It is possible to fly drone in category A2 until 31 December 2021 without additional theory exam

To fly drones in sub-category A2, a remote pilot must, however, have a valid certificate granted for the completion of the A1 or A3 online theoretical knowledge examination and have completed the self-practical training required for participating in the A2 examination. 

“The A2 examination is carried out under supervision in a classroom. Due to the escalating coronavirus situation and restrictions, the examinations cannot be organised as frequently as we had previously estimated.  We cannot be certain how the situation will develop, and it is important to avoid physical contact for the time being. For these reasons, we decided to allow drone flying until the end of the year without requiring the completion of the additional theory exam. We want our customers to have as much time as possible to take the examination before it becomes mandatory and for the taking of the examination to be safe,” says Team Leader Patrik Söderström from Traficom.

In January, Traficom decided to allow the flying of drones in sub-category A2 until 1 April 2021 without requiring the completion of the additional theoretical knowledge examination. 

“The reason for the prior decision was that the technical implementation of the exam system took longer than we had anticipated. However, now it strongly seems that the system will be ready for new examinations from the start of April onwards. Information on how to take the examination will be published on the droneinfo website,” Söderström continues. 

It should be noted that this exception only applies to drone flying in Finland. “If you want to fly a drone elsewhere within the EU, you should complete the examination as soon the opportunity arises,” Söderström says.

Certificate of competency obtained from the A2 examination

After completion of the additional theoretical knowledge examination, the remote pilot will obtain a certificate of competency which allows them to operate an unmanned aircraft system (UAS) in sub-category A2, which means that they are allowed to operate a max. 2 kg drone without CE marking during the transition period until 1 January 2023, or a max. 4 kg drone with a C2 class marking, in a populated area at a safe distance from people. The certificate of competency is valid for five years, after which the additional theoretical knowledge examination must be retaken. 

Read more about the supervised A2 additional theoretical knowledge examination on the droneinfo.fi website  (External link)