I love how redundant you have to be for all our short attention span folks including myself, this actually will get through people's head because you explained this beautifully, thank you brother for the simple explanation! Keep it up!
Just a few updates on this. It's a part 107 Certification. Laws apply to all sUAS, not just drones (for the fellow Heli and fixed wing flyers out there). You have to take the "TRUST" safety course for FAA regardless of sUAS weight and follow the guidelines (a few sub requirements on the card, minimum age as well). VERY important info you missed, it's illegal to do ANYTHING other than have "Fun". You do not have to get paid to break the laws, it's all about the intent, such as looking at your neighbors gutter to seen if it is clogged.
Wait.. what??? I got the part 107 license but I didn't have to go through any tests, reviews, or even pay extra, just 5 bucks and it says I have it and yes I'm on the official site, I checked a million times, I'm confused
@@eksboks148 Your $5 was to register your drone. That got you a registration number that you put on the drone. You did NOT get a part 107 license that allows you to fly your drone commercially. That requires you to go to a test site pay a fee and take a test.
@@eksboks148 I think this is a joke comment. Obviously he didn’t get a pirate 107 license for five dollars. I’m an actual pilot and I had to study a good amount to get my part 107 and go take a written test.
@@Nonerequired wow it's been a while, forgot i even commented here but anyway so that was like the first step to it? or are you supposed to get it after taking the test? The site confused the hell out of me I probably shouldn't be trying to interpret it myself but I unfortunately didn't really have another choice, that sucks tho
The exchange of funds is not what defines the need for a part 107 certification. The FAA says you must not operate your drone "in the furtherance of a business". This means that receiving money is not the only way to be "paid" for your "work".
I see these Instructional Videos that are just inaccurate. Furtherance of a Business, the FAA doesn't say anything about making money. Even the uav's weight is inaccurate. This guy doling out info, Is he a Part 107 holder?
I miss the golden days…. When men were men and they went out west for gold! And when men flew drones like men without any silly registration or license…I'm a man who discovered the wheel and built the Eiffel Tower out of metal and brawn. That's what kind of man I am.
I can race cars illegally for years, but can't pass toy drone exam. I'll stick with racing my car illegally, more fun without stupid hard exam. Maybe I go back to Switzerland without any rules
Correct! The drone can weigh 249.999999g. He repeatedly misstated “less than 249g”. This can be important when adding accessories like strobes for example. I don’t know how someone can repeatedly assert “249g” while showing pop ups of the actual law which state “250g”.🤷♂️
I went to your site and did what you say, passed the test and now i am certified by the govt to fly my drone in my own house, but one day i might venture out into my front yard and then...i am set. thanks to you and flight test
Great video. However, just recently, you must now get your TRUST Certificate (The Recreational UAS Safety Test) whether you fly recreationally or not and whether your drone is under 249g or not. It's just to show that you have the basic knowledge and common sense to fly a drone. You can not fail the test. If you miss a question there will be a quick review and you can try again.
So i want to buy drone like a DJI air 2s...for my personal use...facebook post maybe...not commercially or make money...all i need to do is register faa and pass TRUST Certificate..use Aloft app or b4Ufly app stay withing less then 400 ft and im ok within those limit zone per say 100-200-300-400 ft zones once cleared for airport approval? Cause i was thinking of going thru who process of 107 test but not for commercial use but to protect myself
Must? take it? You can't fail it, they give u answer & so why? ...Just so people actually hear/say the rules/issues of concern... good...maybe...but cheesy/corny 🌽, most definitely...
Thank you, I just got my first drone about 7 months ago and I’m slowly Learning on my own how to fly..Yesterday I’m on RUclips looking for a new one it’s like my crash test drone so I wanna get a better one and I see FAA REMOTE ID I’m like what? It’s so much clarity thank you from your new subscriber
Thanks. This is very clear. One thing that someone did point out is that you don't have to actually get money directly for a drone to be considered commercial. If you use the drone for, say, an excavating business and you use the drone to survey where the machinery is going would be commercial, I think. I'll clearly say I'm not a lawyer.
@A Kush That is correct, whether money was exchanged or not, if it's not purely recreational then you are considered to be flying under Part 107. It's all about intent. As an example, you fly your drone and allow your friend to use the video/pictures to help grow their business with no monetary exchange. That flight is considered to be under Part 107. You fly your drone and upload the video/pictures to your RUclips channel to help get more subscribers and grow your channel. Yep that flight again, under Part 107. You fly your drone capturing your son snowboarding down a black diamond, purely recreational, right? You just happen to capture an avalanche that becomes a big story in the news. A news station finds out about your video, offers you money to get the rights/permission blah blah blah to share the video in that night's news story and you accept. Part 107? No, the intent was never to get money for that footage when you captured it. You had no idea you would have captured an avalanche and the news station wanted that video and would pay you for it. So that's a great example of when money was exchanged for drone footage, but is totally legal and the drone pilot did not need a license.
An important clarification: it's not 'getting paid money' that makes drone use commercial - it's using your drone for *any* action that would normally require someone to be paid. For example, volunteering for a charity and flying your drone to take pictures they then use in promoting their charity would still be considered 'commercial' even if you didn't get paid for it. Essentially the recreational carve out is exclusively for fun and recreation (ie: home movies). Note: posting to RUclips is a no-no because even if you personally do not get paid, all videos on YT can receive payments if there's enough viewers and the video is not demonitized. And if you want to be REALLY pedantic, the actual FAA regs says "under 0.55 lbs" which is 249.476g which will be rounded down to 249g, so Nick is actually correct. In most other countries (ie: metric countries since the US is like one of the last three that aren't), it's 250g. That being said '249g' is under both limits... and the Mini 2 is actually 237g so it's a moot point.
Great points! The word that keeps popping up when you are trying to figure you if you need your 107 is INTENT. What is the intent of your flight... are you using it to grow your youtube channel? That would be considered commercial. Even if you are looking at your neighbors gutters just to see if it is clogged, this too would be considered commercial.
I may be really late on this discussion, but I want to thank you for doing this particular vlog! Thank you so much! English is not my native tongue though I’ve been living here in America for almost 30 years. I love the way you break things down, as far as explaining and conveying the translation of the FAA rules! I have watched quite a few popular Drone bloggers and you are just far “The Best Translator” that I’ve ever encounter! This must be my lucky night since I have had sleepless nights because of my confusion to the FAA rules. You are the only one who gave me the “Peace of mind” and now I can finally go back to those places where I used to fly my drones and not having to worry anymore! Iam close to my retirement and Flying drone is the number one hobby that makes me really happy aside from gardening. I could not thank you enough sir. Kudos to you and more power to your channel! Stay safe and God Bless! PS. I have a question about DJI incidents I had with them. Since you could count on your fingers the number of times that I have flown my Drones, why is it that my Remote control started to mulfunction on my Mavic Air 2 and it stopped working right after they asked me to update the firmware or Apps? Not only that, since I hardly use my drones I’d usually try to find time to update all of them on the same day. Its funny that my Mavic mini totally stopped recharging right after they prompted me to update the firmware, just after I fallowed them to send my Mavic Air 2 for repair service. is that a coincidence ? For me its kind of fishy. Because I just flew my Mavic Mini right after they got me into filling up the requirement for repair to my Mavic Air 2! its like, “Huh?” Why would my avic Mini’s remote brake? I just used it and updated the firmware before I flew it, then the remote won’t start charging right after I flew it? I hooe you would give me your thoughts on this. I am an avid fan of drones of DJI, and I would never buy any other Drone product but only from them. But this incident just left a poor taste on me. Plus, they charged me $67 For something that I honestly didn’t do! Because the Mavic Air 2 was still working right before it prompted me to update the firmware, and after uodating it that’s when it started nit to connect from Remote to the drone. This happened at the same hour when both drones prompted me to update the softwares. Like what I mentioned earlier, I hardly have time to fly them and when I fly or update their firmware I do it all on the same time. After I payed them and got my Mavic Air 2 back, I tried it and thank God it worked. I started flying my Mavic Mini and that’s when the Charger stopped working. Then, I decided to just buy another remote from Amazon, thinking that DJI might robbed me again. is this too much of a coincident or there is a manipulation going on in the technology so that they can still milk money from their customers who are not actively or continuously patronizing their newer products? I have bought 6 Drones from this company in the past 5 years, its hard earned money and this is why I am very careful and I really take good care of them, like my garden. So, what’s your take on this? I hope to hear from you soon. I said you are the far most best blogger that really can break things down. I hope, you won’t ignore me like all of those popular ones. None of them even said thanks or sent a like emoticon, but yet they want for you to patronize their channel to make money. I hope you are not one of them... God Bless! Thanks!
