When you first take the A2 CofC course you are reminded that modules will be updated to reflect changes made by the CAA and to also respond to requests from the learner community. This week UAVhub updated sections of the air law modules, which was actually was a good response to what I thought should have been introduced in the course in that module, and I progressed through the resource library module and ‘How to fly your drone safely’ module to get to the self declaration and examination stage. In this sense, this is the critical juncture where you have to prove you have the practical drone flying skills and have gathered the theoretical knowledge too.
Get the UAVhub A2 CofC course here: https://www.uavhub.com/pages/a2-qualification
Get your Flyer ID and Operator ID here: https://register-drones.caa.co.uk/individual/register-and-take-test-to-fly
The practical self-training requirements for A2 CofC self-certification: https://help.uavhub.com/what-is-the-practical-self-training-requirements-for-a2-cofc-self-certification
Air Law Updates
Before being allowed to continue with the course, the learning portal made it mandatory to take the new lessons that have been added. The lessons I did were entirely new with updated graphics and location. The first lesson strictly focused on Vessels, Vehicles and Structures, something briefly covered in the collision avoidance lesson beforehand. The reasoning for this lesson therefore was to clarify some of the worries and concerns that those in the drone community had about these areas. Although it is useful for clarification that separation distances still apply if any human is in a vehicle, vessel or structure (In the case of the A2 category, a C2 drone keeps a distance of 30m in normal speed mode and 5m in low speed mode) and that the separation distances can be reduced if you believe the occupants are suitably protected. For instance then, if the vehicle or structure is unoccupied you can fly as close to the structure or vehicle as you like, as long as the separation distance you choose is SAFE and as long as you do not collide with the structure. Once again, Article 241 is the key thing to remember here.
Next lesson acknowledges something I thought should have been introduced earlier on than it was in the ‘flight planning’ module, and was also acknowledged in the Air Law module prior to this lesson’s timing. While CTR (Controlled Traffic Regions) and FRZ (Flight Restriction Zones) airspace is not necessarily near everyone who is a drone pilot, as both of the closest pieces of airspaces to me are around 10 miles, this was an area that needed more clarity early on and I feel they have done that really well with this lesson. As another brief lesson that covers a concentrated area of the wider airspace regulations, it sets straight the different types of FRZ you can encounter and how they differ in legality. Firstly, the lesson clarifies that Flight Restriction Zones are placed around every aerodrome in the UK and are blatantly illegal to fly in without permission. The diagram below explains how these types of airspace will typically be laid out.
Next to be explained are areas of CTR airspace, areas in which we need to be aware of increased air traffic and are classified as legal to fly in; unless your flight plans take you into an FRZ where you then get permission from the local Air traffic control. Unlike an FRZ, which has a vertical airspace span from the surface up to 2,000ft, a CTR will control the air space from the surface up to their own specified limit meaning you could potentially fly over a CTR that perhaps might be yellow low flying areas. More so, pilots will need to be aware of restricted areas which are simply areas around the UK that need explicit permission to fly in THAT ARE NOT AIRSPACE AREAS; meaning you will have to fill out a NSF (None standard Flight Application Form) with NATS (National Air Traffic System) and wait for permission to come through. In all cases though, it is recommended procedure that you contact the most local Air traffic control to your location to inform them of your activity. Finally, there is a completely new lesson that is of significant benefit if you are finding the contact details for specific aerodromes. The UK AIP then (UK Aeronautical Information Package) can also give you downloadable information about aerodromes and heliports while also showing navigation warnings too. While it is stressed that this package is for manned aviation, thus meaning not everything will be of benefit to you, it can ultimately be useful for your flight planning in any case or scenario.
Resource Library
The ever talked about Resource Library is finally revealed to you after you complete a mock examination in the A2 course. Although the resource library itself is very small, with only 7 “lessons” in this case, it does contain vital documents and planning assets for you to be aware of and for you to use when planning safe flights. For instance the CAP 722 is the first thing they highlight in this module, for you to download and read in your own time, while they later show off the resource www.dronesafe.uk/restrictions and how it can help you find FRZ and CTR airspace near your location; While this was useful, I however would recommend using other planning resources highlighted beforehand, such as www.notaminfo.com/ukmap and www.dronesafetymap.com/, depending on the kind of operation and type of flying you want to do. More so the library is also a place where you can gain access to the earlier highlighted risk assessment and survey site documents, discussed in the flight planning module, and is another way to access the ECCAIRS system where pilots can report accidents and incidents; not to be confused with the Airproxy report scheme for incident reporting, which is meant for aviation accidents only.
How to Fly your Drone Safely and Prep for Self declaration
Up to this point, you are never taught about drone manoeuvres but much more about the laws and practices you need to know surrounding drone aviation. While this is ultimately because the course expects you to have some drone flying knowledge or to be an active drone enthusiast, neither of which I really was, the inclusion of a practical flying module is still useful for all three of those perceived demographics. While the progression of other module is designed for you to build layers of understanding and knowledge, this practical set of lessons was structured to give you practice exercises which you could practice and progress with in your own way. For instance, the teaching of how you fly in a square bleeds into how you will penultimately learn about how to fly in an oval shape. While this does not sound as exciting, or possibly as engaging as learning about air law, it is an entirely different dynamic in comparison because this type of learning has to be physically learned and repeated; whereas beforehand all of the other learning is theoretical and inherently more suitable for this sort of course. However like every other module the reason for its inclusion is critical, as you’ll need to practice manoeuvres, such as the figure of eight, to be integral to the self-declaration form you’ll have to sign to take the examination. So, how do you prep for an examination with little to no flying time?
To start, you’ll need to start looking at the drone market; but as newly released drones are still not released as classified aircraft, which will determine the open sub-categories you will fly in, then you’ll need to consider legacy drone options. In the area of legacy drones, as explained by the diagram above, drones such as the Mini 2 will be a good, future proof option for at least the next three years but in contrast more powerful drones, like the DJI Mavic Pro 2, are currently able to fly in the A2 category and will become an A3 aircraft when the transition period ends. Therefore, depending on whether you want longevity or power, your choice of drone needs to be careful and well considered to the level of investment you want to have. Now you have the drone, the How to Fly your Drone Safely module is the perfect module to help you make good progress in the A2 CofC course. In this sense, as a beginner pilot I will start using this module to help build my self confidence in drone flying before submitting my Self declaration and organising my exam. More so, I am planning to still take repeat mock examinations to make sure of my preparation for the exam also.
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