CAA Approved A2 Certificate of Competency
online drone course
This CAA affiliated course qualifies you to fly in the
Open Category, A2 Sub Category.
Take Advantage of the New 2026 Regulations!
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We have over 40 years of unmanned aircraft operating experience with over 4,000 flying hours.
Manned Aviation Commercial Pilot - Air Traffic Control - World Wide Drone Flying Experience - 10 Years CAA Instructor
What is an A2 Certificate of Competency?
The CAA A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) is a drone qualification that permits you to fly smaller drones, or Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) “close to people” and within congested areas where you wouldn’t otherwise be able to fly.
The A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) is the first building block of a drone pilot training for anyone wishing to fly recreationally for fun or a hobby, start a drone business or for organisations with a requirement to operate drones commercially as part of their ongoing commercial strategy.
A2 CofC certificates last for 5 years from the date of issue.
New CAA Drone Regulations 1st January 2026
With an A2 CofC you now have more range of the types of drones you can fly based on the drones class.
European & UK Class Marked Drones with your A2CofC
With a European C2 or UK2 class marked drone;
You may fly in congested areas up to 30m horizontally from uninvolved persons.
Fly may fly no closer than 5m horizontally from uninvolved persons when in low speed mode.
C2 & UK2 class marked drones are now less then 4kg.
Flying in congested areas up to 30 horizontally from uninvolved persons, and 5m when in low speed mode, is a huge advantage for A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) holders.
Legacy Non-Class Marked Drones with your A2CofC
With legacy non-class marked drone;
You may fly in congested areas up to 50m horizontally from uninvolved persons.
The drone’s Maximum Take-off Mass must be less than 2kg.
You will still be able fly older 'Legacy drones’ that weigh less than 2kg such as the DJI Mavic series, DJI Phantom series and Parrot Anafi can be flown under your A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC).
Fly in congested areas up to 50m horizontally from uninvolved persons, the A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) is still a very advantageous qualification if you are still flying a non-class marked legacy drone.
You can become A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC) qualified from only £99 for our online course. Our instructor led course is only £159 and you can become qualified in 1 day!
If you have any questions about any of our CAA courses or want to book your course, please contact Rich on 07961 771418.
It should be noted that is a person/s are ‘under your control’, you can fly as close as you feel is safe.
This provides greater flexibility when flying your drone (UAS) in congested areas allowing you to maximise potential earnings.
There currently is no requirement for a flight assessment but you must be competent in the operation of your drone. This can be dome in a sterile non complex environment before you move into congested areas.
A2 CofC - Online Course
After enrolment the comprehensive introduction module will guide you through the process of how to access the course so you can obtain everything you need. Many people prefer web based training. if this is you then the this course is ideal.
Flexible Learning
It will take around 4-5 hours to complete the theory phase, but there is no rush. You can learn at your own pace, you are in control and can decide how much you want to study and when.
The course covers the theory syllabus as set by the CAA comprising of;
Meteorology
Drone Flight Performance
Drone Operating Principles
You won’t be expects to go through lots of reference documents, the course is clearly laid out and all the information is easy to absorbed,
You can stop, start or revisit a module at any time making our online eLearning package a very flexible solution.
Presentations are available for download to aid you in making notes or even to further learn offline.
Course Support
Email, telephone of webchat support can be provided on request. We have one of the countries most experienced drone instructors and operators on hand to answer all your questions. With thousands of hours flight experience and over 3,500 students trained you can rest assured you will get the best course support.
Examination
On completion of the theory modules contact us to arrange a time for your exam that suits you.
You have the option to take an online exam, or visit our COVID safe South West training centre South of Bristol, the choice is yours.
The exam consists of 30 questions covering the content of the modules and you will require a computer/laptop with webcam, speakers and microphone if taking your exam online.
Self-Declaration of flight competence
Before we issue you an A2 CofC certificate, the CAA requires you make a declaration you are competent to fly in the Open Category of current UAS Legislation. For this, you need to ensure you are competent in the type of operations you will be conducting.
Remember that should something go awry, you may well have to prove to the CAA you were competent at the time. We therefore believe it is important for you to obtain suitable commercial standard hands-on flying training. Our regional based expert Instructors can provide you with bespoke flight training to meet your needs and help to ensure you are fully capable to operate competently within the Open Category be it for commercial or hobbyist reasons.
New Updated Training Materials
We have updated our training materials not only to reflect the latest content, but they are also now even more informative than ever before, providing you with what we think is the best possible training.
Free With Our A2 CofC Online Course!
Downloadable Lesson Content
Our online training courses are hosted via our dedicated interactive training portal with the option to download all lesson content for course learning or post course reference.
Post Course Student Knowledge & Resource Pack
Air Law & Responsibilities Handout
Additional info on avoiding actions, accidents, incidents and reporting procedures.
Basic Flight Manoeuvres
Over 20 manoeuvres designed to improve your flying skills and make you a better pilot.
CAA 2026 Proposed Drone Changes
Video explaining the proposed 2026 drone rule changes.
CAA Referenced Documents Links
Recourse links to all the CAA documents you may need to reference.
CAA Safety Notices
All active CAA Safety Notices you need to be aware of.
CAA SkyWise Alerting Portal (Links & Info)
Information links to the CAA’s SkyWise information portal.
Drone Maintenance Documentation
All the information and documentation you will need to record drone maintenance.
Electronic Pilot Logbook
Recording your flying time is easy with our CAA compliant MS Excel pilot logbook.
Night Flying Tips
Fly safe at night, everything you need to know.
Normal & Emergency Flying Checklists
Be a professional and safe with our CAA compliant checklists.
Planning & Risk Assessment Documents
When you need it we have you covered with CAA compliant Risk Assessment documentation.
Resource Links
3 pages packed with links for almost everything you need, or need to access.
Free eBook ‘Zero to Hero’
39 pages of tips & tricks to get you started, keep you safe and get great imagery from your drone.
And lots more!
Bolt On Modules
We offer a range of additional bolt on modules you can add to your course. You can pick and mix and these are great if you want to expand your knowledge and skills.
Bolt on modules can be carried out after the course, so you can relax and learn new skills, or you can come back at a future date.
Advanced Flight Training.
Basic & Advanced Photography.
Complex Area Operations.
Industrial Inspections.
Photoshop/Image Editing.
Video Editing.
Additional custom training can be provided at any time subject to availability, please contact us for details.
A2 CofC Courses - Online - Instructor Led - Total Flexibility
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For more information call us on
07961 771418
or email us at
info@spectrum-drone-services.co.uk
A2 CofC - GVC - Multirotor - Fixed Wing - eLearning - Classroom - Cost Effective - COVID Safe Training
We have over 40 years of unmanned aircraft operating experience with over 4,000 flying hours.
Manned Aviation Commercial Pilot - Air Traffic Control - World Wide Drone Flying Experience - 10 Years CAA Instructor
Spectrum Drone Services is a training partner of 3iC Ltd. (CAA RAE No 1625)