so ive been flying recreationally for about 2 years now mostly just fpv stuff in my backyard and some location scouting for a friend who does real estate photography. he keeps telling me i should just get my 107 and start doing it legit and maybe make some money on the side but honestly the whole thing feels really overwhelming and i dont even know what the test covers or how hard it is. like do i need to know actual aviation stuff? i never took any kind of pilot course or anything. is this something a normal person can pass without a ton of background or should i just not bother

totally doable without any aviation background, i promise. i passed first try with about 3 weeks of studying and i knew basically nothing going in. the test is mostly airspace stuff, weather reading, sectional charts, and some regulations. the sectional chart questions tripped me up the most honestly because reading those things is its own skill. i used the Pilot Institute course on youtube which is free and it covers pretty much everything. also did the practice tests on their site over and over until i was consistently hitting like 85-90%. the actual test felt easier than the practice ones which was a nice surprise. go do it, its not as scary as it looks from the outside

yeah the sectional charts are the thing that takes the most time to wrap your head around. everything else you can kind of memorize but interpreting charts is more of a skill thing. also just make sure you schedule the test at an actual testing center, some people dont realize its proctored at like a PSI or Pearson Vue location not online. costs around 175 bucks i think. worth it if your friend is throwing paid work your way