Drones – FAA Part 107 Compliance
So you think maybe you’d like to buy a drone and have some fun flying it around. No doubt the recent advancements in technology have resulted in some pretty amazing capabilities. Some of the new drones produce images and video that are so crisp and detailed you would swear they couldn’t possibly come from that tiny drone. All this sounds like a lot of fun. Then you discover the government has their hand up saying stop right there. You need to register your drone and you need to pass a test to fly it legally. This happened recently to us here at Team 218. We wanted to use a drone to enhance our web design toolbox.
Any drone under 55 pounds falls under the FAA Part 107 regulations. The exception are drones weighing less than 250 grams (0.55 pounds) being used just for fun. The sub 250 gram drones still fall under Part 107 regs IF you intend to use them in any capacity for business or commercial use. The new DJI Mini 2 falls into the sub-250 gram category and how you intend to use it determines whether you need to be a licensed remote pilot under Part 107 regulations.
The Part 107 regulations are a little confusing mainly because there is no distinction between a quadcopter drone and a fixed wing remote controlled plane. They’re all grouped together under Part 107.
In order to comply, you need to register your drone with the FAA ($5) and pass the FAA Part 107 remote pilot test ($150). The remote pilot license is good for 2 years. The test is comprised of questions about basic drone rules, airspace, weather, and sectional charts (maps). A score of 70% or greater is required to pass the 60 question test.
We’ll keep you posted on our progress as we go through the testing process.
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