Q: What is a Drone?
A: Drone is a nickname given to any aircraft in the category of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), or Small Unmanned Aerial Systems (sUAS) weighing less than 55 lbs.
Q: What is considered commercial drone operation?
A: The FAA considers anything tied to income as commercial operation. Basically if you are flying for any purpose other than hobby or recreation, it is commercial use and you need a license and are expected to comply with FAA regulations.
Q: Can you fly over crowds of people?
A: The FAA guidelines state that you cannot fly an unmanned aircraft over anyone not involved in the flight operation (i.e. the remote pilot and visual observer). This includes flying at stadiums, sporting events, wildfires, or over crowds of people, including first responders at the scene of an incident. Some of these restrictions can be exempted on a per-flight basis but requires a valid reason.
Q: How high can you fly?
A: The FAA guidelines state that UAS devices can fly no higher than 400 feet AGL (Above Ground Level) without a Certificate of Waiver from the FAA. Most of the time we don’t need to get above 200 feet to capture the subject so this is usually not an issue.
Q: Can you fly at night?
A: No, but it can be approved under part 107 with a valid reason. Night flying presents a number of dangers. The regulations state that drones can only fly between sunrise and sunset unless an exemption is granted from this rule by the FAA.
Q: Can you fly drones near airports?
A: It depends on the airport. For example the Rochester, NY airport is in Class C airspace that encompasses a five mile radius. around it. The FAA provides electronic wavers to licensed drone pilots to fly inside some of that radius at reduced altitudes if the waver is approved.
Q: How long can you fly?
A: Drones can operate for 12-25 minutes on a single battery depending on the aircraft, wind speed, air temperature, aircraft load, and other conditions. I have multiple batteries in order fly multiple times on location. I also have the ability to charge batteries on location to extend operations if needed.
Drone Pilot Ground School is an online test prep course for commercial drone pilots looking to pass the FAA Aeronautical Knowledge Test for a Remote Pilot Certificate. It’s the site I used to study and pass my PART 107 FAA exam. They’re also the leading resource for updated best practices in the emerging sUAS industry. Click the “DPGS” button for detailed information about the exam requirements for licensed drone pilots. Additional FAQ resources can be found at the FAA and the Mid-Atlantic Aviation Partnership at Virginia Tech, an FAA-designated test site for unmanned aircraft systems, where I trained.