Articles - FLY8MA Online Flight Training

How to Become a Part 107 Drone Pilot

The future is here, drones are flying around and they are getting cheaper and easier to operate. If you are interested in becoming a drone pilot, this article will cover everything you need to know to obtain a drone operator license. Since drones travel fast and could cause lots of harm to property and people, the Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA has created rules that all operators must follow. If you are interested in flying drones commercially or for hire, you must also obtain a remote pilot certificate. This article will detail how to earn your part 107 remote pilot certificate from the FAA. What Are the Part 107 Drone requirements? The Federal Aviation Administration, or FAA, created rules and regulations for the safe operation of drones. They are also called small-UAS, or unmanned aircraft systems. Part 107 refers to the section of the code of federal regulations about drone operation. Commercial operators require a remote pilot certificate from the FAA. The process is simple. This article will cover how to obtain your drone pilot license. Who Needs a Commercial Drone Operator License? If you are flying your drone for recreational or private use, you do not require a license. If you are using the drone to make money or commercially, it requires a part 107 drone operator license. If you are unsure if you need a license for flying your drone, ask these questions. Am I making money from flying this drone? Is someone paying me for the photos or videos provided? The primary difference is whether money is exchanging hands. Regardless of the type of operation, all drone owners are responsible for their drones and following the law. Just like all drivers must follow the rules of the road, even if not driving for hire, all drone pilots must operate within part 107 rules. FLY8MA offers a comprehensive course to help you master everything you need to know to fly drones safely. What Are the Requirements To Be a Licensed Drone Pilot? To obtain your remote pilot certificate, you must: Be 16 years of age or older Speak, read, and write English Be in a mental and physical condition for safe drone operation Study for and pass the aeronautical knowledge exam If you are not currently a pilot, follow the guide below to start obtaining your remote pilot certificate. How to Become a Drone Pilot? Follow this simple guide if you are using a drone for photography, business, commercial-use, or any other reason which requires a license. Follow along with this video for help. How to Get Your Remote Pilot Certificate Online Step 1:Obtain an FTN, or flight tracking number from the FAA. You do this online, using IACRA. Step 2: Study for the aeronautical knowledge exam. It is a 60 question test that covers these subjects: Applicable regulations relating to small unmanned aircraft system rating privileges, limitations, and flight operation Airspace classification and operating requirements, and flight restrictions affecting small unmanned aircraft operation Weather and its effect on drones Small unmanned aircraft loading and performance Radio communication procedures performance of small unmanned aircraft Aeronautical decision-making Airport operations Maintenance and preflight FLY8MA has a comprehensive course to help you study and ace your test (our students have a 100% pass rating, and we guarantee you will pass on your first try too). Get started today to earn your remote pilot certificate. You can try the practice test here to see how much you already know! Step 3: Register at one of 800 plus testing centers to take your remote pilot aeronautical knowledge exam. Step 4: Log in to IACRA again to complete FAA Form 8710-13 for a remote pilot certificate (FAA Airman Certificate and/or Rating Application). You will enter your 17-digit knowledge test exam ID and sign the form. This proves you have completed the test and passed. Step 5: A TSA background check is conducted, and you will receive instructions to print out your temporary remote pilot certificate. Step 6: Your permanent remote pilot certificate is sent in the mail. It may take 6-8 weeks. Step 7: Register your drone with the FAA. It is a quick process and costs $5. The registration is valid for three years. Congratulations! You are now a remote pilot. However, you may have noticed, none of these steps involved actually flying a drone. Throughout this process, you should learn and study the best practices for drone operation. There are many videos on youtube and guides online to help you with the type of drone flying you will do. If you are getting paid to fly a drone you want to be a professional and not crash the drone or miss the photo because you don’t know what you are doing! How to Obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate if You Are a Pilot If you are an already licensed part 61 pilot, the process is slightly easier. You do not need to take a part 107 test, just an online course. If you possess a part 61 pilot certificate and have completed a flight review within the 24 calendar months you are eligible. Step 1: Log in, or create an account on the FAAFAASTeam website. Step 2: Take the online training called: “Part 107 small Unmanned Aircraft Systems ALC-451.” The course covers all knowledge areas necessary for safe drone operation Step 3: Log into IACRA Step 4: Complete Form 8710-13 in IACRA. Start a new pilot certificate. Select remote pilot and follow the instructions. Step 5: Take your completed Form 8710-13, a photo ID, proof of your current flight review, and your FAAFAASTeam course certificate to one of these representatives: FAA Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) With an FAA-designated pilot examiner (DPE) An airman certification representative (ACR) Any certificated flight instructor (CFI)* Step 6: The representative will review your application and make you a temporary airman certificate. Your permanent certificate will arrive in the mail after a few weeks. Make sure to always carry your certificate anytime you are operating

