Potential Commercial UAV Operator Turns To Ballooning To Get Pilot Certificate | Aero-News Network
Aero-News Network
RSS icon RSS feed
podcast icon MP3 podcast
Subscribe Aero-News e-mail Newsletter Subscribe

Airborne Unlimited -- Most Recent Daily Episodes

Episode Date

Airborne-Monday

Airborne-Tuesday

Airborne-Wednesday Airborne-Thursday

Airborne-Friday

Airborne On YouTube

Airborne-Unlimited-07.07.25

Airborne-NextGen-07.08.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.09.25

Airborne-FlightTraining-07.10.25

AirborneUnlimited-07.11.25

Mon, Sep 07, 2015

Potential Commercial UAV Operator Turns To Ballooning To Get Pilot Certificate

Says It Is The Least Expensive Path To Fulfill FAA Requirement

Lots of people want to use UAVs for commercial purposes, and the FAA has been handing out section 333 exemptions at a brisk pace over the past few months.

But there is a clause in those exemptions that says that the operator of the aircraft must be a licensed pilot, and many of those who have received exemptions can’t meet that requirement. We all know what flying lessons cost, and it’s not cheap. So some have turned to ballooning as being the least expensive way to obtain airman privileges.

Such was the case for Alon Sicherman, who received his exemption in June, but who was dismayed to find the “licensed pilot” clause in the exemption. The Verge reports that Sicherman researched getting a pilot certificate, and found that ballooning was likely the most cost-effective way to get it. But he makes the analogy of practicing driving an 18-wheeler to get a motorcycle license.

Sicherman’s balloon instructor is Bill Hughes, a former Navy helo pilot with over 2,500 balloon hours in his logbook. He said Sicherman is learning a lot about federal aviation regulations and airspace restrictions.

Sicherman does admit that UAV regulations are becoming more necessary as the popularity of the small aircraft continues to grow.

Another recent Section 333 grantee, Arizona realtor Douglas Trudeau, learned of the requirement, he took a less expensive route than getting a pilot certificate himself. Trudeau hired a licensed pilot to fly his UAV for $100 per hour … a solution that is apparently becoming more common in the industry.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.faa.gov/uas/legislative_programs/section_333/

Advertisement

More News

NTSB Final Report: Aviat A1

Airplane Bounced About 3 Ft Then Touched Back Down And Then, With No Brakes Applied, The Airplane Began Veering To The Left Analysis: The pilot entered the airport traffic pattern >[...]

ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (07.08.25)

Aero Linx: British Microlight Aircraft Association (BMAA) The primary focus within all aviation activity is SAFETY. In all aspects of our sport SAFETY must come first, whether it b>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: Fly Corvair’s Reliable Engine Alternative

From SnF25 (YouTube Edition): William Wynne Builds Practical Aircraft Engines on the Corvair Platform Seeking an affordable alternative to the traditional aircraft engine options, >[...]

ANN FAQ: Contributing To Aero-TV

How To Get A Story On Aero-TV News/Feature Programming How do I submit a story idea or lead to Aero-TV? If you would like to submit a story idea or lead, please contact Jim Campbel>[...]

Classic Aero-TV: CiES Fuel-Quantity and e-Throttle Systems Praised

From 2023 (YouTube Edition): Bridge of CiES CiES Inc. is a Bend, Oregon-based designer and manufacturer of modular embedded aircraft systems and sensors. The company’s fuel-l>[...]

blog comments powered by Disqus



Advertisement

Advertisement

Podcasts

Advertisement

© 2007 - 2025 Web Development & Design by Pauli Systems, LC