Rahul Nair had been flying his DJI Mini 4 Pro for six months before he realised he was breaking the law every single time he turned it on. He's a 27-year-old videographer from Thrissur — weddings, corporate films, social media reels. Adding aerial shots to his work had felt like a natural upgrade. A client complaint, a quick Google search on "is flying a drone legal in Kerala," and a sudden cold sweat later, he enrolled in DroneAcad's 5-day DGCA RPTO course.
The law you might not know: In India, drones weighing more than 250 grams require a DGCA Remote Pilot Certificate for any commercial flight. Flying without it can result in fines, equipment seizure, and in some cases, criminal charges. Most recreational drone buyers are never told this at the point of sale.
Why Rahul Was Skeptical
The promise of a government licence in 5 days sounds like exactly the kind of thing that turns out to be a certificate of participation with no real weight behind it. Rahul did his homework before enrolling. He found DroneAcad's RPTO authorisation number (RPTO202500079), verified it on the DGCA Digital Sky portal, and called the academy with a list of specific questions: batch size, who the instructors are, what drone they train on, and whether the DGCA examination is included in the fee.
"I wasn't going to pay for something that just gives me a piece of paper. I needed to know the government would actually recognise what I got at the end."
Satisfied with the answers, he booked his spot. Here's a day-by-day account of what the 5 days actually looked like.
The 5 Days — What Actually Happens
The Legal Framework — Why the Rules Exist
The course doesn't start with flying. It starts with law — Drone Rules 2021, airspace classification (green, yellow, red zones across Kerala), the Digital Sky platform, and what documentation is legally required before every commercial flight. "By the end of Day 1 I understood why the DGCA system was built this way," Rahul says. "The instructors showed real cases. What happens when you fly near Kochi airport. Why no-fly zones around government buildings exist. It stopped feeling like regulation and started feeling like safety."
Simulator Training — Where You Actually Learn to Fly Properly
This is where the training earns its money. Before anyone touches a real drone, students spend two days on a flight simulator that replicates actual DJI drone behavior — including attitude mode, which most hobbyists have never experienced. The simulator throws emergency scenarios: motor failure mid-flight, GPS signal loss, sudden crosswind. "The simulator is difficult in the best way," Rahul says. "You crash. You make mistakes. But you crash a simulation, not a ₹2 lakh drone." Flight planning is taught alongside: waypoint missions, battery management, pre-flight safety checklists, and how to file a flight plan on Digital Sky before each commercial operation.
Field Training — Real Drone, Real Sky
The final two days move outside to DroneAcad's training grounds in Kizhakkambalam, Ernakulam. Manoeuvres covered include standard take-off and precision landing, figure-8 patterns, hover accuracy drills, manual mode flying (required for the DGCA practical assessment), and emergency landing procedure practice. The instructors are working pilots with active survey and cinematography missions — not just teachers. "Day 4 I was nervous," Rahul says. "By Day 5 I was confident enough to fly the assessment pattern cleanly."
The DGCA Examination — How It Works
The DGCA Remote Pilot Licence requires passing both a theory examination (administered through the Digital Sky portal) and a practical assessment. DroneAcad prepares students for both during the 5-day programme and guides them through the Digital Sky application process, which has several steps and is easy to get wrong without guidance.
Rahul cleared his theory exam within two weeks of completing the course. His Remote Pilot Certificate arrived through the Digital Sky portal shortly after — valid for 10 years, recognised across India for all categories of commercial drone operations above 250 grams.
"The moment I got that certificate, everything changed. I can take on commercial aerial work legally. I can apply for NPNT-compliant operations, fly in yellow zones with proper clearance, and my clients don't have to wonder if my footage is going to get them in trouble."
What Changed After the Licence
Within a month of receiving his DGCA certificate, Rahul had added aerial real estate videos, wedding cinematography packages, and corporate aerial footage to his service offerings. Each of these requires a legally valid remote pilot in command. Without the licence, those jobs were off-limits or carried significant legal risk for both him and his clients. His project rate for aerial-inclusive packages increased substantially.
Was 5 Days Genuinely Enough?
"Yes — but only because the curriculum is built for it and the instructors treat it seriously," he says. "There's no time to be passive. You're covered on law, simulator, and field in five days because every hour is intentional. If the academy stretched it to 10 days and filled the time with repetition and lectures, you'd learn less." He recommends arriving with at least basic drone flying experience — even a few hours on a simulator app — to make full use of the field training days. It's not a requirement, but it helps.
Who Should Take This Course?
Ready to Get Your DGCA Remote Pilot Licence?
The next 5-day RPTO batch at DroneAcad, Kizhakkambalam is accepting enrollments now. Batch size is capped at 6 students for individual attention. RPTO202500079.
View RPTO Course Details → Talk to an AdvisorThe Bottom Line
India's drone regulations are getting stricter, not more relaxed. The DGCA will continue tightening enforcement as the commercial drone sector grows. Pilots with valid Remote Pilot Certificates will have a clear and compounding advantage over unlicensed hobbyists in every professional sector — real estate, agriculture, construction, survey, infrastructure inspection, and event coverage.
Five days is genuinely enough time to go from knowing nothing about drone law to holding an official government certificate — if the training is run by an authorised RPTO with instructors who've done real-world missions and care whether you actually pass.
DroneAcad is the only DGCA-authorised RPTO operating in Ernakulam district (RPTO202500079). If you're in Kerala and need a drone licence, this is where you go.