Frequently Asked Questions

With our classroom-based PfCO courses, we provide 2 day or 3 day training courses. The first two days of the course are your ground school and is theory based, depending on the type of course you choose.

On the Fast Track PfCO course, you will complete 2 days of Ground School and your Written Theory Exam, then you Practical Flight Test can be booked for a later date when you feel ready to pass with confidence.

On the Advanced PfCO course, you will complete 2 days of Ground School and your Written Theory Exam. Then day 3 is your practical flight training with an Uplift instructor and equipment, with your Practical Flight Test then booked either after your training or for a later date when you feel ready to pass with confidence.

With our Online PfCO course, it takes our students around 15-20 hours to complete the eLearning phase. The best thing about the Online PfCO is you can learn at your own pace, in your own time – without taking any time off work.

Check out our Guide to the CAA PfCO

Uplift Drones consists of many industry experts; we do not like the term “consultancy” as it often has negative associations - so we provide the best advice available from what drone a photographer should use to what platform and mapping software a construction company should use.

We supply a range of drone equipment from DJI and DJI Enterprise, along with software subscriptions for DJI and Pix4D.

We also supply our best-selling industry-specific Enterprise Bundles and Drone + Training Bundles to get you started.

Yes we do; we realise convenience and minimising impact on your schedule is a consideration when choosing a training provider, so we train at locations around the country from Brighton to Glasgow. Please see our full list of locations here.

Yes; please contact us with your requirements and we will be happy to assist. However we cannot train for the UK CAA PfCO overseas, as this is a CAA restriction.

The Civil Aviation Authority will not issue a Permission for Commercial Operations (PfCO) to anyone under the age of 18. However having said that, if the PfCO is held by someone who is 18 or over you can be a drone pilot named on a PfCO at the age of 16 or over.

Yes, there is a 56 question multiple choice exam at the end of the course, the pass mark is 80% for the Air Law module and 75% overall.

Uplift Drones has a policy of only employing unmanned or manned aviation experts, so you will only be taught by current commercial operators who are experts in their fields.

Some of the instructor’s are commercial drone operators, ex-military drone operators, airlines pilots, military fast jet pilots and professional cameramen, among others.

Yes we do, we provide our electronic course handbook. We will provide all aviation paper charts required. We ask if you can bring a laptop or tablet that can access WiFi on the course with you, so you can follow the handbook and take notes along the way.

Yes; we offer the DroneMAP online course for drone pilots and those involved in surveying who want to know how to collect accurate data and produce accurate data outputs using drones and photogrammetry. It is designed by industry experts who have a proven track record in producing high value survey grade data using drones.

The course is built on years of proven commercial experience and will provide you with the foundation knowledge to start producing accurate drone mapping and survey outputs. The course will not teach individuals to be a surveyor, but it will teach drone pilots and surveyors alike the processes involved in collecting of accurate data for drone surveys.

Learn at your own pace, in your own time – without taking any time off work. Structured across 13 modules, the course syllabus is delivered by our web-based Learning Management System that tracks student’s progress through each module. The course platform is accessible on multiple devices including tablet, Apple Mac and PC.

The course contains over 120 videos, plus text and interactive content, and is approximately 10 hours work. At the end of the eCourse, you will receive a Certificate of Completion.

View the DroneMAP eLearning Course here.

You can also combine the UK’s Best-Selling ‘Online PfCO’ Drone Training Course with the ‘DroneMAP’ online course, to become a qualified commercial drone pilot in the UK.

View the Online PfCO + DroneMAP Course Bundle here.

Yes; if you have been unable to complete your PfCO training course after Ground School, and you’re worried that too much time has lapsed for you to successfully undertake your Flight Assessment and/or write your Operations Manual – we’ve got the solution.

Recharge your knowledge and cost-effectively get yourself back up to speed with the PfCO Refresher online course, so you can gain your Permission for Commercial Operations.

Alternatively, you may be a Remote Pilot or SUA operator looking for a way to bring you and your staff up to speed on the subjects covered in Ground School, and developments in regulation over the past 12 months in areas such as Air Law. If so, the PfCO Refresher is all you need to get your staff re-trained to the required standard for safer drone operations.

View the PfCO Refresher Online Course here.

Yes we do, it is one of the founding principles of Uplift Drones, that we offer classroom courses and practical flight training.

Yes we carry DJI's Phantom 4, Inspire 2, M600 Pro and others among our fleet, please ask for more details.

No prior experience is required for the flying training day.

We supply a range of drone equipment from DJI and DJI Enterprise, along with software subscriptions for DJI and Pix4D.

We also supply our best-selling industry-specific Enterprise Bundles and Drone + Training Bundles to get you started.

Yes, to fly drones commercially in the UK, the Civil Aviation Authority requires commercial operators to have insurance compliant with EC regulation EC 785/2004.

Uplift Drones recommends that anyone who flies a drone must be properly insured. Think of it this way, a drone has the ability damage property and worse injure someone - much like a car. You would not drive a car uninsured.

Yes you must have insurance for your aircraft and submit a proof of cover before your flight test.

We have partnered with Coverdrone insurance provider to offer our students FREE cover for their practical Flight Assessment.

Click here to redeem your free flight assessment insurance from Coverdrone.

No if you have hired an Uplift Drones drone for your flight test, our equipment is fully insured by our insurance policy for the flight test.

No, the equipment Uplift Drones Provides on the training day is fully insured.

We cannot recommend insurance as insurance advice is regulated in the UK.

Yes. We have helped hundreds of businesses; from start-ups to large corporations to city councils, to safely and effectively use drones to save time and money. We are experienced in using drones in a commercial environment and can advise you on how to get drone technology working for you and your business. We have multiple financing solutions available, from personal finance to business equipment leasing. Drone leasing can - tax effectively - spread the cost of adding a drone capability to your business.

Learn more about Personal Drone Finance

Learn more about Business Leasing

Click here to select your industry and learn more about drone solutions.

Yes; stay up to date with the latest drone industry news and articles via our Blog.

Yes; we offer help and technical support for your DJI software and equipment queries.

Visit the Technical Support Hub.

Simply select the DJI drone or gimbal that you need assistance with to access our product support library.

Yes; we provide numerous guides for drone-related topics. Simply hover on the Resources tab in the website navigation to see our list of guides.

Please see our price list by clicking on Courses in the navigation.

We will get you through our course as soon as possible; however the Civil Aviation Authority has a policy of a 28 working day turnaround time on PfCO applications. So as soon as we submit your application (straight after you complete all parts of the course) the clock starts ticking and you should receive your application back in approximately 28 working days (about 6 weeks).

We are always keen to hear from people passionate about unmanned aircraft and the solutions to problems they can bring. Please email info@upliftdrones.com with your CV, if we do not have a current vacancy it will be kept on file.