .................................................................................................................... 10

Table 7 Minimum Requirements for Instructors (n = 80) and Pilots (n = 123) to Operate Drones

at Respondents’ Organization ....................................................................................................... 11

Table 8 Certification offered at Training Completion (n = 80) ................................................... 13

Table 9 Specific Operation Training Provided by Organization (n = 78) .................................... 14

Table 10 Automation Techniques Taught during Training Programs (n = 80) ........................... 15

Table 11 UAS Platforms Institutes Training Provided (n = 80) .................................................. 15

Table 12 Number of Rotors for each Multi-Rotor Wing UAS Training Provided (n = 66) ........ 16

Table 13 Training Provided by Each Organization (n = 33) ........................................................ 16

Table B1 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other’ on Item A1 and Who

Provided a Description of Their Job Role (n = 13) ........................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table B2 Descriptions of Job Responsibilities Provided by Respondents on Item A1b (n = 166)

........................................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table B3 Responses Provided by Respondents Who indicated ‘Works with drones, but none of

the above’ on Item A3, and Who Provided the Capacity in Which Their Organization Worked

With Drones on Item A4 (n = 38) .................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table B4 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other’ on Item A5, and Who

Described Their Organization’s Current or Planned Drone Operations (n = 13) .................. Error!

Bookmark not defined.

Table B5 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other’ on Item A7, and Who

Described the Certificates They Hold (n = 14). ............................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

viii

Table B6 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other’ on Item A8, and Who

Described the Certificates Required for Their Job (n = 12) .......... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table B7 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘No, I hold a certificate(s) from

another organization’ on Item A9, and Who Listed the Certificates They Hold from Another

Organization (n = 18) ..................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table B8 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Instructor’ on Item A1, and Who

Listed Their Organization’s Requirements to Become an Instructor on Item C6 (n = 39) ... Error!

Bookmark not defined.

Table B9 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other training’ on Item C33, and

Who Listed the Minimum Organizational Requirements Necessary for Instructors to Operate

Drones (n = 14) .............................................................................. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table B10 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other training or experience’ on

Item C34, and Who Listed Their Minimum Training or Experience Requirements (n = 19) Error!

Bookmark not defined.

Table B11 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Yes’ on Item C5, and Indicated

Which Government Agency Provided Review of Their Training Materials (n = 30) ........... Error!

Bookmark not defined.

Table B12 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Yes’ on Item C3, and Indicated

Which Non-Government Agency Provided Review of Their Training Materials (n = 28) ... Error!

Bookmark not defined.

Table B13 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Yes’ on Item C7, and Who

Listed the Certificates or Authorizations Held by Their Organization (n = 18) . Error! Bookmark

not defined.

Table B14 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other’ on Item C28, and

Described the Type of Operations Provided for Training (n = 6) . Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table B15 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other’ on item C31, and

Indicated the Type of Drones They Provide Training on (n = 2) .. Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table B16 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Simulation training’ on Item

C32, and Indicated the Type of Simulation Training They Provide (n = 17) ..... Error! Bookmark

not defined.

Table B17 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Yes on item C37a, and

Described the Training Provided outside Their Organization (n = 11) ....... Error! Bookmark not

defined.

Table B18 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Yes’ on Item C38a, and

Described the Additional Training Provided by Their Organization on Item C38b (n = 1) .. Error!

Bookmark not defined.

Table B19 Responses Provided by Respondents who Indicated ‘Yes’ on Item C38a, and

Described the Training Provided by a 3

Party on Item C38c (n = 2) ........ Error! Bookmark not

defined.

Table B20 Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other training’ on Item C39,

and listed Training Required by Their Organization (n = 11) ....... Error! Bookmark not defined.

Table B21 Responses Provided by Respondents who Indicated ‘Recurrent training’ on Item C39,

and Listed Frequency of Recurrent Training on Item C54 (n = 68) ............ Error! Bookmark not

defined.

List of Abbreviations

AFOQT

Air Force Officer Qualifying Test

ASVAB

Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery

BVLOS

Beyond Visual Line of Sight

CFR

Code of Federal Regulation

14 CFR

Title 14 (Federal Regulations on Aeronautics and Space)

14 CFR § 107

Title 14 CFR Part 107 (Federal Regulation for Commercial sUAS)

14 CFR § 121

Title 14 CFR Part 121 (Federal Regulation for Air Carriers)

14 CFR § 135

Title 14 CFR Part 135 (Federal Regulation for Commuter Air Operations)

DoD

Department of Defense

FAA

Federal Aviation Administration

JTA(s)

Job Task Analysis

KSAs

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

NAS

National Airspace System

NASA

National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NOAA

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

RPA

Remotely Piloted Aircraft

Situation Awareness

SME(s)

Subject Matter Expert(s)

sUAS

Small Unmanned Aircraft System

TBAS

Test of Basic Aviation Skills

UAS

Unmanned Aircraft System

Abstract

There is an increasing demand to utilize unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) for an array of new

applications currently outside the scope of written regulations, such as air taxi services, package

delivery, and crop dusting. The Code of Federal Regulations on Aeronautics and Space (14 CFR)

is restrictive to air carrier applications for UAS. In particular, small UAS (sUAS) regulations (14

CFR § 107 [Federal Regulation for Commercial sUAS]) do not explicitly address air carrier

operations. Regulations relevant to air carrier operations (14 CFR § 121 [Federal Regulation for

Air Carriers] and § 135 [Federal Regulation for Commuter Air Operations]) were not written to

include the use of UAS. Training requirements have been extensively researched in traditionally

piloted aircraft operations (see Torrence et al., 2020), but recent and continuing developments in

UAS applications and UAS automation have resulted in changing roles and responsibilities for

crewmembers. Training literature was gathered in an annotated bibliography, and experts in both

industry and academia were surveyed about current and future policies from their companies to

gauge the future direction of UAS operations. This survey will help inform current and planned

future UAS operations related to training. It will also allow for regulations of last-mile and high-

altitude-long-endurance operations so that these novel applications of UAS can be safely

integrated into the National Airspace System (NAS). Findings may inform future regulations

concerning UAS training for crewmembers related to air carrier operations and potentially help

standardize these requirements. Altogether, this will support the safe and efficient integration of

UAS into the NAS.

Keywords: unmanned aircraft systems, UAS Training, UAS Training requirements, air

carrier operations, testing, knowledge

Introduction

As the use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) continues to expand, so too does the

complexity of flight operations. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) refers to these

operations, which involve the transportation of cargo and people within the National Airspace

System (NAS), as Air Carrier Operations. The current Code of Federal Regulations for air

carriers (14 CFR § 121) and commuter air operations (14 CFR § 135) were not created with UAS

operations in mind. 14 CFR § 107 provides regulations for small (commercial) UAS (sUAS)

operations, but does not address systems that weigh over 55 pounds, nor the more complex types

of operations expected for unmanned air carrier activities.

The FAA is working to standardize UAS regulations for air carrier operations. Existing

regulations do not adequately address the unique set of challenges presented by novel UAS

operations. The type of UAS (airframe and ground control station) and its operational purpose

affect the required qualifications and training for the crew. This specific training and certification

will be required just as they are for onboard piloted aircraft (e.g., 14 CFR § 91, §121, §135).

To address the expected need for a new set of standards regarding the certification and

training of crews associated with UAS air carrier-like operations, a research program was

initiated. In the first phase of this research program, literature was reviewed on the following

topics:

• Knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSAs; Torrence et al., 2020).

• Crew and staffing options (Hu et al., 2022).

• Duty time, shiftwork, and fatigue (Durham et al., 2020; Nesthus et al., 2021).

For the second phase of this research program, and based on some of the findings from

the literature reviews, a survey was created and administered to subject matter experts (SMEs)

who were either involved in the manufacturing and/or operation of UAS/remotely piloted aircraft

(RPA), or in educating personnel for manufacture and/or operation of UAS/RPA. This report

summarizes findings from the survey related to both the training provided to pilot/operators and

to future training requirements. Other reports summarize aspects of the survey not covered in this

report (Durham et al., Under Review; Williams et al., Under-Review-a, Under Review-b).

UAS Air Carrier-like Training Issues

In the United States, commercial aviation operations have been around for more than a

century, providing sufficient time to define and revise training regulations and procedures based

on research regarding off-nominal events. The publication of 14 CFR § 107 in 2016 was the first

step in establishing UAS pilot training requirements; however, this regulation is restricted to only

sUAS weighing less than 55 lbs. and operating under certain conditions (e.g., within visual line

of sight, less than 400 ft.) with some exceptions provided through waivers (e.g., beyond visual

line of sight [BVLOS]). Much work will be needed to fully identify training requirements for all

crewmembers and all types of UAS operations.

Certification and Qualification Requirements

Currently, the only requirement for operating a UAS commercially within the NAS is to

hold a remote pilot certification as established in 14 CFR § 107. In addition, qualifying for a

remote pilot certificate is accomplished solely by passing a written exam, with no need to

demonstrate flight proficiency. While this might be sufficient for simple sUAS operations, it is

expected that operations that are more complex will require a much broader level of training and

testing for pilots before being certified to conduct these operations. We also expect that these

broader requirements will not be the same as those already established for manned air carrier

operations because of differences in how operations are conducted, the type of aircraft employed,

and the level and kinds of automation used. This research effort should assist regulators in setting

requirements for these more complex and specialized operations.

Method

A survey was constructed to gather information regarding the current and expected future

state of UAS training practices that were considered relevant to air carrier-like activities. We

were interested in gathering information from people engaged in different aspects of commercial

UAS activities across a spectrum of responsibilities, from frontline workers to high-level

managers and educators. Specifically, we wanted to poll a variety of experts involved in either

commercial UAS activities or instructors involved in personnel training for commercial UAS

activities.

Stratification and Sample Selection

The strategy employed was to cast a “wide net” of individual experience/knowledge by

probing as many viewpoints regarding UAS operations (including UAS air carrier operations) as

possible. All respondents had to meet three eligibility requirements before providing survey

responses: 1) Must be affiliated with an operation that operates or plans to operate commercial

UAS operations OR be affiliated with a UAS training or educational institution, 2) Must be

affiliated with an organization that has established qualification requirements OR an affiliation

with an organization that develops training requirements/provides training, 3) If affiliated with

an organization that operates or plans to operate commercial UAS activities, the organization

must employ two or more UAS Pilots/Operators.

Participant names and email addresses were gathered from publicly available dockets on

the Federal Register (which identifies corporations who received blanket waivers from 14 CFR §

107), the FAA’s publicly-available Part 107 Waivers website

(which identifies individuals who

https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/part_107_waivers/waivers_issued/

have been granted waivers from 14 CFR § 107, thus known to be involved in commercial UAS

activities), Google searches, and names provided by the research sponsors and contractors. To

accommodate electronic distribution, only those individuals with email addresses on file were

included in the initial sample. Respondents were also encouraged to forward the survey link to

other qualified colleagues. Table 1 presents the different types of respondents that were targeted

for the survey along with our original goal for the number of respondents of each type.

Table 1

Respondent Recruitment Targets

Respondent Category

Target

Small UAS Pilot/Operator (<55 lbs.)

Large UAS Pilot/Operator (≥55 lbs.)

UAS Cargo/Sensor Operator

Supervisor/Manager

UAS Instructor

Engineer

Other Crewmembers

Total

220

A statistical power analysis

demonstrated that 40 respondents per group would result in

a power of 0.8, providing a statistically representative sample of the population. The additional

groups of engineers and other crewmembers were included to provide additional assurance of

generalizability to the UAS industry.

Survey Items

Survey questions were developed to address critical areas in UAS operations. Besides

demographic information, we wanted to cover several topics related to both current and future

UAS operations that could be related to air carrier-like activities (e.g. crew and staffing

requirements, KSA requirements, duty and shift requirements, and training and certification

requirements). The survey was constructed so that not every respondent received the same set of

questions. Branching points were incorporated to route the respondents to the set of questions

appropriate for their particular areas of expertise. Therefore, the number of responses per

question varied. Table 2 provides an exhaustive list of the topics included in the survey. All

survey items were administered electronically via a Qualtrics link.

G*Power software, http://www.gpower.hhu.de/

Table 2

Main Survey Sections

Air Cargo

Instructor, Training

Air Carrier/Unmanned

Abilities

Crew & Staffing

Skills

Crew & Staffing, Fatigue

Organization

Crew & Staffing, Fatigue, Scheduling

Respondent Population

Crew & Staffing, Selection

Training

Crew & Staffing, Workload

Training, Certification

Fatigue & Fitness For Duty

Training, Not Required

Fatigue & Fitness For Duty, Reporting

Training, Required

Fatigue, Naps & Breaks

Training, Required, Recurrent

Instructor, Qualifications

UAS Equipment

Appendix A contains a listing of the questions and graphed responses relevant to the

training requirements portion of the survey. The survey was reviewed by a group of experienced

FAA researchers and sponsors for clarity of instructions and technical details. In addition, beta

testing was conducted within the research team and with a few UAS SMEs to evaluate the

quality of the survey. Feedback from the beta testing was discussed, incorporated, and approved

by all vested parties.

