Two years had passed. I received my notice that my drone license was about to expire. I knew what was next… the dreaded drone recurrent exam, or as it is more formerly known 14(CFR) Part 107 recurrent exam for small unmanned aircraft systems (uSAS).

When I took the test two years ago, I studied for days. I passed the exam without a problem. So, now it was time to take the recurrent exam. “No problem,” I thought, “I got this.” I knew most of this, and I might miss a few answers, but all one has to do is pass. It’s amazing what one can forget in two years! I failed! I have never failed… well, not recently… maybe a couple of exams in college.

I decided it was time to order a course. I watched a video by Next Exit, and he mentioned about a course offered by Remote Pilot 101. It is a very good course. Once you pay for it ($150 at the time of this writing), it has both the courses for the initial drone license test and recurrent test. It is continuously updated, and you can take the course over and over for life.

I scheduled my exam, and started watching videos offered by Remote Pilot 101. I studied the books. I read maps. For two weeks, I studied! I headed to the testing facility at the New Bern, NC airport. I was nervous! I hate doctor’s offices, and this was just as bad.

The proctor was a nice young lady. She recognized me, and from the way she looked, she had pity on me. “Don’t worry,” she said, “you’re not the only one who has had to retake this test… it’s hard.” Somehow, knowing that I was among a group of failures didn’t make me feel any better.

The test consisted of 40 questions – all multiple choice. The proctor read some instructions; then told me I had 1 hour and 30 minutes to complete the test. She gave me a book with a bunch of maps. I began. The first two questions were doosies! “Where in the world did this come from!” I thought. I almost panicked. The next two were familiar, so I felt better. One by one, I tried to answer to the best of my ability. Number 40 seemed like a “given.” It was like, “You are getting ready to take aerial photos of a home for a real estate broker. Prior to takeoff, do you: (A) Feed your dog; (B) Go through your pre-flight checklist; or (C) make an offer on the house.” Okay, the answer is obviously (C). Of course, I am a real estate broker, so that makes sense to me!

Well, I passed – and with a good grade. The course and the study paid off. My hat is off to the gentleman on “Next Exit.” I am good for two years. I’ll study again for the next time.

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