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Frequently Asked Questions
Find answers to your FAA questions.
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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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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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.
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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
No. Federal law restricts UAS from flying at or below 3,000 AGL within a 3 nautical mile radius of any stadium with a seating capacity of 30,000 or more people during a Major League Baseball (MLB), regular or post-season National Football League (NFL), or NCAA Division I football game, or major motor speedway event. This temporary flight restriction applies to the entire U.S. domestic National Airspace System, and takes effect starting one hour before the scheduled event time until one hour after the event concludes. The FAA gives further detail in a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).
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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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No. This is prohibited by the memorandum of agreement executed by the test administrator and the FAA. Test administrators may not charge recreational flyers directly or indirectly to take the test.
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Yes. You must have the FAA registration certificate in your possession when operating an unmanned aircraft or drone. The certificate can be available either on paper or electronically.
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No. You must request an airspace authorization through LAANC or DroneZone to operate in controlled airspace. Airports are not allowed to provide this authorization.
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No, if the aircraft does not fly directly over a person, then the operation would be compliant with Part 107.39.
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There are two ways for recreational or hobby UAS or drone fliers to operate in the National Airspace System in accordance with the law and/or FAA regulations.
Option #1: Fly in accordance with the limited statutory exception for recreation. Under this rule, operators must:
- Register your drone or UAS with the FAA
- Fly for hobby or recreational purposes only
- Follow a community-based set of safety guidelines
- Fly your drone within visual line-of-sight
- Give way to manned aircraft
- Obtain an airspace authorization to operate in controlled airspace.
- Fly a drone or UAS that weigh no more than 55 lbs. unless certified by a community-based organization
Option #2: Fly under the FAA's Small UAS Rule (14 CFR part 107). Under this rule, operators must:
- Register their drone or UAS with the FAA as a "non-modeler"
- Obtain an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate
- Follow the operational requirements of Part 107
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Only the UAS or drone crew are considered participants, not the emergency response personnel. You may need to use the Special Governmental Interest (SGI) process for a temporary, emergency waiver if operating under Part 107. If you fly as a Public Aircraft Operator (PAO), you have that ability in life safety situations.
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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.
As far as the flight rules are concerned, when flying as a public aircraft, the Remote Pilot in Command (RPIC) is responsible (See 91.3(b)). When flying as a civil aircraft, the RPIC is responsible (See 107.19). When flying as a contractor to a public entity, refer to Advisory Circular 00-1.1B, Public Aircraft Operations, which provides information about the process you must go through to get public aircraft status given to you by the entity. The RPIC and responsible person are responsible for compliance with the flight rules to ensure everyone's safety.
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Yes, the DoD has been briefed on the UAS Facility Map process. The FAA currently manually processes requests into controlled airspace delegated to DoD facilities. UAS Operators are responsible for staying clear of 99.7 Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs).
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There are three ways to fly a UAS or drone for work, business, or non-recreational reasons:
- Follow the requirements in the Small UAS rule (Part 107)
- Obtain an exemption under the Special Authority for Certain Unmanned Systems (U.S.C. 44807).
- Obtain an airworthiness certificate for the aircraft
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The FAA has developed a mobile app called B4UFLY to help recreational UAS or drone operators know whether there are any restrictions or requirements where they want to fly. Additional guidance is also available in the Where Can I Fly? section of this website. You may also reference your location with the FAA UAS Facility Map.
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Public safety must fully comply with Part 107 or their COA (if operating as a public aircraft) just like any other (civilian) Part 107 operator, and BVLOS is not permitted for routine operations without a waiver for Part 107 operations and a specific provision in a COA (see waiver safety explanation guidelines for Part 107.31 waivers). BVLOS remains a significant challenge given the state of technology in the industry, and is usually only granted in temporary, emergency situations. If you encounter a situation where you must go BVLOS in an actual emergency, follow the Special Governmental Interest process to obtain a temporary, emergency waiver to 107.31 if flying under Part 107, or a temporary, emergency amendment to your existing COA if flying as a public aircraft.
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Flying for recreational purposes means flying only for fun. Flying for work, payment, or as part of any business (even if not being paid) is not considered recreational flying.
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