Survey Administration

Upon clicking on the Qualtrics link, respondents received the informed consent notice

that provided them with an overview of the study including the purpose, and informed them

about their rights as volunteer research respondents (i.e., participation is optional, the FAA will

de-identify their data before use). All respondents were asked to provide their consent before

continuing with the survey.

The survey consisted of approximately 147 questions; the exact number of questions

varied because of the customized items based on job role and experience (asked at the beginning

of the survey). Lastly, survey respondents were compensated via a $50 mailed check for their

time spent in completing the survey.

Results

The survey was active for 90 days. Recruitment was short of the 220-respondent target.

Table 3 provides the final respondent count by job role.

An Informed Consent notice is a legal and ethical requirement for research involving human participants. This

study was separately reviewed and approved by the CAMI Institutional Review Board and by the Office of

Management and Budget (OMB Control No. 2120-0803).

Table 3

Final Respondent Recruitment

Respondent Category

Target

Recruitment

Final

Recruitment

Job Role

(%)

Small UAS Pilot/Operator (<55 lbs.)

29.5

Large UAS Pilot/Operator (≥55 lbs.)

8.1

UAS Cargo/Sensor Operator

2.3

Supervisor/Manager

26.0

UAS Instructor

23.7

Engineer

2.9

Other Crewmembers

7.5

Total

220

173

100.0

Eligibility

One hundred and seventy-three respondents met the eligibility requirements of the

survey. Of these, 131 (75.7%) reported being affiliated with an organization that operates or

plans to operate commercial UAS operations and 42 (24.3 %) of those reported being affiliated

with a training or educational organization. Additionally, 107 (61.8%) reported working with an

organization with established qualification requirements, and 66 (38.2 %) reported being

affiliated with an organization that develops pilot requirements or provides training (Figure 1).

To be considered a valid respondent, the organization for which they are employed needed to

employ two or more UAS operators. The number of operators employed by each organization

and the percentage of organizations with the number of pilots employed per industry sector are

provided in Figure 2.

Figure 1

Respondents Who Work with an Organization that Operates/Plans to Operate UAS;

Organizations that Have Established Pilot Qualifications (n = 173)

75.70%

24.30%

61.80%

38.20%

I work with a crew that

operates, or plans to

operate, UAS

I am affiliated with an

institution that provides

UAS training

I work for an

organization that has

qualification

requirements

I work for an

organization that

develops requirements

or provides training

Figure 2

Number of Pilots Employed by Each Organization (n = 127)

Demographics

Participants mainly worked in organizations with 10 or fewer pilots, a finding that holds

true across each industry. The military and shipping industries appeared to have the largest

percentages of organizations employing more than 40 pilots (see Figure 3).

Only three respondents reported being associated with current or future UAS passenger

transport; however, there were 23 respondents associated with package delivery (see Table 5).

These respondents would be most associated with future air carrier-like UAS operations;

however, most current UAS operations are not concerned with these future operations at this

time.

Results include only respondents who indicated ‘I work with an organization or crew that operates, or plans to

operate, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)/drones)’ see Appendix A, Section A. Demographics)

Figure 3

Pilots Employed by Each Organization, by Industry Sector (n = 127)

Survey respondents reported an average of 7.01 (SD = 5.58) years of experience in their

current job role (Figure 4). The majority of survey respondents indicated that they work within a

drone service organization, with working at a school or other type of training program being the

second most common response (Table 4). Responses for “work within a drone service

organization” in Table 4 only included organizations that used drones to make money. This led

to a substantial number of respondents (n = 38) under the “Works with drones, but none of the

above” response in Table 4 (see Table B3 in Appendix B for a listing of these responses). Table

5, on the other hand, included sectors that used drones in a “not-for-profit” capacity as well as

“for-profit” sectors. The most common sectors for respondents were infrastructure, education,

and emergency response (e.g., law enforcement, search and rescue).

34.2

60.7

69.2

47.8

66.7

59.3

77.5

83.3

72.3

71.2

76.9

24.4

16.4

18.0

26.1

20.4

12.5

4.2

12.8

10.2

7.7

12.2

8.2

2.6

8.7

3.7

8.3

4.3

8.5

7.7

9.8

3.3

2.6

4.4

33.3

7.4

2.5

4.3

3.4

19.5

11.5

7.7

13.0

9.3

7.5

4.2

6.4

6.8

7.7

0.0 10.0 20.0 30.0 40.0 50.0 60.0 70.0 80.0 90.0 100.0

Military

Infrastructure

Agriculture

Shipping

Passenger Transport

Emergency Response

Entertainment/Media

Real Estate

Research

Education

Other

Pilots Employed at Each Organization (%)

Industry Sector

10 or fewer pilots 11-20 pilots 21-30 pilots 31-40 pilots More than 40 pilots

Figure 4

Years of Experience in Current Job Role (n = 168)

Table 4

Commercial UAS Sector that Best Describes Respondents’ Current or Planned Operations (n =

168)

Respondents

Sector Type

Count

(n*)

Percent

(%*)

Drone Service Operator (Uses drones to make

money)

56.5

School or Training Program (Teaches students

about drones)

45.2

Manufacturer of Drones (e.g., drone hardware,

control station equipment, software)

16.7

Works with drones but none of the above

22.6

Note: May sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item as the response option was

“select all that apply”, providing an opportunity for respondents to select more than one option.

The percentage of respondents (percent [%]) is the number of respondents to the item, out of the

total number of respondents.

Table 5

Commercial UAS Industry that Best Described Respondents’ Current or Planned Operations (n

= 168)

Respondents

Industry Type

Count

(n*)

Percent

(%*)

Military or Military Contractor

24.4

Infrastructure (e.g., energy, roads, construction)

36.3

Agriculture

23.2

Shipping Package Delivery

13.7

Passenger Transportation (Air Taxi)

1.8

Emergency Response (e.g., law enforcement, search and rescue)

32.1

Entertainment and Media (e.g., news, film-making)

23.8

Real Estate

14.3

Academic/Scientific Research

28.0

Education

35.1

Other

7.7

Note: May sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item as the response option was

“select all that apply”, providing an opportunity for respondents to select more than one option.

Over ninety percent of respondents currently hold a license or certification to fly a UAS

(see Table 6). Respondents who held a certificate that was not listed as an option indicated their

certificate in a text entry box (see Table B5 in Appendix B).

For responses for ‘Other’ UAS industries not in response list see Appendix B: Table B4 for a list of written

responses

Table 6

Certifications Held by Respondents Who Currently Have a License or Certification to Fly a UAS

(n = 158)

Respondents

License or Certification Type

Count

(n*)

Percent

(%*)

14 CFR § 107 certificate (e.g., remote pilot certificate)

143

90.5

14 CFR § 61 certificate (e.g., manned pilot certificate)

31.6

Non-certificate: Fly Drones under hobbyist exemption

(I fly drones as a hobby)

27.2

Instrument Rating

25.3

Military-qualified (RPA) pilot

13.9

Other

8.9

I do not hold a certificate

1.9

Non U.S. (foreign) license

0.6

Note: May sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item as the response option was

“select all that apply”, providing an opportunity for respondents to select more than one option.

Qualification Requirements

Instructors provided a wide range of responses for the minimum requirements for an

instructor at their organization. Responses ranged from “no formal requirements” (i.e., 0) to 250

hours of launch and recovery time. Some respondents stated that several certifications and/or

degrees with a check flight by a lead instructor were required (see Table B8 in Appendix B. The

most frequently cited minimum requirement for instructors operating UAS was to hold a Remote

Pilot Certification, followed by Organizational-Specific Training (Table 7). The results indicated

similar organizational requirements for UAS Pilots (Table 8). Only 25.2% (n = 30) of

respondents indicated that their company established a minimum number of training flight hours

upon hire (see Figure 5). For those who responded ‘yes’, the average number of required hours

was 127.64 (s = 226.96; see Figure 6).

Results for ‘Which Certifications do you hold’ includes only respondents who indicated they hold a certification to

operate an aircraft see Appendix A, Section A. Demographics).

For a full list of written responses for those who indicated ‘other’ to the certifications they hold see Appendix B,

Section A. Demographics (Table B5)

Table 7

Minimum Requirements for Instructors (n = 80) and Pilots (n = 123) to Operate Drones at

Respondents’ Organization

Instructors

Pilots

Requirements

Count

(n*)

Percent

(%*)

Count

(n*)

Percent

(%*)

Remote Pilot Certification

86.2

111

90.2

Organizational-Specific Training

58.5

Site-Specific Training

29.3

Manufacturer Training

12.2

Other Training

18.8

15.4

Manned Pilot Certification

17.5

8.9

N/A or Don’t know

2.5

2.4

Note: May sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item as the response option was

“select all that apply”, providing an opportunity for respondents to select more than one option.

Figure 5

Required Training Flight Hours upon Hire (n = 115)

Figure 6

If Yes, Flight Hours Required at Hire (n = 28)

Training

Organizational Certifications

Forty-one instructors responded to several questions regarding their organization’s

training certifications and materials. Thirty-nine of the 41 instructors responded to whether their

organization holds certifications to train UAS pilots. Eighteen (46.2%)

respondents indicated

their organization does hold a training certification. Additionally, 43 (31.9%)

respondents

indicated the FAA reviews their organizations’ training material. Thirty-one (22%)

respondents

indicated that another government agency (other than the FAA) reviews their organizations’

training material for UAS Pilots/Operators. Many of the respondents cited military branches or

Department of Defense (DoD), with other less common responses including the National

Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration (NOAA; see Table B11 in Appendix B, Section C). Twenty-eight (22%)

respondents indicated that their organizations’ training material is reviewed by a non-

government organization (see Table B12 in Appendix A, Section D).

Organizational Programs

Instructors and operators associated with a training organization indicated the

certifications and degrees provided by their organization’s training program. These included a

Remote Pilot Certification (14 CFR § 107 compliant), followed by topic-specific certification

(no certification at the completion of program) (Table 8). Top-cited UAS operational training

provided for specific operations included education, emergency response, and infrastructure

inspection (Table 9). Most respondents indicated that they provide manual flight control training

and in-flight automation with pilot controlling takeoff and landing (see Table 10 for other

automation techniques). Respondents’ organizations most commonly provided training to UAS

pilot/operators for multi-rotor (82.5 %) and fixed-wing (61.3%) UAS airframes (Table 11).

Multi-rotor airframes were most commonly equipped with four (95.5%) and six (36.4%) rotor-

blades (Table 12). All respondents indicated that they were provided classroom based training,

and nearly all of the organizations (93.3%) indicated that they performed supervised hand flying

training (Table 13).

Respondents only included if indicated instructor as a job role (n = 39); Bar graph is presented in Appendix A,

Section D.

Respondents included all job types (n = 135); Bar graph is presented in Appendix A, Section D.

Respondents included all job types (n = 141); Bar graph is presented in Appendix A, Section D.

Respondents included all job types (n = 140); Bar graph is presented in Appendix A, Section D.

Table 8

Certification offered at Training Completion (n = 80)

Respondents

Certifications

Count

(n*)

Percent

(%*)

Remote Pilot Certification (Part 107 Compliant)

50.0

We Do Not Offer Any Recognized Certification

31.2

Topic-Specific Certification

30.0

Four-year Degree from a College or University

15.0

Two-year Degree from a College or University

13.8

AUVSI TOP Certification

2.5

Note: May sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item as the response option was

“select all that apply”, providing an opportunity for respondents to select more than one option.

Table 9

Specific Operation Training Provided by Organization (n = 78)

Respondents

Operation Type

Count

(n*)

Percent

(%*)

Education

57.7

Emergency Response

52.6

Infrastructure Inspection

50.0

Academic/Scientific Research

48.7

Agriculture

41.0

Surveillance

41.0

Real Estate

39.7

Entertainment and Media

38.2

Military

35.9

Oil and Gas

34.6

Shipping or Cargo Delivery

11.5

Other

7.7

Passenger Transport

0.0

Note: May sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item as the response option was

“select all that apply”, providing an opportunity for respondents to select more than one option.

See Appendix B, Section C, Table B14 for a list of respondent-provided specific operational training.

Table 10

Automation Techniques Taught during Training Programs (n = 80)

Respondents

Automation Techniques

Count

(n*)

Percent

(%*)

Pilot manually controls the drone, which may

include manipulating the actual flight controls,

minimal automation

86.2

Pilot programs the flight plan, performs takeoffs

and landings

85.0

Pilot monitors flights and only intervenes when

an abnormal event or emergency occurs

65.0

Complete autonomy, no human intervention from

takeoff to landing

28.7

Note: May sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item as the response option was

“select all that apply”, providing an opportunity for respondents to select more than one option.

Table 11

UAS Platforms Institutes Training Provided (n = 80)

Respondents

Airframe Type

Count

(n*)

Percent

(%*)

Multi-Rotor Wing

82.5

Fixed-Wing

61.3

Transition (VTOL, Vertical to Horizontal)

28.7

Single Rotor Wing

13.8

Other

2.5

Note: May sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item as the response option was

“select all that apply”, providing an opportunity for respondents to select more than one option.

