The Part 107 Test Starts Showing Unfamiliar Charts on October 26
From 26 October, the FAA UAS knowledge test can use current chart images outside the testing supplement. Teams should teach chart interpretation, not page recognition.
What lands on Monday
From 26 October 2026, the FAA's Unmanned Aircraft General-Small knowledge test can include chart-based questions whose images are not in the printed supplement. The FAA's August Airman Testing Community Advisory says the questions use current charts and corrects the date given in the previous edition.
This is a change to the exam format, not a change to the Part 107 operating rules. For inspection teams, it is a useful reminder to teach chart interpretation instead of familiarity with a particular page.
The supplement stays for now
The FAA is embedding images directly into questions as part of a broader testing update. The agency has not set a date for removing printed supplements, and candidates retain access until that happens. Images used in active questions cannot be previewed, but the advisory directs applicants to sample questions from the testing provider.
Two published examples ask candidates to identify the airspace and authorization associated with an airport, and to find the common traffic advisory frequency when a tower is closed. Both are practical briefing questions, not just symbols to memorize.
A certificate is a starting point
Teams can use the change to strengthen onboarding. Give a new pilot a current chart covering a real project, ask them to explain the airspace along the route, identify any required authorization, and name the relevant frequency. Record the chart, date and reviewer alongside the check.
In the United States, a remote pilot must also maintain recent aeronautical knowledge. The FAA explains the applicable initial and recurrent training requirements on its remote pilot certification page.
Make the briefing usable
Replace references to memorized supplement figures with exercises using current charts. Discuss how to check airspace, request authorization when required, and communicate the result to the rest of the crew. A certificate is an important starting point; a supervised site-specific briefing shows how the pilot applies that knowledge to the work.
The takeaway is straightforward: the aircraft, route and airspace will change from job to job. Reading an unfamiliar chart accurately is a skill worth practicing before the day of the flight.
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