A couple weeks ago I saw a job listing nearby me that requires an FAA Part 107 license, also known as a Remote Pilot Certificate. I applied, heard nothing back, and they recently relisted the job, indicating it's still open.

It got me poking around, and it seems like it would take a couple of weeks studying, plus a couple hour drive and $175 to take the test. I've set up a couple of related online accounts, but haven't started studying or scheduled a test.

It seems like it would be feasible for me to get the license/certificate just by listening to youtube courses while washing dishes and doing other chores, and then do a couple of practice tests. I don't currently own a drone for practicing, but my initial impression is that there is actually no need to have any practical experience in anything besides map-reading for the test.

In other words, I'm pegging the difficulty of the test as on the order of an ordinary driver's license, rather than something like the SAT/GRE.

There is also a minor incentive for me to have the drone license for my current job, and it may be possible to convince someone to pay for me to take the test on the clock, but it also wouldn't be the end of the world for me to just take a day off from work to drive out for it.

I will not trade in this market.