Dude thank you sooooooo much for this info!!! I’m doing a fun road trip and wanted to capture aerial footage but wasn’t sure about the licensing but now I feel prepared thanks to you! Happy flying! 🤗
this was also uploaded 2 years ago laws might be different, but either way at worse its a ticket for register maybe some fines depending on cop and how you approach it.
I took the part 107 yesterday and failed with a 55... I studied my ass off too. I watched countless youtube videos and practice tests online. Now I have to wait 30 days to take it again.
Wrong you only have to wait 14 days to try again. Even that is a question on the test. Honestly you should try an actual class and you wont fail. I took the course @ pilot institute $150 and 14 days course. I passed with 94 first try
You need not pay for a course to pass the part 107. All the information needed to pass is available for free. You must study no less than 20 to 30 hours and really have a desire to pass. Look for free test prep questions so you have an idea of what to expect. Utilize the legend in the test book at the time of the test. And most importantly, do not get in a hurry! Read the question a couple times so you are sure of exactly what they are asking.. It was a good feeling getting that license in the mail! Good luck everyone!!
When registering with the FAA as a recreational flyer, they don’t ask for the drone info. You just get a number that you need to label your drone(s) with. You only need to register your actual drone if you’re flying under Part 107.
@@Rick-or2kq In the US? Regardless, you don’t have to register the drone unless under 107. You just need to make sure you label your drone with your FAA#.
@@bryanbuff that’s what I did with my mavic air 2 I only attached their registration number on my drone but now they have new regulation with remote ID that confuses me.
The Remote ID spec is still in the works. There are no drone manufacturers that I'm aware of that are putting Remote ID functionality into their products - because the specs haven't been nailed down.
Got a drone for 1000 today. Watching videos and reading online so I know where it's ok to fly, whether I need any license to fly. This video really helped.
DJI mini 2 does not qualify as a "under 250g" FAA states that recreational category 1 drones must have prop guards. As soon as you put them on the mini 2 becomes a category 2 drone which means has to be registered. They classify drones weight as the total weight at the moment of take off. The only mini 2 that does qualify with prop guards under 250g would be the japanese version which has a very light battery
They do not, there are no such things as categories of drones within recreational pilots, and the FAA guidelines and the new NPRM that go into effect this month say NOTHING about prop guards, quit making stuff up.
@@sunshynff the thing is that recreational drone falls into the weights limits of a comercial drone aka cat 1. You can fly your that drone away from secluded areas without prop guards, if you plan to be on a busy beach or where ever there is a crowd. You cannot and have to use prop guards but then happens what i explained above. I don't make stuff up this was literally on my FAA test
@@xtoorgaming3982 ....Ok, listen up Micky Maverick, either you are a poor student or you're another victim of the pilot institute, scamming people out of money since 2016. What you are referring to is FAA-ACS-10B, Remote Pilot - SAUS airman cert standards. Section 1, Task E. Operations over people. Which follows section D, Waivers and what you need to know to apply for one. In parts K3a-K3d, it lines out the categories you speak of, they refer ONLY to flying over enough people that you need to apply for a waiver. This section was also updated to say a waiver was not necessary if the group of people you are flying over are aware of your presence, ok with it and advised of dangers and safety precautions, like if you wanted to film a large family reunion at a park or are making a video with actors for the internet. I've been flying multi rotors almost 10yrs now, I owned and/or flown just about every consumer drone DJI makes, I build and fly race/freestyle quads, also have two commercial drones, one being a heavy lifter octocopter, I started drone program at the fire dept i worked at and still volunteer with my local fire dept search n rescue team's drone division. I've been to trainings with senior FAA members and law enforcement. I'm telling you, there is NOTHING in the NPRM that will be entered into U.S. codification law under Title 14 CFR or Title 49 USC, that has anything to do with categories, weight classes others than min/max or prop guards, period, full stop!!! Stop confusing people further if you aren't certain what you are talking about!! The FAA does a good enough job of that on their own.
@@xtoorgaming3982... Here's my advice, take it as you will, if you want to be a successful, well sought after drone pilot, learn to actually fly a multi rotor aircraft. Not a DJI autonomous drone that you can set the controller down, go get a juice box, and come back to have your drone patiently hovering awaiting your return. Get a real quad that if you let the sticks go for even a half a second the craft falls from the sky like a brick. Even better, learn how to build them or at least work on them. This will do a couple things, first it might be as exhilarating to you as it is to most and you find a new facet of the hobby. Second, and this is big if you want to make it a career, it will make flying your DJI/photog drone seem like putting your training wheels back on your bike, your confidence will soar. You'll also have a much greater feel for any drone, and its movements, how it's fighting the wind, aerodynamics of the craft as its flying and how it relates to your stick inputs. All this, combined with the fact a lot of businesses wanting unique drone footage, are getting bored with the same old pan and zoom, or zip line/pull out type shots that Mavics, Phantoms and even the Inspire are often limited to, will put you leaps n bounds ahead of the competition when seeking drone employment.
One other thing. Once you register a drone that weights over 250 grams and are flying recreationally you can use the same FAA number on any other drones you have that weigh more than 250 grams. You don't need seperate registrations for each drone.
Also when you don't register a drone that weighs over 250 grams you don't have to use any FAA number on any other drones you have that weigh more than 250 grams
Once you register a drone weighing more than 250g, that registration number can be applied to other drones that you have regardless of weight. If you use a sub 250g drone commercially you must include it in an itemized list that is associated with your registration with the FAA. If you don’t use that sub 250g drone commercially - you don’t have to include it with your registration.
Great video. Two clarifications on the misconceptions. #1 - replace 250g everywhere 249g is verbally stated. The FAA says it's over/under 250g. #2 - replace "commercial intent" everywhere "make money" is stated. It's not the fact that you make money that is the difference between needing your part 107 or not, it's if you have a commercial intent. Case in point: Bill starts a RUclips channel and buys a drone to provide video footage. Although his channel is not monetized, he wants to get there and tries to make his videos better, he asks for subscribers, thumbs up, etc. so he can "grow". The FAA would state that Bill needs his part 107 today, not the day he gets monetized. The "make money" litmus test is actually the biggest misconception.
#2 also leads to confusion. If the intent is 100% recreational but you happen to make money on RUclips channel where that content is, then technically you don't need a part 107. In your example case about Bill, you are correct and he would need a part 107.
@@adkcampadventures I'm not sure you can just "happen to make money on RUclips", at least not normally. If you're purely recreational you won't monetize the channel. If your channel is for your business, e.g. you're a window washer and you put videos up showing you window washing with links to get in touch with you, then your intent is clear. The case where you can just (perhaps) "happen to make money" is that you put a cool drone video up to share with your friends, some company sees it and wants that footage so they reach out and offer to pay you for rights to that content. You've never done that before and it wasn't your intent. That said, if you accept the money, you may be taking on risk. If it happens to another one of your videos and you accept it again, my guess is your risk increases. My guess is that the FAA would state that you can't accept the money at all. Perhaps the company would be taking on risk if they decided to use the content for free?
Thank you so much for making it simple and easy to understand. I will be buying my 1st fpv drone was very confused to buy license and pay another $$$. Since my drone is under 249g but adding different size batteries will go above 249g. Since I am flying only for fun not for any commercial. I just need to register. Thanks again.
Absolutely fantastic informational video. I had no idea prior to watching your video I could fly a drone over 250g without a 107 license, just need to simply register for $5/ 3 years. Thank you...
You did a good job explaining the requirements, and the difference between a license and a registration. BIG difference. I've heard the fines one gets if charged with flying without a registration are huge, astronomical. In the 1000s. So pay $5 and get your 'N' number. You can use this number for all your aircraft. Yay!!! I use 1.0" tall stick-on letters where there's room. Or .5" if not.
I don't know what time I started watching this. But I'm currently at work (slow day) & I wanted to finish the course and register my drone before my shift is over. I just got my drone a couple days ago & wanted know what all I would need to do to fly it legally. For anyone flying recreationally like me, it took me all of like 30-45 minutes to read through & pass the TRUST course & register my drone with the FAA. I did the course with the Pilot Institute. It doesn't take long at all, the questions are short & common sense for the most part. Just go ahead & do it lol
@@dannybaviskar3534 there is an app called B4UFLY that shows if you're in controlled airspace, if the airspace is part of the LAANC all you have to do is mark the area your going to be flying in on the map and answer a few questions (how long you plan to fly why you're flying exc) and most of the time you get almost instant approval. I live in Cheyenne and am in a class D airspace that is not in LAANC so if you find yourself in that situation, you go to faadronezone.faa.gov and submit for approval there, usually takes about 3 days.
