Drone Training in Pennsylvania
On-site drone training in Pennsylvania, led by FAA Certified Flight Instructors who travel to your office, job site or field anywhere in the Commonwealth.
Drone Universities Courses
5.00 (20K+ Joined)
FAA Part 107 Training
Prepare yourself for the FAA Part 107 Knowledge Test. Learn to fly, how to understand industry-standard flight systems, and most importantly, safe and legal flying practices. If you do not pass the FAA Part 107 exam after completing our training, we will either refund your training fee or retrain you at no additional cost.
DJI Mini 4K included!
Duration
$2,500
4.79 (5.4K Joined)
Advanced Aerial Inspections and Cinematography
This one-day course teaches you advanced aerial photography and videography. All classes are taught by working professionals. Learn what it takes to get great shots for clients like Discovery Channel and National Geographic.
Duration
$1,000
4.96 (2.6K Joined)
This one-day course teaches you all about GIS. You will learn everything you need to successfully collect usable data on your flights. We’ll guide you through planning and flying successful operations, programing flight patterns.
Duration
$1,000
4.87 (1.6K+ Joined)
Drones in Agriculture
Join Drone Universities’ one-day Drones in Agriculture course. Learn precision flights, multispectral imaging, and field methodology to boost crop yield. Sign up now!
Duration
$1,000
4.82 (2.6K Joined)
Drones for Public Safety and Transportation
Learn to use drones for infrastructure inspection and planning. Our one-day course improves public safety and transportation by saving time, money, and resources.
Duration
$1,000
Hands-On Drone Instruction Across Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania asks a lot of a drone pilot. Teams in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh work beneath two separate Class B airspace areas, while crews elsewhere may spend a day following a pipeline right-of-way through forested hills, photographing a river bridge or documenting a warehouse build-out in the Lehigh Valley. Ridges, river valleys and fast-changing weather all affect how a flight should be planned.
Drone Universities delivers drone training in Pennsylvania at the place you intend to fly. Your instructor teaches the knowledge areas covered on the FAA Part 107 exam, including airspace, weather, aircraft performance and operating rules, and then turns that knowledge into working habits through supervised flights, checklists and preflight planning exercises.
We train individual pilots, small businesses, municipalities and large organizations, one-on-one or in groups. A course can concentrate on initial certification or on applied skills such as mapping, inspection and aerial imaging, depending on what your team needs to accomplish.
Why Pennsylvania Teams Choose Drone Universities
Founded in 2014
Drone Universities has provided instructor-led drone training since 2014, with courses grounded in FAA regulations and real field conditions.
Instruction at your location
Our instructors travel to clients anywhere in the US, so Pennsylvania organizations do not need to send staff away to train.
FAA Certified Flight Instructors
Courses are taught by FAA Certified Flight Instructors who bring a manned-aviation approach to charts, weather and risk management.
Courses matched to the job
Exercises can reflect your work, from bridge and facade inspection to farm scouting, utility patrol or marketing imagery.
Easy to arrange
Request training online or call 1.818.255.0406, and our team will help you choose a course, a date and a suitable site.
Cities We Serve in Pennsylvania
Our instructors travel to clients throughout Pennsylvania, including:
Philadelphia
Philadelphia and the surrounding counties, where much of the region lies beneath the Philadelphia Class B airspace.
Pittsburgh
Allegheny County and western Pennsylvania, beneath and around the Pittsburgh Class B airspace.
Allentown and the Lehigh Valley
Allentown, Bethlehem and Easton, including logistics and manufacturing sites near Lehigh Valley International Airport.
Harrisburg
State agencies and central Pennsylvania organizations near Harrisburg International Airport and Capital City Airport.
Erie
Port, shoreline and manufacturing work along Lake Erie, around Erie International Airport.
Scranton and Wilkes-Barre
Northeastern Pennsylvania, including Lackawanna and Luzerne counties.
Working somewhere else in the Commonwealth? Contact our team and we will plan training at your site. Organizations with sites in neighboring states can also see our Maryland drone training page. Request a course location »
Pennsylvania Industries Using Drones
- Energy and pipelines. Natural gas operators and pipeline contractors use drones to look over well pads, compressor stations and rights-of-way, especially in rural and wooded terrain where ground access is slow.
- Bridges and infrastructure. Engineering firms and public works departments collect close-up imagery of bridges, retaining walls and roadway projects, which can reduce the time inspectors spend working at height or near traffic.
