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Frequently Asked Questions
What to know about drone training, operating and certification
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Can I fly my drone in Dubai without a permit?No, you need to get a DCAA permit in order to fly in Dubai.
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How can I get a permit from DCAA?First step, you should get a certificate from Sanad Academy. We give 2 certificates: Hobbyist Certificate – This is a certificate used if you are applying for a Hobbyist Permit and if you’re flying your drone as a hobby/personal/recreational use only. Commercial Certificate – This is the Certificate that you need to get for you to acquire a Commercial License. This is what you need to get if you’re flying drones commercially and you’re gaining revenue from flying drones.
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What is Boot Camp?It is one of the services we offer here. It includes 3 hours training where you will be taught about the basic knowledge about drones and right after it, we will proceed with the Certification. Once you pass all of these, we will give you the certificate and we will also be sending you the softcopy of it through your email. The steps on how to register to DCAA, which will be done online, will be indicated as well.
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What if I do not need the training anymore since I’ve been exposed to flying drones for a long time already?You could get the Certification Session only. You will undergo and you must pass the Theory Test, Simulation and Flight Test. After everything is done, we will give you the certificate and we will also be sending you the softcopy of it through your email. The steps on how to register to DCAA, which will be done online, will be indicated as well. Hobbyist Certification costs AED 367.50 and for Commercial Certification costs AED5,250.00 all-inclusive of 5% tax.
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Do I need to have my own drone for me to get the certificate?Yes, because we will be testing you and the drone as well. And we will be issuing stickers that must be tagged to your drone and remote control. We also need to get the serial number of the drone. But if you do not have the drone yet, we could just give you the training only without the certification.
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What is Commercial Training?This covers techniques as well as more depth knowledge about remote aircraft, designed for RPAS operators piloting aircrafts who are not familiar with the RPAS operations from Basic to Advanced.
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What are the requirements for Commercial Certification?You need first to submit the following requirements - Passport, Residence Visa, Emirates ID, Trade License here in Dubai, bigger drones (DJI Mavic Pro, Mavic 2 Pro, Phantom 4, Inspire, Matrice, etc.) and Drone Insurance.
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What if I have a small drone, like a Mavic 2 Pro maybe, and I wanted to get a Commercial Certificate for it. Is it possible?"If you have the Mavic 2 Pro, yes. As per DCAA, the smallest drone that they categorized for commercial is Mavic Pro.
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How can I register for the DCAA permit?Registration for DCAA permit will be done online. All you need to do is create an account first to their website, http://www.dcaa.gov.ae.
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How long will the permit be released?Permit Approvals may take 2-3 days for hobbyists. For Commercial it may take up to 10-15 days.
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How can I get the Permit if it is approved already?DCAA will be issuing Digital RPAS Permit. Once you get approved, you can download the digital copy – no need to collect the physical card at their office. *to download your Electronic DCAA Permit, go back to DCAA website and log in again. On the upper right corner there is a paper icon – click and go to the DASHBOARD section, there you will find your application that got approved – click PRINT to download your Electronic DCAA Permit.
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Is the DCAA permit allows you to apply outside Dubai?No, DCAA permit only allows you to fly inside Dubai. If you want to fly in the other Emirates of UAE (like Ajman, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Fujairah, Ras Al Khaimah and Umm Al Quwain), you need to register your drone with GCAA.
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Where is your location?Sanad Academy is in Skyhub RC Campus, Dubai-Al Ain Road, Al Lisaili, Dubai.
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