And you should have included the fact that even if your drone is under 250 grams and there's no need to register it you still have rules regulations that you need to follow as a recreational flyer
Actually you don't, because if you have a sub 250g drone, and choose not to register it, you're choice of places to fly legally is indoors or at a FRIA.
What a great breakdown for us newbies. I registered my mini 3 pro just be safe. I got an extended battery afterwards and now I don’t need to worry. Also got a strobe and again… no worries. Now I just need to study more about the other restrictions.
Thank you sir! I am probably going to be getting a drone within the next few weeks. I have a RUclips but probably will not post that footage on it. Even if I do, my channel is not monetize. But anyways, if someone were to have a monitize channel, could they not monitize the video with the drone footage and still be “legal”? Even if it was, I wouldn’t post. I am happy for your clearing the air and making it crystal clear.
As long as the video is not monetized and you flew legally, you're ok. Once you monetize a drone video on youtube, you're for profit and need the 107 commercial license.
This very issue came up in our 107 class. If your initial intent was recreational, then it is OK to sell your footage or later monetize it. If you start adding footage to a RUclips channel that is monetized, then you should have a license since that footage was captured for the purpose of furthering your business.
sorry a bunch of long comments but this video just now popped up on my radar. wanted to note that even a part 107 drone pilot with a license can one morning decide he wanted to set his license aside and take off and just have fun flying his drone around the park. if he meets the big 8, he's flying recreational just like the rest of us. as long as his intent is to have fun and not do any commercial work for that flight, he's free to go back and forth for each flight so to speak.
🚩**In regards to drone pilot license**🚩 Another important caveat missed in this great video is on what the FAA defines as "commercial". Commercial operation is not just limited on instances involving monetary transactions, but also includes inspecting your own rooftop at your home and for flying on religious property, filming religious services or filming a loved one's wedding, even if it's for free.
What's your source for that info? The FAA says, "in furtherance of a business". Filming a friends wedding is not that. Is there a published letter of clarification from the FAA or an Advisory Circular that specifies those situations?
@@tedstriker5991 unless your drone flight is strictly for recreation, it is a 107 flight. Filming a friend's wedding would be a 107 flight. A flight must satisfy all 8 rules of 49 USC §44809. Exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft. You can find those here: uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title49-section44809&num=0&edition=prelim
@@tedstriker5991 no this isn't a joke. Not sure why you think so. "Furtherance of Business" is not an FAA definition. It was used in some discussions during the 333 days. But that's it. Flying a friend's wedding would definitely not be a 44809 flight, as it would preclude if from being "flown strictly for recreational purposes". Any flight not "flown strictly for recreational purposes" requires a Remote Pilot Certificate. It's all right there in the link above. If you can't satisfy all 8 parts of 44809, it is a 107 flight. No questions asked. There are currently 2 parts of 44809 that aren't active. The test (TRUST) will be so on or about June 1st of this year. The CBO requirement is being developed right now, and will be released soon. There is no definitive date on that published yet. The link above is your source for proving the comment.
@@VicMossPhotography Okay, I'm up and awake. Sorry about that. Let's dig a little. If you want to fly recreational you must comply with §44809 (as you pointed out). §44809. Exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft: (1) The aircraft is flown strictly for recreational purposes. Okay, but let's say you want more information on what that means. FAA Advisory Circular 91-57B: 7.1.1 The Aircraft is Flown Strictly for Recreational Purposes. Any use of unmanned aircraft for commercial purposes must be conducted under part 107 or other applicable FAA regulations (e.g., 14 CFR part 91, 135, or 137). Okay, so this AC implies if it is not commercial it could be recreational. FAA's website under Recreational Flyers & Modeler Community-Based Organizations: "The exception for recreational flyers only applies to flights that are purely for fun or personal enjoyment." Okay, that helps clarify a little bit. It's a little more specific, but it's not exactly part of CFR 14 or on an Advisory Circular. I dug deeper trying to determine why I use the "in furtherance of a business" clause. My use may have originally come from Ken Heron's youtube video (posted Oct 1, 2016) in which he discusses the clarification he received from Johnny Victory. He is/was an FAA Aviation Safety Inspector at the Memphis FSDO. I also found some websites of law firms that talk about FAA interpretation letters concerning sport pilots under §61. The FAA uses the "in furtherance of a business" language there also. A lot of websites offering drone advice also use this language. I found some websites referencing old Section 333 regs as using the "in furtherance to a business" language. Other websites and yt videos refer to their own FAA clarification letters using that language. I believe if an FAA representative was looking at a drone operation trying to determine if it was recreational or not they would very likely use the "in furtherance of a business" test. Perhaps this comes down to what could be reasonably determined in a court of law. Could I be flying at a friend's wedding purely for fun or personal enjoyment? Yes. If an FAA inspector was there at the wedding and knew I wasn't getting compensated, would he think I was flying commercially or non-recreationally? Sure, it's possible, but probably not. I understand this probably comes down to interpretation. If FAA inspectors are using that language then it makes it valid and useful for drone operators. It's no biggy to me if we disagree on this, but if you have a reference or link to further FAA clarification or interpretation that I'm missing, please post it.
@@tedstriker5991 "Furtherance of Business" isn't in any of the Part 107 language. Can an investigator use it to determine if it's not hobby? Sure. But it's not official language, that's what I'm trying to get across. Unsuccessfully of course. And the official language is what would be used in an actual investigation.
One thing I didn't hear you mention, and believe is the case, is registering a drone is EACH drone. If I understand correctly, A registration does NOT cover multiple drone, where the PART 107 is only needed one time and covers all drones (possibly even ones you don't own). I could be incorrect.
Maybe I missed but my main question is: as a fellow RUclips creator, can I use drone footage from my mavic Air without a license for my monetized videos? Thanks!
You got me bud great video man I think you touched base with just about everything a beginner needs to no I try to explain this to my friends and I just cant do it as well as you did thank you for the help
Also worth noting, that a person doesn't have to be paid to be considered commercial. The term is 'in furtherance of a business' so if any businesses, including your own benefits from the drone work, you need a part 107.
@@adamtowles5909 agreed. but a good example is if you have a cooking channel and have 100 videos on cooking food and during one of those video, you show drone footage from of your dog in your backyard, do you need a part 107? i would say no you don't if you were flying your drone having fun and taking pictures of your dog in your backyard because you thought it was cute and thought you would share to your paying cooking clients. i guess one could argue that you are trying to make yourself more appealing to them but again, what was your intent when you took off?
@@mavic2zoom961 I agree. It's about a pattern of behavior. Capturing a good photo or two with your drone and posting it, won't be viewed the same as churning out one drone video after another. PS: How do you like your Zoom? I'm considering one.
The 2 big mistakes/oversights in this video that I see are 1) You still need FAA authorization to fly in controlled airspace and 2) "recreational" flight does NOT include taking videos or pictures. Recreational flight is just flying the aircraft. This video is a good example of how misinformation gets taken as factual.
You should really read the actual rules and regulations. It gives an example of taking a picture for personal use would be considered recreational. So it DOES include photo's, and we can only assume videos as well, as long as they are not used for financial gains.
As far as registration, the FAA told me that even if the drone's less than the weight limit required for registration, there is NO prohibition to registering them, if the owner/pilot so chooses to (if they're flown recreationally).
I'm in the market for a drone under 249g. This information is extremely helpful. Thank you! Can you share information on requesting flight times or anything like that? I remember hearing about something like this. Also, is this information valid in Europe?
The cutoff is 250g not 249g. You don’t request flight times in the US but have to request permission to fly in non class G airspace with the FAA air traffic control regardless of whether you have a license or not. If you fly in regulated air space and get caught regardless of whether you are flying for fun or not and do not have air traffic control clearance you can get a substantial fine. Not knowing the regulations does not exempt you from them.
Nice video Nick! However, others have said recreational users of drones still need to comply with all laws and regulations of a certified pilot. What's your take on these comments?
Yep! It's all about safety. You do have some benefits to having your remote pilot certificate though. Here's a link to more information for those flying in the US. www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_flyers
Not really as it's a one time fee, and you aren't paying a percentage of every job you do and the government has no say over how much you charge. It mainly just goes to administrative costs as having departments and people dedicated solely to drones costs the faa a lot of money. I have no love for the government but things do cost money.
