FORGE — Drone Mastery Module

Train. Rank. Command.

The Forge Drone Mastery Module is a structured, rank-based pilot development pathway. Every pilot earns their rank through demonstrated flying hours, psychological evaluation, tactical performance, and peer instruction capability.

View Rank System Daily Curriculum Psych Evaluation
7
Pilot Ranks
7+10
Days Training
1:1
Drone Per Pilot
6
Psych Parameters
The System

Drone Mastery Module

The Drone Mastery Module (DMM) is Forge's proprietary progression framework. Every pilot earns their rank — no shortcuts, no ceremony without skill.

How It Works

STEP 1 — SIMULATOR HOURS

Minimum simulator flying hours logged per drone class before any live aircraft access is granted. Each session tracked and recorded.

STEP 2 — PSYCHOLOGICAL SCREENING

All pilots undergo psychological profiling before rank progression. Evaluates decision-making under pressure, spatial reasoning, and situational awareness.

STEP 3 — LIVE EVALUATION

Practical flying assessment with an instructor. Timed circuits, precision tasks, emergency response, and drone-specific mission execution.

STEP 4 — RANK AWARD & NEXT MODULE

On passing all three gates, the pilot is awarded their rank and cleared for the next drone class. Ranks are non-expiring but can be audited annually.

Flying Hours Per Drone Class

DRONE CLASS
SIM HOURS
FIELD HOURS
WhoopScout (Micro)
5h
3h
Soccer Drone
3h
5h
nimble-i / TAVAS
10h
8h
ASTRA5000
15h
10h
ASTRA7000
20h
15h
ASTRA10000
25h
20h
Falcon / Hans / SWAT
30h
25h
📌 Each pilot gets their own dedicated drone during training sessions — no shared equipment during assessed flight time.
Rank System

Pilot Ranks

Seven progressive ranks — each earned, never given. Rank determines which drone classes you are cleared to fly operationally.

🪖
Recruit
RANK I — ENTRY
  • Sim intro completed
  • WhoopScout cleared (sim)
  • Written theory pass
  • Psych baseline recorded
5h
SIM
🛸
Scout
RANK II — LIVE MICRO
  • WhoopScout live cleared
  • Indoor circuit completion
  • 3h field time logged
  • Precision hover eval
5h
SIM
3h
FIELD
✈️
Pilot
RANK III — FPV RATED
  • Soccer Drone + nimble-i cleared
  • Circuit timing benchmarks met
  • Emergency landing eval
  • Solo outdoor flight cleared
18h
SIM
13h
FIELD
Aviator
RANK IV — TACTICAL
  • ASTRA5000 + TAVAS cleared
  • Long-range flight eval
  • Camera payload ops certified
  • Psych re-evaluation
38h
SIM
23h
FIELD
🎖️
Operator
RANK V — FULL ASTRA
  • ASTRA7000 + ASTRA10000 cleared
  • Payload delivery evaluation
  • Trigger system proficiency
  • Night ops clearance
63h
SIM
43h
FIELD
🛡️
Commander
RANK VI — HEAVY CLASS
  • Falcon, Hans, SWAT cleared
  • Autonomous mission planning
  • Swarm coordination basics
  • Advanced psych assessment
93h
SIM
68h
FIELD
🏆
Instructor / Forge Master
RANK VII — HIGHEST RANK
  • All drone classes certified
  • Mock training session passed
  • Full instructor course (10 days)
  • Communication skills eval
  • Beginner coaching certified
  • Annual audit required
100+h
SIM
100+h
FIELD
Can train Ranks I–VI
Day-by-Day Program

Pilot Training Curriculum

PILOT TRACK — 7 DAYS (3–4h/day · Batches of 4–6)

D1

FPV Introduction & Simulator Setup

  • FPV drone fundamentals and controls
  • Betaflight Configurator intro (theory)
  • Controller setup and calibration in sim
  • First Acro mode session — hover and throttle
⚡ Objective Evaluation
D2

Flight Basics & Hand-Eye Coordination

  • Throttle control and altitude hold
  • Yaw, pitch, roll — directional control
  • Acro vs Horizon mode comparison
⚡ Objective Evaluation
D3

Precision Flying & Obstacle Avoidance

  • Gate navigation and obstacle courses
  • Slow, controlled movement drills
  • Stick smoothness and flow training
⚡ Objective Evaluation
D4

Circuit Training & Smooth Maneuvers

  • Racing circuits with checkpoints
  • Smooth turns and speed control
  • Emergency stops and mid-flight reorientation
⚡ Objective Evaluation
D5

