Who wouldn’t want to fly a drone in beautiful Tennessee? It’s the kind of spot that can make a great setting to begin your drone career, but not until you have the proper license.
How do you obtain a drone license in Tennessee?
Here’s how to get a drone license in Tennessee:
- Pass the introductory FAA criteria
- Create a new registration on IACRA for an FTN
- Register at a Tennessee FAA Knowledge Testing Center
- Study
- Knock the Part 107 exam out of the park
- Submit your Form 8710-13
Getting started flying is a bit more complicated than most new pilots realize, but don’t worry. I’m not going to leave you hanging.
Join me as I explain the intricacies of becoming a registered drone pilot in Tennessee.
To help, we’ve identified and reviewed the best drone courses for beginners and professionals.
Here’s how to obtain a drone license in Tennessee
What could you do with a commercial drone license? Plenty! You could earn a profit from flying your drone in Tennessee, exploring fields like news, surveying, real estate, construction, insurance, and filmography.
You also have more rights as a commercial drone pilot than you do with a recreational license, explaining why everyone goes for the commercial cert (known as the Remote Pilot Certificate).
There’s a lot to do to gear up to become a drone license holder, so let’s review!
»: How I Passed Part 107 (& The Course That Helped Me do That)
Pass the introductory FAA criteria
Before you can start on IACRA and PSI (and if you have no idea what I’m talking about yet, you will), you need to review the FAA’s rules about who’s eligible to take the Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) exam.
Yes, there’s an exam. The FAA doesn’t just hand out licenses. You need to show your expertise first.
You can become a commercial pilot if you’re 16 and older. You must be fluent in English and in good enough mental and physical capacity for drone operation.
Become an FAA-certified drone pilot to fly for commercial use. Pass your FAA drone exam on your first try or your money back.
Create a new registration on IACRA for an FTN
With that, you’re on to the next step, which is registering with IACRA.
Let me backtrack for a minute. IACRA means the Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application. It’s an extension of the FAA for taking your Part 107 exam, managing your results, and requesting your license.
Well, that’s the simplified version, anyway. IACRA has more resources than that, but that’s primarily how you’ll use it.
Okay, so let’s get you set up with an account. Click here to visit the IACRA homepage and get underway.
Next, click the link marked Register beside the Login box on the homepage. That will take you to the first page of registration, where you’re to select a role.
More than likely, you will only check Applicant as a first-time drone pilot. If you have any other FAA-associated role, carefully review the other options and check them as appropriate.
You must choose at least one role and agree to the terms of service to continue.
The second part of the application is for your name, email address, birthdate, and new username and password. IACRA also requires two security questions and answers associated with your account.
Click the Register button when you’re ready to move on.
Can you register without typing anything in under the Certificate Information section? You can indeed when registering as an Applicant. Other roles require this information though, so it all depends on what you check.
When you finish registering, you will receive an email from IACRA confirming your account. Log into your new account and you will have an FAA Tracking Number or FTN.
A what now? An FTN. It’s a tracking identifier the FAA uses and your official entry into its system. You’ll need it for verification purposes before you hold your commercial license, and even after you’re a licensed pilot.
All courses offered by Pilot Institute are taught by remote pilots, flight instructors, FAA commercial pilots, and other certified professionals.
Register at a Tennessee FAA Knowledge Testing Center
Now that you have an FTN, you can sign up for an appointment to take the Part 107 exam.
The FAA only administers this test in person at approved Knowledge Testing Centers, which you can find across Tennessee, including Knoxville, Chattanooga, Memphis, Pigeon Forge, and Nashville.
You must use PSI for Knowledge Testing Centers and registering for the commercial drone exam. Before you can do any of that, you need an account on this site.
Click here for a link to the PSI website. Next, choose Create an Account. Type in your FTN and first and last name, then click Continue.
Download an authenticator app that supports multi-factor authentication. Then, create your account, inputting your full name, birthdate, and email address.
PSI lets you select your preferred language, but if you leave this blank, the language setting will be English.
Click the Continue button and navigate to your email inbox. Check for an email from PSI, which will include an account confirmation link. Click the link, then the Sign In button on the homepage.
After logging in, click the Find a Test Center menu from the top.
Type your postal code, then select United States from the first dropdown, your distance in miles or kilometers from the second dropdown, and Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) from the third dropdown.
Click the Search button, and the PSI site will generate a list of FAA Knowledge Testing Centers in your part of Tennessee, including directions.
Choose the closest or most convenient Knowledge Testing Center and register for your exam.
Peltier was a part of the U.S. Air Force as an F-15E flight instructor for a decade making him qualified to teach drones courses.