See Appendix B, Section C, Table B15 for a list of respondent-provided specific airframe training.

Table 12

Number of Rotors for each Multi-Rotor Wing UAS Training Provided (n = 66)

Respondents

Number of

Rotor Blades

Count

(n*)

Percent

(%*)

4 rotors

95.5

6 rotors

36.4

8 rotors

30.3

1 rotor

6.1

2 rotors

4.5

3 rotors

3.0

10 rotors

1.5

5 rotors

0.0

7 rotors

0.0

9 rotors

0.0

Note: May sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item as the response option was

“select all that apply”, providing an opportunity for respondents to select more than one option.

Table 13

Training Provided by Each Organization (n = 33)

Respondents

Types of Training

Count

(n*)

Percent

(%*)

Classroom Training

100.0

Supervised Hands-on Flight Training

93.9

Computer-Based Training

60.6

Simulation Training

51.5

Note: May sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item as the response option was

“select all that apply”, providing an opportunity for respondents to select more than one option.

Respondents only included those who indicated ‘multi-rotor’ training provided by organization from Table 11.

See Appendix B, Section C, Table B16 for a list of respondent-provided simulation type of training provided (n =

17).

Pilot Training

Respondents answered questions related to pilot training requirements, such as whether

their training materials were submitted to, or reviewed by the FAA (see Appendix A for the

complete set of training questions and responses). Only 31.9% of respondents indicated yes.

They were also asked whether the training materials were submitted to or reviewed by any other

government agency. Twenty-two percent of the respondents indicated yes. The majority of those

respondents identified a military branch or the DoD as the reviewing agency (see Appendix B

Table B11 for the complete set of responses).

All respondents were asked whether their organization provided training and testing on

specific topics. These topics included: 1) requirement to remain clear of and give way to manned

aircraft; 2) distance limitations from other aircraft; 3) prohibition on unauthorized flight beyond

visual line of sight; 4) requirement to flight plan to avoid public use airports and

approach/departure corridors; 5) requirement to communicate with ATC regarding flight

authorizations; 6) training of visual observers and briefing before each flight; 7) procedures to

cease flight when hazardous conditions arise; and 8) procedures covering carriage of hazardous

materials. Approximately 90% of the respondents indicated their organization provided training

and testing for those topics, with the exception of procedures covering the carriage of hazardous

materials, which was covered by only 69% of the organizations.

UAS Instructors were asked to review a list of training topics and identify which ones

they provided training on, as well as rate their importance. Results are provided in Figure 7 and

Figure 8.

Figure 7

Topics Taught by Instructors and Instructors' Ratings of Topic Importance (n = Percent Taught/

n = Importance)

Note: Instructors provided an Importance Rating for each Training Topic on a scale of 1 (Not

Important) to 5 (Extremely Important). Responses may sum to greater than the number of

respondents to the item as the response option was a rate all that apply, providing an

opportunity for respondents to select more than one option. Number of respondents (n) are

reported in pairs for Percent Taught and Importance, respectively.

3.85

4.53

4.03

4.68

4.57

4.33

4.03

4.71

4.12

4.03

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Importance Rating

Percent Taught

Training Topics

Percent Taught Importance

Figure 8

Topics Taught by Instructors and Instructors' Ratings of Topic Importance (continued;

n = Percent Taught/n = Importance)

Note: Instructors provided an Importance Rating for each Training Topic on a scale of 1 (Not

Important) to 5 (Extremely Important). Responses may sum to greater than the number of

respondents to the item as the response option was a rate all that apply, providing an

opportunity for respondents to select more than one option. Number of respondents (n) are

reported in pairs for Percent Taught and Importance, respectively.

As can be seen in these figures, all of the training topics included were taught, according

to at least 80% of the respondents. Ratings of importance for each of the topics were closely

correlated with the percentage taught. Three of the topics, Mission Monitoring, Situational

Awareness, and Risk Assessment, were taught by 100% of the respondents. Topics with a lower

percentage of being taught included Altitude/Distance Estimation, Multi-tasking/Time Sharing,

Teamwork, Leadership, and Time Management. The fact that Altitude/Distance Estimation was

not taught at a higher percentage could be due to systems and/or operations that are flown

4.62

4.41

3.94

4.74

4.89

3.97

4.44

4.82

4.27

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

Importance Rating

Percent Taught

Training Topics

Percent Taught Importance

beyond visual line of sight of the crew. Lower percentage scores for the other topics listed here

may be due to many operations requiring only a single or very few crewmembers, thus lessening

the need for crew cooperation skills.

Respondents were asked if a number of topics were taught specifically for UAS

operations. Figure 9 lists those topics, ranked from the highest percentage of coverage to the

lowest. Looking at the results, we see that topics with the lowest percentage of training coverage

deal primarily with the development of skills required in the manual control of the aircraft.

Topics with the highest percentage of training coverage deal with procedures required for

conducting a full operation from beginning to end.

In addition to asking respondents about topics covered during initial training, we also

asked them about recurrent training requirements as well. When asked whether recurrent training

occurred in-house or by a second party, 78.8% of the respondents indicated the recurrent training

was in-house. When asked how often recurrent training was required, responses varied from as

often as weekly, to once every three years. Figure 10 shows the various recurrent training

periods, along with the number and percentage of respondents indicating each period of recurrent

training.

Figure 9

Topics Taught to UAS Operator/Pilots Ranked by Percent Taught (n = Provided by Topic)

93.4%

92.6%

91.8%

88.5%

88.4%

86.9%

84.3%

82.0%

81.1%

81.0%

80.8%

77.0%

76.0%

75.8%

75.4%

71.9%

70.2%

63.3%

58.3%

55.0%

44.2%

0.0% 20.0% 40.0% 60.0% 80.0% 100.0%

Preflight Procedures (n = 121)

Preflight Preparation (n = 121)

FAA Aviation Regulations (n = 122)

Post-Flight Procedures (n = 121)

Safe and Efficient Operation of the Aircraft (n = 122)

Use of Aeronautical Weather Report and Forecast (n = 122)

Radio Communication Procedures (n = 122)

Accident Reporting Requirements (n = 122)

Takeoff, Landing, and Go-Arounds (n = 121)

Effects of Density Altitude on Aircraft Performance (n = 122)

Use of Aeronautical Charts for Navigation (n = 122)

Navigation (n = 121)

Airport Operations (n = 120)

Use of AIM and ACs (n = 122)

Principles of Aerodynamics, Aircraft Engines, and Systems…

Weight and Balance Computations (n = 120)

Radio Communication Procedures (n = 122)

Night Operations (n = 121)

Performance Manuevers (n = 121)

Stall Awareness and Recovery Techniques (n = 120)

Ground Reference Manuevers (n = 120)

Basic Instrument Maneuvers (n = 120)

Slow Flight and (Aerodynamic) Stalls (n = 120)

Percent of Respondants Taught the Training Topic for UAS Operations

Training Topics

Figure 10

Recurrent Training Intervals (n = 67)

As can be seen in Figure 10, the most common recurrent training was once a year

(40.3%), followed by once every two years (26.87%). All other recurrent training periods were a

much smaller percentage.

Discussion

It was not surprising to find a majority of the respondents worked for organizations

employing 10 or fewer pilots (Figure 2). However, it was disappointing that we were not able to

include a larger sample of respondents for the Large UAS Pilot, UAS Cargo operator, or Sensor

Operator categories (see Table 3). Respondents represented sectors engaged in both for-profit

and not-for-profit activities (Table 5). The large majority of respondents (90.5%) indicated

having a remote pilot certificate (14 CFR § 107); in addition, a substantial number (31.6%) had a

manned pilot certificate as well (Table 6). A majority of respondents (56.5%; see Table 4)

indicated their organizations were either conducting or planning UAS operations, and a sizeable

minority of respondents indicated that their organizations were providing (or were planning to

provide) training programs (see Table 9).

Industry type varied, with no apparent standouts as a leading area of employment among

the respondents. Notably, only 3 respondents reported being associated with organizations

expected to be involved with air carrier-like operations and only 23 were associated with

package delivery (Table 5); however, evidence suggests that these particular industries will grow

Every Week

(1.49%)

Every

Month

(8.96%)

Every Three

Months

(5.97%)

Every 45

Days

(5.97%)

Every 6

months

(7.46%)

Every Year

(40.3%)

Every 17

months

(1.49%)

Every Two

Years

(26.87%)

Every Three

Years

(1.49%)

Number of Respondents

Recurrent Training Intervals

in the future (see Durham et al., 2020; Hu et al., 2022; Torrence et al., 2021). Interestingly, only

about 60% of respondents work for an organization that has established qualification

requirements for crewmembers (Figure 1). Further, there were no established requirements for

instructors across organizations, with some instructors responding “no formal requirements”, but

the large majority (90.2%) stated that a remote pilot certification was required (Table 7).

Responses varied regarding the type of certification offered to students upon completion

of their respective training programs. For instance, only 50% of respondents are awarded a

remote pilot certification upon completion of their training, while 31.2% of the respondents

stated that they were not provided any recognized certification (Table 8). Much of the training

provided by organizations is operationally specific (e.g., agriculture, real estate, infrastructure

inspection; Table 9). Regarding the level of automation taught in the training program, a majority

of respondents (86.2%) indicated their training program primarily taught manual control of the

drone but a similar percentage (85%) indicated training was largely focused on automated

function of the drone, with the exception of the takeoff and landing (Table 10). The types of

systems used for training were mostly multi-rotor or fixed wing systems, with a much smaller

percentage of tiltrotor or single rotor systems (Table 11).

Respondents reported that not only did a majority of organizations require remote pilot

certification (under 14 CFR § 107; 90.2% of respondents), but that their organizations

supplemented Part 107 training with their own organization-specific training (58.5%), and with

additional field training (86.7%). This finding suggests that certification requirements might

have to include operation-specific training or be flexible enough to satisfy requirements across a

broad spectrum of operations.

Training topics were largely similar, as no less than 80% of instructors taught a given

queried topic (Figure 8). Interestingly, the pattern of topics taught by instructors appears to

roughly match the ratings of importance that the instructors attached to each topic, however;

when broken down further there are some notable variations (Figure 9). Some topics, such as

“basic instrument maneuvers” (55%) and “slow flight and (aerodynamic) stalls” (44.2%) were

taught to fewer students than other topics such as “preflight procedures” (93.4%) and “preflight

preparation” (93.4%). Although these differences are driven by different needs of the UAS

industry, further research will be needed to understand whether this finding represents a need for

improvement in training procedures and certifications.

The majority of respondents indicated recurrent training occurred every year (40.3%).

However, Given the rapid changes in UAS operations, the finding that over a quarter of

respondents received training every two years (26.9%) may indicate an opportunity for improved

and up-to-date training practices for these operators.

It should be noted that there are some limitations to the survey itself that must be

acknowledged. The primary limitation of this survey pertains to a variety of job roles that were

under-represented by respondents (e.g., UAS pilots > 55 lbs. and sensor operators) while some

job roles were over-represented, such as supervisors and UAS instructors making up

approximately half of all respondents sampled. Further, a portion of the total respondents belong

to an undefined ‘other crewmember’ job role which could have skewed results related to

perceptions and experiences with training, or which could have created other inconsistencies. In

addition to issues with representative sample sizes across job roles, it should be recognized that

the majority of respondents have no more than 10 years of experience in their current job role,

which is both to be expected given the newness of UAS operations, and which could have

skewed results in the current and associated reports.

Conclusion

While there is substantial overlap between UAS training topics and those in manned

aviation, there are important differences as to which topics are given more emphasis. Many

topics dealing with flight control skills are not emphasized in UAS training curricula as much as

they are in manned flight training. This finding is most likely due to many current UAS being

highly automated, with a large number containing no reversionary modes that require or even

allow manual control of aircraft surfaces. While this approach requires higher levels of reliability

for automated functionality to maintain a proper level of safety, it also reduces training

requirements involving hand-eye coordinated skills.

A second important finding regarding training was the substantial number of

organizations that focus on some level of operation-specific training topics. At present, besides

the requirements established in 14 CFR § 107, there are no training regimes that allow a graduate

of a training program to be prepared to operate across a large variety of operations without some

type of operation-specific training. This finding speaks more to the large variety of operations,

systems, and pilot/system interface designs than anything else. To date, there are no established

control station design standards. This lack of standardization almost guarantees that training on

one system will not transfer to other systems. It also creates the possibility of negative transfer

between systems, which could create potential safety issues. This possibility becomes more

critical as the industry eventually transitions to air carrier-like operations, especially those

involving passenger transport.

One approach to handling the large variety of systems and system interfaces suggested by

an SAE International working group (SAE International, 2016) was to establish a set of

restrictions that could be placed on a UAS pilot certification. Examples of these restrictions

include Off-Airport Operations Only, Daytime Operations Only, Automated Landings Only,

Automated Takeoffs Only, and others. The reader is directed to SAE document ARP5707 (2016)

for more detailed information.