Advanced Maneuvers & Confidence

  • Split-S, power loops, barrel rolls
  • Crash recovery technique
  • High-speed control without stability loss
⚡ Objective Evaluation
D6

Live Indoor Flight Transition

  • WhoopScout familiarization (live aircraft)
  • Indoor netted arena — hover and circuits
  • Instructor-supervised first live flights
⚡ Supervised Assessment
D7

Outdoor Field + Pilot Certification

  • Outdoor WhoopScout flight — open terrain
  • Timed circuit evaluation
  • Final performance review with instructor
🎖 PILOT CERTIFICATION AWARDED

INSTRUCTOR TRACK — 10 DAYS (4–6h/day · Batches of 2–4)

ELIGIBILITY

Minimum 10h simulator time + 100h outdoor flying time. Must hold Rank V (Operator) or above. Technical examination required.

Days 1–2: Teaching Methodology

How to explain FPV basics to beginners. Common mistakes and corrections. Coaching practicum under supervision.

Days 3–4: Troubleshooting & Technical

Controller issues, calibration errors, input lag diagnostics. PID tuning basics. Stick sensitivity and custom tuning.

Days 5–7: Coaching Practice

Peer mentoring sessions. Communication refinement. Observation skill evaluation and group discussion.

Days 8–10: Mock Training + Certification

Each trainee conducts a 30-minute beginner FPV training session. Evaluated on flight skills, instruction clarity, troubleshooting, and query handling.

SCALING MODEL

6
Initial Instructors
4–6
Students/Instructor
36+
Pilots / Month
Psychological Evaluation

Pilot Psychological Assessment

All pilots undergo formal psychological screening before rank progression beyond Scout. This ensures mission suitability and reduces operational risk.

🧠 Spatial Reasoning Test

3D orientation tasks and airspace navigation puzzles. Measures ability to mentally track drone position relative to ground during FPV flight.

⚡ Reaction Time Assessment

Visual stimulus-response exercises calibrated to drone emergency scenarios. Benchmarked against class median.

😤 Stress Response Profiling

Simulated mission failures under time pressure. Measures composure, decision quality, and recovery speed when things go wrong mid-flight.

🎯 Attention & Focus Evaluation

Dual-tasking exercises — flight path tracking while managing secondary information inputs. Critical for SWAT and surveillance operators.

📋 Risk Tolerance Mapping

Standardized decision-making questionnaire measuring operational conservatism vs. aggression. Used for role-matching to drone class and mission type.

🤝 Team Communication Profile

Instructor track only. Communication style, feedback quality, and student empathy profiling for those progressing to Rank VII.

Pilot Evaluation Parameters

PARAMETER
WEIGHT
ASSESSMENT METHOD
Flight Precision
30%
Timed circuits, gate accuracy, hover stability
Simulator Score
20%
Logged session data, mission completion rate
Psychological Profile
20%
Spatial, stress, risk, attention tests
Technical Knowledge
15%
Written theory exam, Betaflight/PID understanding
Emergency Response
10%
Simulated mid-flight failure scenarios
Flying Hours Logged
5%
Verified sim + field hours per drone class
Fleet in Training

Drones Used in the Program

Each pilot gets one dedicated drone per session — no sharing during evaluated flight time.

Icon
Drone
Phase
Arena
🔵
WhoopScout (Micro FPV Whoop)
75–90mm, 1s battery, crash-resilient polycarbonate frame. First live drone every pilot touches.
Phase 1–2
Indoor
🔴
Soccer Drone (Caged Quad)
3-inch carbon frame in spherical PLA cage. Safe for team sport, teaches spatial awareness and agility.
Phase 1–2
Indoor
🟢
nimble-i (Surveillance UAS)
1.7kg, 3km range, 4K camera. Introduces payload ops and camera discipline in outdoor field.
Phase 3
Outdoor
🟡
ASTRA5000 (5" Kamikaze)
200–250g payload, 3–6km, trigger system. First tactical drone in program. Analog or digital.
Phase 4
Outdoor
🟠
ASTRA7000 (7" Mid-Range)
800g payload, 15–30min, MMHG drop. Extended mission endurance and payload delivery training.
Phase 4+
Outdoor
ASTRA10000 (10" Heavy Kamikaze)
1.2–1.5kg payload, dual-drop, digital/analog/low-light FPV. Advanced operators only (Rank V+).
Phase 5
Large Field