New for 2023
CAA PfCO Upgrade Course
£499.50 (+ VAT)
99.6%
First time pass rate
14 Day
Refund guarantee
5 Years
Certification validity
About this course
This is a combined course, awarding both the General VLOS Certificate (GVC) and the A2 Certificate of Competency (A2 CofC)
Take a look at our multi award-winning course
Related Courses
I recently completed the PfCO to GVC upgrade which included the A2 CoC. The course was completed online and the platform used was excellent.
Karim Zid
Via Trustpilot
I have just completed my GVC conversion with AV8 online. The online proctor service is second to none ensuring strict standards are adhered too.
Mark Mavin
Via Trustpilot
Absolutely brilliant team. Saved me a lot of time and money. I personally upgraded from PfCO to GVC and it was achieved seamlessly.
Martin
Via Trustpilot
Fly Anywhere
Where drones aren't prohibited
25KG
Max drone weight
50m Bubble
Between your drone and people
Virtual Learning
Online | Fully Supported | On-Demand
Simple. Purchase your course in under 60 seconds with instant access.
Flexible. On-demand learning; start, pause, resume and complete at your own pace.
Supported. Unlimited, on-demand support from your instructors whenever you need them.
Accessible. Compatible with a wide variety of devices.
Exams. On-demand 24/7/365 with free retakes.
SpLD. Additional support available for students with Specific Learning Difficulties.
Operations Manual
Fast | Automated | Simple
Tech. We created an automated system to create your operations manual automatically.
Simple. Create your fully compliant operations manual in around 30 minutes - no Word templates required.
Smart. Our systems knows what information it needs from you and takes care of everything else.
Easy. Use the browser-based interface to enter your details and information, then click "Create My Doc".
Fast. Your manual arrives with you in under 30 seconds, fully complete and expertly formatted.
The GVC Upgrade
The GVC Upgrade is a pilot competency course designed to provide you with everything you need to transition from the legacy PfCO framework to the new GVC model. It consists of some online study, an exam conducted under formal conditions, and the update or your existing operations manual, or the creation of a new operations manual (your choice). For the vast majority of operators a flight test is not required, provided you've flown with a reasonable degree of regulatory over the last 12 months. Once you've completed the course, you're awarded both the GVC and A2 CofC (our courses are modular!).
The online learning element focusses primarily on the new legislative framework, along with some refresher training on risk management. Depending on your circumstances, the course can be finished in as little as a day, however most students complete it over the course of 1 to 3 days on a part time basis. The online exam will test your general operator knowledge as well as the new aspects.
The theory part of the course is completed online via our virtual learning environment; super easy to use and navigate and there are lots of quizzes and knowledge checks to keep you on track. Once you're ready, the exam is online and on-demand 24/7/365 (literally!). You'll connect with a proctor (a human being) who'll help you get set up and ready. The exam is multiple choice and covers the same areas as the knowledge checks. Because of the way our courses are structured we have a near 100% first time pass rate, however if you happened to have a bad day we provide you with some additional support and retakes of the exam are always free.
With the exam complete you'll be able to log in to Flight Docs, our very own automated system for creating your operations manual. If you choose to create a new ops manual, it takes around 30 minutes via the automated system, after which you'll have a full compliant and formatted document sitting in your inbox. If you choose to update your existing ops manual, we'll provide you with everything you need to be fully complaint and will also review it at the end just to make sure.
The A2 CofC
The A2 Certificate of Competence (A2 CofC) was introduced as a way to provide greater freedoms to drone pilots of lightweight drones who complete some introductory training. It consists of three study modules, completed online, followed by a formal exam taken under exam conditions. The average time to complete the A2 course can range between 1 and 3 days, depending on the student.
What the A2 CofC allows you to do can appear a bit complicated if you're new to the subject. Basically there is a limited "transitional period" during which you can fly what the CAA calls "legacy drones" with reduced separation distances from people, and there is a "continuing period" where you can fly the new "class marked" drones with reduced separation distances from people.
From 31st December 2022 all drones on sale in the UK (and Europe) must be compliant with the new class marking system. This would mean they have been designed and manufactured to meet certain safety standards. A legacy drone is a drone that doesn't have one of the new class markings. The problem is that manufacturers aren't producing any class marked drones. During a podcast in August 2021, AV8's CEO Jon Anderson asked the then CEO of Autel what their plans were to start offering class marked drones; Autel's CEO wasn't aware of any. DJI have tried to convince the UK CAA and EASA to retrospectively recognise their existing product range under the class marking system, but have so far not been successful.
If you have an A2 CofC today, you're allowed to fly your lightweight legacy drone (under 2kg) within congested and built up areas and to within 50m of people (horizontally), however this privilege expires on the 31st December 2022. After this date, regardless of whether you have an A2 CofC, all legacy drones weighing 250g or more can only be flown in the A3 (far from people) subcategory. This means that you can't fly in congested or built up areas and there can't be anyone in the general area you're flying in.
For this reason we're exercising caution in recommending the A2 CofC to both recreational and commercial drone pilots until its future is a little clearer.
If you're brand new to drones, then the full GVC course is for you. Designed for anyone, regardless of previous experience or learning style, we give you everything you need to achieve your GVC.
Upgrade your legacy PfCO to the full GVC the easy way. 100% online, no flight test requirement and all your operations manual updates are provided. A2 CofC is also included as standard.
Exclusively for graduates of AV8's A2 CofC course! We designed the A2 and GVC courses to fit hand-in-glove; this means you can progress to the GVC without repeating any content.
1 —
Online Learning
Completed online via our virtual learning environment; super easy to use and navigate and there are lots of quizzes and knowledge checks to keep you on track. Once you're ready, the exam is online and on-demand 24/7/365 (literally!). You'll connect with a proctor (a human being) who'll help you get set up and ready. The exam is multiple choice and covers the same areas as the knowledge checks. Because of the way our courses are structured we have a near 100% first time pass rate, however if you happened to have a bad day we provide you with some additional support and retakes of the exam are always free.
2 —
Operations Manual
With the exam complete you'll have the choice of updating your current ops manual to the new standards, or creating a brand new ops manual using Flight Docs, our very own automated system. Either path is super easy and can be completed within an hour.