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Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to your FAA questions.
No. The certificate does not expire. Completion of the appropriate online ALC training course renews the pilot’s recency of aeronautical knowledge for 24 calendar months. You must be able to show a copy of your certificate of completion as proof of currency.
A NOTAM is not required under Part 107 flights. They are only required if you have a Certificate of Authorization (COA) to fly under Part 91 as a public aircraft and part of the COA has a requirement to issue a NOTAM.
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UAS Facility Maps are provided to assist applicants who want to operate in the United States. Operators must comply with the operational rules of the country in which they are operating. The FAA may only issue airspace authorizations in the United States.
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Please refer to the state and local fact sheet available on the FAA's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) page. Generally, local governments are able to exercise already existing authorities when it comes to drone operations.
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Public agencies can operate either under a remote pilot certificate (Part 107) or as a public aircraft operator (Part 91).
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There are no grants for drones through the FAA, but you should independently check with DHS and DOJ (if law enforcement) to see if there is funding that they can provide.
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The FAA provides videos, webinars, websites, support staff, and other resources to support public safety. Please contact the FAA at uashelp@faa.gov to request assistance.
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Each small UAS or drone will have different mechanical failure rates based on a multitude of factors. Most small drones are not issued an airworthiness certificate. It is the operator's or waiver applicant's responsibility to determine their specific drone’s mechanical failure rate, based on where and how it is operated, and how it is maintained.
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Federal agencies are public agencies and as such must operate under the same rules of those of a city, county, state or tribal agency. Since they are automatically declared a public agency, they are not required to present a Public Declaration Letter for review by the FAA.
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A private college is not a government agency; and as such, would not qualify to operate as a public aircraft operator.
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Yes, an entire city can be under one COA, but the city needs to understand that anyone or any machine flying under that COA is the responsibility of the COA holder (the city in this example). The responsible person of the COA holder is responsible for exercising proper oversight and control over all who fly under that COA. It's important to understand as you design your command and control concept that in that scenario, if the COA is cancelled for any reason by the FAA, the entire group would be unable to fly under that COA. Some entities choose to centralize, while some choose to decentralize and have the various departments obtain their own COAs and manage their own crews and machines. This decision is at the discretion of the entity.
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No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft or drone in Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that person has prior authorization from Air Traffic Control (ATC). Drone pilots planning to fly in controlled airspace must get permission from the FAA. You can submit requests for authorization to fly in controlled airspace near airports via these two systems:
1. Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC)
2. FAADroneZone
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Still can't find what you are looking for? Please feel free to contact the UAS Support Center for general questions and comments.
At this time, the web-based registration system does not permit this type of transfer. You must complete registration as a non-modeler and provide specific aircraft information such as manufacturer name, model number and serial number, if applicable.
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Preemption allows you to cross a property owner's land at any altitude; however, you must operate within the limitations of your Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) as a public operator. If you are operating as a civil operator under Part 107, then it depends on your area of operation, class of airspace, and limitations of your COA.
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No. You cannot "mix and match" the conditions and limitations in your Section 333 exemption with the Part 107 rule operating requirements.
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Yes, a Part 107 pilot may be contracted by a public safety entity to fly under Part 107 as far as the FAA is concerned. Their policies on hiring 3rd parties would be up to them, of course. It is important to understand that the same Part 107 rules apply to public safety as they do to the general public.
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Law enforcement personnel are not able to enforce FAA regulations; however, most state and local jurisdictions have some sort of "reckless endangerment" statutes they can enforce when appropriate.
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Media companies may use a drone, but must adhere to the requirements the Small UAS Rule (Part 107) or the exemption they received under exemption under the Special Authority for Certain Unmanned Systems (U.S.C. 44807). Media companies operating under Part 107 may request a waiver to fly over people if they provide sufficient mitigations to ensure public safety.
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Please refer to the state and local fact sheet available on FAA's Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) page. Generally, outright prohibitions on UAS operations in the National Airspace System create preemption issues.
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