In general, the results of the survey suggest an important role for regulators to provide

guidance for how UAS operators should be trained. Interest among respondents to provide

training programs is likely due to the growing interest and need in providing UAS services. This,

in turn, suggests a role for FAA to provide guidance and regulations to ensure a safe NAS

complemented with operators trained with necessary and sufficient Knowledge, Skills, and

Abilities as UAS operations increase over time.

Recommendations include frequent assessment of industry SMEs to identify and

understand opportunities for training, and guidance for organizations based on identified best

practices. The development and introduction of new levels of certification will also be needed in

the future to ensure proper training and knowledge across operators.

Overall, the results suggest that organizations recognize the importance of the FAA’s Part

107 certificate, but that real-world operations requires further training provided by organizations.

It will be necessary to consider type certifications for UAS operations and systems as there are

for manned aircraft operations. For example, a commercial transport pilot requires a different

certification than a general aviation pilot. Such considerations will also be required for

commercial UAS operations. Different skillsets are required and therefore different certification

should be considered for operators carrying large cargo versus operators performing aerial

photography. Under current regulations, UAS air carrier operators must apply for an airline

certification but as demonstrated by the results of the survey the skills and safety checks between

manned air carrier operations and UAS are different and thus may require a new type of

certification process.

The variety of industries represented by respondents suggests that UAS are operating in

very different use cases. When coupled with the finding that organizations are requiring further

organization-specific training for their UAS pilots, the results overall suggest that certification

requirements may need to more nuanced, with different training requirements perhaps dependent

on use case.

References

Durham, J. D., Hu, P. T., Baumgartner, H. M., & Nesthus, T. E. (Under Review). UAS air

carrier operations survey: Fatigue. Federal Aviation Administration, Office of

Aerospace Medicine.

Durham, J. D , Mofle, T. C., Nesmith, B. L., Hu, P., Fercho, K. A., & Nesthus, T. E. (2020).

Literature review and annotated bibliography (1990 – 2019): Duty time, shift work, and

operator fatigue for consideration of unmanned aircraft systems in air carrier operations

(Report No. DOT/FAA/AM-21/21). Federal Aviation Administration, Office of

Aerospace Medicine.

https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechr

eports/202121.pdf

Hu, P. T., Nelson, B., Nesmith, B. & Williams, K. W. (2022). Annotated bibliography (1997 –

2021): Crew and staffing requirements of unmanned aircraft systems in air carrier

operations (Report No. DOT/FAA/AM-22/06). Federal Aviation Administration, Office

of Aerospace Medicine. https://www.faa.gov/sites/faa.gov/files/2022-

07/Annotated%20Bibliography%20%281997-2021%29-

%20Crew%20and%20Staffing%20Requirements%20of%20Unmanned%20Aircrafts%20

Systems%20in%20Air%20Carrier%20Operations.pdf

Nesthus, T. E, Fercho, K. A., Durham, J. D., Mofle, T. C., Nesmith, B. L., & Hu, P. (2021).

Summary final report for unmanned aircraft systems in air carrier operations: UAS

operator fatigue (Report No. DOT/FAA/AM-21/16). Federal Aviation Administration,

Office of Aerospace Medicine.

https://www.faa.gov/data_research/research/med_humanfacs/oamtechreports/2020s/medi

a/202116.pdf

SAE International. (2016). Pilot training recommendations for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

(UAS) commercial operations (Aerospace Recommended Practice Document No.

ARP5707). SAE International.

Torrence, B., Nelson, B., Thomas, G. F., Nesmith, B. L., Williams, K. W. (2020). Annotated

bibliography (1990 – 2019): Knowledge, skills, and tests for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

(UAS) air carrier operations. Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aerospace

Medicine. https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/57233

Williams, K. W., Hu, P. T., & Mofle, T. C. (Under Review-a). UAS air carrier operations

survey: Crew and staffing requirements. Federal Aviation Administration, Office of

Aerospace Medicine.

Williams, K. W., Mofle, T. C., & Hu, P. T. (Under Review-b). UAS air carrier operations

survey: KSAO requirements. Federal Aviation Administration, Office of Aerospace

Medicine.

A-1

Appendix A.

Survey Questions Related to UAS Training

The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) Civil Aerospace Medical Institute (CAMI)

constructed a survey to gather information about the current state of Unmanned Aircraft Systems

(UAS) operations considered relevant to air carrier flight activities. The survey polled a variety

of people involved in commercial UAS activities from frontline workers to high-level managers

to educators. The survey examined areas related to UAS operations such as crew and staffing,

operator knowledge and skills, duty/rest, and training requirements.

An open invitation to complete the online survey was distributed via email to a sample of

potential respondents with UAS industry, training, or crew experience (N=2,524). Of those, 97

invitations were returned undeliverable resulting in 2,427 invitations delivered directly to

potential respondents. Invitees were encouraged to share the open invitation with other UAS

professionals who met eligibility requirements. Invitees were informed that survey completion

was voluntary and that a third-party contractor would compensate respondents for completing the

survey.

Overall, 173 respondents met the requirements for inclusion: 1) work as crew that

operates/plans to operate UAS, or provides UAS training; or 2) work for an organization with

UAS pilot qualification requirements; and 3) the organization had more than 1 employee. This

report summarizes the survey results for the Training Requirements items.

Example of Report Format

C8b. How important is altitude and distance estimation for your trainees?

Definitions of Descriptive Statistics

Number of Respondents (n): The number of respondents who provided a valid response for an

item.

Mean: The arithmetic average, calculated as the sum of response values for an item divided by

the number of respondents (n) who answered that item. Not applicable (N/A), Don't know, and

No experience to say responses are excluded from calculations and reporting.

Standard Deviation (sd): The measure of dispersion, or spread of values around the mean.

Smaller standard deviation values indicate higher levels of agreement among respondents. Not

A-2

applicable (N/A), Don't know, and No experience to say responses are excluded from

calculations and reporting.

Response Distribution (%): The proportion, or percentage, of respondents that selected a given

response across item response options. Not applicable (N/A), Don't know, and No experience to

say responses are excluded from calculations and reporting.

Frequency Count (n*): The number of times a response option is selected. A frequency count for

‘mark all that apply’ items may sum to greater than the number of respondents (n).

Percent (%) of Respondents: The percent is calculated by dividing the frequency count by the

number of respondents and multiplying by 100.

Median (med): The exact middle data point calculated in a set of rank-ordered values. It is less

affected by extreme values in comparison to the mean, and thus, is relied upon when extreme

values are present in a data set (e.g., total flight hours flown).

Minimum (min): The lowest, or minimum, value provided.

Maximum (max): The highest, or maximum, value provided.

Respondent Eligibility

1. Which of these statements best applies to you?

2. Do you work for an organization with established UAS pilot qualification requirements?

Results for Item 3 include only respondents who indicated ‘I work with an organization or crew that operates, or plans to

operate, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)/drones)’ on Item 1.

3. How many drone operators/pilots does your organization currently employ?

A-3

Section A. Demographics

A1. Currently, what is your primary job role? (required)

Results for Item A1a include only respondents who indicated ‘Other’ on Item A1 and provided a written response.

A1a. In brief, please describe your job role: (See Appendix B. Section A. Demographics for a list of responses)

Results for Item A1b include only respondents who provided a written response.

A1b. In brief, please describe the main responsibilities of your job: (See Appendix B. Section A. Demographics

for a list of responses)

A2. How many years of experience do you have with your current role(s)?

A3. The organization that I work for is, or plans to be, a: [mark all that apply] (required)

A-4

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

A-5

Results for Item A4 include only respondents who indicated ‘Works with drones, but none of the above’ on Item A3 and

provided a written response.

A4. In what capacity does your organization work with drones? (See Appendix B. Section A. Demographics for a

list of responses)

A6. Are you currently trained, licensed, or certified to fly a drone?

Results for Item A7 through Item A8 include only respondents who indicated ‘Yes’ on Item A6.

A7. Which of these certificates do you hold? [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Results for Item A7a include only respondents who indicated ‘Other’ on Item A7 and provided a written response.

A7a. Other certificate(s), please describe: (See Appendix B. Section A. Demographics for a list of responses)

A-6

A8. Which of these certificates are required for your job? [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Results for Item A8a include only respondents who indicated ‘Other’ on Item A8 and provided a written response.

A8a. Other certificate(s), please describe: (See Appendix B. Section A. Demographics A for a list of responses)

A9. Do you hold a Trusted Operator certificate from the Association for Unmanned Vehicle

Systems International (AUVSI)?

Results for Item A9a include only respondents who indicated ‘No, I hold a certificate(s) from another organization’ on

Item A9 and provided a written response.

A9a. What certificate(s) do you hold from another organization? Please describe. (See Appendix B.

Section A. Demographics for a list of responses)

A10. What is your estimate of the number of certified UAS/drone pilots employed by the

organization where you work?

A-7

A5. Please select the industry or sector that best describes the current or planned drone

operations of your organization: [mark all that apply] (required)

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Results for Item A5a include only respondents who indicated ‘Other’ on Item A5 and provided a written response.

A5a. Other industry or sector, please describe: (See Appendix B. Section A. Demographics for a list of responses)

A-8

Section B. Air Carrier Operational Considerations for Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Results for Item B1 through Item B2 include only respondents who indicated ‘Passenger Transport (Air Taxi)’ on Item A5.

B1. If remote pilot control is possible, what should be the lowest level of flight control

automation available to the remote pilot?

B2. If a remote pilot is monitoring multiple aircraft, how many aircraft should be monitored

(maximum)?

Section C. Qualification Requirements

Results for Item C6 include only respondents who indicated ‘Instructor’ on Item A1 and provided a written response.

C6. What are your organization’s requirements to become an instructor? (See Appendix B. Section B.

Qualification Requirements for a list of responses)

C33. What are the minimum requirements necessary for instructors to operate drones at your

organization? [mark all that apply]

A-9

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Results for Item C33a include only respondents who indicated ‘Other’ on Item C33 and provided a written response.

C33a. Other, please describe: (See Appendix B. Section B. Qualification Requirements for a list of responses)

C34. What are the minimum requirements necessary for drone pilots at your organization?

[mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Results for Item C34a include only respondents who indicated ‘Other’ on Item C34 and provided a written response.

C34a. Other training or experience, please describe: (See Appendix B. Section B. Qualification Requirements for a list of

responses)

C35. Does your organization require a minimum number of training flight hours at hire?

A-10

Results for Item C35a include only respondents who indicated ‘Yes’ on Item C35.

C35a. If Yes, what number of flight hours is required?

Section D. Training

D1. Are your drone pilot education and training materials currently submitted to, or reviewed by,

the FAA?

D2. Are your drone pilot education and training materials currently submitted to, or reviewed

by, another government agency (not the FAA)?

Results for Item D2a include only respondents who indicated ‘Yes’ on Item D2 and provided a written response.

D2a. Please indicate which government agency reviews your training materials. (See Appendix B. Section

C. Training for a list of responses

)

D3. Are your drone pilot education and training materials currently submitted to, or reviewed

by, a non-government agency?

A-11

Results for Item D3a include only respondents who indicated ‘Yes’ on Item D3 and provided a written response.

D3a. Please indicate which non-government agency reviews your training materials. (See Appendix B.

Section C. Training for a list of responses)

D4. Is initial training provided within 14 days of hiring a new employee?

D5. Does your organization train and test drone pilots in the following specific areas?

A requirement to remain clear of and give way to manned aircraft at all times

D5. Does your organization train and test drone pilots in the following specific areas?

Distance limitations from other aircraft covering takeoff, landing and in-flight phases,

obstruction clearance limitations, and airspeed limitations

Prohibition on unauthorized flight beyond visual line of sight of the UAS pilot, and a means to

detect-and-avoid other aircraft

A-12

A requirement to plan a route of flight that avoids public use airports and approach and departure

corridors, unless prior authorization is obtained, and alternatives if a flight cannot be completed

as planned

A requirement for remote pilots to communicate with and obtain any necessary authorization

from air traffic control or the controlling agency for each flight in controlled airspace

A requirement that any visual observers be trained by the operator and briefed on the operation

by the pilot in command before each flight

Procedures to cease flight when hazardous conditions arise, or communications or control

become degraded, without causing danger to other persons

D5. Does your organization train and test drone pilots in the following specific areas?

Standards and procedures covering the carriage of hazardous materials

Security procedures and security risks assessments

A-13

Results for Item D7 through Item D26b include only respondents who indicated ‘Instructor (teaches about drones,

regulations, best practices, etc.)’ on Item A1.

D7. Does your organization hold any certifications or authorizations for training drone pilots

and/or operators?

Results for Item D7a include only respondents who indicated ‘Yes’ on Item D7 and provided a written response.

D7a. What kind of certificates or authorizations does your organization hold? (See Appendix B. Section C.

Training for a list of responses)

D8a. Do your trainees receive training in altitude and distance estimation?

D8b. How important is altitude and distance estimation for your trainees?

