Remote Pilot Certification

FAA Part 107 Prep — Certification, RPIC, Registration & Core Part 107 Rules

1. Learning Objectives

By the end of this lesson you will be able to:

• Explain and correctly apply the Part 107 eligibility and certification requirements — who needs a Remote Pilot Certificate, who may manipulate the controls, and the eligibility rules of §107.61 — as tested on the Part 107 exam.
• Describe the full certification path (FTN → knowledge test → IACRA application → TSA vetting → temporary and permanent certificate) and the §107.65 recency requirement needed to keep exercising remote pilot privileges.

2. Plain-English Explanation

Here is the deal in one sentence: if you want to be in charge of a drone flight under Part 107, you need a Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS rating, and you need to keep it current.

Who actually needs the certificate?

Part 107 splits drone flying into two roles, and the exam loves this distinction:

1. The remote pilot in command (RPIC) — the person responsible for the flight. To act as RPIC, you must hold a Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS rating and meet the recency requirement of §107.65 (§107.12; FAAREF-003).
2. The person manipulating the controls — the person with their thumbs on the sticks. This person must either hold the certificate themselves (and meet §107.65 recency) or be flying under the direct supervision of an RPIC who has the ability to immediately take direct control of the aircraft (§107.12; FAAREF-003).

That second path is how a certificated pilot can legally let a trainee, a coworker, or even a client fly the drone: the RPIC stands right there, supervising, ready to take over instantly. If the RPIC cannot immediately take control — say they are across the field, or the trainee is on a separate controller with no handoff capability — the arrangement is not legal.

Eligibility: can you even get the certificate? (§107.61)

To be eligible for a Remote Pilot Certificate you must (§107.61; FAAREF-023):

• Be at least 16 years old
• Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English (the FAA may make exceptions for medical reasons, such as a hearing impairment)
• Be in a physical and mental condition that allows safe operation of a small UAS — note this is a self-assessment standard, not an FAA medical certificate
• Pass the initial aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center — or, if you already hold a Part 61 pilot certificate and have a current flight review, complete the FAA's free online training course instead

The application path (§107.63)

Once you pass the knowledge test, the path looks like this (§107.63; FAA "Become a Drone Pilot" page; FAAREF-024/027):

1. Get an FTN (FAA Tracking Number) by creating an IACRA profile — you actually need this before you take the knowledge test, since the testing center requires it.
2. Pass the initial aeronautical knowledge test.
3. Apply for the certificate through IACRA (FAA Form 8710-13, filed electronically), attaching your knowledge test results.
4. TSA security vetting runs in the background on every applicant.
5. Once vetting clears, you can print a temporary certificate, valid for 120 days — you may exercise remote pilot privileges with it while the permanent card is processed and mailed.

Staying current (§107.65)

Passing the test once is not enough forever. Section 107.65 lists three ways to stay current. You must have done one of them within the previous 24 calendar months (§107.65; FAAREF-025):

1. Passed an initial aeronautical knowledge test covering the areas in §107.73.
2. Completed recurrent training covering the areas in §107.73 — the FAA's free online course (ALC-677) is the usual path. It replaced the old paid in-person recurrent knowledge test.
3. If you hold a pilot certificate other than a student certificate and you meet §61.56: complete the training in §107.74 within the previous 24 calendar months. The FAA's free course for that path is ALC-515. Meeting §61.56 is a qualification for this method. It is not a step you do and then the training, and a flight review alone does not satisfy §107.65.

A flight review alone does not satisfy §107.65. Takeoff-and-landing currency is not a §107.65 method. The recurrent training includes a knowledge area on night operations — the actual night rules are covered in Modern Part 107 Rules — Remote ID, Ops Over People, Night, Waivers, so we will not re-teach them here.

"24 calendar months" matters: if you complete training on any day in March 2026, you are current through March 31, 2028 — the clock runs to the end of the 24th month, not to the exact date.

Your certificate itself does not expire, but if your recency lapses you may not act as RPIC (or manipulate the controls without supervision) until you again meet one of the three §107.65 methods.

Carry it with you

When you operate, you must have your remote pilot certificate available and present it, along with photo identification, upon request from the FAA (and certain other authorities) (§107.7; source notes). Digital screenshots of "I passed" emails do not cut it — carry the certificate.

