EU Drone Pilot Competency Certificate – How and where do I obtain it?

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January 14, 2021

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From January 1st, 2021, drone pilots in the EU will need proof of competence. The situation in Switzerland is still unclear, apart from the fact that the EU regulations have not yet been adopted – we will report on this as soon as we have more information.

The respective EU countries offer appropriate learning materials and a platform for completing the online exam, which is valid for classes A1 and A3 Open Sub category.

The aviation authorities responsible for each country can be found here: https://www.easa.europa.eu/domains/civil-drones/naa

The test consists of a questionnaire of 40 questions. Anyone who answers more than 75% of the test questions correctly passes the test and receives an EU-wide recognized certificate of competence for drone pilots.

Here's an example: My certificate of competence is valid for 5 years:

After reviewing various platforms, customer feedback, and learning materials, I decided to complete the exam at Austro Control.

Clean website, easy registration, free! Click here for learning materials and the online exam: https://online-kurs.dronespace.at/

Contrary to the news published on SVZD, the only thing that is valid for Switzerland from now on is the complete voluntary registration as a pilot via the uas.gate platform, which is not yet available.

All information directly from the FOCA (Federal Office of Civil Aviation) as of January 14, 2021: https://www.bazl.admin.ch/bazl/de/home/gutzuwissen/drohnen-und-flugmodelle/Europaeische_Drohnenregulierung_uebernommen.html

To return to the EU Certificate of Competence (required for legally flying a drone in EU countries), the online theory exam consists of 40 multiple-choice questions from a total of 9 subject areas. We'd still like to give you a couple of tips for the test. You'll probably stumble over the question about the meaning of one letter in the phrase "I'M SAFE" – the key to this is:

(I)Illness: Am I healthy?

(M)Medication: Am I still under the influence of medication?

(S)Stress: Am I under stress or time pressure?

(A)Alcohol: Has enough time passed since my last alcohol consumption?

(F)Fatigue: Am I rested? Have I slept enough?

(E)Eating: Did I eat and drink enough before the flight?

So now we wish you every success in completing your proof of competence, which will allow you to fly safely and legally in the EU.