- Construction and logistics. Contractors and developers record progress, measure stockpiles and plan large distribution sites, including those in the Lehigh Valley and along the Interstate 81 corridor.
- Agriculture. Dairy and crop farms, from Lancaster County to the northern tier, use aerial imagery for field scouting, drainage review and barn roof checks.
- Public safety. Fire companies, police departments and county emergency management agencies use drones for scene overview, search support and flood assessment along the state’s rivers.
- Real estate and media. Brokers, marketers and production teams use aerial photography and video for listings, campaigns and events.
Course scenarios can be weighted toward any of these fields, so your pilots practice the flights they will actually carry out.
Pennsylvania Drone Laws and Airspace Notes
- Two Class B airspace areas. Philadelphia International Airport is the primary airport of the Philadelphia Class B airspace, and Pittsburgh International Airport is the primary airport of the Pittsburgh Class B airspace. Part 107 flights in controlled airspace require FAA authorization, usually requested through LAANC or FAA DroneZone.
- Class C and Class D airports. Harrisburg International and Lehigh Valley International are surrounded by Class C airspace. Class D airspace surrounds airports including Erie International, Wilkes-Barre/Scranton International, Lancaster, Reading Regional, University Park near State College, Allegheny County and Northeast Philadelphia.
- Unlawful use of unmanned aircraft. Title 18, Section 3505 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes makes it an offense to intentionally or knowingly use a drone to conduct surveillance of another person in a private place, to place someone in reasonable fear of bodily injury, or to deliver contraband.
- Local regulation. Title 53, Section 305 states that municipalities may not regulate the ownership or operation of drones unless a statute expressly authorizes it, although they may use and regulate drones for their own municipal purposes.
- State parks. The DCNR Bureau of State Parks permits drones only at designated flying sites in six parks: Beltzville, Benjamin Rush, Hillman, Lackawanna, Prompton and Tuscarora. Drone use is restricted at all other state park locations.
- National Park Service sites. Under National Park Service policy, launching, landing or operating drones on NPS-administered lands and waters is prohibited except in limited, approved cases. This affects sites such as Gettysburg National Military Park, Valley Forge National Historical Park and Independence National Historical Park.
This is general guidance, not legal advice. Before every flight, confirm current FAA, state and local requirements, check for temporary flight restrictions and obtain the landowner’s permission.
How Training at Your Pennsylvania Site Works
- Share your goals. Submit the request form or call us with your location, the number of trainees, your experience level and the dates that suit you.
- We plan the course. We recommend a course, assign an instructor and review the airspace at your site, so classroom time and permitted flight practice can be scheduled together.
- Train with your own team. Your instructor teaches on site and supervises hands-on flying in the conditions your pilots will face on the job.
Request Drone Training in Pennsylvania
Whether your team works in Center City Philadelphia, a western Pennsylvania gas field or a Lancaster County farm, our instructors come to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Part 107 certificate to fly a drone for work in Pennsylvania?
Yes. Commercial drone flights in Pennsylvania fall under the FAA Small UAS Rule (Part 107). The pilot must hold a Remote Pilot Certificate, which requires passing the FAA knowledge test, and the drone must be registered. See the FAA’s guide to becoming a certificated remote pilot. Our courses prepare you for the knowledge test.
Can my township or city ban drone flights?
Pennsylvania law (53 Pa.C.S. Section 305) generally prevents municipalities from regulating the ownership or operation of drones unless a statute expressly allows it. FAA rules still apply, and you need permission to take off from or land on property you do not own.
Can I fly over Philadelphia or Pittsburgh?
Often, with planning. Large parts of both cities lie within Class B airspace, so you need FAA authorization before flying in controlled airspace, and approved altitudes near the airports can be very low. We show you how to read FAA facility maps and request authorization.
Can I fly a drone in a Pennsylvania state park?
Only at the designated flying sites in Beltzville, Benjamin Rush, Hillman, Lackawanna, Prompton and Tuscarora state parks. Contact the park office before you visit. Drone use is restricted at all other state park locations.
Where does training take place?
At your location. Instructors travel to offices, job sites, farms, campuses and public safety facilities throughout Pennsylvania. If you do not have a suitable flight area, we will discuss options with you.
How do I book drone training in Pennsylvania?
Send a training request or call 1.818.255.0406. We will confirm the course, instructor, location and schedule for your Pennsylvania training with you.
