FAA Launches Online Recurrency Courses for Part 107 Small UAS Pilots

April 8, 2021

To maintain their currency, remote pilot certificate holders must satisfy recurrent training requirements every 24 months, and the FAA is offering three free, online courses that meet these requirements for holders of Part 107 remote pilot certification.

“The ability to keep your certificate current, and ensure you are up to date on the latest regulatory and airspace changes, remains a critical part of the integration of these emerging technologies,” said NBAA Director, Air Traffic Services and Infrastructure Heidi Williams.

All three courses include the knowledge necessary to operate over people when that rule takes effect on April 21. Learn more about the FAA courses.

To enroll, pilots will need to have or create a no-fee account on FAAsafety.gov. ALC-677, Part 107 Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) Recurrent—Non-Part 61 Pilots is for pilots who hold only a 107 certificate. This course also satisfies the UAS recurrency requirements for sUAS-rated Part 61 pilot certificate holders without a current flight review.

Small UAS-rated Part 61 pilot certificate holders with a current flight review may satisfy the UAS recurrent training requirement by completing ALC-677 or by completing ALC-451, Part 107 Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Initial, or ALC-515, Part 107 Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Recurrent, as appropriate. These courses assume participant knowledge of Parts 61 and 91.

Before enrolling in any online course, pilots should review the updated airman certification standards, FAA-S-ACS-10B, Remote Pilot—Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems dated April 2021. The new knowledge elements include operations over people, operations over people at night, remote identification, airspace operational requirements, airport operations and emergency procedures.

ALC-677 concludes with an exam of 30 randomly generated questions; participants should pay attention to the review questions presented during the course. Scoring 100% on the exam ensures a certificate of program completion, which pilots must present as proof of sUAS currency when requested by the FAA.

Part 107 pilots can also maintain their currency by passing the initial unmanned aircraft general or unmanned aircraft renewal knowledge tests, presenting the results of these knowledge tests as proof of currency.