Frequently Ask Questions
Drones, also known as unmanned aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicles, are designed in various sizes and widely available for purchase around the world. Whether they are flown for recreational or profit, the craft is highly regulated. We’ve address/answered the most commonly asked questions from new drone users.
Question 1: What is part 107, and do I need it to fly my drone?
In order to fly your drone *** for commercial or paid projects *** under the FAA's Small UAS Rule (Part 107), you must obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA. This certificate demonstrates that you understand the regulations, operating requirements, and procedures for safely flying drones.
If you fly for recreation or fun, obtaining a Part 107 license is not required.
Question 2: Where can I fly?
It's highly recommended that you download the B4UFLY application which is available on both Apple and Android devices. The application is also available via desktop. Below are the links for each respective platform for download for your convenient.
Apple App Store:
Android Google Play:
Web Browser Application:
https://b4ufly.aloft.ai/?lat=36.0646&long=-75.7057
Question 3: How height can I fly?
400 feet is the maximum allowed altitude. To fly any higher you'll need FAA authorization.
Question 4: How fast can I fly?
The legal speed limit for drone flight is 100 mph ground speed.
Question 5: Why do I need to register my drone with the FAA?
Federal law requires drone operators to show their certificate of registration to any Federal, State, or local law enforcement officer if asked. Failure to comply may result in regulatory and criminal penalties.
Question 6: Must DIY drone be registered with the FAA?
The short answer is, YES! Remote ID will be required for home-built aircraft if they're used commercially, or if they weigh more than 250 grams.
The Remote ID rules that apply to home-built drones is quite simple because they are similar to shelf-bought drones. Home-built drones must comply with Remote ID regulations.
Question 7: Are there any penalties for not registering my drone with the FAA?
Failure to register a drone may result in regulatory and criminal penalties. The FAA may assess civil penalties up to $27,500. Criminal penalties include fines of up to $250,000 and/or imprisonment for up to three (3) years.
Question 8: What is remote ID?
Remote ID is a system for tracking and identifying drones flying in our National Airspace System (NAS). The technology will broadcast your drone's GPS location, altitude, takeoff point/control station location, operator information, and more.
Question 9: Can I fly are night?
Yes, Part 107-licensed drone pilots can now fly their drones at night. In the past, drone pilots who wish to fly at night had to go through a fairly lengthy waiver process. The FAA completely changed the process, the new update provides a bit more freedom to drone pilots while also reducing the work of the FAA. Drones pilots flying at night must equipped their drone with appropriate anti-collision lights that are visible up to a distance of three statute miles, in addition to the following below.
Drone pilots licensed under Part 107 have been allowed to operate at night under two conditions.
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They complete an online recurrent training.
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Updated there initial knowledge test; and that their drones are equipped with anti-collision lighting visible for at least three (3) statute miles and are flashing at a rate sufficient to avoid a collision.
Question 10: Can I fly over people?
As of April 21, 2021, the FAA’s proposed changes on the Part 107 rules for drone flight over people and moving vehicles have been implemented, providing more operational flexibility to commercial drone pilots.
Question 11: What's the difference between GPS require drone and FPV drones?
GPS-RD
GPS-RD stands for "Global Positioning System-Required Drones", these drones use satellites in the sky for position hold which keeps the drone fixed in space when in a hovering position. Position hold is essential for certain types of flights or missions. For instance, if you're taking a picture of a football stadium from multiple angles, you need the drone to be in a fixed location as the picture is taken. If the drone is in a moving state, this would introduce motion blur in your photo even with a high shutter speed. Therefore GPS-RD heavily relies on satellite positioning to keep the drone in place during flight. If truly desired, the operator can fly the drone with the GPS disabled but for only specific reasons, as 99% of users using these drones will always operate with the GPS enabled.
FPV Drones
FPV stands for "First Person View". FPV drones are flown with the pilot wearing a set of goggles, which lets the operator see exactly what the drone see's during operation. Some FPV drones use GPS, however the implementation of how the GPS system is used is vastly different from GPS-RD. Home-built drones that use GPS is not for position hold. It's for return to home. For instance, you're flying your FPV drone then you suddenly lose the signal in the goggles. When the pilot experiences signal loss from the goggles, the pilot can no longer see what the drone sees because the signal was lost. Without making things too complicated, the remote controller has a set of switches on it. One of these switches is set for GPS return to home **preprogrammed by the pilot in a program called "Beta-Flight" in advance**. When the switch is toggled on, the return to home GPS feature is activated and the FPV drone will return back to its original location. The purpose of this is to regain the signal feed that the FPV pilot loss by bringing the drone closer to the pilot. When signal loss occurs **and there are so many reason that this could happen**, this usually happens because the drone is too far away from the operator or from hardware or software failure for instance.