D9a. Do your trainees receive training in flight skill (e.g., changing direction, maintaining

speed)?

D9b. How important is flight skill (e.g., changing direction, maintaining speed) for your

trainees?

A-14

D10a. Do your trainees receive training in multitasking and timesharing?

D10b. How important is multitasking and timesharing for your trainees?

D11a. Do your trainees receive training in judgment and decision-making?

A-15

D11b. How important is judgment and decision-making for your trainees?

D12a. Do your trainees receive training in communication?

D12b. How important is communication for your trainees?

D13a. Do your trainees receive training in problem-solving?

D13b. How important is problem-solving for your trainees?

D14a. Do your trainees receive training in stress management?

D14b. How important is stress management for your trainees?

A-16

D15a. Do your trainees receive training in mission monitoring?

D15b. How important is mission monitoring for your trainees?

D16a. Do your trainees receive training in map reading?

D16b. How important is map reading for your trainees?

D17a. Do your trainees receive training in weather identification?

D17b. How important is weather identification for your trainees?

A-17

D18a. Do your trainees receive training in planning?

D18b. How important is planning for your trainees?

D19a. Do your trainees receive training in teamwork?

D19b. How important is teamwork for your trainees?

D20a. Do your trainees receive training in leadership?

D20b. How important is leadership for your trainees?

D21a. Do your trainees receive training in takeoff and landing?

A-18

D21b. How important is takeoff and landing for your trainees?

D22a. Do your trainees receive training in situational awareness?

D22b. How important is situational awareness for your trainees?

D23a. Do your trainees receive training in time management?

D23b. How important is time management for your trainees?

D24a. Do your trainees receive training in instrument monitoring?

A-19

D24b. How important is instrument monitoring for your trainees?

D25a. Do your trainees receive training in risk assessment?

D25b. How important is risk assessment for your trainees?

D26a. Do your trainees receive training in navigation?

D26b. How important is navigation for your trainees?

A-20

Results for Item D27 through Item D33 include only respondents who indicated ‘Instructor (teaches about drones,

regulations, best practices, etc.’ on Item A1 or ‘School or training program (teaches students about drones)’ on Item A3.

D27. What certifications or degrees do you offer to those who complete your training? [mark all

that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

D28. What type of operations do you provide training for? [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Results for Item D28a include only respondents who indicated ‘Other’ on Item D28 and provided a written response.

D28a. Other, please describe: (See Appendix B. Section C. Training for a list of responses)

A-21

D29. Do you provide training for night operations (i.e., flights that begin or end after civil

twilight)?

D30. What type of automation techniques are taught during the training program? [mark all that

apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

D31. What types of drones do you provide training on? [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Results for Item D31a include only respondents who indicated ‘Other’ on Item D31 and provided a written response.

D31a. Other drone type (please describe): (See Appendix B. Section C. Training for a list of responses)

A-22

Results for Item D31b include only respondents who indicated ‘multi-rotor wing’ on Item D31.

D31b. Please enter the number of rotors for each multi-rotor wing drone you provide training on.

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

D32. What types of training do you offer? [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Results for Item D32a include only respondents who indicated ‘Simulation training’ on Item D32 and provided a written

response.

D32a. Simulation training (please describe): (See Appendix B. Section C. Training for a list of responses)

A-23

D36. What training topics have you received training on?

Applicable Federal Aviation Regulations [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

D36. What training topics have you received training on?

Accident reporting requirement of the National Transportation Safety Board [mark all that

apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Use of applicable portions of the Aeronautical Information Manual (AIM) and FAA Advisory

Circulars (AC) [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

A-24

Use of aeronautical charts for navigation under Visual Flight Rules (VFR) using pilotage, dead

reckoning, and navigation systems [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

D36. What training topics have you received training on?

Radio communication procedures [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Recognition of critical weather situations from the ground and in flight and the procurement and

use of aeronautical weather reports and forecasts [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Safe and efficient operation of the aircraft [mark all that apply]

A-25

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

D36. What training topics have you received training on?

Effects of density altitude on aircraft takeoff and climb performance [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Weight and balance computations [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Principles of aerodynamics, aircraft engines, and systems [mark all that apply]

A-26

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

D36. What training topics have you received training on?

Stall awareness and recovery techniques [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Preflight preparation [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Preflight procedures [mark all that apply]

A-27

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

D36. What training topics have you received training on?

Airport operations [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Takeoff, landings, and go-arounds [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Performance maneuvers [mark all that apply]

A-28

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

D36. What training topics have you received training on?

Ground reference maneuvers [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Navigation [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Slow flight and (aerodynamic) stalls [mark all that apply]

A-29

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

D36. What training topics have you received training on?

Basic instrument maneuvers [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Emergency operations [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Night operations [mark all that apply]

A-30

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

D36. What training topics have you received training on?

Post-flight procedures [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

D37. What type of drone/UAS training have you completed, outside of your organization’s

requirements?

Computer-based/online training course

Classroom operations training

Classroom drone training

A-31

Simulation drone training

D37. What type of drone/UAS training have you completed, outside of your organization’s

requirements?

Field training using the drone (i.e., in-person flight training)

Supervised on-the-job training (i.e., supervised operating experience)

D37a. Are there other types of drone/UAS training not listed in the previous question that you

have completed outside of your organization’s requirements?

Results for Item D37b include only respondents who indicated ‘Yes’ on Item D37a and provided a written response.

D37b. Other type of training provided outside of your organization, please describe: See Appendix B.

Section C. Training for a list of responses)

D38. The training you completed outside of your organization’s requirements was provided by:

Computer-based/online training course [mark all that apply]

A-32

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

D38. The training you completed outside of your organization’s requirements was provided by:

Classroom operations training [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Classroom drone training [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Simulation drone training [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

D38. The training you completed outside of your organization’s requirements was provided by:

A-33

Field training using the drone (i.e., in-person flight training) [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Supervised on-the-job training (i.e., supervised operating experience) [mark all that apply]

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

D38a. Are there other training requirements not listed in the previous question that are provided

by your organization or by a 3rd party training provider?

Results for Item D38b through Item D38c include only respondents who indicated ‘Yes’ on Item D38a and provided a

written response.

D38b. Other training, provided by your organization, please describe: (See Appendix B. Section C. Training for a

list of responses)

D38c. Other training, provided by a 3rd party, please describe: (See Appendix B. Section C. Training for a list of

responses)

Results for Item D39 include respondents who indicated ‘Pilot/Operator with systems less than 55 pounds,’ ‘Pilot/Operator

of systems equal to/greater than 55 pounds,’ ‘Cargo Operator,’ ‘Sensor Operator,’ ‘Manager or Supervisor,’ or ‘Other’ on

Item A1.

D39. What type of training does your organization require [mark all that apply]?

A-34

n* may sum to greater than the number of respondents to the item (n) due to multiple responses. The %* of respondents is based on the number of

respondents to the item (n).

Results for Item D39a include only respondents who indicated ‘Other training’ on Item D39 and provided a written

response.

D39a. Other required training, please describe: (See Appendix B. Section C. Training for a list of responses)

Results for Item D40 through Item D41 include only respondents who indicated ‘Computer-based/online training course’

on Item D39.

D40. Your organization requires computer-based/online training course. Is this training:

D41. How long is the computer-based/online training course?

Results for Item D42 through Item D43 include only respondents who indicated ‘Classroom operations training’ on Item

D17.

D42. Your organization requires classroom operations training. Is this training:

A-35

D43. How long is the classroom operations training?

Results for Item D44 through Item D45 include only respondents who indicated ‘Classroom drone training’ on Item D39.

D44. Your organization requires classroom drone training. Is this training:

D45. How long is the classroom drone training?

Results for Item D46 through Item D47 include only respondents who indicated ‘Simulation drone training’ on Item D39.

D46. Your organization requires simulation drone training. Is this training:

D47. How long is the simulation drone training?

A-36

Results for Item D48 through Item D49 include only respondents who indicated ‘Field training using the drone’ on Item

D39.

D48. Your organization requires field training using the drone. Is this training:

D49. How long is the field training using the drone?

Results for Item D50 through Item D51 include only respondents who indicated ‘Supervised on-the-job training (i.e.,

supervised operating experience)’ on Item D39.

D50. Your organization requires supervised on-the-job training. Is this training:

D51. How long is the supervised on-the-job training?

Results for Item D52 through Item D53 include only respondents who indicated ‘Recurrent training (repeated

periodically)’ on Item D39.

D52. Your organization requires recurrent training. Is this training:

A-37

D53. How long is the recurrent training? (See Appendix B. Section C. Training for a list of responses)

D54. How often is recurrent training required?

Results for Item D55 through Item D56 include only respondents who indicated ‘Other’ Item D39.

D55. Your organization requires Other required training. Is this training:

D56. How long is the Other required training?

D56

Results for Item D57 include respondents who indicated ‘Manager or Supervisor’ on Item A1 and provided a written

response.

D57. If your organization requires training when integrating a new drone, how long is the new

training? (See Appendix B. Section C. Training for a list of responses)

A-38

B-1

Appendix B. Text Response to Open Ended Questions for Air Carrier Operational

Considerations for UAS: Training

The FAA constructed a survey to gather information about the current state of UAS

operations considered relevant to air carrier flight activities. The survey examined four areas

related to UAS operations: operator knowledge, skills, and tests; duty and rest; training

requirements; and crew and staffing requirements.

The items addressing training requirements included 24 open response items formatted

for text entry. These items typically asked respondents to explain the job roles and training

requirements for UAS operators within their organization. Of those 24 open response items, one

(1) had no response, and is not presented in this report: D37.

This appendix provides responses for the remaining 23 UAS training open response items.

These are verbatim responses with the exception of removing any personally identifying

information and expletives, as needed.

A. Demographics

Item A1a, Item A1 asked for the primary job role of the respondent. Respondents who

indicated ‘Other’ were asked to describe the job role (A1a) as well as the main

responsibility of the job (A1b), Table B1 and Table B2 respectively.

Table B1; Item A1, Table B2; Item A1b,

Table B3; Item A3a, Table B4; Item A5a,

Table B5; Item A7a,

Table B6; Item A8a, Table B7; Item A9a

B. Qualification Requirements

Item C6, Table B6; provides responses from UAS instructors who indicated their job role as

an Instructor and provided a written response for other requirements to be an Instructor at

their organization. The type of requirements for instructors to fly a UAS at their

organizations are presented in Table B9 and requirements for UAS Pilot/Operators are in

Table B10.

C. Training

Item D2a, Table B11 presents responses from instructor for what government agency reviews

their training material, other than the FAA. Item D3a, Table B12 provides a list of non-

government agencies who review UAS training material. Organization level certifications

and authorizations are shown in Table B13 (item D7a). Respondents who answered ‘other’

on Item D28 (What type of operations do you provide training for) are given in Table B14

(Item D28a). Six respondents indicated their organization provides training on other system

than those presented in the survey list (item D31), their written responses are shown in Table

B15 (item D31a). The type of simulation training provided by the organizations are given in

Table B16. Additional training provide from outside training provides and within the

B-2

organization are provided in Table B17 and Table B18, respectively. Third-party training

organization are listed in Table B19. Required training and required reoccurring training

types are in Table B20 and Table B21.

For all tables, each new comment is denoted by an asterisk (*) in the far left column.

Section A. Demographics

Item A1 asked for the primary job role of the respondent. Respondents who indicated ‘Other’

were asked to describe the job role (A1a) as well as the main responsibilities of the job (A1b),

Table B1 and Table B2, respectively.

Table B1

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other’ on Item A1 and Who Provided a

Description of Their Job Role (n = 13)

A1. Currently, what is your primary job role? (required) Other (please describe)

a. In brief, please describe your job role:

* Business Owner

* CEO

* Director, UAS Flight Operations

* I am a Detective with the Sheriff’s Office and also the lead UAS pilot/program coordinator

I am the VP of our company, and manage, operate and maintain UAS above and below 55

lbs

* Marketing Manager

* Operations and also Pilot

* owner/exec

* Part 141 assistant chief flight instructor, airplane

* Pilot and Manager of pilots

* Public Safety Representative

* Research UAS applications, and in that also pilot, but also instruct

* Supervisor and Pilot/Operator of systems equal to/less than 55 pounds.

B-3

Table B2

Descriptions of Job Responsibilities Provided by Respondents on Item A1b (n = 166)

A1b. In brief, please describe the main responsibilities of your job:

* Working with engineers and former NASA astronauts by researching, preparing and

producing media content (Videography, Photography, and/or Drone Content, etc.) for

documentation, training, promotion, sales, and other communicative purposes for both

internal and external audiences. • Monitor and track manufacturing schedule of important

programs • Remote camera operations for static tests

* As a professor of Aeronautical Science teaching our Bachelor of Science in Unmanned

Systems Applications and our Master of Science in Unmanned Systems at [University], I

teach the concepts about UAS operations and safety management. Later, in advanced

classes, I lead students through applications of UAS-related student projects.

