Drone License: What you need to know

Do I need a drone license to fly? Do I have to register it with the FAA and mark it outside accordingly, as of January 3rd’s, 2018 law that requires recreational pilots to carry proof when flying their drones? Recently passed legislation mandates registering your drone for personal use if you want to fly it recreationally. The past few years has seen an increase in accidents caused by these devices; this new regulation will hopefully stem some of those occurrences (making them safer) while also preventing uninvolved bystanders from being involved in any harming incidents post registration requirements are met.

In order to fly your drone commercially, the FAA requires a license. The commercial use of drones is becoming more and more commonplace as people are finding new ways to make money with them and be outside the law. Even if you don’t actually collect any money for this activity, it can still qualify as flying your drone commercially which would require a license from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

How important is getting a drone license?

Drone operators in the United States are required to have a Part 107 certificate prior to flying commercially. The remote pilot certificate, more formally known as drone license, is one of the new requirements that came about from 14 CFR Part 107 rules which were implemented by FAA back in 2016 and created as legal framework for commercial drone flight within US borders.

In addition, the FAA’s latest ruling on drones, known as Part 107, enforces several restrictions. These include not flying over crowds or moving vehicles and always yielding the right of way to manned aircraft among others. The rules continue to evolve with input from drone pilots in order for them to fly safely while still being creative with their craft.

The drone license is one of the most important components to achieving Part 107. To earn a license, there are certain qualifications that must be met by a pilot and they will also have to undergo TSA vetting before passing their 60-item test on all things part107 related. This ensures that every commercial drone has someone who knows what’s expected of them while flying such vehicles; it also allows for documentation in order to gather data which can help inform decisions about these drones as well as how best we should use them.

How to register for a drone license?

On December 21, 2015 the FAA’s online registration system went into effect. This required all UAS weighing more than 0.55 pounds and less than 55 lbs to be registered with them within a month or face penalties up to $27,500 per violation for noncompliance in addition to fees of between $5–9 that cover administrative costs associated with processing each application submitted by an individual drone owner. Since then we have seen tremendous progress: as of January 1st 2019 there are now 909 thousand drones registered across the US.

If you’re interested in getting your drone license, we have a step-by-step guide for the process that will help get you started. You’ll need to spend about $200 and wait two months until it is completed but don’t worry — we’ve got more detailed information below.

Before you can apply for the drone license, the FAA requires these basic qualifications:

• You should be at least 16 years of age
• You should be able to read, write, understand, and speak English
• You should be physically and mentally fit to fly a drone
• Submit your application to the FAA after passing a 60 question multiple choice exam

In order to be an FAA registered airman, you need a Tracking Number. This is your unique code which will stay with you throughout your whole career in aviation.

Register for your knowledge test at any of the over 700 FAA-certified testing centers in the US. The test is administered by Computer Assisted Testing Service (CATS). To register, you will need to pay a $160 non-refundable fee before taking it.

Passing the knowledge test is not as easy as it seems. You will need to get at least 70% of items correct, and you only have 120 minutes. All items are automatically selected from a much larger pool of questions ensuring that all sets for every individual are unique and new. You can take up to 120 minutes on this exam which has been designed in order to help ensure your success with an average time spent answering each question being around 10–15 seconds so you’ll have plenty of time left over if one or two answers seem unfamiliar immediately.

If you pass the test, it could take up to two months for your application process with the TSA. However if there is a backlog of applicants waiting, then it may only be one week before they contact you about background checks and other paperwork. Either way just wait patiently for their response — which will come in any case.

If you pass the background check, then it’s time to print your temporary certificate and start flying. Until you receive a permanent one in the mail from us that is valid for 2 years, please carry it with you at all times when flying commercially.

Can I commercially fly a drone without a license?

The FAA requires a drone pilot license for any person who wants to fly drones for business. Drone pilots not actively looking at making money can fly recreationally without needing this type of certification.

Unlicensed drone pilots must be very careful not to cross this line. Even if they are unpaid for their operations, any output of the operation cannot advance a business in anyway. This includes using drones as photo takers for advertisement purposes or monitoring tools on an agricultural farm with data collected by them used to manage crop health from afar — and much more.

Whilst, pilots of recreational drones don’t need to show any certifications, but they still have rules. Some restrictions are common knowledge like not flying over people or in controlled airspace and staying within sight line; while others may be new such as the requirement that all aircrafts’ lights must always remain on during flight time.

The rules for flying drones vary depending on your location. Some states and cities have created their own set of laws, mostly as a response to concerns about privacy, safety, security among other things. Places where people congregate such as parks may also have restrictions specific to drone flight so make sure you do the homework before going off with your drone.

If you need to fly commercially but can’t get your license, there are two possibilities for you. If a licensed drone pilot is willing and able to supervise the flight of your drone, then they’ll be in charge of licensing themselves as well. This option will cost more money than hiring someone else entirely because both people would have needed licenses beforehand! You may also choose an alternative route by simply leasing or renting drones from companies that already legally operate commercial flights with their own Part 107 licenses. In this case all costs fall on the company operating it which usually has much cheaper prices available through these services compared to having a private operator set up under one individual’s name only.

Register your drone!

Flying drones for work or personal enjoyment? You need to register them! If your drone weighs more than 0.55 lbs, you will be required by law. Likewise if it’s used commercially — regardless of weight. Registration in the US is easy: just go online and input a few pieces of information that are unique to each operator (name, home address).

Flying an unmanned aircraft means following certain regulations set forth by FAA guidelines; both recreational and commercial operators should understand these rules before they fly their drone so as not run into any legal trouble later on down the line.

Registration for recreational drones is done by creating an account on the FAA DroneZone website. You can input your personal details as well as information about any drone you use, and pay a $5 registration fee to be in compliance with rules and laws pertaining to these devices. Commercial pilots will need to register each individual drone they intend on using, incurring another $5 charge per device- so make sure that you know what type of piloting it’s worth being before shelling out more money.

Make sure to mark your drone with its corresponding registration number in a way that is easy for others to see. This helps authorities determine who the owner of drones involved in accidents or unlawful activity are, so you can get back on track quicker and more easily.

Wrap Up

One of the most significant changes in recent years is how drone pilots are now licensed. The Part 107 certificate, or license for commercial drones as they are sometimes referred to, has been a welcome change with positive effects on knowledge and safety within airspace regulations. There have been hundreds-of-thousands of new licenses granted so far showing just how important this reform was needed and that it’s working well too.

As drone technology becomes more prevalent, the FAA is looking for ways to regulate recreational use. A knowledge test might not be enough — they’re also considering a process that would require pilots to spend hours at a time studying safety regulations and guidelines before being able to fly their drones recreationally. While this sounds well-intentioned in theory, it could have some unintended consequences when put into practice: making people fearful of new technologies or discouraging them from ever flying one because there’s so much work involved beforehand.