GVC or A2 CofC – Which Drone ‘License’ do I need

As of January 2021, all changed in the drone world, Confusing was the word that springs to mind…. The CAA like waking life complicated. A Drone License is the simple term but they used to call them PFCW and then PFC and then GVC and then also a new one, an A2 C of C ! The latter I think stands for A 2 Confusing of Confusing! Or Certificate of competence as they actually call it. 

In the video below they describe the differences between all of the different kinds of ‘licences’. This is a very good video but I know nothing about the company offering them. Expect to pay somewhere between £50 and £150 for your A2 C of C online course and the GVC seems to be around £500 + now. Bare in mind with a GVC you’ll need to apply annually to the CAA for your ‘licence’ (permission) at a cost of around £200 and present an up to date operations manual. 

 

 

 

This was borrowed from UAV hub’s website  and explains in writing…

 

A2 CofC vs GVC – What’s the difference?

We’ve broken down the A2 CofC and GVC into a comparrison table so you can make the best decision based on your requirements. Having seen UAV Hub’s A2 Cof C course on line I think it is very good and much better than Coptrz course as it has lots of videos that are easier to understand.

 

Category

A2 CofC

GVC
Training Requirements
  • Theoretical learning
    • 6+ hours of E-Learning
  • Theoretical exam
  • Self-guided practical flight training
  • Theoretical learning
    • 9+ hours of E-Learning
  • Theoretical exam
  • Practical Flight Examination
    • assessed by the RAE
  • Operations Manual
CAA Fees
  • £0
  • Initial application for Operational Auhtorisation: £253
  • Annual renewal of Operational Authorisation: £190
Permitted Drones
  • A1 Transitional (until 1st January 2023)
    • ‘Legacy’ Aircraft between 250g – 500g flying weight
  • A2 Transitional (until 1st January 2023)
    • ‘Legacy’ Aircraft between 500g – 2kg flying weight
  • C2 Aircraft
 
  • All Aircraft between 0 – 25kg
Use for Commercial Gain
    Yes
    Yes
Validity
    5 Years
    5 Years
Valid From
      Today
    Today
Pros
  • No additional costs
  • No Operations Manual
  • No yearly renewals
  • No Flight Assessment
  • Reduced separation distances
    • A1 Transitional: No intentional overflight of uninvolved people
    • A2 Transitional: 50 metres from uninvolved people
    • C2 Aircraft: 30 metres from uninvoled people in normal speed mode
      • 5 metres from uninvolved people in a low speed mode
  • Available to use now
  • Bolt-on modules when available
  • Fly any aircraft between 0-25kg beyond 1st January 2023
  • Widely recognised qualification
  • Suitable for people flying larger and heavier aircraft
Cons
  • Not available to use until 31st December 2020
  • Limited to ‘small’ aircraft
  • Not currently widely recognised
  • No C2 aircraft on the market (yet)
  • Requires yearly renewals with the CAA
  • Requires maintaining an Operations Manual
  • Audited by the CAA
  • Longer training pathway
Who’s it suited for
  • People who fly ‘small and light’ aircraft
  • Wedding photographers
  • Roof inspectors
  • Small corporate video production
  • Hobbyists who want more freedom to operate ‘closer’ to people
  • People with ‘large and heavy’ aircraft
  • Professional Drone Pilots
  • High End Film Productions
  • Industrial Inspections
  • Land Surveyors