Drone training takes you from nervous first hover to a pilot who can plan a job, fly it safely and handle things when they go wrong. In South Africa that usually means a course for the Remote Pilot Licence (RPL) at a school approved by the SACAA, but it also covers practical skills courses, simulator time, extra ratings and in-house training for teams that already fly. Tell us what you want to learn and how many people need training, and flight schools in your area quote you directly. It is free and there is no obligation.
Kinds of drone course
- Full RPL course: theory, practical flying and the tests needed for the drone licence. This is the route for anyone who will fly for money.
- Practical-only training: flying hours for learners who have done the theory elsewhere, or who need more stick time before a flight test.
- Beginner and hobby lessons: safe flying, camera settings and the private flying rules, for people who will never fly commercially.
- Skills courses: mapping, inspection, thermal work, filming or spraying, for pilots moving into commercial drone work.
- In-house training: a school trains a team at your farm, mine or site, on your own drones.
What a good course covers
RPL theory usually covers air law, airspace, meteorology, navigation, human factors and how drones work. The practical side starts with hovering and basic manoeuvres, often on a simulator first, then moves to emergency procedures such as a lost link, a low battery or a compass error. Ask the school how many flying hours each learner gets, on which drones, how many learners share one instructor and what happens if you need more time before the flight test. Course lengths and test arrangements vary, so ask the school for its own schedule.
Ratings and specialised training
An RPL is issued for a class of aircraft, such as multirotor or fixed wing, so a pilot who later flies a mapping plane needs that rating too. Some schools also train for extended or beyond visual line of sight work, which needs further approvals for the operator. Ask each school which ratings it is approved to train for. Specialised courses, such as mapping and surveying or thermal inspection, teach the job itself: flight planning, data capture and processing.
What it costs and how to compare schools
An RPL course costs about R12,500 to R45,000, from practical-only training to an all-inclusive package. Check whether the price includes theory, flying hours, the drone used, the theory exam and flight test, study material, and help with the SACAA paperwork. Medical fees and SACAA fees are usually extra; at the time of writing, SACAA lists about R922 to register a drone and R8,089 for an operating certificate. For teams, ask for an in-house rate.
What to include in your request
- How many learners need training
- Full RPL, practical only, or a skills course
- Any ratings needed, such as fixed wing
- At the school or in-house on your site
- Preferred dates and weekday or weekend
Drone Training for different clients
- Hobbyists and families: a beginner lesson so a new drone owner flies safely and within the rules
- Farmers and growers: RPL and spraying skills training for farm staff who fly the farm drones
- Estate agents and developers: an RPL course for an agent or photographer who wants to shoot listings
- Builders, engineers and installers: mapping and progress flight training for site engineers and surveyors
- Mines, plants and utilities: in-house RPL and inspection training for a mine or plant drone team
- Photographers, film crews and agencies: practical filming skills and an RPL for photographers moving into paid work
- Security companies and estates: patrol and emergency procedure training for a security company's pilots
- Municipalities, schools and NGOs: training for search and rescue volunteers, rangers and school drone clubs
Frequently asked questions
How long does drone training take?
Do I need drone training if I only fly for fun?
Can a school train our whole team on site?
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Drone Training by province and city
- Johannesburg
- Pretoria
- Centurion
- Midrand
- Sandton
- Randburg
- Roodepoort
- Krugersdorp
- Randfontein
- Germiston
- Boksburg
- Benoni
- Kempton Park
- Alberton
- Vanderbijlpark
- Vereeniging
- Durban
- Pinetown
- Pietermaritzburg
- Richards Bay
- Newcastle
- Ladysmith
- Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth)
- East London
- Kariega (Uitenhage)
- Mthatha
- Cape Town
- Bellville
- Paarl
- Stellenbosch
- George
- Worcester
- eMalahleni (Witbank)
- Middelburg
- Secunda
- Mbombela (Nelspruit)
- Rustenburg
- Brits
- Klerksdorp
- Potchefstroom
- Mahikeng
- Polokwane
- Tzaneen
- Kimberley
- Upington
- Bloemfontein
- Welkom
- Sasolburg