Piloting a drone even for leisure now requires a kind of license in the form of a compulsory certificate to have the right to fly it. This concerns all unmanned “aircraft” weighing more than 800 grams. The practice is becoming more and more popular and comes with a number of rules and constraints. This certificate allows the State to ensure that they are understood by all the owners of these flying machines. Here is how to obtain this certificate.
The State has set up an online training platform “FOX ALPHATANGO”. ” This training provides you with the essential knowledge to safely pilot an aircraft. It allows you to obtain the training follow-up certificate necessary for the use of a remotely piloted aircraft weighing more than 800 grams ”, we read on the website belonging to civil aviation. Indeed, since November 7, 2018, this training is mandatory even for owners of recreational drones according to the law of October 24, 2016.
Drone: how online training works
Concretely, this certificate has a validity period of 5 years from the day it is issued to the pilot. The training is entirely carried out online and above all it is free. It is intended for all people aged 14 and over. All controlled persons who do not have this certificate risk a ticket. The training is divided into several parts: “I train” (with short videos), “I train” (with multiple choice questions or questions), and “I take my test online”.
The first part will explain the essential safety rules and the obligations incumbent on all drone pilots. It lasts about twenty minutes and includes several short videos evoking: the rules of the air, the rules of overflight: the protection of people and sensitive sites, the regulations and preliminary steps to be respected, before the flight: the rules and good practices, in flight: rules, sanctions (in case of non-compliance). For example, a drone is not allowed to fly at an altitude above 150 meters, but it may be less depending on the area. The training also evokes the concept of respect for private life and all the obligations linked to this practice.
As explained in the first video of the training, ” each year, nearly a hundred risky reconciliations with unmanned aircraft are reported by pilots” . It was undoubtedly becoming urgent to set up compulsory training to ensure that all the pilots fell into line and to avoid an accident which could be dramatic.
Drone: certificate and obligations
The certificate is issued following the success of all the tests, and leaves no room for error. The training aims to ” develop a responsible practice ” of the practice of the drone. At the end of the training, it is also planned to register the drone used on the Fox Alphatango platform and display the certificate number obtained on the device. As the site indicates: ” all aircraft whose mass (including equipment and battery or fuel) is greater than or equal to 800g must be registered by their owner on the AlphaTango portal” . This will be mandatory from December 26, 2018 including for drones and aircraft already in use.
We had already had the opportunity to mention the various rules to respect to fly a drone during our test of the DJI Mavic Air . The certificate is not very complex to obtain, it just requires to understand certain basic rules mainly related to security. Did you get yours? Share your experience on this in the comments.