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Guys & Girls,
First of all, sorry for the long post....
I have recently been in talks with DJI as they have offered me a position with them but for various logistical reasons I am unable to take up the post
However, I am toying with the idea of setting up a 'training school/academy' for operators who are interested in working towards their Permission For Aerial Work (PFAW) in the UK with the CAA.
I must stress this would not be a qualification as per an NQE, but would prepare you for what to expect and what you will be asked to go through should you decide to embark down the route of signing up for a full PFAW training regime and undergo Ground School, Exams, Operations Manual writing, Flight Assessments and submission of SRG1320 to the Civil Aviation Authority.
For many, the route to obtaining PFAW can be very daunting and it is fair to say it is not 'a walk in the park' as there is a lot of information to take in during the course of 2-3 days with a written exam afterwards etc. Once a candidate has passed their theory (with a pass mark of around 75%) you would then be expected to write a 40-60 page operations manual giving technical as well as procedural details together with checklists and 'Boldface' (Emergency) procedures in the event of an emergency situation. On top of this there are risk assessments, site surveys, meteorological theory, air law, principles of flight, airspace segregation, logbooks, insurance requirements and routine maintenance subjects to cover. Once you have submitted and have an approved ops manual you will then go on to a flight assessment - which for many is the most scary part
What my course would (hopefully) aim to do is give potential candidates a 'heads up' on what to expect during their training both theoretically and practically and give them the extra confidence to go forward and work towards full PFAW.
If people are hesitant in spending £2,500+ in trying to obtain their qualification for RPAS commercial work then for many it would make sense to attend a 'school' or 'academy' for a fraction of the cost which will give them guidance on what to expect and help prepare them for full training.
It may also afford some the experience whereby they decide that PFAW is not for them and they have not then committed to over £2,500!
If after attending the flight school/academy an individual decides not to go forward with PFAW with an NQE then they should hopefully have some valuable flight training, practical experience as well as gaining a better understanding of their multirotor platform.
My anticipated course would be a full day and very much a 'hands on' approach with the emphasis on practical safe flying, checklist procedures, maintenance, warning signs to look out for in preventing incidents etc etc. I will also take candidate through a mock flight assessment with a few surprises thrown in!
For those not wanting to go the route of PFAW but still would like some tuition in setting up, going through/writng checklists and practical flying experience (yes there will be some atti in there
) then I would offer a couple of hours or half day as well.
Schooling would be central (East Midlands based) for now and there would be a maximum of two possibly three candidates per session so there are no big classes to contend with!
Oh - It also is not limited to the Inspire/Inspire Pro - any Multirotor platform is fine.... I've built/flown/owned many of them.
Please can I ask people to let me know their interest in something like this so I can gauge whether the whole thing is worth the time and effort to set it all up.
Many thanks for your time and apologies again for the long post.
The Editor
First of all, sorry for the long post....
I have recently been in talks with DJI as they have offered me a position with them but for various logistical reasons I am unable to take up the post
However, I am toying with the idea of setting up a 'training school/academy' for operators who are interested in working towards their Permission For Aerial Work (PFAW) in the UK with the CAA.
I must stress this would not be a qualification as per an NQE, but would prepare you for what to expect and what you will be asked to go through should you decide to embark down the route of signing up for a full PFAW training regime and undergo Ground School, Exams, Operations Manual writing, Flight Assessments and submission of SRG1320 to the Civil Aviation Authority.
For many, the route to obtaining PFAW can be very daunting and it is fair to say it is not 'a walk in the park' as there is a lot of information to take in during the course of 2-3 days with a written exam afterwards etc. Once a candidate has passed their theory (with a pass mark of around 75%) you would then be expected to write a 40-60 page operations manual giving technical as well as procedural details together with checklists and 'Boldface' (Emergency) procedures in the event of an emergency situation. On top of this there are risk assessments, site surveys, meteorological theory, air law, principles of flight, airspace segregation, logbooks, insurance requirements and routine maintenance subjects to cover. Once you have submitted and have an approved ops manual you will then go on to a flight assessment - which for many is the most scary part
What my course would (hopefully) aim to do is give potential candidates a 'heads up' on what to expect during their training both theoretically and practically and give them the extra confidence to go forward and work towards full PFAW.
If people are hesitant in spending £2,500+ in trying to obtain their qualification for RPAS commercial work then for many it would make sense to attend a 'school' or 'academy' for a fraction of the cost which will give them guidance on what to expect and help prepare them for full training.
It may also afford some the experience whereby they decide that PFAW is not for them and they have not then committed to over £2,500!
If after attending the flight school/academy an individual decides not to go forward with PFAW with an NQE then they should hopefully have some valuable flight training, practical experience as well as gaining a better understanding of their multirotor platform.
My anticipated course would be a full day and very much a 'hands on' approach with the emphasis on practical safe flying, checklist procedures, maintenance, warning signs to look out for in preventing incidents etc etc. I will also take candidate through a mock flight assessment with a few surprises thrown in!
For those not wanting to go the route of PFAW but still would like some tuition in setting up, going through/writng checklists and practical flying experience (yes there will be some atti in there
) then I would offer a couple of hours or half day as well.Schooling would be central (East Midlands based) for now and there would be a maximum of two possibly three candidates per session so there are no big classes to contend with!
Oh - It also is not limited to the Inspire/Inspire Pro - any Multirotor platform is fine.... I've built/flown/owned many of them.
Please can I ask people to let me know their interest in something like this so I can gauge whether the whole thing is worth the time and effort to set it all up.
Many thanks for your time and apologies again for the long post.
The Editor
