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Greg Reverdiau and Pilot Institute

Flying your drone for the first time can be intimidating for beginners. Am I going to crash? How does the remote control work? How high and how far can I fly? Can I fly at the Grand Canyon? Am I allowed to fly over people? Can I get paid to fly my drone? How do I take cool pictures or cool videos? 

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Flying your drone for the first time can be intimidating for beginners. Am I going to crash? How does the remote control work? How high and how far can I fly? Can I fly at the Grand Canyon? Am I allowed to fly over people? Can I get paid to fly my drone? How do I take cool pictures or cool videos? 

If you've ever asked any of these questions, this course is perfect for you. As an aviator of 15 years (Commercial Pilot and Flight Instructor), Aeronautical University Professor, and as the author of the Best Selling course on how to become an FAA Part 107 Remote Pilot (Commercial license for drones), I will take you through all the necessary steps to complete your first flight successfully. As a future aviator, starting your "career" with good habits is critical.

This course covers the following topics: 

  • Your drone: including the different components, accessories, and best practices.

  • Basic Regulation: I cover everything you need to know about FAA regulation for hobbyists with several short and easy-to-understand videos.

  • Airspace: probably the most important and yet most misunderstood area in aviation. I show you how to find airspace information and how to identify the airspace in which you are about to fly, as well as how to request approval if it's necessary.

  • Weather Information: knowing about the weather can be the difference between a successful flight and a crash. I teach you the basics of meteorology and how to find aviation weather information.

  • Your first flight: I show you how to safely complete your first flight, including how to pick a safe area, how to complete a preflight inspection, how to take off, maneuver, and land.

  • Basic Photography and Videography: in the last two chapters, I cover the basic principles of photography and videography, including aperture, shutter speed, ISO, capture modes (A, S, M), frame rate, HDR, ND filters, and many more. This section will help you take your story-telling skills to the next level.

I have spent my entire life in flight training. I enjoy teaching and sharing my passion. See what other students are saying about my courses: 

My attention and focus was hooked from the very beginning.

Absolutely amazing, Greg is very experienced and is an excellent teacher. 

I have little knowledge about aviation and airspace but the lessons are well structured and right to the point.

This is a perfect course and I like the professionalism of the instructor. He is well organized and very knowledgeable.

After taking this course I finally felt confident that I would be able to pass the exam on the first try, and I passed it, as expected. The information provided in this course is clear, concise, and thorough. The material is presented professionally and in a visually clear and appealing manner.

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What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Learn the different components of your drone and how to properly care for them.
  • Learn the regulation for drone hobbyists (non-commercial).
  • Understand the different types of airspace and learn how to safely and legally fly near airports.
  • Understand basic weather phenomenon and how to avoid them.
  • Learn how to safely conduct your first flight.
  • Learn the basic flight maneuvers and how to safely control your drone.
  • Learn about basic photography and videography, including the use of nd filters.

Syllabus

Introduction
Course Introduction
Your Drone
Drone Overview (Part 1)
Read more
Drone Overview (Part 2)
Basic Regulation
The role of the FAA
The alphabet soup
Section 349 (Part 1)
Section 349 (Part 2)
Section 333
Part 107
Hobbyist vs. Part 107
When is it “commercial”?
Registering your drone
Summary
Flying at night
Flying a sub-250 gram drone
The future?
Airspace
What is the National Airspace System
Controlled/Uncontrolled Airspace
Special Use and Other Airspace
Temporary Flight Restrictions
Areas to pay close attention to
How to identify Airspace
FAA UAS Facility Map
KittyHawk
UASidekick
LAANC for Hobbyists
DroneZone for Hobbyists
Airspace 3D View
More information about airspace
Weather Information
Intro and the Atmosphere
Effect of Pressure and Temperature changes
Winds and Currents
Convective Currents
Circulation Patterns
Low Level Wind Shear
Visibility
Clouds
Thunderstorms
Dangers associated with weather
Your First Flight
Choosing a takeoff spot
Check your settings (Part 1)
Check your settings (Part 2)
Takeoff & Basic Maneuvers
Reverse Controls & App Functionalities
Landing
Auto TO/LDG & Return-to-home
Situational Awareness & Battery Management
Basic Photography
Intro & Sensor Size
Focal Length
Perspective
Sensor Crop Factor
ISO
Shutter Speed (Part 1)
Shutter Speed (Part 2)
Changing Shutter Speed
Aperture (Part 1)
Aperture (Part 2)
Aperture (Part 3)
Effect of changing settings
A, S, and M Modes
Exposure Compensation (EV)
Capture Modes in real life
Histogram
Histogram from the drone
HDR
White Balance
Image Format & Image Size
HDR, Image Format & Size from the drone
Composition
ND Filters
Other Filters
Basic Videography
Frame Rate
Motion Blur
Shutter Speed, ISO, and Focal Length
Shooting in S, A, & M modes
A and S Modes from the drone
M mode from the drone
Using ND Filters
Polarization from the drone
Apply your knowledge

Good to know

Know what's good
, what to watch for
, and possible dealbreakers
Teaches essential equipment, regulations, airspace, weather, flight maneuvers, photography, and videography, which are core skills for drone beginners
Taught by Greg Reverdiau, a recognized Commercial Pilot, Flight Instructor, and Aeronautical University Professor with 15 years of aviation experience
Provides a comprehensive study of drone operation and maintenance, which is highly relevant to the growing drone industry
Offers multi-modal learning with a mix of videos, interactive content, and practical flight training, which enhances understanding and retention
Covers unique perspectives on drone operation and safety, which can add color to other aviation or technology-related courses
Requires students to have access to a drone and a safe flying area, which may pose a barrier for some learners

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Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Drone Flying 101: A beginner's guide for drone enthusiasts with these activities:
VFR sectional chart
Review a sectional chart to see airspace
Browse courses on Charts
Show steps
  • Go to airnav.com
  • Zoom into a part of the map so that you can see sectionals
  • Click on VFR Sectional Charts
  • Save the chart
Write a blog post about your first drone flight
Share your experience taking your first flight
Show steps
  • Start by writing down your thoughts and experiences as you fly your drone
  • Use your notes to create a blog post
  • Share your blog post with others
Join a local drone club
Meet with other drone enthusiasts
Show steps
  • Search online for drone clubs in your area
  • Attend a club meeting
  • Join the club if you enjoy it
Three other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all six activities
Attend a drone workshop
Learn more about drones from experts
Show steps
  • Search online for drone workshops in your area
  • Register for a workshop that fits your interests and schedule
  • Attend the workshop and learn from the experts
Volunteer with a drone organization
Help others while gaining experience with drones
Show steps
  • Search online for drone organizations in your area
  • Contact the organization and inquire about volunteer opportunities
  • Attend a volunteer training session
  • Start volunteering with the organization
Mentor someone who is new to drones
Help others while reinforcing your own knowledge
Show steps
  • Think about the people you know who might be interested in learning about drones
  • Reach out to those people and offer to mentor them
  • Meet with your mentee regularly to answer their questions and help them learn

Career center

Learners who complete Drone Flying 101: A beginner's guide for drone enthusiasts will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

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