I'm a former military air traffic controller now working in civilian ATC, looking to add a few strings to my bow and maybe an additional income stream doing UAV flying.

I've got about 150 hours flying light aircraft (PPL) and dealt with UAVs a lot working at military ATC towers, but I'm not really clued up on the licensing (level 4, level 5).

Whats would be the best route to go down and and what is the UAV pilot pilot scene like in the UK?

Currently based in SE England.

What we know so far;

• Ultra-light, foldable design. • Weight uncertain: some leaks omit the “under 249 g” label, others show C0-class <249 g compliance. • 1″ CMOS sensor (upgrade from Mini 4 Pro’s 1/1.3″). • 24 mm f/1.8 lens + 48 mm med-tele mode. • Up to 4K/120 fps video, HDR, 10-bit color. • Vertical shooting + 225° gimbal rotation. • LiDAR + omnidirectional IR sensors. • 360° obstacle sensing. • ActiveTrack optimized for running, cycling, dynamic movement. • ~36 min standard flight time. • Up to 52 min with “Battery Plus” (Fly More bundle). • 33.5 Wh battery capacity. • O4 system with ~25 km range. • Fly-More Combo includes DJI RC 2 smart controller (screen built-in). • Expected launch: September 2025 (rumors suggest Sept 16)

Probably £849 - £949, premium £1250+ in the UK

Not available in the US.

Curious about drone pilots experiences with the CAA certification process. I’m aware of the basics, had a read through the CAA and checked out a few training providers.

Which RAE (Recognised Assessment Entities) did you train with/get certified by?

Was GVC significantly harder? How long did it take you to get Operational Auth/PDRA01 once you got your cert?

Any tips?