Drone Training in South Florida

Most drone training ends with somebody saying you did well. That is worth very little when a supervisor, an insurer or a city attorney asks how well.

This training is run against the NIST standard test methods for small unmanned aircraft - the measured lanes and target stands in the photographs below. They were developed so that a remote pilot's ability to maneuver, hold position and read a target accurately could be measured the same way by anybody, anywhere, and repeated later to show whether a crew has improved or slipped.

Sessions are delivered by a NIST-credentialed instructor, and the same lanes are used with public safety units and with commercial crews.

What you get

Hands-on flight training in measured, repeatable test lanes
Evaluation against the NIST standard test methods for small unmanned aircraft
Maneuvering, position hold and target acquisition, each scored rather than eyeballed
A repeatable baseline you can re-fly later to show progress
Sessions run on a site agreed with you
Suitable for public safety units and for commercial pilots

Get a free quote Call (954) 580-PAPA

Drone on a fire department landing pad with a measured NIST standard test method lane running out across the field

Close view of a public safety drone on its landing pad, with NIST standard test method targets set out behind it

Good to know

Before you book

Where it runs

On a site we agree with you. The sessions pictured here were flown on an open field alongside a department landing pad.

Who it is for

Crews that have to be able to demonstrate proficiency rather than assert it - public safety units among them.

What it costs

Quoted per session, the same as everything else we do. Call (954) 580-PAPA and you will have a number the same business day.

Questions

Drone Training FAQ

What are the NIST standard test methods?

A set of standardized, measured test lanes for small unmanned aircraft. The stands and targets are laid out to a fixed geometry so that a pilot's maneuvering, position holding and target acquisition can be scored consistently - by any evaluator, at any site, and again months later against the same baseline.

Is this the same as an FAA Part 107 certificate?

No, and they are not alternatives. Part 107 is the FAA certificate that makes it legal to fly commercially - it is a knowledge test. The NIST test methods measure hands-on flying proficiency. A pilot can hold Part 107 and still fly a lane badly, which is exactly why the lanes exist.

Why does measured proficiency matter?

Because 'our people are trained' is not a defensible answer. A scored run is a record: it shows a supervisor where a crew actually stands, it can be repeated to show improvement, and it exists in writing when somebody asks afterward.

Who delivers the training?

Papa's Aerial Services, a family owned and operated FAA Part 107 certified company based in Fort Lauderdale, with training delivered by a NIST-credentialed instructor.

Can you train our department or company on our own site?

That is the usual arrangement. Tell us the location and what your crews need to be able to demonstrate, and we will confirm what the site needs to support it.

How do I book?

Call (954) 580-PAPA or send the form on this page. We reply the same business day.