Got my 333.  Going to start doing business as Mike Young's Aerial Surveillance Systems...prolly just use the abbreviations for my ad in the phone book.

Congrats, I hope to get mine later this month...

You will be the butt of all jokes, MYASS!! Hahaha

Wishing Good Luck...

RedHotPoker

can you give me the step by step procedure for getting one, i have been on faa site and get more confused

rayrokni Posted at 2015-9-12 13:48
can you give me the step by step procedure for getting one, i have been on faa site and get more con ...

Bobby, I got mine yesterday. Did you read about the pilot certificate?

Any chance you could help another brother to attain his?

msoto Posted at 2015-9-12 13:02
Bobby, I got mine yesterday. Did you read about the pilot certificate?

I certainly could use some help with the FAA 333.

Talked to a lady on another forum who's going with the acronym for Tripod ln The Sky.

tommypc Posted at 2015-9-12 14:34
I certainly could use some help with the FAA 333.

Tommy, start here
http://www.faa.gov/uas/legislative_programs/section_333/

Congrats on the 333, are you also a licensed pilot?  If not a licensed pilot, how do you get around that requirement?

cgl817@gmail.co Posted at 2015-9-12 22:16
Congrats on the 333, are you also a licensed pilot?  If not a licensed pilot, how do you get around  ...

I'm not a pilot and I am trying to find out what I need to do. I can't believe that I need to have a sport pilot certificate to use my P3P for commercial use.

msoto Posted at 2015-9-12 19:23
I'm not a pilot and I am trying to find out what I need to do. I can't believe that I need to have ...

Yes, hard to believe... Comical in a way, but is why many simply don't and will not get it.

brycerichert Posted at 2015-9-13 04:21
Yes, hard to believe... Comical in a way, but is why many simply don't and will not get it.

also hard to believe so many people make it all the way through the process of getting the 333 and don't know about the pilot license requirement.

cgl817@gmail.co Posted at 2015-9-13 09:13
also hard to believe so many people make it all the way through the process of getting the 333 and  ...

I find it's a mix of people not knowing and others thinking they can just request that they not be required to have one. Either way, there is no way of getting out of that requirement. While it makes no sense and the FAA cannot explain why they require it, it is what it is.

---

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Joking, right? Cool acronym, as is the one mentioned - Tripod in the Sky (even better).
@msoto - I see you have yours. Way to go! Curious how you did NOT know you would need the Pilot's license, with such an enormous and detailed uphill battle you have already accomplished in getting the exemption. Maybe that is easy to miss in the spaghetti of requirements remaining AFTER you have your exemption.

Here is the list of EVERYBODY granted the 333 so far.  
http://www.faa.gov/uas/legislati ... 333_authorizations/

I hope to be on there someday. Doing registration now.

Hmmm, I used to have a glider license. Think that'd work? ;-)

AerialLens Posted at 2015-9-13 12:28
Joking, right? Cool acronym, as is the one mentioned - Tripod in the Sky (even better).
@msoto - I s ...

The FAA paperwork was so complicated and as I was building my case I did not see where it mentioned the pilot certificate. Once I received my acceptance and started to read the conditions and limitations, there is was. I contacted a friend that has a ultralight plane and he told me that he received his sport pilot certificate 6 years ago and used a powered parachute to fulfill the FAA requirements. The flying requirements are less than a private pilot license. I'm still researching what to do next. One good thing is I have a wonderful wife that supports me and does not let me give up on this issue. We will do it the right way.

I quote "If you want to use UAS for a commercial purpose, you have a few options. You can apply for an exemption from the FAA to operate commercially. You can use UAS with an FAA airworthiness certificate and operate pursuant to FAA rules. In both cases you would also need an FAA Certificate of Authorization (COA). For more information about how to apply for an exemption, visit the FAA’s “Section 333” page."

this is a clip from this link "Web link"

Can someone explain this confusion? or is it a top secret thing here ?
edit :

Nevermind, the FAA website is as confusing as they are confused in there own mess, what a mess of process and what a waste of time and money if you going to be going the 333 way.

Looks like the FAA will come to a rulling very soon, as stated on there website, hopefuly they will get the pilot requirment out of the equation.

Willie Wonka Posted at 2015-9-13 16:06
I quote "If you want to use UAS for a commercial purpose, you have a few options. You can apply for  ...

It appears that, once pubished, the regs will NOT require a Pilots license for manned aircraft to fly the drone commercially; there will be a certificate created for sUAS's (let's hope). You will need some schooling and have to pass a test every two years, plus a BUNCH of other reasonable requirements. You will need to log each flight (already UAV flight logs on the market) AND keep checkout and maintenance records, and many other things.

