Definition
The official FAA application submitted by a person seeking a Remote Pilot Certificate with a small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) rating under 14 CFR Part 107. It is filed through the FAA's Integrated Airman Certification and Rating Application (IACRA) system or on FAA Form 8710-13, and requires evidence that the applicant has passed the required aeronautical knowledge test or, for existing Part 61 pilots, completed the Part 107 online training course.
Plain English
The paperwork a person submits to the FAA to become a certified drone pilot. It shows the FAA that they have passed the required test or training and are ready to be issued the certificate.
Context Anchor
Seen when an instructor is acting as a certifying official for student pilot or remote pilot certificate applications.
Derivation
Remote comes from a Latin word meaning “moved back” or “far away.” In this term, it points to a pilot who controls the aircraft without being on board. Application comes from a Latin word meaning “to attach to” or “to put forward,” which fits its FAA meaning: a formal request put forward for a certificate.
Why Pilots Care
A valid Remote Pilot Application is required before a person may legally act as remote pilot in command of a small UAS for compensation or hire.
Intuition Check
Do not read “application” here as a phone app or computer program. In this FAA context, it means a formal request for a certificate, even when that request is completed online.
Example Sentence 1
After her student passed the Part 107 knowledge test, the instructor helped her complete the Remote Pilot Application in IACRA.
Example Sentence 2
After mailing the Remote Pilot Application with identification documents, the student received the temporary certificate within a few weeks.