Training is the fundamental step in operating a drone with its infinite possibilities.
In Brazil, XPilot is the first and only drone pilot school with a methodology accepted by ANAC for training RPA pilots. The school is responsible for the official training of XMobots, the largest drone manufacturer and developer in Latin America.
Active since 2018, XPilot has trained more than 1,000 RPA pilots (Remotely Piloted Aircraft ) and many others have already been qualified and licensed to fly above 400ft.
How does the training process for obtaining a license and permit work? The process is inspired by the training of pilots of manned aircraft, with the same criteria relating to the safety of the operation, seeking to build situational awareness in the candidate, something very difficult for a remote pilot. The entire training process has been evaluated and accepted by ANAC and, at the end of the studies, the remote pilot is checked by the agency to receive the license required to operate the Class 3 RPA (aircraft up to 25kg) and qualified to fly above 400ft.
The training content covers the evolutionary history of the equipment, legislation and the shared use of airspace, planning techniques, technical and operational knowledge of the equipment.
As drones are remotely piloted aircraft, a common question hangs over the heads of those who want to enter the industry: are you a pilot or an operator?
Moisés Pedrici, the School's coordinator replies: "There is no difference between the terms operator and pilot in drone legislation, but I like to think that the operator is the person who just presses the button without much care or concern. But the pilot is something else: the pilot is aware of what he is doing, concerned about the airspace and who he is sharing it with, concerned about getting the most out of the equipment, with maximum awareness."
Leading XPilot's activities for four years, Moisés is one of the first drone pilots in Brazil with a Class 3 fixed-wing RPA license and the ability to fly BVLOS above 400 feet AGL in Class F and G airspace.
Moisés emphasizes that the entire syllabus of the XPilot course has been carefully evaluated and has been accepted by ANAC, which guarantees that the content is suitable for training the candidates. Furthermore, to ensure the efficiency of the process, at the end of the training, a specialist from the Agency conducts a face-to-face check with the candidates, assessing their theoretical and practical proficiency.
Ready to take off?
Divided into distance learning and practical parts - held at XMobots' facilities in São Carlos - SP, the course is characterized by direct contact with the student, dynamics aimed at total piloting experience and maximum use of the equipment, as well as constant encouragement to delve deeper into knowledge, methods and techniques.
Being the first Brazilian school to train pilots who have received a License and Permit is a source of pride for XPilot, which aims to diversify its portfolio and structure specialization grids for each type of equipment and application.
From the operator to the academic, boss or manager. The public served by the school is broad and diverse. No wonder: Brazil already has 78,304 drones registered with Sisant (Unmanned Aircraft System) as of September 2020.
The school also offers separate training in: image processing, agricultural spraying, crop analysis, precision agriculture and the exclusive BVLOS flight module: which brings together specific practical knowledge combined with civil aviation concepts and the practice of flights above 400ft or 120 meters in height.
And being a drone pilot requires a lot: "You have to go to extremes, overcome challenging conditions in challenging environments when carrying out each task, in other words, it's not just about making the equipment fly, but having total mastery of the machine and not just of flying, but of the solutions that the equipment brings and of solutions that are still being invented. All this while properly following all the rules for each flight," says Moisés, who adds: "And in the midst of this challenge, the more you fly, the more you learn, not to mention that you end up collecting many stories to tell."
More information: xpilot@xmobots.com.br or call (16) 3413-0655
Check out the ANAC guidelines: https://www.anac.gov.br/assuntos/paginas-tematicas/drones/orientacoes_para_usuarios.pdf