Who Needs Part 107?

Anyone flying a drone for commercial purposes — receiving any form of compensation — needs a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate. This includes photography, mapping, inspection, or any service where you're paid.

Remote Pilot Certificate

• Must be at least 16 years old
• Must pass the FAA Aeronautical Knowledge Test at an FAA-approved testing center
• Must pass a TSA security vetting
• No medical certificate required (unlike manned aircraft)
• Certificate doesn't expire — but recurrent training required every 24 months (online recurrent course, no re-test)

Aircraft Registration

Remote ID

As of September 2023, all drones over 0.55 lbs flown under Part 107 must broadcast Remote ID — essentially a digital license plate transmitted via radio frequency.

• Most modern drones have built-in Remote ID (DJI Matrice does)
• Broadcasts: UAS ID, location, altitude, velocity, and control station location
• Exception: FAA-recognized identification areas (FRIAs) — approved flying sites

Waivers

Many Part 107 operating restrictions can be waived by the FAA if you can demonstrate equivalent level of safety. Common waivable operations:

• Night operations (now allowed without waiver with proper lighting since 2021)
• Operations over people
• Beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS)
• Operations from a moving vehicle
• Multiple drone operations by one pilot

Airspace Classes — Quick Reference

Special Use Airspace

• Prohibited Areas (P-) — No flight at any time. Example: P-56 over DC.
• Restricted Areas (R-) — Flight restricted, may require permission from controlling agency.
• Warning Areas (W-) — Over international waters. No permission required but hazardous activity present.
• Military Operations Areas (MOA) — Military training. IFR separation not provided. VFR (and UAS) can fly but be cautious when active.
• Alert Areas (A-) — High volume of unusual aerial activity. No permission needed but exercise caution.
• Controlled Firing Areas (CFA) — Activities suspended when aircraft detected. Not charted.

Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs)

TFRs are temporary restrictions placed on airspace for specific events or hazards:

• Sporting events (NFL, NASCAR, etc.) — 3 NM radius, surface to 3,000 ft AGL
• Wildfires — stay out, period. Drones have grounded firefighting aircraft.
• Presidential movement (VIP) — no flight
• Disaster areas — typically 1 NM, surface to 2,000 ft
• Space operations — launches

The 400 ft Rule (and the Important Exception)

Part 107 Weather Minimums

Reading a METAR

METARs are hourly surface weather observations. Example:

• KDEN — Denver International Airport (K = US airport)
• 121755Z — 12th day of month, 1755 Zulu (UTC)
• 28015KT — Wind from 280° at 15 knots
• 10SM — Visibility 10 statute miles
• FEW045 — Few clouds at 4,500 ft AGL (multiply by 100)
• SCT080 — Scattered clouds at 8,000 ft AGL
• 22/05 — Temperature 22°C / Dew point 5°C
• A2992 — Altimeter setting 29.92 inHg

Reading a TAF

TAFs (Terminal Aerodrome Forecasts) cover a 24–30 hour period for airports. Key terms:

• BECMG — Becoming (gradual change over time)
• TEMPO — Temporary conditions (less than 1 hour at a time, less than half the forecast period)
• FM — From (abrupt change at specified time)
• PROB30/PROB40 — 30% or 40% probability of conditions
• VC — Vicinity (5-10 SM from airport)

Density Altitude

Density altitude is pressure altitude corrected for non-standard temperature. High density altitude = air is thinner = drone motors work harder, performance degrades.

The exam formula: DA = PA + (120 × [OAT − ISA temp])
Standard temp at sea level = 15°C, decreasing 2°C per 1,000 ft.

Operating Limits — The Numbers

Visual Line of Sight (VLOS)

You must be able to see your drone with unaided vision (glasses/contacts are ok) at all times. This means:

• No flying behind buildings, trees, or terrain where you lose sight of the drone
• FPV goggles alone do NOT satisfy VLOS — you need a visual observer (VO) watching the drone directly
• A VO can maintain VLOS on your behalf but must be coordinated and co-located (no comms-only VO)
• BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) requires an FAA waiver

Night Operations

Night flying is allowed under Part 107 without a waiver since the 2021 rule change, but requires:

• Anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles
• Lighting must have a flash rate sufficient to avoid collision
• VLOS must still be maintained

Right-of-Way Rules

UAS must yield right-of-way to all other aircraft — manned or unmanned. You are always at the bottom of the priority stack.

