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Posts tagged “exam”
2026-07-09
How long is the A1/A3 certificate valid, and does it work across the EU?
After you pass, the A1/A3 proof is valid for 5 years and recognised across the European Union. Airspace zones, insurance, and local procedures still need a country-by-country check.
- exam
- a1-a3
- certificate
2026-07-09
Free A1/A3 drone exam practice questions — how to use them properly
Practice questions help only if every wrong answer leads back to the rule. Here is how to use A1/A3 exam questions without memorising answer letters.
- exam
- a1-a3
- practice
2026-07-09
What if you fail the A1/A3 drone exam?
A failed A1/A3 attempt is not a dead end. Treat the result as a diagnostic, find the weak topic, and practise only where the mistake repeats.
- exam
- a1-a3
- retake
2026-07-07
How to prepare for the A1/A3 drone exam and pass first try
The A1/A3 exam is 40 questions in 40 minutes at 75% — not hard, but people fail by skimming the basics. A three-evening plan, the topics that actually cost points, and how to use practice.
- exam
- a1-a3
- latvia
2026-07-05
Drone weather briefing: how to read METAR and TAF and make the go/no-go call
Gusts decide the flight, not the average wind; at 100 m it blows harder than at the surface; the TAF tells you what happens in your window. A five-minute weather briefing with METAR/TAF, the 10 km Cb rule, icing, and a six-question go/no-go call.
- meteorology
- weather
- metar-taf
2026-07-02
Drone battery safety: how to store, charge and fly Li-Po packs without wrecking them
The battery is the part of your drone that needs the most careful handling. Store it at ~50–60 %, not full and not flat; let it cool before charging; carry spares in the cabin only; retire swollen packs. And why all of it is on the A1/A3 exam.
- general-knowledge
- batteries
- li-po
2026-07-01
Assemblies of people: the one line the open category never lets you cross
Every open-category subcategory treats closeness to people differently — but none of them may fly over an assembly of people, not even a sub-250 g drone. And an "assembly" is not a headcount: it is a question of whether people can move away. Here is the precise definition and the trap it sets on the exam.
- regulations
- open-category
- assemblies-of-people
2026-07-01
Human performance: are you fit to fly the drone right now?
The one A1/A3 subject that is about you, not the drone — and it is a legal duty on every flight. What UAS.OPEN.060(2)(a) says, why the open category has no alcohol limit, the IMSAFE self-check, and perception traps like empty-field myopia.
- regulations
- open-category
- human-performance
2026-06-30
The 120-metre height limit for drones: what it's actually measured from
Everyone memorises the number 120 but gets wrong what it's measured from: the closest point of the surface below the drone, not your take-off point. Here is what UAS.OPEN.010 says, the one exception, and why a BGKIS approval buys no altitude.
- regulations
- open-category
- height-limit
2026-06-29
How old do you have to be to fly a drone? The minimum age in Latvia and the EU
In the open category the minimum age is 16 — but there are three exceptions where no age floor applies at all. And "under 250 g" is not a free pass: it removes the test, not the age. Here is exactly what Article 9 says and what Latvia chose.
- regulations
- open-category
- minimum-age
2026-06-28
Visual line of sight and the FPV observer rule: what 'keep it in sight' actually means
VLOS means unaided contact with the drone — binoculars don't count. And FPV in the open category is only legal with an observer standing beside you. Here is the precise definition, the two exceptions, and why it shows up on the A1/A3 exam.
- regulations
- vlos
- fpv
2026-06-27
The 72-hour rule: when you are legally required to report a drone incident
Most pilots don't know they are legally required to file an incident report within 72 hours after a serious event. Article 57 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 sets out when reporting is mandatory, when it is voluntary, and why doing it won't get you in trouble.
- regulations
- incident-reporting
- safety
2026-06-25
A drone with no C-class label: which subcategory can you actually fly in?
The transitional period closed on 31 December 2023. Since then a drone with no manufacturer C-class label flies in just two ways — and mass is the only thing that decides. How to tell whether yours is A1 or A3-only.
- open-category
- c-classes
- regulations
2026-06-24
Filming with a drone in Latvia: when the GDPR actually applies
Privacy is one of the nine A1/A3 exam subjects and the one pilots skim. When drone footage becomes data processing, when the personal-use exemption holds, and what to do before you publish.
- privacy
- gdpr
- data-protection
2026-06-21
The A2 certificate of competency: when you need it and how to get it in Latvia
A2 is for flying a C2 drone closer to people than A3 allows. When it applies, the three steps to the certificate, and what the exam looks like: 30 questions, 75%, €15.
- a2
- certificate
- latvia
2026-05-14
The A1/A3 drone exam in Latvia — what to expect
Verifiable facts about the Latvian A1/A3 exam — the format, the published syllabus, the prerequisites, and a realistic way to prepare.
- exam
- latvia
- preparation