Knowledge doesn't stop with the test.
Becoming a professional operator means learning how to:
- Interpret aeronautical charts and weather data
- Plan safe, legal missions
- Log your flights, track maintenance, and monitor performance
- Understand and manage risk
Growing from Pilot to Program
Maybe you’ve already cleared the first hurdle. You’ve earned your Part 107, purchased equipment, and started booking jobs or flying for your organization. But now, things are getting more complex. You’re flying at multiple sites. You’re hiring staff or coordinating with departments. You’re tracking deliverables, clients, and compliance. It’s time to grow—but how do you grow safely?
Complexity is the sign you’re succeeding: multiple sites, more people, tighter timelines, bigger clients. What separates a busy pilot from a durable program is structure, and that structure lives in a General Operations Manual (GOM).
A good GOM isn’t paperwork—it’s a memory you can share. It tells a new hire how to prepare a site, what “go/no-go” means here, who to call in an emergency, and how we decide when to stand down. It makes your operation repeatable, trainable, and defensible. It allows you to bring on new personnel with clarity and confidence. It gives clients and regulators peace of mind. Most importantly, it helps you sleep at night.
A GOM aligned with ASTM and SMS principles also simplifies compliance as regulatory frameworks evolve. This is especially true as the FAA moves toward 14 CFR Part 108 for BVLOS and more complex operations. Preparing for that transition means embracing the mindset and methods required to operate beyond 107.
Imagine this scenario: A crew member has a mid-flight emergency while you’re off-site. What do they do? Who do they call? Where’s the checklist? With a GOM, those answers are documented and accessible. Without one, you’re relying on memory and hope.
What the GOM Covers — at a Glance
Roles and responsibilities; flight procedures and emergency actions; training and currency; maintenance and configuration control; data handling and privacy; and the Safety Management System that ties it all together.
USI provides templates aligned with ASTM F3266—a widely accepted U.S. standard for remote pilot training that emphasizes safety, flight proficiency, and professional conduct so you’re not starting from a blank page.
Navigating the Regulatory Horizon
Rules evolve. Part 107 waivers and emerging frameworks (e.g., standards-based BVLOS) raise the bar for competence and documentation. The way through isn’t prediction—it’s preparation.
Stay ahead: Track updates, stay active in the community, and—most importantly—run an SMS that finds hazards before they find you. The same habits that keep you safe today prepare you to adopt tomorrow’s approvals.
Safety Management Systems aren’t just for large enterprises. Even small teams benefit from lightweight SMS structures that support consistent hazard identification, risk assessment, and performance monitoring. SMS is the infrastructure that turns compliance into culture. And it's a core feature of operations that go beyond 107.
USI’s SMS tools and training packages can be customized for teams of any size—and implemented in phases to meet your readiness level.
Download our latest whitepaper:
"The Business of Safety"
It explores how investing in standards-based operations produces a measurable return on investment and lays the groundwork for BVLOS readiness. These are the pathways available to operators who choose to go beyond Part 107.