A quick summary of proposed cert requirements is this:

Pilots of a small UAS would be considered “operators”. Operator Certification and
Responsibilities

 Operators would be required to:

o Pass an initial aeronautical knowledge test at an FAA-approved
knowledge testing center.
o Be vetted by the Transportation Security Administration.
o Obtain an unmanned aircraft operator certificate with a small
UAS rating (like existing pilot airman certificates, never
expires).
o Pass a recurrent aeronautical knowledge test every 24 months.
o Be at least 17 years old.
o Make available to the FAA, upon request, the small UAS for
inspection or testing, and any associated documents/records
required to be kept under the proposed rule.
o Report an accident to the FAA within 10 days of any operation
that results in injury or property damage.
o Conduct a preflight inspection, to include specific aircraft and
control station systems checks, to ensure the small UAS is safe
for operation.  

FAA has a very good summary of what they anticipate, here:

http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/rulemaking/media/021515_sUAS_Summary.pdf

As a note, though I AM in the process of getting a registration (which may still be necessary), I've talked to the local flight instruction school to see if they are developing a "ground school" for UAV pilots -- something to anticipate what is probably needed. The local school says they are waiting, BUT recommend just going to regular private/sport ground school. Why?! Because that will probably contain and teach and test for even more information than ultimately required in the UAS regs. Seems reasonable, plus... Are you willing to wait for the regs to be adopted, then wait again for schools and FAA to design course materials and tests? What I'm saying is, I hope they will find regular ground school an acceptable substitute. It may be 300 dollars well spent.

I am encouraged that the Sports Pilot or other manned cert will not be needed, but it sure won't be in place soon enough.  Hurry FAA, HURRRRYYYYY!

AerialLens Posted at 2015-9-13 20:03
It appears that, once pubished, the regs will NOT require a Pilots license for manned aircraft to f ...

Thanks for that info. In my case since I already have my 333, I guess my next step is to  apply for the "N" number not knowing how long that will take. I'll keep moving forward and hope others will benefit from this thread. If anybody has more info to share or other forms that I need to complete, please let me know.

Congrats. Been waiting since June 28, have a comml pilot's license.  Just did the math and looks like the FAA is averaging about 35 approvals per week! I guess that's acceptable efficiency for the govmn't. Incompetence seems to be the hallmark of bureaucracy. How long does it take one person to read what has become a pretty standard request, check off items on a checklist, and agree all requirements have been met? Doesn't take a highly skilled government worker.
It chaps my butt when I see requests dated after mine approved. It seems not all requests for a 333 are created equal...

The person flying does not have to be a pilot. But there must be one present keeping an eye on the drone and making sure the drone is operated legally.

The FAA figures that anyone with a pilots license know and understand the airspace system and does not want to endanger his/her license by flying illegally.

Westside Osprey Posted at 2015-10-18 02:26
The person flying does not have to be a pilot. But there must be one present keeping an eye on the d ...

Sorry, but that is not correct. The PIC (pilot in command), under FAA rules is the person at the controls. A PIC cannot "delegate" flying responsibility. From FAR 61.51:

"(e) Logging pilot-in-command flight time. (1) A sport, recreational, private, commercial, or airline transport pilot may log pilot in command flight time for flights-
(i) When the pilot is the sole manipulator of the controls of an aircraft for which the pilot is rated, or has sport pilot privileges for that category and class of aircraft, if the aircraft class rating is appropriate;"

Granted these regulations were not written for UAVs but they are what the FAA has to work with, and it is highly unlikely they will agree that an unrated person can act as PIC under 333 with a rated pilot "looking over his shoulder."

"13. Under this grant of exemption, a PIC must hold either an airline transport, commercial, private, recreational, or sport pilot certificate. The PIC must also hold a current FAA airman medical certificate or a valid U.S. driver’s license issued by a state, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, a territory, a possession, or the Federal government. The PIC must also meet the flight review requirements specified in 14 CFR § 61.56 in an aircraft in which the PIC is rated on his or her pilot certificate.

14. The operator may not permit any PIC to operate unless the PIC demonstrates the ability to safely operate the UAS in a manner consistent with how the UAS will be operated under this exemption, including evasive and emergency maneuvers and maintaining appropriate distances from persons, vessels, vehicles and structures....."

But I'm not an aviation lawyer, only play one on TV. Best source for questions is the FSDO (Flight Standards District Office) in your area.
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/

LICENSED PILOT Posted at 2015-10-18 13:55
Sorry, but that is not correct. The PIC (pilot in command), under FAA rules is the person at the c ...

You may well be right.

For me it is not a problem as I am an instrument rated GA Pilot.

I was quoting from a conversation I had with a lawyer that helps get the 333's. That is how he explained the rule to me.

It is interesting I have been approached a number of times in the last few months about being present at shoots because of my airman certificate.

It would be good to have a clear ruling on this. I do believe there will be some more types of certificates in the near future. As this is a very fast expanding part of the sport.

