Earn the certificate, then train to a practical standard.
Live Part 107 instruction and scenario-based flight training from a working aerial-data company, delivered in person or by video. Knowledge records and practical authorization remain separate, so course completion never stands in for demonstrated ability on a specific aircraft, mission, payload, and environment.
Instructor-led in person or by video, scoped to the organization.
NIST Open Test Lanes and mission scenarios make performance visible.
The program's designated evaluator decides who may operate independently.
Most courses test what you know. This model also tests what you can fly.
Exam preparation can establish knowledge. It cannot show an employer whether a pilot can hold a pattern, manage a real site, or make sound decisions as conditions change. The practical track exists to make that layer visible.
The Proficiency Flight track uses graded, hands-on work built on NIST Open Test Lanes. Pilots fly exercises, review results with an instructor, and can re-fly the same methods to track improvement.
Published methods, observable results
- NIST Open Test Lanes scoring from L1 to L5.
- Flight-log review with the instructor.
- Approximately 80% scenario work and 20% courseware.
- Re-fly and re-score to track improvement.
- Environmental and weather operations module.
A course does not grant mission authority
Practical authorization rests with the employer authority or designated evaluator who approves a person for defined aircraft, missions, payloads, and environments.
Outlook UAS can teach, observe, and document training work. It does not replace that employer decision.
What the live instruction can cover
The instruction draws on four curriculum tracks. Ground-theory elements are coded to the FAA Airman Certification Standards, so weak areas can be traced back to the applicable standard. The final scope is set per engagement and does not automatically include every course listed below.
Knowledge is trained. Practical ability is demonstrated.
Passing a course creates a knowledge record. It is not permission to operate. The knowledge and practical layers remain visible for every program role.
What a person must know
Regulations, standards, procedures, and technical principles delivered and assessed through the applicable courses.
What a person must be able to do
Demonstrated performance under realistic conditions. It is flown or worked, not answered on a screen.
Online course completion documents knowledge training only. Practical authorization remains separate and rests with the program's designated evaluator. No online course, and nothing Outlook UAS provides, authorizes a person for a specific aircraft, mission, payload, or environment. A Part 107 certificate shows that an individual passed a knowledge test; it does not show practical performance on an employer's missions.
Four stages describe one operator's progression.
These stages describe people. Program maturity bands such as Initial, Developing, Defined, Managed, and Leading describe programs. The two are not interchangeable: a person is never “Defined,” a program is never “Practically Validated,” and neither is a numeric score.
Role requirements stay distinct, even on a small team.
A person may hold several roles. Each role still carries its own knowledge and practical requirements.
| Role | Knowledge path | Practical demonstration |
|---|---|---|
| Pilot in command | GT-101 plus mission-specific GT or UA courses | PF proficiency and aircraft-type familiarization |
| Visual observer | GT-101 orientation subset | Scan, phraseology, and hazard calls |
| Data or GIS lead | GT-201, GT-301, and UA-501 | A complete run to a verified, accuracy-stated deliverable |
| Maintenance and records owner | GT-101, PS-501, and program SOP training | Return-to-service work, configuration records, and Remote ID records |
| Program manager | PS-501, GT-101, and relevant cross-track material | Governance in practice against the program charter |
Current catalog gap: there is no standalone maintenance course today. That role's knowledge is assembled from GT-101, PS-501, and the client program's SOP training. The gap is stated directly rather than treated as covered by unrelated course completion.
Two clocks keep the record current.
Regulatory knowledge and practical program currency are separate. Recent activity does not replace a documented recheck.
Part 107 recurrent, every 24 calendar months
The individual completes the FAA's recurrent online training, currently ALC-677, or another path accepted by the applicable requirements. The certificate belongs to the individual, and the program tracks the record.
A recheck on the program's cadence
The program defines practical rechecks, recency windows by mission type, and triggers after a lapse, significant event, new aircraft, or new mission. Reinstatement rests on re-demonstrated proficiency, not elapsed time.
Both clocks feed the records layer, so the program can show who was current on what and when. NIST test lanes define a method. Any tolerance or time target adopted by an organization remains its training target, not a graded external minimum.
Two ways to begin
A performance model grounded in safety science.
The curriculum draws on graduate research applying HFACS, the Human Factors Analysis and Classification System, to UAS operations. The framework is used to identify practical, decision-making, and operating-culture gaps that a checklist or written test cannot fully observe.
The research informs curriculum design. It is not government endorsement, proof of training effectiveness, or a guarantee of any outcome.
Train with the operator.
Live recurrent training and Part 107 instruction, scoped to the organization and delivered in person or by video. Start with the Readiness Call when the training need still has to be placed against governance, currency, records, or standardization.