UAS Crewmember/Operator Requirements

When selecting, certifying, and training UAS operators, it is of paramount importance to follow best practices set in place by manned aviation programs. Any UAS will be flying in airspace regulated by the FAA. The size category of UAS, and inherently the scope of the operation, dictates the degree of training and certification.

For this discussion, UAS sizes are broken down into three approximate categories:
Small UAS - Under 20 lbs, VLOS operations, under 400’ AGL
Medium UAS - Between 20 and 200 lbs, VLOS and BVLOS operations, Under 3500’ AGL
Large UAS - Any size, BVLOS operations, any altitude

When selecting UAS operator candidates, a physiological/psychological test should be implemented to determine if the candidate possesses the needed skills that a pilot or payload operator needs. This test shouldn’t test aviation skills and knowledge, but rather other skills such as hand-eye coordination, situational awareness, distractions, cooperation, decision making, and social skills. Testing in these categories ensures that the future crewmember can meet the physiological/psychological demands of the position.

Any UAS operator would need a number of prerequisites to be a viable candidate. An sUAS pilot candidate would need an FAA 14 CFR Part 107 commercial pilot certificate and a 2 or 4 year degree. The Part 107 certificate is obtained by passing a 60 question written test. There is no hands-on, practical test for this certificate. Because of the lack of practical skills needed for a Part 107 certificate, applicants would need one year or 100 hours of sUAS flight time. On the other end of the spectrum, a large UAS operator candidate would need FAA manned pilot certificates and a number of simulator, flight, night, and instrument hours.

Training a UAS operation requires many aviation and technical skills that are taught during manned pilot training. These include navigation, airmanship, communications, systems, and maintenance skills. An sUAS pilot who will be performing missions under 400 feet AGL within VLOS will need a smaller skillset and less training than large UAS operators. For the sUAS case, 3-4 weeks of training would be sufficient. A large UAS operator would need several months and hundreds of hours of training.