 AOPA has created membership options for drone pilots.
Some might think there is a wide gulf between manned and
unmanned pilots, but AOPA believes they are more alike than
different. In fact, both groups are part of general aviation,
and share a fascination for flight and a craving for new
perspectives.
Having long been recognized for leadership in aviation safety
and advocacy, AOPA has been involved with drones and related
matters for about a decade. We contributed to or commented on
virtually every federal regulation and policy created since the
drone boom began, always with an eye on the safe integration
with manned aircraft.
The FAA estimates that 1.3 million pilots will be
certificated to operate drones under 14 CFR Part 107 by 2020. If
that forecast remains accurate, a great many of them will have
no prior connection to general aviation, nor any connection to a
community of fellow aviators or exposure to a culture of safety,
yet will share their passion for flight. Within just a few
years, there will be two remote pilots for every one pilot
certificated to fly manned aircraft.
“Drone pilots are seeking their place in the larger world of
aviation and looking for opportunities to expand their
experience,” said AOPA President Mark Baker. “This is an ideal
time to embrace these pilots and welcome them into the GA
family.”
Many of the “new” pilots certificated under Part 107 were flying
manned aircraft (and were AOPA members) long before they
considered obtaining a
remote pilot certificate. All kinds of pilots have turned to
the AOPA Pilot Information Center, AOPA.org, and other resources
for guidance on a variety of matters. Members have asked how
operating a drone for either recreation or commercial work might
or might not affect their other pilot certificate; others have
voiced concerns about safety and the risks posed by drones flown
by uninformed or misguided operators. An overwhelming majority
of AOPA members told us they support using AOPA’s resources and
expertise to counter unfamiliarity with education.
AOPA has in recent years infused more drone expertise into
much of what we do, with a combination of new team members who
bring experience in many aspects of the fast-growing field, and
developing expertise within the existing staff. In short, AOPA
has learned a lot, and we are working hard to stay on top of an
industry that creates new products and capabilities at a pace we
have never seen in aviation.
One of the new members of the AOPA team,
Kathleen “Kat” Swain, joined the staff in April 2016 as
AOPA’s senior director of UAS programs. Swain, a CFI who has
also played key roles building unmanned aircraft capabilities
for the insurance industry as well as flying humanitarian
missions, set to work on a plan.
What took shape in the months that followed is a
vision of shared effort and shared responsibility, an
expectation that everyone will benefit when pilots of all kinds
work together toward common goals, safety for all being the
foremost of these.
Benefits for drone members
Remote pilots, many of whom are completely new to aviation,
need many of the same types of support, services, information,
and tools AOPA has expertly provided to the manned community for
years.
Baker added, “As newcomers to the skies, they have told us
they are looking for a trusted source to help them get the most
out of their flying, protect their license and their assets, and
keep them up to date on regulations and issues affecting their
kind of flying.”
Education—In addition to developing
expertise and content from within, AOPA also has entered a
formal agreement with DARTdrones, an emerging leader in the
drone training industry whose instructors all have manned
aircraft credentials and experience. The DARTdrones online
course offered free to AOPA members introduces them to the drone
world, and provides an overview of many different missions that
drones can accomplish. It also answers some basic questions
about which drones or types of drones work best for which
missions.
AOPA members who then wish to pursue certification will be
eligible for a significant discount on an online Part 107 test
preparation course, paying $150 for a course that retails for
$350. This course prepares pilots and nonpilots alike to pass
the Part 107 knowledge test and earn a remote pilot certificate.
Members also will be able to experience drone demonstrations
and live seminars at major airshows and at AOPA’s Regional
Fly-Ins. For those who want to learn on their own schedule, AOPA
has a comprehensive series of drone webinars and podcasts in the
works for 2017.
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Advocacy—AOPA remains actively involved in drone
rulemaking and regulation, representing GA on the Drone Advisory
Committee created by the FAA and composed of a broad cross-section
of stakeholders. AOPA is also the co-chair of the 26 Coalition for
UAS Safety, a group dedicated to safe integration of unmanned
aircraft, and has served on various FAA task forces created to study
and recommend regulations. AOPA was very much a part of the creation
of Part 107, and continues to collaborate on proposed regulations to
ensure the safe integration of drones into the National Airspace
System.
Pilot Protection Services—Enhanced membership
options include legal counsel and representation from expert
attorneys, if needed, and other services included in AOPA Pilot
Protection and Pilot Protection Plus memberships. AOPA is the only
place in the industry for drone pilots to receive this kind of legal
protection. Details on those options and benefit comparisons can be
found here.
Insurance—Insurance is another important aspect
of protection for pilots, and AOPA has long provided affordable
aircraft insurance. As underwriters create new policies for unmanned
operations in growing numbers,
AOPA Insurance
has begun serving customers seeking protection for recreational and
commercial drone operations. There, too, the expertise of a staff
with a long history serving aviation is no small advantage.
News and Media—AOPA publications cover GA like
no one else, and members will continue to see unmanned aircraft in
the pages of AOPA Pilot and on AOPA Online. The new
AOPA Drone Pilot email newsletter that led many readers to this
story will be a regular biweekly publication. (An AOPA Drone
Pilot subscription is automatically included with every AOPA
Drone Membership; nonmembers who wish to receive it may also to
subscribe to this biweekly email that will cover drone-related
news, features, training, policy, and video from drones flown by
hobbyists and commercial operators.)
Safety—Many of the free courses, videos,
quizzes, safety advisors, and other products of the
AOPA Air Safety Institute are equally applicable to manned and
unmanned aviation, and new content will be developed that is
specific to drone operations. Members who join AOPA, along with
those who make tax-deductible contributions to the
AOPA
Foundation, make it possible to provide this free safety
education and training to all pilots.
Swain said the proposition to drone pilots who are not already
AOPA members is simple: “We’re providing the community and resources
all pilots need.”
By joining AOPA, drone pilots will support current and future
efforts to make unmanned aviation safe and accessible, just as all
AOPA members do for GA as a whole. (For those not familiar: AOPA
refers to general aviation (GA) as all types of aviation outside of
military and scheduled airline service.)
Steady course
AOPA and its members are committed to serve and grow GA,
including the drone aircraft community, as they safely integrate
into aviation. We will continue to serve as the chief advocate and
supporter of all pilots, working to ensure the skies are safe and
accessible to everyone who dreams of flying; that aviation is a
subject of lifelong learning by all aviators; and that doors are
opened to welcome so many new pilots to GA.
“Dividing manned from unmanned aviators would rob both of many
benefits, and create unnecessary conflict,” said Baker. “AOPA is
uniquely positioned, with the strength of nearly 350,000 members, as
the long-recognized voice of GA, and represents all pilots. We
believe we are stronger and safer as a united community, and welcome
these new pilots with hope that our common goals of safety and
freedom to fly will be achieved together.”
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