One of the most common assumptions I encounter from military operators is that their DoD UAS experience covers them for commercial operations. It does not. The FAA and the DoD operate under separate regulatory frameworks, and a military certificate of authorization does not substitute for an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate in the national airspace system.

This matters more than it used to. As unmanned systems migrate from purely military applications into dual-use environments — border security, infrastructure inspection, disaster response, law enforcement support — the line between military and civilian airspace becomes a daily operational reality. Operators who lack Part 107 certification are grounded the moment they need to operate outside a COA-covered exercise or deployment.

What Part 107 Actually Covers

The FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate requires passing a 60-question knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center. The test covers six content areas:

  • Applicable regulations relating to small UAS operations
  • Airspace classification and operating requirements
  • Aviation weather sources and effects on small UAS
  • Small UAS loading and performance
  • Emergency procedures
  • Radio communications procedures

Military operators typically find the airspace and regulations sections straightforward — the concepts map reasonably well to military airspace management. The weather interpretation and loading/performance sections can require focused study if your military background was primarily in ground control operations rather than aircraft operations.

Where Military Operators Need to Focus

The Part 107 exam uses FAA aeronautical charts extensively. If your military experience did not involve reading sectional charts and understanding Class B through G airspace from a pilot’s perspective, this is where you need to invest study time. The chart reading questions account for a significant portion of the exam and are not intuitive without specific preparation.

Weather is the other focus area. FAA weather products — METARs, TAFs, winds aloft forecasts — use standardized formats that military operators may not have worked with unless they had aviation-specific roles.

Preparation Approach

A motivated military operator with aviation background can prepare for Part 107 in two to three weeks of focused study. The FAA’s own study guide is the authoritative source and should be your primary reference. Supplement it with practice tests — the more questions you work through, the better calibrated you will be on exam day.

Our FFR-101 course (RF Awareness) and getting-started resources provide foundation knowledge relevant to Part 107 preparation. For operators who want structured preparation, our Academy offers Part 107 exam preparation as part of our regulatory training curriculum.

The exam fee is $175 at most testing centers. The certificate has no expiration but requires a recurrent knowledge test every 24 months to remain current.

Passing score: 70% (42 of 60 questions)
Time limit: 2 hours
Testing: FAA-approved Knowledge Testing Centers nationwide

Free Part 107 Study Guide → | Free Practice Test → | View Training Programs →

Forge and Flight Academy offers structured UAS training for military operators, veterans, and transitioning service members. Contact us to discuss training options.