@@shawnmatthews5118 Okay, so what? The irs already evaluates everyone's income, and they have a paper trail on everyone. Also if you make money from a business you should be reporting it. Pay your taxes people.
So number 1 is partly wrong. You don’t necessarily need to make money to be considered commercial. It’s literally ANYTHING that is “in furtherance of a business”. Even if you post it on YT that isn’t monetized YET as an example.
Bingo! It's not about whether you're flying commercially or getting paid. You can be flying without getting compensated but still need a license. The basic legal framework is this: It's not that all pilots are Recreational, unless they meet certain conditions that require that they get a Part 107 license. It's the exact opposite. Under the law, all drone pilots require a Part 107 license unless they qualify for the recreational waiver. There are 8 requirements which must be met to qualify for the recreational waiver. You know what is not mentioned anywhere in any of the 8 conditions/requirements? Money or compensation.
that's not true alan. of course if you are in furtherance of a biz, you need part 107. but the faa says it goes by the intent of your flight when you take off. if you take off in the park and you intend to fly strictly for fun because it's a hobby, then your flight is a recreational flight....forever. it doesn't convert to a commercial flight depending on what happens next. if you post your fun video on the internet and share it with your friends for a good laugh, it's still an recreational flight, no part 107 needed. if a year from now, a stranger sends you $5 because they had a good time watching your video (i.e. technically your video generated $5), it's not retroactive. because when you took off on that flight last year, your intent was to have fun and fly as a hobby and that means no part 107 needed; end of story. simply posting something on yt does not give away your intent for sure even if your channel is monetized. the faa is looking for the reason why you started your flight, not for the reason why you posted your video. if it is obvious you made that flight so you could post it on your yt channel to help your channel (monitized or not), sure. but that act of posting it alone is not the determining factor....whether the channel is monetized or not (you are correct on that piece).
@@geezerpleasers_OG exactly!!!! still need to make it clear that those 8 requirements apply to the intent for your flight and if you notice, nothing is said about social media and posting video. all is says if flying for fun, like a hobby. every time i spin up my drone, it's for the sheer fun and thrill. after that, i have no idea what happens to the video or the picture. if it become evident that i'm doing it for more than just fun, then we might have a problem.
@@mavic2zoom961 that’s glossing over the intent fact. Showing your work over social media, wether you mean to get those five bucks a year from now or not, still counts in furtherance of a business according to the FAA. Sure taking a quick snap you didn’t intend to is okay, but if I wanna practice my video editing and post a trip I did, that’s technically a commercial flight because anything can be monetized later on.
hmm, has much changed for 2022? I was just wondering if you use footage of your drone on your own monetized site, does that count as commercial footage?
One quick thing that you should have mentioned is that even recreational drones over 250g need to have your information and FAA reg number displayed prominently. Thank you for the video.
Also something to keep in mind, is that its not just getting payed to fly, but any compsation would require a part 107 certification i.e. "will you look at my roof for me, I'll buy you a beer?" Would be considered compsation for using your drone.
no. by that definition literally nothing you do is recreational. Who requires a beer from a friend to play with RC vehicles? and even if they did share a beer afterwards, it has nothing to do with the flight.
This is very useful information. I think ignoring the weather of flying conditions is another common mistake made by drone flyers. People should always check the conditions on apps like UAV forecast or Weather by Tomorrow before flying their drones.
Register it is based on barebone configuration? like cinelog30 can be under 249grams, but if you add a larger battery/camera it could go over weight for that10minute flight, will FAA tell you to land without touching it, so they can put it on their scale?
Your mostly right but getting paid is not the only reason you need a part 107 the FAA also considers "intent" if you take your Drone out to fly it with the sole intent to record a video to post on social media the FAA considers that a part 107 requirement so if your going out to make videos to post to RUclips even if your not getting paid for them you would still be required to get a part 107 license, but don't freak out if the FAA tracks you down and wants you to call them because the first call from the FAA is an "Educational Call" they are very friendly and really do just want to Educate you before they start slapping you with fines.
I have a 249g drone, flying recreationaly. But I’m in class D airspace. Do I have to seek authorization to fly? Using the Aloft app? If so, I think I need to register my drone because FAA needs it to authorize. As I understand it, I do not need authorization to fly below tree or building height in class D airspace.
Good video, but one big clarification. Money is NOT the determining factor to whether you’re flying commercial or recreational. It’s your intent when you fly. One could actually donate your services to a business or charity without a cent transferred and that would be considered commercial as defined by the FAA.
If I buy a dji mini 2 just to fly over woods over a private property owned by family for my own enjoyment is there anything I need to be aware of legally? I'm not planning on going super high or crazy distances but I'm assuming I'd need to stay a certain distance within the drones range. A drone seems like a great way to scout deer on a off season.
I went and got my part 107 license even though I almost only ever fly my less that 250g drone recreationally the moment a friend of mine who is a roofing contractor said "hey i'll pay you $50 to fly up and inspect the roof so I don't have to send a crew up there" I don't see myself using my drone for making money but little time and money savers like that for businesses are ample. So there's always the chance. And since it only required a little effort and cost hardly anything to register I did it anyway.
Hey Nick, so do I need a license for RUclips B-Roll? Do you need a license to post all the drone footage in your video? 1:23 But who is flying a drone without posting some type of video online?
Nope. No fly zone is just that. However, the organization that mandated the no-fly zone can grant you permission. So if you wanted to fly over a prison, for instance, you can get permission although it may be difficult to do that for recreational purpose.
![Felix "Unfair" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Oswujxm2Ag0/mqdefault.jpg)
I love how redundant you have to be for all our short attention span folks including myself, this actually will get through people's head because you explained this beautifully, thank you brother for the simple explanation! Keep it up!
We are the government skoolled.
@@simpleman5688 I also think it's social media, my focus has definitely declined because of it
Just a few updates on this. It's a part 107 Certification. Laws apply to all sUAS, not just drones (for the fellow Heli and fixed wing flyers out there). You have to take the "TRUST" safety course for FAA regardless of sUAS weight and follow the guidelines (a few sub requirements on the card, minimum age as well).
VERY important info you missed, it's illegal to do ANYTHING other than have "Fun". You do not have to get paid to break the laws, it's all about the intent, such as looking at your neighbors gutter to seen if it is clogged.
Wait.. what??? I got the part 107 license but I didn't have to go through any tests, reviews, or even pay extra, just 5 bucks and it says I have it and yes I'm on the official site, I checked a million times, I'm confused
@@eksboks148 Your $5 was to register your drone. That got you a registration number that you put on the drone. You did NOT get a part 107 license that allows you to fly your drone commercially. That requires you to go to a test site pay a fee and take a test.
@@Nonerequired I don’t think that individual read what they received because that’s definitely not how it works for the Part 107.
@@eksboks148 I think this is a joke comment. Obviously he didn’t get a pirate 107 license for five dollars. I’m an actual pilot and I had to study a good amount to get my part 107 and go take a written test.
@@Nonerequired wow it's been a while, forgot i even commented here but anyway so that was like the first step to it? or are you supposed to get it after taking the test? The site confused the hell out of me I probably shouldn't be trying to interpret it myself but I unfortunately didn't really have another choice, that sucks tho
The exchange of funds is not what defines the need for a part 107 certification. The FAA says you must not operate your drone "in the furtherance of a business". This means that receiving money is not the only way to be "paid" for your "work".
I see these Instructional Videos that are just inaccurate. Furtherance of a Business, the FAA doesn't say anything about making money. Even the uav's weight is inaccurate. This guy doling out info, Is he a Part 107 holder?
True. Some people get paid in blow jobs or drugs etc.
I miss the golden days…. When men were men and they went out west for gold! And when men flew drones like men without any silly registration or license…I'm a man who discovered the wheel and built the Eiffel Tower out of metal and brawn. That's what kind of man I am.
I can race cars illegally for years, but can't pass toy drone exam. I'll stick with racing my car illegally, more fun without stupid hard exam. Maybe I go back to Switzerland without any rules
i almost didnt see ur profile pic Mr. Superbacker
Fucking amen dawg. Amen
You're also the kind of man who uses the word "silly" 😏
@Just half a dozen cows Who the hell is stupid to fly near an airport??? It's idiots like that who ruined it for everyone else, haha.
The drone has to weigh less than 250g ie: 249g or lower -- not "less than 249g"
come on now buddy...
Correct! The drone can weigh 249.999999g. He repeatedly misstated “less than 249g”. This can be important when adding accessories like strobes for example. I don’t know how someone can repeatedly assert “249g” while showing pop ups of the actual law which state “250g”.🤷♂️
The effort counts people 🙂
if you're gonna state facts, then get the numbers correct.