Instrument Rating Requirements

7 Comments / Flight Training / By Jon Kotwicki

Your IFR Ticket An instrument rating makes every pilot a more knowledgeable, safer pilot. Instrument rated pilots will also be equipped with the aeronautical decision skills to stop and think before you get into a situation where you need to use your instrument flying skills. Attempting VFR flight in IMC is one of the most consistently deadly decisions or mistakes in all of aviation. History has shown us that weather-related general aviation accidents are often fatal. When pilots cannot see the horizon, spatial disorientation can onset rapidly. When John F. Kennedy, Jr. crashed his Piper Saratoga into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, on July 16, 1999, he did not have an instrument rating. The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) stated that Kennedy’s failure to maintain control of the airplane was the result of spatial disorientation, with haze and the dark night being factors. There really is no downside to getting an instrument rating – just the money and time spent to get it. However, if you are pursuing any career in aviation, an instrument rating is a necessary milestone. If you will be regularly renting an aircraft, or plan to purchase one, you will most likely enjoy lowered insurance rates once you get an instrument rating. What You Can Do With An Instrument Rating An instrument rating will allow you to legally fly without the visual reference of the ground or a horizon. In other words, you’ll be able to fly from Point A to Point B without ever looking out your window (except for your take-off and touch-down). You will learn to stay ahead of the aircraft while managing tasks like changing radio frequencies, programming navigation equipment, and briefing and flying approaches, all while continually scanning your instrument panel. Flight Training Requirements for Instrument Rating Before you can take an instrument rating checkride, you must meet certain requirements and have logged certain training. One of the first questions that may come up on your instrument rating checkride may be about flight training requirements. The examiner will want to know that you met the requirements and that you understand them. IFR rating requirements can be found in 14 CFR § 61.65 §. To summarize, to apply for an instrument rating, you must: (1) Already have a private pilot certificate, or be concurrently applying for a private pilot certificate with your instrument rating. (2) Be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language. (3) Complete and log ground training with an authorized instructor – Instrument Ground Instructor (IGI) or Certified Flight Instructor – Instrument (CFII) – or accomplish a ground school home study course. (4) Have a logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor (IGI or CFII) certifying that you are prepared to take the knowledge test (5) Receive and log required training in an aircraft, full flight simulator, or flight training device, including: 50 hours of cross-country flight time as pilot in command Forty hours of actual or simulated instrument time, including 15 hours must have been received from an authorized instructor Three hours of instrument flight training within two calendar months before the check ride A cross country flight of 250 nautical miles, that includes an instrument approach at each airport, and three different kinds of approaches (for example, VOR, ILS, GPS) (6) Receive a logbook endorsement from an authorized instructor certifying that you are prepared to take the required practical test; (7) Pass the knowledge test (unless you already have an instrument rating in another category (helicopter or powered-lift) (8) Pass the required practical test. Which is Harder: Private Pilot Certificate or Instrument Rating? Talk to a few veteran instructors, airline, or corporate pilots, and some will tell you getting their instrument rating was the hardest part of their flight training. Others will tell you it was the easiest. Instrument flying takes a unique set of skills, including multitasking, problem-solving, and time management. Pilots must be able to make decisions quickly and with confidence. Some people adapt and learn instrument flying skills more easily than others. Instrument flying is more about intellectual skills and systems management, VFR flying is more about the kinesthetic skill of flying the plane. Instrument Rating Ground School Instrument Rating ground school will get you ready for flight training and help you understand the tools and equipment you will be using to plan your flights and actually fly: Approach Plates: These are official procedures for transitioning from a flight to land at an airport when operating a flight under instrument flight rules (IFR). they may include things such as airport lighting to look for, headings to fly, equipment to use, and speeds, and depict topographic features, hazards, and obstructions. Ground school will help you learn how to read and review approach plates. Departures & Arrival Procedures: Standard Instrument Departures (SIDs) and Standard Terminal Arrival Routes (STARs) are published. Part of a clearance may include a SID or a STAR, and pilots must be comfortable finding, briefing, and flying them. En Route Charts: After you spent so much time learning VFR sectional charts for your private pilot checkride, you will now be tasked with learning, understanding, and explaining IFR en route charts. These charts depict point-to-point distances on the airway system and altitudes like minimum en route altitude (MEA), minimum obstruction clearance altitude (MOCA), and minimum crossing altitude (MCA). Tip: IFR En-route charts are revised every 56 days, so make sure yours are current. Flight Instruments: You will learn the specific instruments your aircraft must have to be IFR legal (91.205 (d)), and how they work. You’ll also learn what to do if one of several of them fail in flight. Flight Planning: You will learn the considerations you’ll make for IFR flight, such as selecting altitudes, and how you’ll determine if the weather will be good for your flight. You will also learn about AIRMETS (Zulu=Icing, Tango=Turbulence, and Sierra=Mountain Obscuration). You’ll learn about SIGMETS (convective and non-convective) and how things like dust storms and volcanic ash can be extremely dangerous.