3. Why This Matters on the Part 107 Exam

• The exam tests the RPIC vs. person-manipulating-the-controls distinction heavily. Expect scenario questions where an uncertificated person is flying and you must decide whether the operation is legal.
• Eligibility numbers are classic recall items: age 16, English proficiency, physical/mental condition, knowledge test.
• Recency is a favorite trap: §107.65 has three methods (initial knowledge test, recurrent training, or §107.74 training when you hold a non-student Part 61 certificate and meet §61.56). Distractors will say "recurrent test," "12 months," "flight review alone," or "three takeoffs and landings."
• The temporary certificate = 120 days figure shows up as a straight recall question.
• Expect distractors that confuse pilot certification with aircraft registration — they are two completely separate requirements (registration is covered in Aircraft Registration).

4. Official Rule / Reference

5. Real-World Drone Example

The roofing-inspection handoff. Maya holds a Remote Pilot Certificate and is current — she finished the FAA's online recurrent training eight months ago. Her new hire, Devon, has studied hard but has not yet taken his knowledge test.

On today's roof inspection, Maya acts as RPIC. She lets Devon fly the orbit around the chimney while she stands next to him, hands free, watching the aircraft, ready to take the controller the moment anything goes wrong. Legal — Devon is manipulating the controls under the direct supervision of an RPIC who can immediately take direct control (§107.12).

Now change one detail: Maya walks to the truck to take a phone call while Devon keeps flying. Not legal. There is no certificated RPIC able to immediately take direct control. Devon's studying does not matter; until he passes the test, applies through IACRA with his FTN, clears TSA vetting, and holds at least the 120-day temporary certificate (§107.63), he cannot fly without that direct supervision.

6. Common Traps / Misconceptions

1. "Recurrent" means you must retake a paid in-person test. The old recurrent knowledge test is not a current §107.65 method. Any one of three methods works within the previous 24 calendar months: pass an initial aeronautical knowledge test; complete recurrent training (ALC-677 is the usual free course); or, if you hold a non-student Part 61 certificate and meet §61.56, complete the §107.74 training (ALC-515). A flight review alone is not enough.
2. "My drone is registered, so I'm good to fly commercially." Certificate and registration are two different requirements. Registering the aircraft (Aircraft Registration) does nothing for pilot certification, and holding a certificate does nothing for aircraft registration. You need both.
3. "Only the person on the sticks needs a certificate." Backwards. The RPIC must always hold the certificate; the person on the controls may be uncertificated only if directly supervised by that RPIC with immediate-takeover capability (§107.12).
4. "You need an FAA medical certificate." You do not. §107.61 requires a physical and mental condition to operate safely — a fitness standard, not a medical certificate.
5. "Current in 24 months from the exact date." It is 24 calendar months — currency runs through the last day of the 24th month.
6. "The temporary certificate is just a receipt." It carries full remote pilot privileges and is valid for 120 days while the permanent certificate is produced (§107.63).
7. "I passed, so I never have to think about it again." The certificate does not expire, but the privileges lapse if none of the three §107.65 methods is completed within the previous 24 calendar months.

7. Quick Recap

• Act as RPIC → must hold a Remote Pilot Certificate with small UAS rating + be current under §107.65 (§107.12).
• Manipulate controls without a certificate → only under direct supervision of an RPIC who can immediately take direct control (§107.12).
• Eligibility (§107.61): 16+ years old; read/speak/write/understand English; physical and mental condition to operate safely; pass the initial knowledge test (Part 61 pilots with a current flight review may take the online training instead).
• Application (§107.63): FTN first → knowledge test → IACRA application → TSA vetting → temporary certificate valid 120 days → permanent card.
• Recency (§107.65): within the previous 24 calendar months, complete one of: the initial knowledge test; recurrent training (ALC-677); or, if you hold a non-student Part 61 certificate and meet §61.56, the §107.74 training (ALC-515). A flight review alone is not enough.
• Carry your certificate (and photo ID) and present it on FAA request (§107.7).
• Certificate ≠ registration. Two separate obligations.