@Bryan Miller I passed my 107 exam on 3 days studying. thanks
I went to your site and did what you say, passed the test and now i am certified by the govt to fly my drone in my own house, but one day i might venture out into my front yard and then...i am set. thanks to you and flight test
Great video. However, just recently, you must now get your TRUST Certificate (The Recreational UAS Safety Test) whether you fly recreationally or not and whether your drone is under 249g or not. It's just to show that you have the basic knowledge and common sense to fly a drone. You can not fail the test. If you miss a question there will be a quick review and you can try again.
So i want to buy drone like a DJI air 2s...for my personal use...facebook post maybe...not commercially or make money...all i need to do is register faa and pass TRUST Certificate..use Aloft app or b4Ufly app stay withing less then 400 ft and im ok within those limit zone per say 100-200-300-400 ft zones once cleared for airport approval?
Cause i was thinking of going thru who process of 107 test but not for commercial use but to protect myself
Must? take it? You can't fail it, they give u answer & so why?
...Just so people actually hear/say the rules/issues of concern... good...maybe...but cheesy/corny 🌽, most definitely...
Provide a citation for this claim pls.
The Trust Certificate is a Joke!
Fuck the state
Thank you, I just got my first drone about 7 months ago and I’m slowly Learning on my own how to fly..Yesterday I’m on RUclips looking for a new one it’s like my crash test drone so I wanna get a better one and I see FAA REMOTE ID I’m like what? It’s so much clarity thank you from your new subscriber
Thanks. This is very clear. One thing that someone did point out is that you don't have to actually get money directly for a drone to be considered commercial. If you use the drone for, say, an excavating business and you use the drone to survey where the machinery is going would be commercial, I think. I'll clearly say I'm not a lawyer.
@A Kush That is correct, whether money was exchanged or not, if it's not purely recreational then you are considered to be flying under Part 107. It's all about intent. As an example, you fly your drone and allow your friend to use the video/pictures to help grow their business with no monetary exchange. That flight is considered to be under Part 107. You fly your drone and upload the video/pictures to your RUclips channel to help get more subscribers and grow your channel. Yep that flight again, under Part 107. You fly your drone capturing your son snowboarding down a black diamond, purely recreational, right? You just happen to capture an avalanche that becomes a big story in the news. A news station finds out about your video, offers you money to get the rights/permission blah blah blah to share the video in that night's news story and you accept. Part 107? No, the intent was never to get money for that footage when you captured it. You had no idea you would have captured an avalanche and the news station wanted that video and would pay you for it. So that's a great example of when money was exchanged for drone footage, but is totally legal and the drone pilot did not need a license.
@@ivanankrom Concur on all points.
An important clarification: it's not 'getting paid money' that makes drone use commercial - it's using your drone for *any* action that would normally require someone to be paid. For example, volunteering for a charity and flying your drone to take pictures they then use in promoting their charity would still be considered 'commercial' even if you didn't get paid for it. Essentially the recreational carve out is exclusively for fun and recreation (ie: home movies). Note: posting to RUclips is a no-no because even if you personally do not get paid, all videos on YT can receive payments if there's enough viewers and the video is not demonitized.
And if you want to be REALLY pedantic, the actual FAA regs says "under 0.55 lbs" which is 249.476g which will be rounded down to 249g, so Nick is actually correct.
In most other countries (ie: metric countries since the US is like one of the last three that aren't), it's 250g. That being said '249g' is under both limits... and the Mini 2 is actually 237g so it's a moot point.
Great points! The word that keeps popping up when you are trying to figure you if you need your 107 is INTENT. What is the intent of your flight... are you using it to grow your youtube channel? That would be considered commercial. Even if you are looking at your neighbors gutters just to see if it is clogged, this too would be considered commercial.
Drone makers already got paid.................................... PERIOD
I may be really late on this discussion, but I want to thank you for doing this particular vlog! Thank you so much! English is not my native tongue though I’ve been living here in America for almost 30 years. I love the way you break things down, as far as explaining and conveying the translation of the FAA rules! I have watched quite a few popular Drone bloggers and you are just far “The Best Translator” that I’ve ever encounter! This must be my lucky night since I have had sleepless nights because of my confusion to the FAA rules. You are the only one who gave me the “Peace of mind” and now I can finally go back to those places where I used to fly my drones and not having to worry anymore! Iam close to my retirement and Flying drone is the number one hobby that makes me really happy aside from gardening. I could not thank you enough sir. Kudos to you and more power to your channel! Stay safe and God Bless!
PS. I have a question about DJI incidents I had with them. Since you could count on your fingers the number of times that I have flown my Drones, why is it that my Remote control started to mulfunction on my Mavic Air 2 and it stopped working right after they asked me to update the firmware or Apps? Not only that, since I hardly use my drones I’d usually try to find time to update all of them on the same day. Its funny that my Mavic mini totally stopped recharging right after they prompted me to update the firmware, just after I fallowed them to send my Mavic Air 2 for repair service. is that a coincidence ? For me its kind of fishy. Because I just flew my Mavic Mini right after they got me into filling up the requirement for repair to my Mavic Air 2! its like, “Huh?” Why would my avic Mini’s remote brake? I just used it and updated the firmware before I flew it, then the remote won’t start charging right after I flew it? I hooe you would give me your thoughts on this. I am an avid fan of drones of DJI, and I would never buy any other Drone product but only from them. But this incident just left a poor taste on me. Plus, they charged me $67 For something that I honestly didn’t do! Because the Mavic Air 2 was still working right before it prompted me to update the firmware, and after uodating it that’s when it started nit to connect from Remote to the drone. This happened at the same hour when both drones prompted me to update the softwares.
Like what I mentioned earlier, I hardly have time to fly them and when I fly or update their firmware I do it all on the same time. After I payed them and got my Mavic Air 2 back, I tried it and thank God it worked. I started flying my Mavic Mini and that’s when the Charger stopped working. Then, I decided to just buy another remote from Amazon, thinking that DJI might robbed me again. is this too much of a coincident or there is a manipulation going on in the technology so that they can still milk money from their customers who are not actively or continuously patronizing their newer products? I have bought 6 Drones from this company in the past 5 years, its hard earned money and this is why I am very careful and I really take good care of them, like my garden. So, what’s your take on this? I hope to hear from you soon. I said you are the far most best blogger that really can break things down. I hope, you won’t ignore me like all of those popular ones. None of them even said thanks or sent a like emoticon, but yet they want for you to patronize their channel to make money. I hope you are not one of them... God Bless! Thanks!
Dude thank you sooooooo much for this info!!! I’m doing a fun road trip and wanted to capture aerial footage but wasn’t sure about the licensing but now I feel prepared thanks to you! Happy flying! 🤗
Hope it goes well mate
this was also uploaded 2 years ago laws might be different, but either way at worse its a ticket for register maybe some fines depending on cop and how you approach it.
I took the part 107 yesterday and failed with a 55... I studied my ass off too. I watched countless youtube videos and practice tests online. Now I have to wait 30 days to take it again.
Wrong you only have to wait 14 days to try again. Even that is a question on the test. Honestly you should try an actual class and you wont fail. I took the course @ pilot institute $150 and 14 days course. I passed with 94 first try
@@xtoorgaming3982 that's great to hear! Everybody's different.. I'm not a good test taker to begin with. I'll take the course, thanks
If your not flying commercially, save you're money. Times are hard right now.
@@MrLarry-gr8 I own a photography business and this business is boomin'.. I need to be legal
You need not pay for a course to pass the part 107. All the information needed to pass is available for free. You must study no less than 20 to 30 hours and really have a desire to pass. Look for free test prep questions so you have an idea of what to expect. Utilize the legend in the test book at the time of the test. And most importantly, do not get in a hurry! Read the question a couple times so you are sure of exactly what they are asking.. It was a good feeling getting that license in the mail! Good luck everyone!!
When registering with the FAA as a recreational flyer, they don’t ask for the drone info. You just get a number that you need to label your drone(s) with. You only need to register your actual drone if you’re flying under Part 107.
Hmm, I registered as a recreational flyer and it still asked for a serial number.
@@Rick-or2kq In the US? Regardless, you don’t have to register the drone unless under 107. You just need to make sure you label your drone with your FAA#.
@@bryanbuff that’s what I did with my mavic air 2 I only attached their registration number on my drone but now they have new regulation with remote ID that confuses me.
The Remote ID spec is still in the works. There are no drone manufacturers that I'm aware of that are putting Remote ID functionality into their products - because the specs haven't been nailed down.