How Much Does a Pilot License Cost

15 Comments / Flight Training, Private Pilot / By Jon Kotwicki

How Much Does it Cost to Become a Pilot? Student Pilot License Free Sport Pilot License $4,000 – $6,000 Private Pilot License $8,300 – $12,300 Commercial Pilot License $28,000 to $90,000 Flight Instructor License $32,000 -$95,000 Airline Transport Pilot License $35,000+ The cost to get your pilot license ultimately depends on what type of pilot license you want to obtain. The level of license you need is determined by what type of flying you’re looking to do. For example, a Sport Pilot license may be the best fit if you are looking to fly for fun, whereas a Commercial Pilot license would be the first big step in an aviation career. Different licenses require different levels of ground and flight instruction and have different testing requirements. It can be complicated to understand, so we’ll make it simple with our friend “Jim” who wants to become a pilot. Let’s follow “Jim” along as he works his way towards becoming an airline pilot. At the end of this article you’ll understand not only how much it costs for each type of pilot’s license, but also why it cost that much, and how to save serious $$$ on your flight training. By the way, there is actually no such thing as a pilot license, the correct term in aviation is a Pilot Certificate, but hey, almost everyone calls it a license so we’ll just go with that for our purposes explaining this today. If you’re interested in the cheapest aviation certifications you can obtain, you can click here to view our article on the cheapest aviation certifications you can obtain. Step #1 to Becoming a Pilot A private pilot license costs $8,000-$12,000….great…why is that? What kind of pilot license should you get? Actually, it doesn’t matter, if you want to just fly for fun, or be a commercial pilot, everyone starts at the bottom with a Private Pilot License (we’ll save talking about the sport pilot licenses until the end of the article). It’s January 1st and Jim made a New Year’s resolution to become a pilot. He begins his flight training right away. His journey will consist of several different certificates or “pilot license levels”. The progression of becoming an airline pilot looks like this: Private Pilot License (VFR) Instrument Rating (IFR) Commercial Pilot License Flight Instructor License (CFI) Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) Now we know Jim has to get his Private Pilot License first before his instrument rating or commercial pilot license. So, what does that cost Jim? Private Pilot License Cost Cost to Become a Private Pilot Private Pilot Requirements Costs Pilot Ground School $350 FAA Private Pilot Written Test $175 FAA Medical Certificate $125 40 Flight Training Hours $7,000-$11,000 FAA Checkride $650 Total Cost $8,300-$12,300 Jim will need to do a couple of things to get his Private Pilot License. He’ll need: Pilot Ground School (an online course works great for this) ~ $350 Pass the FAA Private Pilot Written Test ~ $175 Get an FAA Medical Certificate ~ $125 Flight Training in the Plane ~ $7,000-$11,000 (why is it a range and not a set price?) FAA Checkride (your flight test, kind of like a driving test for your Driver’s license) ~ $650 Total: $8,300-$12,300 Learn about how our Private Pilot Ground School can help you save money getting your private pilot certificate. So Jim begins his online ground school on January 1st, and that helps him prepare for both his flight training and the FAA Private Pilot Written Exam (60 questions, multiple-choice test). He signed up for ground school at FLY8MA.com and completed it in 2 weeks, spending about 50 hours of total study time on the courses. Since Jim completed his ground school at FLY8MA.com, he had a great foundation of knowledge and easily passed his FAA written exam. Jim has spent about $500 so far. He then went to his local flight school (he chose his flight school using our guide here) and took his first flight lesson. The flight lessons vary in cost depending on how long each lesson lasts, but he planned accurately that each lesson would be $300-$450. After his first lesson, Jim asked his Certified Flight Instructor (CFI) for a recommendation on which doctor to use to get his Medical Certificate. Jim goes to the recommended AME (Aviation Medical Examiner) and gets his FAA Medical for $125. Jim studies hard, flies at least 5 days per week, and earns his Private Pilot License on February 15th after completing his Private Pilot Checkride with the FAA for $650. All together, Jim spent about 6 weeks learning to fly and earned his pilot’s license for $8,527. Jim has also logged a total of 44.2 flight hours which is just over the FAA minimum requirement of 40 flight hours to become a private pilot, but well under the national average in 2020 of 73.1 hours. What did the 40 flight training hours consist of? While we do explain this in a lot more detail in another article here. We’ll explain here briefly what you are getting in your 40 hours of flight training. Assume you are paying $100/hr to rent a plane and paying a flight instructor $60/hr for the time they spend training you both in the air and on the ground in your briefing sessions. Pilot Time Certificate Cost (From zero experience) 40 hours total to include: This is the minimum 20 hours flight training Jim spent 32.3 hours with his CFI 3 hours night training Jim had 3.1 hours of night training 3 hours cross country training Jim had 3.2 hours of “cross-country” training 10 hours solo Jim had 11.9 hours of solo flight 10 hours used towards either training or solo Jim spent that extra time with his CFI This is how Jim racked up a bill of $7,425 from the flight school, plus his other fees came to his total of $8,527 for his Private Pilot License. Instrument Rating Cost You’ve probably heard things about pilots