* As CEO of our Part 107 test prep and drone flight instruction company, I manage each of

our key team members and set strategy.

* As operations manager, prepare estimates for clients to obtain traffic data for engineering

companies.

* As President I run the business and co-manage field operations which I also participate in

at times

* Associate professor providing ground and flight instruction utilizing sUAS.

* Build and fly drones for various government sponsors.

* Camera operation and weapons guidance on the MQ-9

* CEO/Owner [Company] an unmanned systems and services company

* Chief pilot and instructor, also cfi/i/mei/agi for small growing company, I bring the

mindset of GA part 61 aviation and apply to part 107

* Chief Pilot, team management as well as current/qualified RPIC

* Co-designee, develop, edit, and author Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) training programs.

Ensure federal, state, and local law regulatory compliance for all administrative and

operational documents. Ensure all Safety Management System (SMS) administrative and

operational documents meet all regulatory guidance standards. Perform academic, hands-on

system training, and various UAS simulation and flight operations instruction for civilian

(foreign/domestics), military (foreign/domestics), and other governmental agencies.

B-4

A1b. In brief, please describe the main responsibilities of your job:

* Co-Founder of [Company]. I am responsible for business development and the managing

member of the company. I join the crew on service jobs, provide instructional training and

work with the Airborne Public Safety Association on the NIST sUAS Standard Test

Methods program.

* Conduct training and evaluations for a P135 UAS operation. I also participate in flight

operations.

* Contract MQ-9 Pilot/Instructor for the U.S. Air Force, [Address]

* COO - Operations Management. Flight planning, drone operations and maintenance,

planning and development, FAA and waiver management.

* Coordinate Geospatial program at the college and other public safety programs.

* Criminal Division Commander, UAS Program Commander

* Curriculum development and instruction

* Define operational requirements form local missions. Maintain your aircraft and log

flights. Tran our group of volunteer spotters in operations and safety standards

* Department Chair over the training for our UAS dept.

* Deputy Director of Emergency Management for a County government

* Develop and disseminate testing procedures and standards for response robotics.

* Develop core competencies for UAS operators and sensor operators; help select equipment

to meet mission requirements; train operators; obtain all necessary approvals; oversee

safety; responsible for safe and effective execution of the mission.

* Develop, maintain and teach and 1 year UAS certificate program at a community college

* Direct a non-profit that facilitates the use of unmanned technologies for environmental

research and monitoring.

* Director of Operations

* Director of UAS Operations and Safety - Review operational safety plans, set policies and

procedures for drone use, provide flight instruction and analyze safety metrics.

* Director of UAS Programs. EP for grp 1-3 UAS, Primary UAS Instructor

* Drone & field operator flying under and above the canopy as well as conducting radio

tower inspections

* Drone Pilot for [University] Extension Communications Department for Photo and Video

purposes

B-5

A1b. In brief, please describe the main responsibilities of your job:

* Emergency Management

* Ensures that all flight operations are conducted safely and in compliance with all FAA

regulations, OpSpecs and company policies. Coordinates with the POI on regulatory

requirements and OpSpecs, to ensure the highest level of safety and regulatory compliance.

* Executive Director, [Company], [Company], responsible for "all things uncrewed" for the

[Company].

* Filming and editing all videos for my organization

* Flight and regulatory instructor for a UAS training company.

* Flight instructor for public safety UAS

* flight of uav in response to wildfires

* Flight operations and mission planning

* Flight Operations Manager: I manage upwards of 15 pilots currency and medical

requirements, as well as a fleet of SUAS.

* Flying for the film industry

* Founder and President of [Company], a drone service company that specializes in provide

aerial film to sports teams.

* Geospatial Program Manager and sUAS Pilot and Data Specialist for Emergency

Responses.

* GIS Administrator for company. Gathering, managing data and imagery.

* Help teach the teacher and kids in school about drones and the rules to govern them

* I am a Director of the [University] Drone Center. A research based educational center that

build, maintains, operates, educates, integrates, and provides training with UAS systems.

* I am a drone operator and program administrator for the UAS program of the [Company].

* I am a professor and department chair in the Department of Wildlife at [University] (aka

[University]), as well as a Principal Investigator for projects run through [University]

Sponsored Programs Foundation. For two of my projects, I serve as the primary UAS pilot

for externally-funded research - it is this role that I am writing about in the survey.

* I am a professor at a university. My primary responsibilities include developing course

content, instructing in a lecture setting, instructing in a project setting, supervising a UAS

instructor team, grading, advising, and mentorship.

B-6

A1b. In brief, please describe the main responsibilities of your job:

* I am a scientist that uses drones for animal surveys, we have agency oversight that liaises

with the FAA and has established further protocols in addition to part 107

* I am a software engineer. I develop web based applications and streaming systems to

deliver content to paid students.

* I am a Video Producer/Director at a local PBS affiliate TV station tasked with producing

commercial/educational content for public broadcast.

* I am primarily a civil engineer (previously engineer in training). I maintain a Remote Pilot

Certification for the purpose of operating a small UAS for land surveying purposes. I

develop plans for surveys including verifying airspace, altitudes, and planning ground

control point locations. I often act as the person manipulating the controls for the small

UAS as well.

* I am responsible for building our drone fleet for last mile delivery and other applications

* I am responsible for the operation of the UAS. I collect assets typically video footage used

for marketing purposes. I then edit the footage into marketable deliverables and deliver

them to the client. I also serve as my companys software engineer providing web

development support as needed.

* I am the aviation coordinator and UAS pilot for a large agency.

* I am the Deputy Chief of Special Operations, Research and Training. I supervise our UAS

Unit.

* I am the Director of [Company] UAS Flight Operations. I am a SME for UAS Operations

worldwide both Civil and Military. I design UAS flight operations Airspace, and the

Documented Programs of record.

* I am the drone RPIC that operates and performs various drone jobs.

* I am the founder/CEO of [Company]. We are a Drone Technology company. I am an FAA

Part 107 Pilot having flown 4,000 UAS missions

* I am the Leadin Instructor for the [Company] Fire Academy UAS program

* I am the Lieutenant and Program Manager of our Aviation Unit.

* I am the owner of a Drone Service Provider company, [Company name].

* I am the program coordinator, curriculum designer, and lead instructor at a university UAS

degree program.

* I am the UAS Program Manager and lead FAA Part 107 Pilot in our organization.

B-7

A1b. In brief, please describe the main responsibilities of your job:

* I am the UAS Program Manager for a collegiate UAS program. I develop and oversee the

training for students and professionals

* I am [Company] COO - responsible for national operations and flight management for our

UAS systems.

* I build, own, and operate 12 electric and gas powered RC aircraft and helicopters, some

with FPV or HD recording cameras. I operate these under the FAA rules, and with AMA

insurance as provided by my RC flying organization, of which I am the Vice President.

* I co-coordinate the drone certificate and degree program at [Name] College. I teach

students how to operate drones and process drone data for mapping and surveying

applications.

* I handle sensor integration as well as airframe design. Over the development of the

platform I train and educate or internal personnel.

* I lead the unmanned systems division within a large industrial services company. I oversee

operations, sales, and the backend business in general.

* I manage DOD programs and several are either UAS or C-UAS customers.

* i manage FPL's drone organization that is responsible for the safety, training and

integration of UAS into the company and also all FAA waivers and authorizations as well.

* I manage our UAS program. I am responsible for developing new uses for drones in our

organization and am generally responsible for managing our fleet.

* I oversee advanced technology Initiatives within the [Company], including oversight and

management of the [Company] and oversight of the [Company] participation in the FAA

BEYOND program (the [Company] is the only tribal lead participant in the BEYOND

program).

* I provide private training for customers of small, medium, and large businesses to adopt

drones, learn the Part 107 test, and develop workflows for UAS mapping, GIS analysis,

data collection, and inspection.

* I run the drone studies program at [Name] Junior College, including course development

and delivery.

* I teach young research students how to become FAA Part 107 certified and how to operate

UAVs.

* I train unmanned aircraft system pilots in Part 107 rules and regulations in order to get

them ready for the written qualification test.

* I work as a City emergency manager as well as a communications specialist.

B-8

A1b. In brief, please describe the main responsibilities of your job:

* I’m the Vice President of our company. I operate drones, operate payloads, maintain, and

manage drones for inspection purposes. Above and below 55 lbs. I used to fly for

government contracts overseas in the SUAS, and MEUAS fields

* I'm a Land Surveyor and on some jobs we use a drone to capture imagery above the site.

Sometimes we build an orthomosaic from the drone photos and sometimes we build a 3D

model with the drone photos using Structure from Motion software to get X, Y and Z data

of features on the site.

* IN FIELD PIOT RESPOSIBLE FOR MULTISPECTRAL INSPECTION OF

AGGRIGULTURE

* Instruct

* Instruct military/civilian personnel on the use of UAVs

* Instructing UAS systems for military

* Instructor & Evaluator. When new pilots join the team, I will assist in ground training,

application training, drills, and on-the-job training. Once they have met the minimum

requirements, I conduct checkrides which are oral and practical, as well as conducting

annual line and competency checks.

* Instructor MQ-9 Launch & Recovery Pilot, Instructor MQ-9 Mission Control Element

Pilot, USAF

* Instructor sensor operator operating and teaching camera manipulation, synthetic aperture

radar use, and other equipment usage

* Investigate felony level crimes UAS Program coordinator/lead UAS pilot

* IT director for a construction company

* Launch and recovery instructor for sensor operators. In an FTU school house

* Lead a 4 man operations of a Group 3 UAS

* Lead electrical and firmware engineer for avionics, chief UAS pilot, CEO.

* Maintain automation for building and lighting energy consumption. Maintain HVAC

equipment controls and I use the drone to do visual assessments on buildings faster and

more economical for building sustainability

* Maintain Clients Fly and Maintain Aircraft Compliance

* manage a team of pilots worldwide with the largest number in the USA.

B-9

A1b. In brief, please describe the main responsibilities of your job:

* Manage global Company Unmanned Aerial System program consisting of over 100 drones

of various types and more than 100 drone operators operating in four countries focused on

supporting mining activities.

* Manage group of pilots charged with selling, supporting sUAS.

* Manage team of UAS pilots performing public safety and commercial UAS flights.

* Manage the curriculum and resources for [Name] University's UAS, aviation maintenance,

and aviation administration programs.

* Managing Member/Chief Pilot of an Agricultural Aerial application Company

* My company works with private corporations and government entities looking to establish

drone programs. We write the SOP's, safety procedures, train the trainer programs, risk

mitigation strategies, assist in identifying platforms that satisfy their use-cases and finally

manage/oversee the programs (fleet, pilots, software, etc.).

* Oil and Gas Training, including drone training.

* Operate a commercial delivery drone

* Operate an MQ-9 Reaper as pilot-in-command; conduct intelligence collection (ISR) and

precision strike as required in pursuit of US interests and Joint Forces Air Component

Commander objectives

* Operate drones

* Operate the gimbal and sensor on the aircraft. Assist pilot with checklists and scanning

GCS instruments and warnings. Assist pilot in scanning for traffic during critical phases of

flight. Fly the aircraft and operate the sensor payload when using aircraft that do not

require a 2 person crew.

* Operate UAS drone

* Oversee the management of our UAS program

* Owner of aerial imagery company using Mavik 2 and 3 drones

* owner operator of commercial drone business oversee day to day operations and pilots I

also am licensed and can do pilot work

* owner/Executive: President, Flight Operations

* P107 certified pilot for company Service jobs. VO for company Service jobs. Sales director

for USA retail business. Sourcing and Supply chain manager. Office Administrator.

* Part 107 pilot, cinematographer and photographer.

B-10

A1b. In brief, please describe the main responsibilities of your job:

* Part 141 Assistant Chief Flight Instructor, airplane

* Pilot

* Pilot drone for forest data collection. Chief pilot responsible for compliance with national

airspace.

* Pilot drone for land survey

* Piloting RC helicopters, quadcopters, hexacopters, and fixed wing aircraft and full size

fixed wing aircraft for aerial photography, videography and 3D modeling.

* Plan and operate drone operations

* plan, coordinate and supervise the completion of drone flight operations.

* Police Supervisor over traffic Team. Team employs sUAS platforms for crash/crime scene

documentation.

* Primary Part 107 Certified pilot and trainer.

* Professor and Director of Research Laboratory (teaching, research, and service)

* Professor, Information Systems and Aviation Studies Department [Name] Community

College

* Provide leadership to a collegiate aviation program.

* Provide Search and Rescue services to [County]

* Provide UAS instruction relating to UAS Operations. Serve as the university UAS

Operations program coordinator.

* Provide uas training to disabled veterans for commercial operations and adaptive

recreational therapy utilizing drones

* Provide water rescue service to the town of [County]

* Providing contract training and consulting to major UAS company.

* Public Safety Agency UAS Representative

* Rated aviator, RQ-7 Shadow operator. Engineer for design of survivability requirements

for Army FUAS systems.