So any drone flown outside needs the $5 registration number, right? Regardless of how small it is?
Got a drone for 1000 today. Watching videos and reading online so I know where it's ok to fly, whether I need any license to fly. This video really helped.
DJI mini 2 does not qualify as a "under 250g" FAA states that recreational category 1 drones must have prop guards. As soon as you put them on the mini 2 becomes a category 2 drone which means has to be registered. They classify drones weight as the total weight at the moment of take off. The only mini 2 that does qualify with prop guards under 250g would be the japanese version which has a very light battery
They do not, there are no such things as categories of drones within recreational pilots, and the FAA guidelines and the new NPRM that go into effect this month say NOTHING about prop guards, quit making stuff up.
@@sunshynff the thing is that recreational drone falls into the weights limits of a comercial drone aka cat 1. You can fly your that drone away from secluded areas without prop guards, if you plan to be on a busy beach or where ever there is a crowd. You cannot and have to use prop guards but then happens what i explained above. I don't make stuff up this was literally on my FAA test
ruclips.net/video/Zbn6vtdL8Ik/видео.html starting at 1:04:24
@@xtoorgaming3982 ....Ok, listen up Micky Maverick, either you are a poor student or you're another victim of the pilot institute, scamming people out of money since 2016. What you are referring to is FAA-ACS-10B, Remote Pilot - SAUS airman cert standards.
Section 1, Task E. Operations over people. Which follows section D, Waivers and what you need to know to apply for one. In parts K3a-K3d, it lines out the categories you speak of, they refer ONLY to flying over enough people that you need to apply for a waiver. This section was also updated to say a waiver was not necessary if the group of people you are flying over are aware of your presence, ok with it and advised of dangers and safety precautions, like if you wanted to film a large family reunion at a park or are making a video with actors for the internet.
I've been flying multi rotors almost 10yrs now, I owned and/or flown just about every consumer drone DJI makes, I build and fly race/freestyle quads, also have two commercial drones, one being a heavy lifter octocopter, I started drone program at the fire dept i worked at and still volunteer with my local fire dept search n rescue team's drone division. I've been to trainings with senior FAA members and law enforcement.
I'm telling you, there is NOTHING in the NPRM that will be entered into U.S. codification law under Title 14 CFR or Title 49 USC, that has anything to do with categories, weight classes others than min/max or prop guards, period, full stop!!! Stop confusing people further if you aren't certain what you are talking about!! The FAA does a good enough job of that on their own.
@@xtoorgaming3982... Here's my advice, take it as you will, if you want to be a successful, well sought after drone pilot, learn to actually fly a multi rotor aircraft. Not a DJI autonomous drone that you can set the controller down, go get a juice box, and come back to have your drone patiently hovering awaiting your return. Get a real quad that if you let the sticks go for even a half a second the craft falls from the sky like a brick. Even better, learn how to build them or at least work on them.
This will do a couple things, first it might be as exhilarating to you as it is to most and you find a new facet of the hobby. Second, and this is big if you want to make it a career, it will make flying your DJI/photog drone seem like putting your training wheels back on your bike, your confidence will soar. You'll also have a much greater feel for any drone, and its movements, how it's fighting the wind, aerodynamics of the craft as its flying and how it relates to your stick inputs. All this, combined with the fact a lot of businesses wanting unique drone footage, are getting bored with the same old pan and zoom, or zip line/pull out type shots that Mavics, Phantoms and even the Inspire are often limited to, will put you leaps n bounds ahead of the competition when seeking drone employment.
One other thing. Once you register a drone that weights over 250 grams and are flying recreationally you can use the same FAA number on any other drones you have that weigh more than 250 grams. You don't need seperate registrations for each drone.
Also when you don't register a drone that weighs over 250 grams you don't have to use any FAA number on any other drones you have that weigh more than 250 grams
@@frostyjim2633 you mean less on that last sentence right?
Once you register a drone weighing more than 250g, that registration number can be applied to other drones that you have regardless of weight. If you use a sub 250g drone commercially you must include it in an itemized list that is associated with your registration with the FAA. If you don’t use that sub 250g drone commercially - you don’t have to include it with your registration.
This is true only for recreational flyers. Part 107 flyers must register EACH drone regardless of weight.
Great video. Two clarifications on the misconceptions. #1 - replace 250g everywhere 249g is verbally stated. The FAA says it's over/under 250g. #2 - replace "commercial intent" everywhere "make money" is stated. It's not the fact that you make money that is the difference between needing your part 107 or not, it's if you have a commercial intent. Case in point: Bill starts a RUclips channel and buys a drone to provide video footage. Although his channel is not monetized, he wants to get there and tries to make his videos better, he asks for subscribers, thumbs up, etc. so he can "grow". The FAA would state that Bill needs his part 107 today, not the day he gets monetized. The "make money" litmus test is actually the biggest misconception.
#2 also leads to confusion. If the intent is 100% recreational but you happen to make money on RUclips channel where that content is, then technically you don't need a part 107. In your example case about Bill, you are correct and he would need a part 107.
@@adkcampadventures I'm not sure you can just "happen to make money on RUclips", at least not normally. If you're purely recreational you won't monetize the channel. If your channel is for your business, e.g. you're a window washer and you put videos up showing you window washing with links to get in touch with you, then your intent is clear. The case where you can just (perhaps) "happen to make money" is that you put a cool drone video up to share with your friends, some company sees it and wants that footage so they reach out and offer to pay you for rights to that content. You've never done that before and it wasn't your intent. That said, if you accept the money, you may be taking on risk. If it happens to another one of your videos and you accept it again, my guess is your risk increases. My guess is that the FAA would state that you can't accept the money at all. Perhaps the company would be taking on risk if they decided to use the content for free?
Thank you so much for making it simple and easy to understand. I will be buying my 1st fpv drone was very confused to buy license and pay another $$$. Since my drone is under 249g but adding different size batteries will go above 249g. Since I am flying only for fun not for any commercial. I just need to register. Thanks again.
Absolutely fantastic informational video.
I had no idea prior to watching your video I could fly a drone over 250g without a 107 license, just need to simply register for $5/ 3 years.
Thank you...
How high in altitude would your drone have to be to possibly be picked up on a Radar that monitored by the FAA? Most small drones can't exceed 400 ft.
All drones from dji can far exceed 400 ft. 400 is just the legal limit you are allowed to fly without authorization.
You did a good job explaining the requirements, and the difference between a license and a registration. BIG difference. I've heard the fines one gets if charged with flying without a registration are huge, astronomical. In the 1000s. So
pay $5 and get your 'N' number. You can use this number for all your aircraft. Yay!!!
I use 1.0" tall stick-on letters where there's room. Or .5" if not.
Yay
Great job at explaining the actual and factual. No b.s. Thank you.
I don't know what time I started watching this. But I'm currently at work (slow day) & I wanted to finish the course and register my drone before my shift is over. I just got my drone a couple days ago & wanted know what all I would need to do to fly it legally. For anyone flying recreationally like me, it took me all of like 30-45 minutes to read through & pass the TRUST course & register my drone with the FAA. I did the course with the Pilot Institute. It doesn't take long at all, the questions are short & common sense for the most part. Just go ahead & do it lol
Even though you are flying recreationally, you must adhear to all laws and regulations a certified pilot must. You missed that part
And make sure your not in controlled airspace.
Thanks for the update Larry!
@@slaydanzig What if I’m in controlled airspace? How would I get cleared?
@@dannybaviskar3534 there is an app called B4UFLY that shows if you're in controlled airspace, if the airspace is part of the LAANC all you have to do is mark the area your going to be flying in on the map and answer a few questions (how long you plan to fly why you're flying exc) and most of the time you get almost instant approval. I live in Cheyenne and am in a class D airspace that is not in LAANC so if you find yourself in that situation, you go to faadronezone.faa.gov and submit for approval there, usually takes about 3 days.
This is an odd question what if you're just gonna use drone inside your home do you still need to have it registered?
Hi Nick! Do you have an updated one for 2023? Does this apply globally? I live in Australia. Thank you!
Short and sweet, straight to the point.
great video
It's easy to be right to the point when the information is not correct
Finally , someone with a straight forward explanation.
And you should have included the fact that even if your drone is under 250 grams and there's no need to register it you still have rules regulations that you need to follow as a recreational flyer
Thanks for the update Jim
Actually you don't, because if you have a sub 250g drone, and choose not to register it, you're choice of places to fly legally is indoors or at a FRIA.