Learn to Fly

9 Comments / Private Pilot / By Jon Kotwicki

How to Become a Pilot People pursue a pilot’s license for a wide range of motivating factors, from a desire to achieve personal growth to pursuing an airline career path. Some aspiring pilots are fortunate to have close friends or relatives with aviation experience, who can provide guidance, advice, and mentorship. However, for many people, learning about aviation is an unfamiliar new territory. Don’t be a Flight School Dropout Did you know 8 out of 10 people who start flight training don’t actually get their pilot’s license? While a small percentage of people stop flight training for medical reasons – most are smart, sharp, motivated, and have the potential to be excellent pilots. So why do they quit? Read on to discover why people quit flying before they get their certificate – and how you can make sure you don’t. The top three reasons student pilots stop flying are: 1) Becoming frustrated with flight training: Having an unprepared or unorganized instructor can make your lessons feel unproductive and wasteful. Having a mediocre ground school can mean you start flying without understanding basic aviation concepts. This can also make students feel like they don’t have the skills or abilities to successfully reach their goals. 2) Running out of funds: If you do not have the funds to pay for all of your flight training, consider applying for scholarships, getting financing, or other options so you don’t have to stop before you can really get started. 3) Feeling like flying isn’t enjoyable anymore: The “fun” of flying can be lost when you put too much pressure on yourself or compare your journey to others who learn faster. Learning to fly is about the journey, not just the destination. Becoming a pilot is a desirable goal and rewarding achievement, and you have many options to reach your goals. Although it may seem like a far-off dream, with dedication and consistent effort, most people who meet basic medical requirements are able to earn a private pilot certificate, and more. What You Can Do With a Pilot’s License When you begin your flight training, you start with your private pilot’s license. The private pilot license is the first step for all pilots. This is often referred to as a “license to learn.” For people pursuing a career as a pilot, each rating is an important step: Private pilot certificate: Once you have your private pilot certificate, you can fly with passengers and share flight expenses with them, as well as fly volunteer flights for non-profits. You can get paid for a limited number of jobs like towing gliders (with an endorsement) , or demoing aircraft for sale while working as an aircraft salesman. Instrument rating: Once you have your instrument rating, you can “fly by instruments” and operate an aircraft in limited visibility such as fog, clouds, and rain. You will also learn a lot about weather reports, forecasts, and considerations for planning cross-country flights. Commercial pilot certificate: You can get paid to fly and do jobs like aerial surveys, pipeline patrol, news traffic reporting, banner towing, and agricultural flying. This is also a necessary rating to being a flight instructor or airplane transport rating. Click here to learn which type of pilot license is right for you and what you can do with your license. How To Get A Private Pilot License A big part of getting your private pilot license involves spending time in a small airplane. Some of those hours will be solo, but the majority will be with a certified flight instructor (CFI). You can accomplish your flight time in several ways: Enrolling a Flight School A flight school is the most common route to learn to fly. If you go to a flight school at a local airport, the school may own or lease aircraft, and have instructors on staff available for you to take lessons with. You will have the option of selecting an instructor you relate well to. The school may be a “Part 141 flight school” or a “Part 61 flight school.” A Part 141 school has specific approval from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to teach a structured and organized program. A 141 program sticks to a rigid schedule and can be completed in the shortest amount of time. If your school is not a 141 flight school, they are a Part 61 flight school. This means they are governed by Part 61 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). Part 61 vs Part 141 This is a complex topic of which school is right for you to choose. We go into a lot more detail about Part 141 and Part 61 Flight Training Schools here, but for now, let’s just take a quick overview. You will hear the salesman at the 141 school say, “We can make you a pilot faster for less money”. You will hear the salesman at the 61 school say, “We can make you a pilot on a flexible schedule, and for less money”. They are both right and wrong. The article linked above gives much greater detail, but to summarize: Part 61 Part 141 National Avg. Flight Hours to Complete Training 73.1 71.2 National Avg. Rental Aircraft Cost per hour $126 $156 National Avg. Instructor Cost per hour $60 $68 Flexible scheduling, lesson progression, and aircraft switching Yes Generally No National Avg. Cost for Private Pilot License $13,596 $15,948 Read this if you still have questions about Part 141 vs Part 61 Flight Training. Working with an Independent Certified Flight Instructor Many certified flight instructors own their own trainer airplanes. If you find an instructor you like, you may be able to train with them in their airplane. This can be extremely convenient if they have good schedule availability. The downside of learning to fly in one aircraft is that if the airplane is down for maintenance or repair, you will not be able to fly. Joining a Flying Club Flying clubs are member-run groups that allow members