• Always give way to manned aircraft
• Never create a hazard to other aircraft
• When two drones converge: the one on the right has right-of-way (like manned aircraft)

Operations Over People & Moving Vehicles

Part 107 created categories for flights over people based on drone weight and safety features:

• Category 1: Under 0.55 lbs — can fly over people without waiver
• Category 2: FAA-declared, limiting injury on impact — no waiver
• Category 3: FAA-declared, lower standard — restricted areas only
• Category 4: Airworthiness certification — over moving crowds

Prohibited Operations

• No flying under the influence of alcohol or drugs
• No careless or reckless operation endangering life or property
• No transporting hazardous materials
• No interfering with emergency response
• No flying from a moving aircraft
• From moving ground vehicles — only in sparsely populated areas (waiver for populated)

Weight and Balance

Proper weight and balance is required for safe flight. Affects stability, maneuverability, and hover efficiency.

• Always include payload weight in your pre-flight weight calculation
• Improper CG (center of gravity) can make a drone unstable or uncontrollable
• Batteries drain in flight — for long missions, CG can shift slightly as fuel burns asymmetrically

Density Altitude Effects

As density altitude increases, the air becomes less dense. Effects on drone performance:

• Rotors generate less lift — must spin faster to maintain altitude
• Motors run hotter and draw more current
• Battery depletes faster
• Climb rate decreases
• Maximum payload capacity decreases

Performance Factors — Summary

• High altitude → reduced performance
• High temperature → reduced performance
• High humidity → slight reduction (moist air is less dense than dry air)
• Heavy payload → reduced hover time, reduced max altitude
• Strong winds → reduced battery life (fighting wind costs power), reduced max range
• Cold temperatures → LiPo battery capacity significantly reduced; battery must be pre-warmed

Runway Markings

• Runway numbers — magnetic heading divided by 10 (Runway 28 = 280°)
• Centerline — white dashed line
• Threshold — white perpendicular bars (beginning of landing area)
• Displaced threshold — arrows before the threshold; can be used for takeoff/taxi, not landing
• Touchdown zone markings — rectangular bars indicating 500 ft increments past threshold
• Aiming point — large white rectangles (1,000 ft from threshold)

Taxiway Markings

• Yellow centerline — continuous yellow line
• Runway hold short markings — two solid + two dashed yellow lines across taxiway. Never cross the solid side without clearance.
• ILS critical area — yellow ladder markings
• Taxiway edge — continuous double yellow lines

Traffic Patterns

Standard traffic pattern legs (left-hand traffic unless otherwise noted):

• Crosswind — 90° turn after departure
• Downwind — parallel to runway, opposite direction of landing
• Base — 90° turn to runway heading approach
• Final — aligned with runway, landing direction
• Upwind / Departure — straight out after takeoff

Radio at Airports

• CTAF (Common Traffic Advisory Frequency) — used at non-towered airports. Pilots self-announce position and intentions.
• UNICOM — private radio at airports, often used for fuel, taxi info. May share frequency with CTAF.
• ATIS (Automatic Terminal Information Service) — recorded weather and airport info, updated hourly. Always get current ATIS before operating near towered airports.

Accident Reporting

You must report an accident to the FAA within 10 calendar days if any of the following occur:

• Serious injury to any person (loss of consciousness, hospitalization, bone fracture, etc.)
• Loss of consciousness
• Property damage (other than the drone itself) exceeding $500

In-Flight Emergencies

• GPS failure — drone may drift. Switch to manual/ATTI mode if trained, land immediately.
• Low battery — RTH (Return to Home) is your friend. Set conservative RTH threshold.
• Signal loss — know your drone's failsafe behavior before every flight. Program RTH altitude above obstacles.
• Motor failure — multi-rotor drones can often maintain partial flight with fewer motors; land immediately.
• Flyaway — activate RTH, if that fails and drone leaves VLOS you may need to report

Phonetic Alphabet