What a great breakdown for us newbies. I registered my mini 3 pro just be safe. I got an extended battery afterwards and now I don’t need to worry. Also got a strobe and again… no worries. Now I just need to study more about the other restrictions.
Just buy the Dji mavic mini It’s 249 grams and you don’t need to Register it or anything like that cause of it’s weight
What is the best Apple app you recommend to prepare an upcoming drone flight?
Thank you sir! I am probably going to be getting a drone within the next few weeks. I have a RUclips but probably will not post that footage on it. Even if I do, my channel is not monetize. But anyways, if someone were to have a monitize channel, could they not monitize the video with the drone footage and still be “legal”? Even if it was, I wouldn’t post. I am happy for your clearing the air and making it crystal clear.
As long as the video is not monetized and you flew legally, you're ok. Once you monetize a drone video on youtube, you're for profit and need the 107 commercial license.
This very issue came up in our 107 class. If your initial intent was recreational, then it is OK to sell your footage or later monetize it. If you start adding footage to a RUclips channel that is monetized, then you should have a license since that footage was captured for the purpose of furthering your business.
sorry a bunch of long comments but this video just now popped up on my radar. wanted to note that even a part 107 drone pilot with a license can one morning decide he wanted to set his license aside and take off and just have fun flying his drone around the park. if he meets the big 8, he's flying recreational just like the rest of us. as long as his intent is to have fun and not do any commercial work for that flight, he's free to go back and forth for each flight so to speak.
🚩**In regards to drone pilot license**🚩
Another important caveat missed in this great video is on what the FAA defines as "commercial". Commercial operation is not just limited on instances involving monetary transactions, but also includes inspecting your own rooftop at your home and for flying on religious property, filming religious services or filming a loved one's wedding, even if it's for free.
What's your source for that info? The FAA says, "in furtherance of a business". Filming a friends wedding is not that. Is there a published letter of clarification from the FAA or an Advisory Circular that specifies those situations?
@@tedstriker5991 unless your drone flight is strictly for recreation, it is a 107 flight. Filming a friend's wedding would be a 107 flight. A flight must satisfy all 8 rules of 49 USC §44809. Exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft.
You can find those here: uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title49-section44809&num=0&edition=prelim
@@tedstriker5991 no this isn't a joke. Not sure why you think so.
"Furtherance of Business" is not an FAA definition. It was used in some discussions during the 333 days. But that's it.
Flying a friend's wedding would definitely not be a 44809 flight, as it would preclude if from being "flown strictly for recreational purposes". Any flight not "flown strictly for recreational purposes" requires a Remote Pilot Certificate. It's all right there in the link above. If you can't satisfy all 8 parts of 44809, it is a 107 flight. No questions asked. There are currently 2 parts of 44809 that aren't active. The test (TRUST) will be so on or about June 1st of this year. The CBO requirement is being developed right now, and will be released soon. There is no definitive date on that published yet.
The link above is your source for proving the comment.
@@VicMossPhotography Okay, I'm up and awake. Sorry about that. Let's dig a little. If you want to fly recreational you must comply with §44809 (as you pointed out).
§44809. Exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft:
(1) The aircraft is flown strictly for recreational purposes.
Okay, but let's say you want more information on what that means.
FAA Advisory Circular 91-57B:
7.1.1 The Aircraft is Flown Strictly for Recreational Purposes. Any use of unmanned aircraft for commercial purposes must be conducted under part 107 or other applicable FAA regulations (e.g., 14 CFR part 91, 135, or 137).
Okay, so this AC implies if it is not commercial it could be recreational.
FAA's website under Recreational Flyers & Modeler Community-Based Organizations:
"The exception for recreational flyers only applies to flights that are purely for fun or personal enjoyment."
Okay, that helps clarify a little bit. It's a little more specific, but it's not exactly part of CFR 14 or on an Advisory Circular.
I dug deeper trying to determine why I use the "in furtherance of a business" clause. My use may have originally come from Ken Heron's youtube video (posted Oct 1, 2016) in which he discusses the clarification he received from Johnny Victory. He is/was an FAA Aviation Safety Inspector at the Memphis FSDO.
I also found some websites of law firms that talk about FAA interpretation letters concerning sport pilots under §61. The FAA uses the "in furtherance of a business" language there also. A lot of websites offering drone advice also use this language. I found some websites referencing old Section 333 regs as using the "in furtherance to a business" language. Other websites and yt videos refer to their own FAA clarification letters using that language. I believe if an FAA representative was looking at a drone operation trying to determine if it was recreational or not they would very likely use the "in furtherance of a business" test. Perhaps this comes down to what could be reasonably determined in a court of law. Could I be flying at a friend's wedding purely for fun or personal enjoyment? Yes. If an FAA inspector was there at the wedding and knew I wasn't getting compensated, would he think I was flying commercially or non-recreationally? Sure, it's possible, but probably not.
I understand this probably comes down to interpretation. If FAA inspectors are using that language then it makes it valid and useful for drone operators. It's no biggy to me if we disagree on this, but if you have a reference or link to further FAA clarification or interpretation that I'm missing, please post it.
@@tedstriker5991 "Furtherance of Business" isn't in any of the Part 107 language. Can an investigator use it to determine if it's not hobby? Sure. But it's not official language, that's what I'm trying to get across. Unsuccessfully of course. And the official language is what would be used in an actual investigation.
One thing I didn't hear you mention, and believe is the case, is registering a drone is EACH drone. If I understand correctly, A registration does NOT cover multiple drone, where the PART 107 is only needed one time and covers all drones (possibly even ones you don't own).
I could be incorrect.
Great video - only 1 suggestion...Kindly mention the altitude limit of 400ft. Thank you :)
What?
@@yddclan4440 Drones are not allowed to fly above 400 feet above ground level.
Maybe I missed but my main question is: as a fellow RUclips creator, can I use drone footage from my mavic Air without a license for my monetized videos? Thanks!
Even though the drone is under 250g you would. As your using the footage for a for profit activity.
You got me bud great video man I think you touched base with just about everything a beginner needs to no I try to explain this to my friends and I just cant do it as well as you did thank you for the help
AGREED ^
Good info. But is there some restrictions like how high we are allowed to fly . Or we can't play in certain miles from airport?
A DJI drone will tell you this. In fact it won’t even let you take off or go beyond maximum allowed height
Also worth noting, that a person doesn't have to be paid to be considered commercial. The term is 'in furtherance of a business' so if any businesses, including your own benefits from the drone work, you need a part 107.
If I post a RUclips video with footage from my drone and it is monetized, do I need a part 107?
@@jenesimar generally yes. There are gray areas, but if you consistently use your drone, I'd recommend a 107
@@adamtowles5909 agreed. but a good example is if you have a cooking channel and have 100 videos on cooking food and during one of those video, you show drone footage from of your dog in your backyard, do you need a part 107? i would say no you don't if you were flying your drone having fun and taking pictures of your dog in your backyard because you thought it was cute and thought you would share to your paying cooking clients. i guess one could argue that you are trying to make yourself more appealing to them but again, what was your intent when you took off?
@@mavic2zoom961 I agree. It's about a pattern of behavior. Capturing a good photo or two with your drone and posting it, won't be viewed the same as churning out one drone video after another. PS: How do you like your Zoom? I'm considering one.
Do you need to get ham radio certified to be able to communicate with air traffic control?
Thanks so much for the information
I have a mavic 3 classic and I was wondering, if I have a card saying I’m certified, would i need to stick anything on my drone?
The 2 big mistakes/oversights in this video that I see are 1) You still need FAA authorization to fly in controlled airspace and 2) "recreational" flight does NOT include taking videos or pictures. Recreational flight is just flying the aircraft. This video is a good example of how misinformation gets taken as factual.
You should really read the actual rules and regulations. It gives an example of taking a picture for personal use would be considered recreational. So it DOES include photo's, and we can only assume videos as well, as long as they are not used for financial gains.
@@berated4541 Thank you, I appreciate the update. For my club, could you give me the URL that lists the example that you refer to?
Can i ask?
What do you need to do with dji mavic mini
I put a teather on my drone and now it self identifies as a kite.
Best comment award!
Thank you! Clear video straight and to the point.
As far as registration, the FAA told me that even if the drone's less than the weight limit required for registration, there is NO prohibition to registering them, if the owner/pilot so chooses to (if they're flown recreationally).
AND WHY WOULD YOU WANT TO REGISTER YOUR DRONE IF YOU DON'T HAVE TOO ?
@@TRICK-OR-TREAT236 you don't HAVE to. I'm just saying that you CAN if you choose to.