FTN Number – Student Pilot Certificate

Leave a Comment / Private Pilot / By Jon Kotwicki

How to Get a FTN Number So you recently heard you need something called an “FTN Number” before you can register for your FAA written exam or get your Student Pilot License. The good news is getting this number is totally free and will only take you about 10 minutes or so to complete online following the steps outlined in the video above. If you’re not a video person, no problem, we’ll also explain in the text below how you can register on IACRA to get your FTN number (FAA Tracking Number). Registering to take your FAA Pilot Test So what lots of folks call the “pilot test” is really more correctly referred to as the Private Pilot Written Exam. This exam is 60 questions, lasts 2.5 hours, and you must both register online as well as receive an endorsement from an approved instructor or course prior to being able to take the exam. To register online, you will first go to https://iacra.faa.gov/IACRA/Default.aspx Then click “register” on the upper right part of the screen, directly below where you would enter your login credentials if you had already signed up. You will want to check the box for “applicant” (not any other boxes), and then follow the promts to complete the process. It is just like signing up for a new email account. Once you complete the process, you will be given a “FTN number” to go along with your username and very complicated password (yes the FAA makes you choose an obnoxiously long password). Write down all three, username, password, and FTN somewhere safe because I guarantee you will forget one or all of those. Reserving a time for the test Now that you have your FTN number, you can register to take your written exam at https://faa.psiexams.com/faa/login You’ll click on “Create an Account” and follow the prompts to create a new account with PSI (the testing company that administers the test for the FAA). There is an 800 number on that page that will link you with tech support if you need help, but don’t set your expectations too high for the level of service you will receive from them (PSI is now a monopoly on all FAA testing). Once you create an account you will select the test type you want to take (most likely Private Pilot Airplane designation – PAR ). You will also pay your fee online and select the testing center nearest you based on your zip code. THIS IS IMPORTANT. Before you book a time, call the testing center you are planning on using as the times and availability listed on the site are generally not correct for when the test proctor person will actually be available at your local testing center. You do not want to book a time, pay for it online, only to show up in person prepared and ready to go on that day and time to find you’ll have to come back tomorrow when the proctor is available. Getting a Student Pilot Certificate If you wish to also get a student pilot certificate, more good news, you’re already about halfway there (assuming you already have your account set up on IACRA). To apply for a student pilot certificate you will want to “Start a new application” when logged into your IACRA account. You will be applying as a “student pilot”, and the link here can also help guide you through the specifics of what to put on the form. You should keep in mind that once you submit your student pilot application you will have to schedule a time with a flight instructor to sit down in person, both log into your respective IACRA accounts from the same computer, provide verification of your US citizenship and identify to the instructor, and then they will help you complete the process via the IACRA website. There is not a way to fully complete and submit your application to the FAA without being face to face with an instructor or FAA representative. Questions? If you still have questions you can always reach out to us here: Ask A Question