Study
How prepared do you feel for the Part 107 exam? You don’t want to take any chances considering the test costs more than $150 a pop. Yes, that’s per attempt!
You can retake the commercial test as many times as required to pass, with a mandatory wait time of two weeks between each retake. However, think of how much that would cost you!
Wouldn’t you rather maximize your chances of passing during your first attempt? If so, then you’re going to love the resources the team at Droneblog put together for you.
Click here to see our full overview of recommended training courses for new pilots. They’re not all Part 107 courses, but many are, including bootcamps and longer training courses.
With video and text lessons, practice tests, and access to FAA pros, you will become masterful on even complex FAA drone laws.
You’ll be able to recite what preflight procedures you should do and the proper protocol for obtaining permission to fly in restricted airspace.
To help you apply the knowledge you’ve gathered, you can take a practice test that has more than 200 questions. DLA culled those questions from real FAA exams.
Knock the Part 107 exam out of the park
The day you’ve long awaited (and partially dreaded) has finally arrived. It’s time to take the Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) test.
The exam has 60 questions, each touching on the various aspects of FAA rules you learned about in your study materials. The format is multiple-choice, which you should be familiar with after taking the practice quizzes.
You don’t need a perfect score to pass; far from it. You only need 70 percent, and that’s it, you’ve got your license. Isn’t that cool?
Unlike taking practice quizzes, remember that you have to drive to the Knowledge Testing Center for the real test. You also need a form of photo ID to verify your identity (your FTN isn’t enough in this case).
You’ll be ready for your results as soon as you wrap up taking the test, but that’s not how it works. Since you’re taking a paper test, it takes time for your work to be graded.
When you get the official word, it will come through IACRA, but be patient! It can sometimes take a few weeks.
When you take the test, you’re protected under the Drone Pro Academy’s pass guarantee. Easily pass your FAA Part 107 exam.
Submit your Form 8710-13
Woohoo, you passed! Congratulations on the hard work. You will have your commercial drone license before you know it so you can begin flying, especially once you submit Form 8710-13.
This required FAA form requests your license. You can complete the form through IACRA, logging in and selecting Start New Application. Choose Pilot for Application Type, then Remote Pilot for Certifications.
Navigate to Other Path Information, then Start Application, and use the prompts to guide you through the application. You will be required to sign digitally to send in the form.
IACRA will process your application, sending a request for a background check from TSA.
When IACRA concludes its assessment, it will send you an email containing a printable version of the Part 107 certificate. The email will include downloading and printing instructions.
Print the license and carry it on you when flying your drone. You don’t have to use the printed license for long. Within several weeks, the FAA will send a more permanent version of the certificate through mail.
I have my drone license in Tennessee – Now what?
You got it done, and now you have a commercial drone license in Tennessee. The license works across the US, but before you start planning your drone adventures, ensure you’ve finished these small but important tasks.
You need to register your drone. You might have heard that lightweight drones don’t need registration, but that only applies for hobbyist license holders, not you. Register every drone you’ll fly.
Check out Tennessee’s drone laws. The state laws include SB 796, adding the Freedom from Unwarranted Surveillance Act. You can’t use your drone for gathering information or evidence.
You should also learn SB 1892, which allows drone pilots to take videos and photos when they have a property owner’s permission or when using a drone for military exercises, scholarly research, rescues, fire suppression, or around hazardous materials spills.
If you violate the rules, you’ll receive a Class C misdemeanor with a sentence of 30 days imprisonment and a fine of $50.
SB 1777 makes it illegal to use your drone to interrupt hunters, upset wildlife, go on private land without the owner’s permission, or take video surveillance.
HB 153 bars drone pilots from taking photos of people at open-air event arenas with more than 100 people unless with the venue owner’s permission.
Locally, Davidson County and Nashville have an ordinance that prohibits pilots from using a drone at any area park, including launching and landing.
There are yet more state and local laws, so make sure you read up on them!
You should also enroll in drone insurance if you have yet to. Tennessee state law doesn’t mandate it, but it’s still a good practice for protecting yourself if an accident happens.
Flying without insurance as a beginner is dangerous, as you’re likelier to crash or cause accidents.
Lastly, you should plan to recertify your drone license when the time comes, which will be within two years of obtaining it.
Yes, drone certs aren’t made to last forever because the FAA wants you to keep studying the current regulations.
If your license never expired, there’d be little impetus for you to do that, right?
Here’s the silver lining. You no longer have to pay $175 to take the Unmanned Aircraft General – Small (UAG) test every two years, which was required before 2021.
Now, you can sit down for an afternoon and take a test online at home. Better yet, it’s free!
Check out this writeup on renewing your Part 107 certificate courtesy of Droneblog!