* Regulatory compliance

* Remote PIC of sUAS aircraft for residential survey work

* Remote Sensing Lead at [Company], LLC and Manager, University of [Name] Drone Lab

B-11

A1b. In brief, please describe the main responsibilities of your job:

* Research scientist/professor

* Research UAS applications, build and flight test instrumented UA, instruct students

* Responsible for developing targeted strategies to promote [Company] and all its divisions

including Charter, Production, Electronic News Gathering (ENG), Air Medical, Aircraft

Management, and Technology Solutions for Law Enforcement Agencies.

* Sales Manager/COO I take aerial photos for construction projects for both estimating and

marketing.

* Sensor Operator Evaluator and Instructor for MQ-9A. Performs, evaluates and instructs

MQ-9A launch and recovery operations worldwide. Performs, evaluates and instructs

mission support element IMINT, SIGINT and ELINT devices onboard MQ-9A.

* Standardization Instructor Operator

* SUAS instructor

* sUAS Operations and maintenance Instructor/ Large UAS maintenance instructor

* Submit Waivers and ATC Authorizations under FAR Part 107. Support staff with

reviewing airspace and interpreting FARs. Review all incident and accident reports and

council pilots as needed. Assist with staff hiring, write articles for the company email

newsletter, and provide online training to pilots.

* Supervise our UAV program and am a part 107 licensed pilot.

* [Name] training specialist

* Takeoff and landing copilot, checklist reading, data monitoring, camera manipulation.

During flight- aircraft monitoring, communications and camera manipulation.

* Teaching computer programming, manufacturing, and system integration

* Technical Director Archaeology and Drone Pilot for research

* The main responsibilities of my job are to oversee production of a local community access

station and the department that runs the drone division.

* The Owner and operator.

* To test new configurations of a VTOL aircraft, and maintain proficiency in the event a

contract requires deployment.

* To train and educate potential drone pilots in the safe operation of sUAS.

* Training public safety on drone use, regulation, and policy. Also curriculum development

* UAS Coordinator and Remote Pilot

B-12

A1b. In brief, please describe the main responsibilities of your job:

* UAS Detail Coordinator for the [Company] State Police

* UAS operations over agricultural land. We are a team of 15 operators.

* UAS safety standards instructor and flight trainer for potential Part 107 pilots and Part 107

pilots.

* UAS Standardization Pilot

* UAV pilot / aerial videographer, photographer

* UAV remote pilot in command for LLC. Research assistant professor.

* We are a marketing firm that also specializes in content generation where we use drones to

aide in the visuals for people to identify with local business.

* Work with public safety agencies to start and expand UAS programs. COA writing, trainer,

pilot.

* [Company] is a drone delivery platform.

Table B3

Responses Provided by Respondents Who indicated ‘Works with drones, but none of the above’

on Item A3, and Who Provided the Capacity in Which Their Organization Worked With Drones

on Item A4 (n = 38)

A3. The organization that I work for is, or plans to be, a: [mark all that apply] (required)

Works with drones, but none of the above (please describe)

A4. In what capacity does your organization work with drones?

Animal and environment surveying

capture college event images

Crime scene reconstruction, search and rescue

Develops the standards for drones and pilots to be evaluated in the us and abroad.

Drone service operator, but not for monetary compensation.

Emergency services

Federal Emergency Responses

Full spectrum of operations including public safety, agriculture operations, GIS, research and

development, and marketing/communications.

B-13

A3. The organization that I work for is, or plans to be, a: [mark all that apply] (required)

Works with drones, but none of the above (please describe)

A4. In what capacity does your organization work with drones?

Gathering updated aerial imagery and asset inspection.

In support of Military Operations

Land surveys

Law Enforcement/First Responder

less than 55 LBS

Local government use for public safety (not for-profit)

Military

national defense and security

Owner/Operator as a hobby.

Photo/Video/Agriculture and Natural Resources

Police drone operator.

Public Safety

Public Safety Agency

Public Safety Agency using Drones for law enforcement purposes

Research

search and recon

Supplies worldwide ready MQ-9A aircrew for DOD.

Supporting UAS Government Programs including the FAA.

survey jobsites, create 3d models from drone pictures

Use the camera and maneuverability to assess rooftops and maintenance

Uses drones as tools for scientific research

We are a public safety/law enforcement entity. We use drones for in-progress emergencies,

planned large-scale events, and video/photos for evidence and promotional items.

We are a state agency that utilizes drones for environmental uses and also for search and

rescue and documentation of different work activities.

We are an archaeological unit and use drones to look at the landscape

B-14

A3. The organization that I work for is, or plans to be, a: [mark all that apply] (required)

Works with drones, but none of the above (please describe)

A4. In what capacity does your organization work with drones?

We use drone for search and rescue

We use drones for aerial footage to enhance our projects/videos for community based pieces.

We use drones for life safety missions.

We use drones to enhance operational efficiency and safety aspects of various mining

operations.

We use drones to film.

We use them for searches, crime/accident scene photography/videography, and over watch

Table B4

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other’ on Item A5, and Who Described

Their Organization’s Current or Planned Drone Operations (n = 13)

A5. Please select the industry or sector that best describes the current or planned drone

operations of your organization:

[mark all that apply] (required) Other (please describe)

a. Other industry or sector, please describe:

all public safety

Athletics

construction

Film

Imagery for large property management companies and building owners

Law enforcement

Natural Resources Monitoring

Providing adaptive recreational drone therapy for neurological disorders like TBI, and PTSD

to name a few.

Residential Construction

Search and Rescue

Space Industry

Tribal Government

B-15

A5. Please select the industry or sector that best describes the current or planned drone

operations of your organization:

[mark all that apply] (required) Other (please describe)

a. Other industry or sector, please describe:

We fly for fun.

Table B5

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other’ on Item A7, and Who Described the

Certificates They Hold (n = 14).

A7. Which of these certificates do you hold? [mark all that apply] Other (please describe)

a. Other certificate(s), please describe:

ATP

ATP, commercial, single and multi-engine land.

CFI

CFI, CFII

Commercial Cert and CFI.

FAA Class II certification to perform MQ-9A senor operator LR and MCE duties.

Flight Instructor, Airplane Single Engine, Airplane Multi-Engine, Instrument Airplane

Former military officer/pilot

My 14 CFR Part 107 certificate expired in SEP 2018 and is not needed in my current

position. I am trained, certified DCMA Military UAS Pilot (equivalent).

Part 137 Agricultural Operations for UAS Part 61 Student Pilot Certificate

Part 61 student pilot certificate

PPL, CPL, ATP

Technical training…aircrew fundamentals initial qualification training, launch and recovery

training

[Company] Crew Member- Operator and Maintainer

B-16

Table B6

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other’ on Item A8, and Who Described the

Certificates Required for Their Job (n = 12)

A8. Which of these certificates are required for your job? [mark all that apply] Other (please

describe)

a. Other certificate(s), please describe:

Basic Law Enforcement Academy certificate of completion.

Commercial

Experience satisfies the requirement for the company. Flown a variety of UAS for 10 years

FAA Class II certification.

I fly under the FAA rule 49 USC 44809

My 14 CFR Part 107 certificate expired in SEP 2018 and is not needed in my current position.

I am trained, certified DCMA Military UAS Pilot (equivalent).

No certificate required, just training provided by employer.

None

OSHA 10, OSHA 10 Construction.

PPL, CPL

SUAS certification

[Company] Crew Member- Operator and Maintainer

B-17

Table B7

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘No, I hold a certificate(s) from another

organization’ on Item A9, and Who Listed the Certificates They Hold from Another Organization

(n = 18)

Section B. Qualification Requirements

Table B8

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Instructor’ on Item A1, and Who Listed

Their Organization’s Requirements to Become an Instructor on Item C6 (n = 39)

A9. Do you hold a Trusted Operator certificate from the Association for Unmanned Vehicle

Systems International (AUVSI)?

No, I hold a certificate(s) from another organization (please

describe).

a. What certificate(s) do you hold from another organization? Please describe.

Advanced Safety Levels One and Two Certificates from the Unmanned Safety Institute.

advanced sUAS operator, payload operator, [Company] Drones, Inc. National Emergency

Services Academy

- advanced sUAS course graduate

Aerial Applicator [Company]

AMA pilot

AMA Pilot instructor

FAA Part 107

FAA UAS

I have FAA approval [Number] for aircraft less than 55 lbs. I am AMA Member # [Number]

I hold a Safety Certification from Unmanned Systems Institute

Military Form 8, MQ-9 Instructor Pilot

Multiple UAS platform certifications, Instructor certification, Standardization certification,

multiple UAS autopilot certifications, safety certification, laser operation certification, crash

investigation certification

NCDOT UAS Operator Permit

NIST sUAS Standard Test Methods (1) Basic Proficiency; (2) Advanced Proficiency; and (3)

Instructor Certificate issued by the Airborne Public Safety Association

NIST sUAS Standard Test Methods BPERP and Instructor.

PRO Level 3 from Unmanned Safety Institute, OSHA 30, 50+ FEMA certifications, Master

UAS Instructor from USI, Certified SAR Drone Pilot with the Civil Air Patrol

Qualifications through the military

Safety, VLOS, systems and BVLOS certificates from the Unmanned Safety Institute (USI)

Unmanned Safety Institute PRO Pilot/Instructor

B-18

C6. What are your organization’s requirements to become an instructor?

2-year degree minimum, Community College of the Air Force certification, Instructor upgrade,

minimum 25 hours of drone flight.

500 hours observed flight time with instructor Part 107. In-house three week training class,

must pass with 85 percent or better.

500hrs for mission instructor, for launch and recovery IP you must be a mission IP and have an

additional 250hrs of launch and recovery time

6 months of training

75 hours of launch and recovery and knowledgeable.

an organization that is authorized to train and certificate, such as the FAA or NIST or similar

at least 5 years experience, within the last three years.

At least a master's degree or bachelor's with certifications or industry experience.

Be current on a UAV and have 25 hours flying that UAV. Must teach all PPTs and flight

operations.

BS degree, Part 61 Comm Pilot Certificate, Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.

Certification from myself, Remote Sensing Lead, or ownership team.

Due to the relatively inconsistent nature of "UAV flight hours" we do not have a formal flight

hours requirement at the moment but 3+ years of demonstrated UAS experience on a resume

(and a flight checkout with a

chief instructor) are our typical requirements. We tend to

prioritize geospatial or engineering experience over pilot proficiency due to the nature of the

work as training mostly for GIS, survey + data collection. The drone instructor role and data

capture

/processing instructor role are usually one and the same.

Extensive part 107 knowledge and EP Experience.

FAA Part 107, supervised flight demonstration of abilities

FAA remote pilot certification

Have a 107 and 100 hrs of flight time

Hold Part 107 certification.

Internally developed training program, including training on advanced operations, policy and

flight instruction

Long process that extensive knowledge must be demonstrated

Manned private pilot, remote pilot certificate, first or second class medical, 6 months on the

job experience and 120 hours crew duty hours, FAA line/observation check post 135

certificate

Meet the minimum state qualifications for teaching in the discipline and a current holder of the

Part 107 certif

icate.

Minimum 6 months experience in operations at the company. Must have P61 pilot certificate.

Must complete instructor training.

Minimum Part 107 certification with a high level of UAS experience

Minimum number of hours and experience

B-19

C6. What are your organization’s requirements to become an instructor?

Part 107 Certificate Adult Education Experience

Part 107 certification Internal safety and operation training

Part 107 certification and Part 61 certificate

Part 107 Remote Pilot certificate

Part 107, 100 flight hours, public safety experience

Part 107, 5 years industry experience

Part 107, flight review, in-depth FARAIM knowledge

Part 61 rating and or extensive UAS experience.

Pass our AVIA 235 and 236 courses, Pass a checkride, have a part 107

Remote pilot certificate, teaching adult learners certificate, background check, child abuse

clearance

System knowledge, 150 flight hours on system, total time as operator, flight exam, knowledge

test exam, additional required training

taken our in house instructor course taught by chief instructor

To be qualified as a Remote Pilot Instructor, a person must possess a Remote Pilot Certificate,

and AUVSI TOP Level 3 Remote Pilot Instructor certification and complete either our

SUAS4000FOI or the Worldwide_Student_TOP_Instructor_Addon

course; and be designated

by the Chief Pilot.

UAS certificate, Part 61 pilot certificate or Ground Instructor certificate.

Verifiable prior RPAS instructional experience (military or civilian), Part 61 CFI preferred

Table B9

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other training’ on Item C33, and Who

Listed the Minimum Organizational Requirements Necessary for Instructors to Operate Drones

(n = 14)

C33. What are the minimum requirements necessary for instructors to operate drones at

your organization?

Other training (please describe)

a. Other, please describe:

APSA NIST Proctor/Instructor

Continuing education training, semi annual examinations

Illinois state basic operations firefighter

Industry specific training on Safety, Regulatory Guidance, or other as directed by contract.

Instructor Training

internal RFI training

Minimum 50 hours of operational experience for instructor selection training. Minimum 100

hours of operational experience

for evaluator selection training and a management course.

NIST UAS

Sworn Law Enforcement experience.

