Guide to Getting a Drone Pilot License in Singapore

The Unmanned Aircraft Pilot Licence (UAPL), or more commonly known as the drone pilot license, was introduced by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) in late 2020, mandating users of certain unmanned aircraft (UA) to meet training requirements set forth by the authority in order to fly their equipment.

You will need a UA Pilot License if you:

• Fly an UA for commercial purposes regardless of the weight of the UA you operate. Examples include drone photography providers, building inspectors and surveillance solution providers; or
• Fly an UA that weighs more than 7kg.

To put it simply, you will need a license to operate a drone, or other forms of unmanned aircraft, if you use it to earn a living, or if the equipment you fly is a heavy one. If you illegally fly an unmanned aircraft, you could face a fine of up to $100,000 or imprisonment not exceeding 5 years for repeated offences!

What Does UA or Unmanned Aircraft Refer To?

While the UA Pilot License may sometimes be referred to as the “drone pilot license”, an Unmanned Aircraft may not necessarily refer to drones. According to the CAAS, an unmanned aircraft is “an aircraft that can be flown or used without a person on board to operate it”. In fact, unmanned aircraft include things like radio-controlled aircraft, drones and even remote-controlled kites! Long story short, a drone is an unmanned aircraft, but an unmanned aircraft may not be a drone.

The CAAS has outlined four categories of unmanned aircraft, and they are:

1. Aeroplane: Aeroplanes look like regular planes that you and I know, except that they are much smaller. These are best suited for travelling long distances or staying in the air for extended periods of time.
2. Rotorcraft: This is the most common category and can be known as the “drone category”. Rotorcrafts refer to any aircraft that operate on rotors for propulsion and control. This category also includes helicopters and multi-copters, e.g. quadcopters, octocopters, etc.
3. Powered-lift: Powered-lifts can take off and land vertically (straight up and down) like helicopters, but also have the ability to move into forward flights like traditional planes.
4. Airship: Usually engine-powered, an airship can be filled with buoyant gas and floats in the air. While it was meant to be an April Fools’ joke, Amazon’s giant delivery-drone blimp is an example of an airship (if it was real).

UAPL Classes and Categories

Just like how there are different classes of driving licenses, the same applies to the UAPL. Similarly, these classes are determined by the weight of the vehicle, or in our case, the unmanned aircraft.

There are two classes of the UAPL, namely Class A (up to 25kg) and B (over 25kg). Within each class, there are four categories: aeroplane, rotorcraft, powered-lift and airship – as we had explained earlier. 

• Class A UAPL
  This license allows you to operate any UA in your chosen category(s) that does not exceed the weight of 25kg. This is a prerequisite to obtaining Class B UAPL in your chosen category(s).
• Class B UAPL
  This license allows you to operate any UA in your chosen category(s) that exceeds the weight of 25kg. You must be a valid holder of a Class A UAPL in your chosen category. For example, a person applying for a Class B UAPL to operate a 40kg rotorcraft must hold a valid Class A UAPL in the rotorcraft category first. That being said, we have not come across anyone holding a Class B UAPL, nor are there eligible academies offering preparatory courses for Class B licenses.

Before anything else, you should have an idea of the type of unmanned aircraft you would like to operate using your license, or in CAAS’ words, the “category”. You may choose more than one category, e.g. Class A (Rotorcraft) and Class A (Aeroplane), but most people are committed to one category only.

Steps to Obtaining a UA Pilot License (UAPL)

Similar to getting a driver’s license in Singapore, there are two components to getting a UAPL: (1) passing a theory test and (2) passing a practical assessment (within 24 months after passing the theory test) – in this order. Applicants must be at least 16 years of age at the time of application.

Just like how there are driving schools for new drivers, there are drone academies, or formally known as Unmanned Aircraft Training and Assessment Organisations (UATOs), that offer professional training for aspiring pilots too. Courses provided by academies usually include both theory and practical components. It is also at these academies that you will eventually complete your practical assessment.

As of the time of writing (September 2021), there are 11 CAAS-approved academies islandwide. Do note that none of these approved academies currently offer practical assessments for the powered-lift and airship categories.

Given the requirements of the UAPL, it is recommended that you follow the steps below, in order of sequence to obtain your license:

1. Sign yourself up for a drone training course from any UATOs. Depending on your prior flying experience, you may take up to five days to complete the course. Your training would include both theory and practical components.
2. Once you’ve completed the course and feel confident enough, you may book a slot to take the theory test on the Civil Aviation Personnel Licensing System (CAPELS) portal. You will take the theory test in person at the Singapore Aviation Academy.
3. Book a practical assessment with an Authorised Flight Examiner (AFE). This is usually your training provider/a drone academy.
4. Finally, submit your application via the CAPELS portal.

Part A: UAPL Theory Test

The test, usually taken in-person at the Singapore Aviation Academy, takes 1.5 hours to complete and there are 50 questions in total. To pass the test, you must achieve a minimum test score of 75%. You are not allowed to attempt the theory test more than two times within a single month. Registration of theory tests can be made through the CAAS website. 

