(To REGISTER IMMEDIATELY, scroll to the bottom of the page, where the form is.)
Welcome Nexstar employees. This is your resource center for:
1. Finding out more about our drone knowledge (Mod01) and drone skills (Mod02) training.
2. Scheduling your training with us.
3. Registering and on-boarding for your training.
4. Understanding who is paying.
5. Gaining the materials you’ll use to start your studies (to be sent after you have registered).
Our Training system
The Pilot Mind Drone Academy is dedicated to creating expert drone pilots. Your interest in our program is welcomed, and we regard our relationship with Nexstar as critical to our business.
Therefore, we are providing two distinct phases of your drone pilot training…
First, the FAA Part 107 remote pilot exam training (Mod01)
Second, our on-site/in-person skills training in Pittston, PA (Mod02)
TPM Mod01 (Drone Knowledge) FAA Part 107
The FAA Part 107/remote pilot exam is the minimum requirement for commercial drone/sUAV operations. Our training is done in 8 sessions, each lasting 2 hours. We provide LIVE training two evenings a week for 4 consecutive weeks (16-hours in total). Each session is recorded and shared within a comprehensive folder system that also includes all the slides, links to other drone pilot resources, FAA documentation and reference materials, as well as supplemental notes that will accumulate throughout our 16-hours together.
The live sessions are done, both, in-person at a host venue in the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton region AND streamed live across our Zoom channel. You are always welcome to join us in person, if you are in this region of Pennsylvania, BUT joining us on Zoom is also fine. There is NO ATTENDANCE POLICY, but there is an accountability policy. You will be expected to participate in the online quizzes that are made available, so that we can assess your progress and knowledge level, as we proceed with the materials.
ATTENDING CLASS ALONE IS NOT ENOUGH! The FAA Part 107 remote pilot’s exam is no joke! You are required to review and understand many of the same topics as manned aircraft pilots. Airspace classifications, weather, pilot physiology, and an entire host of other topics are presented, discussed, and reviewed with our quiz maker series. In the four weeks that we present our live sessions, we estimate that you should dedicate one hour at day IN ADDITION to the live training to study the materials on your own.
The remote pilot’s exam is a 60-question test that you will have two-hours to complete at an authorized testing center (airport or PSI-exam center). We will demonstrate to you how to register with the FAA for your FAA Tracking Number (FTN), which then will allow you to register for your exam. We recommend that you take your Part 107 exam with 1-2 weeks after the course is complete. Waiting allows for forgetting, especially because much of the knowledge is technical and not part of your everyday experience.
A complete schedule of our Mod01 (Drone Knowledge) FAA Part 107 is found below. Courses are usually Mon and Wednesday (or Tuesday and Thursday) from 5:30 pm ET to 7:30pm ET for that four week stretch. Pick the dates that work best for your schedule.
TPM Mod02 (Drone Skills) HVR Certificates
The second part of our training is actually getting drones in your hands and guiding you to perform drone controller and flight operations during a Saturday and Sunday weekend training workshop. The training is held in-person at The Pilot Mind Drone Academy in Northeast Pennsylvania (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton) region. You will travel here to be with us for these two days (Saturday and Sunday) from 9am to 5pm. (Yes…we can make special provisions if your flight out of AVP is Sunday evening.)
Saturday is our HVR Drone Ops Controller Proficiency (Level01 and Level02) certifications training and testing.
Sunday is our HVR Drone Ops Flight Proficiency (NIST-based Level 01 Open Lane) certifications training and testing.
*You will be given more information on this, once you register.
*There is no drone experience required, nor do you need a drone for this training. We will provide you all you need.
*While we recommend that you have (or are testing soon for) your FAA Part 107 remote pilot certification, it is not mandatory.
Scheduling Your Training
Please choose the Mod01 and Mod02 dates that you would like to register for. You will schedule your Mod01 FAA Part 107 training first and then you can follow-up with your Mod02 (Drone Skills) weekend. Please review and choose your dates below.