2nd class unmanned aerial vehicle skill certificate in Japan (in English)

# Introduction

With the start of the drone skill certification system, my interest in drones has increased, and I have passed the "Second Class Unmanned Aircraft Pilot Skill Certificate" qualification, so I have compiled it here. I would like to leave it here as a memo for myself so that I can look back on it later.

Through CISSP, I have become very aware of the importance of physical security. In the process, I came to believe that there is a risk that drones could be used for terrorist attacks, and I felt the need to understand how to operate drones safely, which is why I decided to obtain the certification.

# Who am I?

Drones are purely a hobby. I have posted articles in the past about FPV drones using amateur radio.

Although they are not drone-related qualifications but radio wave-related qualifications, I have also obtained qualifications such as a second-class amateur radio operator and a second-class land special radio operator.

https://qiita.com/forest_moririri/items/46fcbd8ea99e6632336c

# Background

Recently, drones equipped with automatic control devices such as DJI drones seem to be getting cheaper, and even if you just look at performance and operability, it seems that it is faster to solve the problem with money than to build one yourself and understand the structure of the drone. Therefore, I felt that FPV drones using amateur radio are not necessarily a stepping stone for those who want to study FPV. In conclusion, as someone who has already obtained the qualifications of an amateur radio operator, I have taken a bit of a detour.

However, drones using amateur radio are often not equipped with automatic control devices, so I think that using them as a practice drone will improve your skills in actually operating a drone. I am now learning that there are other ways to use them besides drone races.

Now, one of the drone skill certification systems is the Unmanned Aircraft Pilot Skill Certification. This time, I obtained the "Second Class (Basic)". The reason why I only obtained the basics is that if you study drones, you will understand that they are not something that should be flown by one person in the first place, but rather something that should be flown by multiple people while ensuring safety. At the moment, I am not planning to use drones for business, and since it was mainly for study, I did not think it was necessary to lift restrictions such as beyond visual line of sight and at night. It also takes some time to get used to operating them. I think most FPV drones using amateur radio are under 100g, so even if you want to operate them, you need to learn some operating skills, and I would really like to have a qualification that will be useful for flying drones as a hobby in the future. You still need to get used to operating the stick.

# Main topic

The second-class unmanned aerial vehicle license (hereafter referred to as second class) consists of the following three things.

- Physical examination
- Written test
- Practical test

First, you need to apply for a license application number on the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism website (DIPS2.0).
You need to apply for the physical examination and written test separately on the website ClassNK.
You can only be exempt from the practical test by attending a school.

I attended a school, so I was exempt from the practical test. It's easier if you study for the written test to a certain extent in parallel. For the second class, if you have a driver's license, you can use the results of the physical examination, and for the written test, there are commercially available reference books, so you can study in advance using them.

Actually, there is also a first-class unmanned aircraft pilot license (hereafter referred to as first-class) in addition to the second-class license, but if you are required to attend a school, it seems that you cannot take the first-class course unless you first obtain the second-class license. Therefore, the second-class license is a kind of gateway to success.

To briefly explain the school, the school I attended had five courses for the second-class curriculum, one of which was mainly focused on drone safety inspections, three on stick operation learning, and the last was a rehearsal for the exam. If you exceed a certain standard in the fifth rehearsal, you can take a completion examination. If you pass this, you will be considered to have passed the practical exam. In addition, if you progress to the fourth course, you can take an on-demand course in theory, but this is the only course you need to take for theory, and the rest is left to your own self-study. Whether it was stick operation learning or theory training, the system was mainly self-study, so I think it's best to avoid the mindset that "if I go to school, they'll figure it out for me."

Also, if you don't have a drone, you may want to consider buying one when you go to school. The cost of the second-class (basic) course alone is often around 200,000 to 300,000 yen, so if you buy a drone, it will cost at least 100,000 yen more. Some types of drones can cost around 500,000 to 600,000 yen, so you will need to consider your wallet to some extent. If you buy a drone at a school, you can buy it cheaper than at electronics stores such as Yodobashi Camera, and there is also a service that opens the school venue for practice, so that's a good point.

After passing all the tests, you can apply for a test pass certificate with ClassNK and submit the course completion certificate and test pass certificate via DIPS2.0 to obtain a second-class license. It costs money to apply, so it's a good idea to remember this as well.

# Finally

The first-class scope is becoming mandatory (for Category III flights, etc.), so it is also called a pilot's license, but the second-class scope is optional, so I think it's good to keep an eye on future legal changes.