The theory test covers five subjects:

• General Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) Knowledge
• Principles of Flight
• Air Law
• Navigation and Meteorology
• Human Factors
• Safety and Operations

Preparing for The Theory Test

While CAAS recommends the following study guides, academies usually provide their own proprietary learning materials (read: exam guides). If you’re a drone aficionado, or you feel like indulging in one of these drone books, you’re more than welcome to!

• Air Navigation Act (ANA)
• Air Navigation (101 – Unmanned Aircraft Operations) Regulations [PDF]
• The Complete Remote Pilot – Aviation Supplies & Academy (ASA) by Bob Gardner and David Ison
• Remote Pilot Test Prep 2019 – Aviation Supplies & Academy (ASA)
• The Droner’s Manual – Aviation Supplies & Academy (ASA) by Kevin Jenkins 

Here are a few insider tips to ace the theory test:

1. Your exam would be done on a computer. You will need to answer 50 multiple-choice questions.
2. Mundane details like length of jail time and penalty amounts for flying offences are important, so make sure you memorise those!
3. Adding to our point above, it is important that you know the difference between weight classes and the permit required for each. A sample question would be: “The UA Basic Training is required for unmanned aircraft weighing between _______.” (The answer is “1.5 to 7kg”.)
4. If you have no prior knowledge of aviation, the “Principles of Flight” subject can be challenging. Seek help from your instructor if you struggle with the subject – in fact, any subject. 
5. There are questions where you can expect answer choices that sound similar to one another. This is especially true for questions on the topic of “Human Factors and Safety Operations”. All we can say is, common sense isn’t always common.

Passing the theory test is a matter of memorising hard facts so this is the time where you bring out your cramming skills. To put things into perspective, each test (or re-test) sets you back by $125 (yes, per test) so study hard!

Part B: Practical Assessment

Once you pass the theory test, the pass will be valid for 24 months from the date of attempt. You may then proceed to attempt the practical assessment within the 24-month timeframe. 

And now, the segment that most people are most excited for: the practical segment – actually flying drones!

The practical assessment covers these aspects:

• General Knowledge of UAS Functions
• UAS Checks
• Flight Manoeuvres with Manual Controls
• Mission Planning and Execution
• Emergency Procedures

Nonetheless, drone flying isn’t all fun and games. It is important that the flying of drones does not compromise aviation and public safety so expect to spend a large portion of your time learning how to fly safely.

Preparing for Practical Assessment

When preparing for the practical assessment, your chosen training provider will be your best bet. This is because all UATOs have been appointed by the CAAS as Authorised Flight Examiners (AFE) and have the power to decide if you’re fit to become a drone pilot or not. 

For most training courses, you are likely to spend up to five full days to complete both your theory and practical training. When choosing a suitable drone academy, strike a balance between the price point you’re personally comfortable with (as a five-day course will cost you more than $2,000), the number of flight hours you’re entitled to, as well as the instructor to trainee ratio, as these are factors that will make or break your learning experience.

While you will get a few hours worth of flight time with your instructor during the course of your training, make the effort to spend extra hours outside of class for a higher chance to pass your practical assessment. Afterall, practice makes perfect. 

Common rookie mistakes include not bringing sunglasses (you will need a pair to comfortably spot your drone in the sky), losing orientation of one’s drone and crashing into tall objects like trees.

Here’s a quick tip: purchase a second hand DJI Phantom 3 or 4 off the market. These models can be operated with manual controls, which is a UAPL requirement, and are affordable. The sturdiness of these models also means they’re likely to survive multiple crashes (yikes).

You know you’re ready when you can perform all flight manoeuvres with manual controls confidently.

Final Step: Submit Your UAPL Application

The UAPL application is fairly straightforward and can be easily done online.

To submit your application, visit the CAPELS website at https://capels.caas.gov.sg and have the following information ready:

1. Your personal information (which you can choose to have it retrieved from your SingPass account)
2. Your theory test results
   There is no action needed on your part to submit the results of your practical assessment as it will be done by the Authorised Flight Examiner.

Upon submission, CAAS will review your application and process it in 10 working days. Once your application is approved, will receive an e-mail that contains instructions to view their digital licence via the SGFlight app.

How Much Does An UAPL Cost?

Now that you know the steps required to obtain a license, we give you a breakdown of the upfront investment:

Assuming you are applying for a Class A (Rotorcraft), you will pay:

$500 for UAPL Initial + $125 for CAAS theory test + $2,000-2,599 for a professional training course = $2,625-3,300 with no subsidy

There are subsidies like the SkillsFuture scheme available, so make use of those to obtain your license at a discounted rate. Alternatively, many companies sponsor their employees’ training courses as part of their career development – this is especially true if your job requires you to operate an unmanned aircraft.

What Happens After You Obtain Your License?

Your job isn’t done once you’ve been granted your license. To keep your license, you must go through proficiency checks conducted by an AFE at least once every four years. 

For Class B UAPL holders, in addition to the proficiency check that you have to complete every four years, you are required to attend refresher training on a yearly basis. The refresher training can be conducted by an UATO, or if the organisation you work for is a UA Operator, your employer is eligible to conduct such training.

If you fail to attend these checks or training, your UAPL will become invalid upon the expiry date specified in your license.

Conclusion

Getting an UA Pilot License may not be easy, but it is a rite of passage as you grow as a drone professional.

Are you working towards getting a drone pilot license? Let us know your experience!