FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Straight answers about our training, the FAA Part 107 certificate, our drone services and the iFlyDrone pilot network. Don’t see your question here? Call 803-757-0022 or email droneteam@ainautics.com.

Training

What does AINautics teach?

Drone piloting for people who want to get paid to fly. The core course is FAA Part 107 ground school and test prep, the certificate you need before you can fly a drone for work anywhere in the United States. On top of that we run industry tracks in public safety, infrastructure inspection and agriculture, a Drone Delivery RPIC course, and a Train-the-Teacher program for schools. We have taught it in South Carolina classrooms since 2017, and our instructors fly real commercial missions when they are not in front of a class.

Who is the training for, and do I need experience or my own drone?

Anyone 16 and up who wants the certificate: high school and career-center students, technical college students, career changers, veterans and teachers. Students under 16 can take the course and sit for the exam when they turn 16. No flying experience is needed. The Part 107 exam is a knowledge test, not a flight test. You do not need to own a drone. In-person classes and flight labs use our aircraft, and online students fly on our flight simulator. For the online course all you need is a computer or Chromebook and an Xbox or PS5 controller for the simulator.

How long does it take, and what formats do you offer?

Three ways to get there:

  • Self-paced online through AINautics University, open for enrollment now. Start anytime and work at your own speed, with video lessons, the flight simulator, and practice questions drawn from a real FAA-style question bank.
  • Accelerated bootcamp for adults. Two days, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, covering all five exam areas and finishing with a timed 60-question practice exam and a walkthrough of test registration. Bootcamps run in South Carolina. Use the contact form for upcoming dates, or to ask about one in your state.
  • School and college programs. A semester or full-year course taught in the classroom, built by a former CTE director, aligned to FAA standards and delivered as project-based learning.

For pricing on any of the three, fill out the contact form and a member of the team will get back to you.

Can you train our teachers to run the program themselves?

Yes. Train-the-Teacher is a three-day weekend Part 107 course for educators, Friday through Sunday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM. It covers the ground school, a short hands-on flight lab, and how to register students for the FAA exam. Teachers leave ready to teach the course with our curriculum, lesson plans, bell work and practice exams behind them, and we stay on call for support. Fill out the contact form and someone will reach out with dates and pricing.

Certification

What is the FAA Part 107 certificate, and why do I need it?

It is the FAA Remote Pilot Certificate, the federal license to fly a drone for any commercial or work purpose: real estate photos, roof inspections, mapping, public safety, or a side business of your own. Flying for pay, or for your employer, without it is a federal violation. It is also the first thing employers and clients look for.

What are the requirements?
  • Be at least 16 years old
  • Read, speak, write and understand English
  • Be in a physical and mental condition to fly a drone safely
  • Pass the FAA Unmanned Aircraft General (UAG) knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center
  • Apply through the FAA’s IACRA system (Form 8710-13) and clear TSA vetting

Once TSA vetting clears you print a temporary certificate from IACRA. Our students usually have it within about 48 hours of passing the exam, and the permanent card comes in the mail a few weeks later.

What is the exam like?

60 multiple-choice questions, two hours, and you need 70% to pass. You take it in person at an FAA-approved testing center, and the $175 test fee is paid to the center, not to us. The five areas are regulations, airspace and the National Airspace System, weather, loading and performance, and operations. Our course is built around those exact areas, with practice questions tagged the same way the FAA tags them.

What if I don’t pass?

The FAA lets you retest after 14 calendar days. We go through your score report with you, work the weak areas, and get you back in the seat. There is no pass guarantee, and you should be skeptical of anyone who offers one. What you get is a course built around the exam and an instructor in your corner for the retest.

Does the certificate expire?

The certificate itself does not expire, but you have to keep it current. Every 24 calendar months you complete the FAA’s free online recurrent training (the Part 107 Small UAS Recurrent course on FAASafety.gov). No retest and no fee. Put the date on your calendar the day you pass.

Drone services

What drone services do you provide, and where?

Inspections of roofs, cell towers, bridges and solar arrays; mapping and surveying; construction progress; agriculture; real estate and commercial photo and video; event coverage; and public safety support. We are headquartered in Columbia, South Carolina, and we cover all 50 states through our pilot network. A job in Texas or Ohio gets a vetted local pilot, the same standards, and the same point of contact you started with.

Are your pilots certified and insured, and how do I get a quote?

Every pilot who flies for us holds a current FAA Part 107 certificate, and every job is covered by $1 million in liability insurance. AINautics is a service-disabled veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB), registered in SAM.gov, and for federal work we fly NDAA-compliant aircraft. For a quote, use the Request a Quote form, email droneteam@ainautics.com, or call 803-757-0022. Quotes go out within 48 hours.

Pilot network

How does the iFlyDrone pilot network work?

iFlyDrone is our marketplace. It connects certified drone pilots with businesses that need them, and it is where our graduates go to work.

If you are a pilot: apply at iflydrone.com. You need a current Part 107 certificate, and we review every application by hand before a pilot goes live. There is no fee to join through December 2027. Once you are in, you are matched to paid jobs in your area, and AINautics graduates go to the front of the line.

If you are a business: tell us what you need and where, on ainautics.com or iflydrone.com, and we match you with a vetted pilot near you. One point of contact and one standard of work, whether it is a single roof or a portfolio across several states.