Blue Angels Drone Near Miss

2 Comments / Airplane Accidents, UAS / By Jon Kotwicki

On May 12th, at approximately 11:47 AM, the Blue Angels were performing a formation flyover in Detroit to honor first responders and medical staff battling COVID-19. The flyover was appropriately titled the “Detroit America Strong Flyover”. In the total time of four minutes that the Blue Angels were operating over the city of Detroit, an individual in the area decided he wanted to grab some footage of the flyover with his DJI drone. Although all of the footage found in the originally released video could be considered reckless endangerment, there was one shot in particular that left both the pilot and drone community outraged. As the F/A-18 Hornet located on the far right of the image above crosses the frame, it misses the drone by mere feet. Not surprisingly, the original Instagram account which uploaded the footage was deleted shortly after the video went viral. This is not the first time a near-miss incident has occurred (that has found it’s way onto the internet) within recent years: There were at least three rules broken by the operator of the flight above. The first being that the drone operator likely exceed the 400’ AGL altitude limit; a guideline prior to 2018 but now a hard limit. Secondly, operating a drone in a careless or reckless manner, and third, not giving way to manned aircraft. We could write on explaining how reckless and dangerous the decisions made by this operator were, and how he put the lives of multiple parties (both the pilots in tight formation and any bystanders below) at risk. But we imagine that you as a reader of FLY8MA.com, a website for both manned and unmanned aviation education, most likely understand that the actions taken by this individual were reckless. Therefore, let’s focus on the more universal issue at hand; these events keep happening. In a press release by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) on May 21st of this year, researchers stated that their findings of a 30-day monitoring period near Daytona Beach International Airport in Florida, using a DJI AeroScope system capable of detecting and locating nearby DJI drones. “The vast majority of small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) detected around Daytona Beach International Airport during a 30-day period in 2019 lacked approval from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and more than one-third of those drones were flying higher than the law allows”. Members of the public are, knowingly or unknowingly, operating small unmanned aerial systems outside of regulatory boundaries. While this certainly is concerning, the question remains: what’s the damage? In recent years, the FAA has had more than 100 documented cases of recreational drone operations in or around wildfires. There are temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) in place to allow fire suppression aircraft to operate safely. When drones are operating recreationally in or near a wildfire, fire suppression aircraft can’t. This jeopardizes both efforts to contain the fire and potentially puts ground crews at risk. Furthermore, within the US and Canada, we have had three confirmed drone strikes in recent years, spanning a wide category of aircraft. On September 21st, 2017, a U.S. Army Sikorsky Blackhawk was operating approximately 21 miles east of Staten Island, NY when the main rotor made contact with a DJI Phantom 4; creating a 1 and ½ inch dent on one of the blades, cracking the composite fairing and a portion of the window frame, and lodging several components of the drone into the helicopter. The drone operator was flying in an active TFR (temporary flight restriction zone). Only a month later, a Beech King Air A100 operated by SkyJet Aviation collided with a sUAS on approach to land at Jean Lesage Airport near Quebec, Canada. The drone was operating at 1,500 feet; over three times the altitude limit for recreational sUAS operations. On August 10th, 2018, an operator lost sight of a hot air balloon on his monitor and collided with the balloon. The drone operator had been flying the sUAS within five miles of an airport without notifying air traffic control. In all three incidents, regulations were broken; ultimately leading to the accident. Fortunately, no incidents led to loss of life. More incidents have been reported but are unconfirmed. The message is clear. While those operating drones professionally have the knowledge of how to safely operate in areas near manned aircraft, a majority of the general public does not. We therefore need to have a greater emphasis on educating the general public in regard to safe drone operation before a fatal collision occurs. Education will reduce the risk of a midair collision, and therefore reduce the implications that would be caused by such an accident if it were fatal; such as further limiting or restricting sUAS purchase access or flight areas. Let’s work together to increase flight safety in the national airspace system. If you or someone you know is interested in flying a drone, refer them to the Federal Aviation Administration’s “Know before you fly” website (http://knowbeforeyoufly.org/) and let them know that FLY8MA has a course if they are interested in obtaining their Part 107 sUAS certificate!