Westside Osprey Posted at 2015-10-19 02:26
You may well be right.

For me it is not a problem as I am an instrument rated GA Pilot.

You are quite correct about this whole arena being in flux at the moment. The FAA is playing catch up. Even attorneys are having a difficult time understanding what the FAA wants because even the FAA doesn't know what it wants. I just attended an FAA sponsored workshop on UAS legal issues and there's plenty of confusion, even on the part of those who should know.

Westside Osprey Posted at 2015-10-18 14:26
You may well be right.

For me it is not a problem as I am an instrument rated GA Pilot.

Be forewarned, if you enter into an agreement on being PIC, these hours may be held against your 60 hrs in 168 hr, as well as monthly and yearly total flight hours.

Until this all gets sorted out, I wouldn't want to fly a UAV either for someone else or a side business if the hours are going to be counted against your totals.

gregg1r Posted at 2015-10-18 15:02
Be forewarned, if you enter into an agreement on being PIC, these hours may be held against your 6 ...

I don't understand this statement. Please clarify.  

I have over 2000 hrs in fixed wing planes, so I don't understand how this is relevant.

To stay current you need a certain amount of TO/Landings per 90 days and there are requirements for being instrument and night current with passengers as well. But what does this have to do with drones?

Just curious...

Westside Osprey Posted at 2015-10-18 15:19
I don't understand this statement. Please clarify.  

I have over 2000 hrs in fixed wing planes, s ...

What I'm referring to is your cumulative hour limitations.

Cumulative Limitations

The new rules limit pilots to a maximum of 60 hours of flight duty per week, defined as 168 consecutive hours. In any consecutive 28-day period, a pilot cannot exceed 290 hours, of which no more than 100 can be flight time. During 365 consecutive days, pilots cannot exceed 1,000 flight time hours.

Has the cumlative flight hours restriction been removed or is it still inplace?

Bartone Posted at 2015-9-13 11:18
Hmmm, I used to have a glider license. Think that'd work? ;-)

If you have your Airman's certificate It might work.

Westside Osprey Posted at 2015-10-18 15:19
I don't understand this statement. Please clarify.  

I have over 2000 hrs in fixed wing planes, s ...

Westside, you there?

I think it's almost a given that there will be no requirement for any Pilot's license when all this settles out.   After all, you don't '&aposilot" a drone, you "Operate it".

However, there will be a Drone sUAV OPERATORS license that will require knowledge of the airspace system and a good deal of what pilots must know plus sUAV related information.

I do not think there will be a flight test at all.

There will be a fee.   I estimate about $100.00 (in the beginning)

Insuranec will be required.   $1,000,000 minimum.
AFTER you have met all the requirements,
You will then be issued a UAV Operators license with endorsements depending on your use and qualfications.

I also believe current licensed pilots will be exempt from the training segment of the requirement and issued a SUV license after meeting the other requirements.
The fee for currently licensed pilots will be reduced.

Don't ask me how I know this or you know how the saying goes.....

Any questions ?  

LICENSED PILOT Posted at 2015-10-18 00:37
Congrats. Been waiting since June 28, have a comml pilot's license.  Just did the math and looks lik ...

Perhaps folks at the FAA see these comments?

Cessna172 Posted at 2015-10-19 04:13
Perhaps folks at the FAA see these comments?

perhaps they should..and get off the dime...

Cessna172 Posted at 2015-10-19 04:03
I think it's almost a given that there will be no requirement for any Pilot's license when all this  ...

What's coming is pretty obvious, a fairly accurate guess can be made from what the FAA is recommending.

http://www.faa.gov/regulations_p ... 15_sUAS_Summary.pdf

And I agree with your guess, except insurance. That's outside the FAA's authority, and not currently a requirement to obtain an airman's certificate, but up to each client to determine their comfort zone w/ a prospective UAV company. (ps- I have aviation liability insurance already issued to my business).

gregg1r Posted at 2015-10-18 15:25
What I'm referring to is your cumulative hour limitations.

Cumulative Limitations

OK now I get it.

Yes that is a consideration if you fly a lot, and commercially.

I fly privately and at $150.00 per hr I rarely reach those minimums, if ever.

I have not owned my own plane (full scale) since the late 90's, rental is quite expensive these days. These days I mostly fly model airplanes, much more reasonable costs.

Westside Osprey Posted at 2015-10-18 17:23
OK now I get it.

Yes that is a consideration if you fly a lot, and commercially.

I've got a friend that flys for a fractional ownership group. he averages 30 hours a week, not bad for a chauffeur.
He was a really good mechanical engineer, but decided that he wanted to fly and see the country.

I'd be interested in who the NFL has piloting their quads. The three day notice before flight if you're following the wording of the exemption has to be a deal breaker for a lot of people that are going thru the process.