B-20

C33. What are the minimum requirements necessary for instructors to operate drones at

your organization?

Other training (please describe)

a. Other, please describe:

Teaching training

TOP Level 3 Remote Pilot Instructor training and certification at our Worldwide Campus.

Train the Trainer course

Training involving learning types and ethical testing procedures.

We require each of our instructors to have a minimum number of multirotor flight hours. And

coaching/teaching experience that we suss out during our application.

Table B10

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other training or experience’ on Item C34,

and Who Listed Their Minimum Training or Experience Requirements (n = 19)

C34. What are the minimum requirements necessary for drone pilots at your organization?

[mark all that apply]

Other training or experience (please describe)

a. Other training or experience, please describe:

Aircraft specific and operation-specific training

At least 50 hours of Part 107 UAS operations time.

Basic Law Enforcement Academy Completion Certificate

Cinematography & Photography skills

Co tracts provide additional requirements as specific to the job location or industry including

DoD specific requirements. Some Civil operations require Industry specific compliance or

safety training.

Different clients may require additional training for each pilot with various platforms or

proprietary software.

FAA TrUST Certificate for our pilots and technicians. NIST

Flight hours and inhouse training for BVLOS operations (where BVLOS operations are

approved)

LOGGED HR REQUIREMENT FAMILIARARITY WITH PLATFORM

Manuel tree audit tasks, driving tasks, radio communications tasks

Manufacture training when available.

Military form 8

New crew members shadow experienced team before becoming full company authorized pilot.

Our own operational safety courses classroom, and in the field hands on flight training and

evaluation

Pesticide, Herbicide, Right of way

Previous experience with the autopilot software necessary to operate aircraft

Time as an effective police officer.

B-21

C34. What are the minimum requirements necessary for drone pilots at your organization?

[mark all that apply]

Other training or experience (please describe)

a. Other training or experience, please describe:

We do a comprehensive in house flight training which includes a practical and or oral exam.

Also require all students to pass a timed indoor flight course (using Syma's) and after the flight

training exams also needs to complete two missions before becoming a RPIC for our agency.

We require each of our instructors to have a minimum number of multirotor flight hours. And

coaching/teaching experience that we suss out during our application.

Section C. Training

Table B11

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Yes’ on Item C5, and Indicated Which

Government Agency Provided Review of Their Training Materials (n = 30)

B-22

D2. Are your drone pilot education and training materials currently submitted to, or

reviewed by, another government agency (not the FAA)? Yes (please describe)

a. Please indicate which government agency reviews your training materials:

AFSOC

Air Force

Army Aviation Training and Doctrine

California Community College Chancellor’s Office, as part of certificate approval.

Civil Air patrol

Department of Defense

Department of Navy

Department of the US Air Force

Different classes and programs have different potential governing bodies. Out manned

flight courses go through a lot of FAA review. Our UAS courses have no governing body

other than the accreditation standards at the college level.

DoD

DOD

DOD customers

DoD, FAA, DOI, DOJ, CBP, DHS, Kansas Department of Transportation, Florida

Emergency Management

DOD, US State Department, UN, others depending on contract requirements

DOI

DOI IAT program and Region Training Coordinator

Idaho Division of Career and Technical Education

Maryland department of education

Military

NASA, NOAA, DOE

NOAA agency manages drone pilots and reviews/approves our paperwork and missions.

Any communications with the FAA are conducted and funneled through NOAAs aircraft

operations centers UAS program

B-23

NOAA, USDA, FAA, DOD, DHS and Cherokee Nation

Several, most notably the department of homeland security uses them for training and

APSA uses them for credential in. Developed by the department of commerce

State of North Carolina

U.S. Air Force

United States Air Force

United States Army government liaison

USA, USN, USAF, USMC, DOE, DOI, DOJ

USAF

Table B12

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Yes’ on Item C3, and Indicated Which Non-

Government Agency Provided Review of Their Training Materials (n = 28)

D3. Are your drone pilot education and training materials currently submitted to, or

reviewed by, a

non- government agency? Yes (please describe)

a. Please indicate which non-government agency reviews your training materials:

AABI

Accrediting body

All program documents are reviewed as directed under specific contract. This may include

State agencies, Educational Institutions, other Industry certifying agencies. Too many to list

here.

APSA - NIST

ARGUS

ASA

ASTM International

AUVSI

AUVSI for our TOP Training Provider certification.

Aviation Accreditation Board International’s (AABI)

Clients and Universities as required

Clients. Specific and determined per project. Based on complexity, location, airspace and

scope of work/d

eliverables.

CTI

Customers

DCJS

Disney, Universal Studios

B-24

D3. Are your drone pilot education and training materials currently submitted to, or

reviewed by, a

non- government agency? Yes (please describe)

a. Please indicate which non-government agency reviews your training materials:

General Atomics

Internal as well as some of our training clients are law enforcement and first responders

IS-BAO

Kansas State University, North Carolina University, Auburn University, Embry-Riddle

Aeronautical University, Colorado University, United States Air Force Academy

MABAS Illinois

Our client flight departments may choose to review our program.

Our training materials have been submitted and are disseminated by the National Science

Foundation funded National Center for Autonomous Technology (NCAT) and Geospatial

Technology Center of Excellence.

Program is guided by a Technical Advisory Committee comprised of numerous industry UAS

operators

The Aviation Modelers Association of America, the AMA.

Unmanned Safety Institute

Virginia and Maryland Community College system

Wounded Eagle UAS

Table B13

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Yes’ on Item C7, and Who Listed the

Certificates or Authorizations Held by Their Organization (n = 18)

D7. Does your organization hold any certifications or authorizations for training drone

pilots and/or operators?

Yes (please describe)

a. What kind of certificates or authorizations does your organization hold?

2 year collage Degree

Airborne Public Safety Association NIST BPERP Proctors (most instructors).

AMA Flight Instructor

Auvsi TOP

AUVSI TOP Level 3 Remote Pilot Instructor.

CCAF and initial qualification training on several group 1 systems

Certificate of training

Certified to teach military personnel

Created BUQ Level II courseware certified by Department of Navy

FAA colligent UAS trainers

FAA part 61 cfi/i/mei/agi, NIST proctor and one person in organization is an authorized NIST

Instructor

B-25

D7. Does your organization hold any certifications or authorizations for training drone

pilots and/or operators?

Yes (please describe)

a. What kind of certificates or authorizations does your organization hold?

Form 8 qualifications.

In the process of obtaining our part 135 certificate

levels of UAS operators, visual observers, mission briefer, mission coordinator, PIC, mission

approval

military formal training

part 107 and drone center flight authorization

teaching adult learners (24 hr course)

Unmanned Safety Institute PRO Pilot Level 1 and 2 curriculum.

Table B14

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other’ on Item C28, and Described the

Type of Operations Provided for Training (n = 6)

D28a. What type of operations do you provide training for? [mark all that apply] Other

(please describe)

Other, please describe:

2D and 3D mapping.

Aerial Mapping

all public safety

Disaster Response, Data Gathering

Drone training workshops for hands on flight instruction

Mapping and surveying

Table B15

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other’ on item C31, and Indicated the Type

of Drones They Provide Training on (n = 2)

D31. What types of drones do you provide training on? Other (please describe)

a. Other drone type (please describe):

Multicopter

Rear prop

Table B16

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Simulation training’ on Item C32, and

Indicated the Type of Simulation Training They Provide (n = 17)

B-26

D32. What types of training do you offer? Simulation training (please describe)

a. Simulation training (please describe):

Computer simulations.

Drone Flight Simulators

Flight skill development and also flight software training

Laptop and hand controls

Mission Planner, Zephyr, DJI Flight Sim

Real Flight R/C simulator

Real flight Simulator, Drone Racing Simulator, and DJI flight simulator,

SimLat simulator training

Simulation used on all systems that have one. Mainly used for buttonology

Simulations used for initial training and poor weather days

Simulators.

The students preform take off, mission planning, flight of the UAV and emergency procedures.

Use of simulator prior to actual flights for training on controls to operate the SUAS

Use Real Flight for entry level training. Use simulator feature in Mission Planner for

automated flight training.

Utilize Aero-SimRC and included simulator training course to provide initial fixed-wing

manual control training.

We use simulation training to prepare our students for BVLOS operations. We call this

operation Remote Split Operations (RSO), whereas the instructor (RPIC) and VO are local

with the aircraft and maintain VLOC at all times; however, we transfer control to

our students

(persons manipulating the controls), who are not at the local flying site. We group students as a

team of two or three. They each have a role in the operation (i.e., remote pilot, visual observer,

data exploiter). The training is required by t

he FAA-issued COA. For this operation, we use

either UgCS or Swift GCS software (depending on the aircraft flown) in both simulation and

live flight. We also use RealFlight and an internally

-developed simulator in our online

courses. Our sister campus at

Daytona Beach uses Piccolo Command Center (PCC) in

simulation and live flight.

Zepher

Table B17

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Yes on item C37a, and Described the

Training Provided outside Their Organization (n = 11)

D37a. Are there other types of drone/UAS training not listed in the previous question that

you have completed outside of your organization’s requirements?

Yes (please explain)

D37b. Other type of training provided outside of your organization, please describe:

Annual Check ride

B-27

D37a. Are there other types of drone/UAS training not listed in the previous question that

you have completed outside of your organization’s requirements?

Yes (please explain)

D37b. Other type of training provided outside of your organization, please describe:

Business Training

Cinematic bitrates and smooth drone operation speeds for different cinematic effects.

FAA's remote-pilot computer-based training/testing.

Flight Training

Flight training for ATP license

NIST UAS

Self study for test

Skills class

sUAS platforms for personal and entertainment use.

UAS Night Flying

Item C38a assessed other training requirements not listed on Item C38 that provided training by

your organization or by a 3

party training provider. Item asked if the respondent’s other training

was provided by your organization (C38b) or by a 3

party provider (C38c). Those respondents

who indicated ‘Yes’ were asked to describe (C38b) Table 18 and (C38c).

Table B18

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Yes’ on Item C38a, and Described the

Additional Training Provided by Their Organization on Item C38b (n = 1)

D38a. Are there other training requirements not listed in the previous question that are

provided by your organization or by a 3

party training provider?

Yes (please describe)

b. Other training provided by your organization, please describe:

NIST UAS

Table B19

Responses Provided by Respondents who Indicated ‘Yes’ on Item C38a, and Described the

Training Provided by a 3

Party on Item C38c (n = 2)

D38a. Are there other training requirements not listed in the previous question that are

provided by your organization or by a 3

party training provider? Yes (please describe)

c. Other training provided by a 3

party, please describe:

Area Safety Council offers our client training programs for other than drone specific training.

CRM Crew Resource Management, provided by a contractor, Crew Training International

(CTI)

B-28

Table B20

Responses Provided by Respondents Who Indicated ‘Other training’ on Item C39, and listed

Training Required by Their Organization (n = 11)

D39. What type of training does your organization require? [mark all that apply] Other

training (please describe)

a. Other required training, please describe:

Agricultural Aerial Applications

Industry safety training and client site specific.

Instructor Training when required

Integration of multi-agency air operations such as Search and Rescue.

Manufactures Training, Payload Training, Specialized Sensor Training.

My agency covers all of those “training” categories mentioned in the earlier pages through

policy documents and many of those training aspects are covered via the remote pilot exam

studying. We do not have official training in many of those items but we have policies

outlining those aspects and the agency is always available fo

r further consultation if we have

any questions. Our pilots are very precautionary and ensure we are compliant with all FAA and

agency policies

night operations refresher

Not required, but it's recommended that the drone pilots attend drone flights accompanied by

an experienced pilot for on

-location "training".

Other Industry Specific training as required by individual contract.

Prior military UAS training

software, payload specific, hazard identification and risk mitigation strategies

Table B21

Responses Provided by Respondents who Indicated ‘Recurrent training’ on Item C39, and Listed

Frequency of Recurrent Training on Item C54 (n = 68)

D54. How often is recurrent training required?

1 year

1 Year

12 months

12 times a year

17 months

2 years

2 Years

B-29

D54. How often is recurrent training required?

2 Years

45 days

6 months

6mo

annual

Annual

annually

Annually

Annually or as needed

annually or as required due to other events - illness, life event, etc.

Annually, or if currency lapses every 90 days

anually

bi-annual

biannual

Depends on currency, 60/90/180. 60 consist of a evaluated flight, 90 consist of a written test

and a evaluated flight, and 180 consist of an abbreviated qualification course, written test, and

an evaluated flight.

Every 12 months

every 2 years

Every 2 years

Every 24 months.

Every 3 months

every 3 years

every 45 to 60 days

Every 6 Months or if new hardware being used

B-30

D54. How often is recurrent training required?

every 6-months

Every Quarter

every two years

every year

monthly

Monthly

Monthly or every other month depending on the skill

Once a week

Once every two years

Once per year or more frequent if needed.

one flight, at least once every 45 days.

Quarterly

Quarterly flights for currency and every other year recurrent training

semi annual

yearly

Yearly