What if you own multiple drones. Do you just use same set register numbers or do register every one of them thanks
I'm in the market for a drone under 249g. This information is extremely helpful. Thank you! Can you share information on requesting flight times or anything like that? I remember hearing about something like this. Also, is this information valid in Europe?
The cutoff is 250g not 249g. You don’t request flight times in the US but have to request permission to fly in non class G airspace with the FAA air traffic control regardless of whether you have a license or not. If you fly in regulated air space and get caught regardless of whether you are flying for fun or not and do not have air traffic control clearance you can get a substantial fine. Not knowing the regulations does not exempt you from them.
If I wanted to fly the new DJI avata in ontario for fun, do I need a basic license and register the drone, or just register the drone.
It costs $175 for Part 107, I passed mine Tuesday, thanks for the video.
This was very helpful. Thanks for making this video so clear. 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾
Nice video Nick! However, others have said recreational users of drones still need to comply with all laws and regulations of a certified pilot. What's your take on these comments?
Yes they do.
Yep! It's all about safety. You do have some benefits to having your remote pilot certificate though. Here's a link to more information for those flying in the US. www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_flyers
I have a hard time to get apps on my iPhone, how can I get in details instruction ?
In other words, if YOU are getting paid, the government wants their cut.
Not really as it's a one time fee, and you aren't paying a percentage of every job you do and the government has no say over how much you charge. It mainly just goes to administrative costs as having departments and people dedicated solely to drones costs the faa a lot of money. I have no love for the government but things do cost money.
Especially things that really are so way over the top that they’re ridiculous.
@@christiangrant2931 no. They now have a paper trail to point the IRS at.
@@shawnmatthews5118 Okay, so what? The irs already evaluates everyone's income, and they have a paper trail on everyone. Also if you make money from a business you should be reporting it. Pay your taxes people.
Since when flying a drone is ilegal im getting the phoenix gps foldable drone for this chrismash but im 13 and just want to have fun is it ilegal
Thank you for this video, it cleared everything up for me beautifully.
Is the weight of the drone with or without battery connection?
So number 1 is partly wrong. You don’t necessarily need to make money to be considered commercial. It’s literally ANYTHING that is “in furtherance of a business”. Even if you post it on YT that isn’t monetized YET as an example.
Bingo! It's not about whether you're flying commercially or getting paid. You can be flying without getting compensated but still need a license. The basic legal framework is this: It's not that all pilots are Recreational, unless they meet certain conditions that require that they get a Part 107 license. It's the exact opposite. Under the law, all drone pilots require a Part 107 license unless they qualify for the recreational waiver. There are 8 requirements which must be met to qualify for the recreational waiver. You know what is not mentioned anywhere in any of the 8 conditions/requirements? Money or compensation.
that's not true alan. of course if you are in furtherance of a biz, you need part 107. but the faa says it goes by the intent of your flight when you take off. if you take off in the park and you intend to fly strictly for fun because it's a hobby, then your flight is a recreational flight....forever. it doesn't convert to a commercial flight depending on what happens next. if you post your fun video on the internet and share it with your friends for a good laugh, it's still an recreational flight, no part 107 needed. if a year from now, a stranger sends you $5 because they had a good time watching your video (i.e. technically your video generated $5), it's not retroactive. because when you took off on that flight last year, your intent was to have fun and fly as a hobby and that means no part 107 needed; end of story. simply posting something on yt does not give away your intent for sure even if your channel is monetized. the faa is looking for the reason why you started your flight, not for the reason why you posted your video. if it is obvious you made that flight so you could post it on your yt channel to help your channel (monitized or not), sure. but that act of posting it alone is not the determining factor....whether the channel is monetized or not (you are correct on that piece).
@@geezerpleasers_OG exactly!!!! still need to make it clear that those 8 requirements apply to the intent for your flight and if you notice, nothing is said about social media and posting video. all is says if flying for fun, like a hobby. every time i spin up my drone, it's for the sheer fun and thrill. after that, i have no idea what happens to the video or the picture. if it become evident that i'm doing it for more than just fun, then we might have a problem.
@@mavic2zoom961 that’s glossing over the intent fact. Showing your work over social media, wether you mean to get those five bucks a year from now or not, still counts in furtherance of a business according to the FAA. Sure taking a quick snap you didn’t intend to is okay, but if I wanna practice my video editing and post a trip I did, that’s technically a commercial flight because anything can be monetized later on.
@Phillip Connolly you can look at it however you want, but the FAA has explicitly said if you post it on any kinda social media, it counts.
The odds of getting caught is rarely
Nick, this was very helpful, clear and easy to understand. Thanks for publishing factual information we can all use.
How much does the mavic air 2 weigh? Do i need to register it if im flying it for fun? And can i fly it around my city?
History will recognize gun and drone laws from this era as draconian
Guns - yes; drones - no
It's because of stupid people that drone regulations exist.
Do we need to put the registration # on the drone always?
Hey! Thanks for the video. Do you know if there will be any more restrictions where you can fly besides the ones they already have?
IMO we can bet on it with all Dems in the gub'mint pilot seats now.
hmm, has much changed for 2022? I was just wondering if you use footage of your drone on your own monetized site, does that count as commercial footage?
One quick thing that you should have mentioned is that even recreational drones over 250g need to have your information and FAA reg number displayed prominently.
Thank you for the video.
Just need the FAA number. You don't have to have any other info.
If I want to catch trains with a drone would that be commercial or recreational?
Also something to keep in mind, is that its not just getting payed to fly, but any compsation would require a part 107 certification i.e. "will you look at my roof for me, I'll buy you a beer?" Would be considered compsation for using your drone.
Yep, now you're getting the point very clearly. There is no end to this unraveling sweater thread.
Shut up
no. by that definition literally nothing you do is recreational. Who requires a beer from a friend to play with RC vehicles? and even if they did share a beer afterwards, it has nothing to do with the flight.
THANKS FOR THE Great info dude
Probably worth telling in the title what country are you talking about.
What is the website to register the drone?
good info dude👍👍
Thank you so much for the information. Now i can return my dji mini and get the mavic air 2
This is very useful information. I think ignoring the weather of flying conditions is another common mistake made by drone flyers. People should always check the conditions on apps like UAV forecast or Weather by Tomorrow before flying their drones.
Register it is based on barebone configuration? like cinelog30 can be under 249grams, but if you add a larger battery/camera it could go over weight for that10minute flight,
will FAA tell you to land without touching it, so they can put it on their scale?
More rules than buying a firearm...
Yes, by far. And they want you to send your location from the drone. But stricter gun laws? Nahhhhhh.
Is it any drone;
Jesus...drones are not that hard!
Your mostly right but getting paid is not the only reason you need a part 107 the FAA also considers "intent" if you take your Drone out to fly it with the sole intent to record a video to post on social media the FAA considers that a part 107 requirement so if your going out to make videos to post to RUclips even if your not getting paid for them you would still be required to get a part 107 license, but don't freak out if the FAA tracks you down and wants you to call them because the first call from the FAA is an "Educational Call" they are very friendly and really do just want to Educate you before they start slapping you with fines.
What about if you fly recreationally and later decide to sell that footage? Thanks.
I have a 249g drone, flying recreationaly. But I’m in class D airspace. Do I have to seek authorization to fly? Using the Aloft app? If so, I think I need to register my drone because FAA needs it to authorize. As I understand it, I do not need authorization to fly below tree or building height in class D airspace.
Good video, but one big clarification. Money is NOT the determining factor to whether you’re flying commercial or recreational. It’s your intent when you fly. One could actually donate your services to a business or charity without a cent transferred and that would be considered commercial as defined by the FAA.
If I buy a dji mini 2 just to fly over woods over a private property owned by family for my own enjoyment is there anything I need to be aware of legally? I'm not planning on going super high or crazy distances but I'm assuming I'd need to stay a certain distance within the drones range. A drone seems like a great way to scout deer on a off season.
Best info out there saved me a shitload. I’m just checking for pigeons nesting under my solar panels
Well done, thanks for getting the proper info out there!
Thanks for sharing. Do you have to renew the Part 107? If so, how and how often?
Hi, What about if I want to change my registration from recreational to comercial, is that possible?
THX
Thanks for this I just bought a Dji mini 2 and just want to fly it and shoot video as a hobby. This helped me. Thumbs up
Do you like it so far? I'm thinking of getting a mini SE, but I'm new to drones so trying to learn more about it.
Do you need to renew the registration every year?
So if I have a mini 2 it’s fine to post pictures and videos on Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat recreationally ?
I went and got my part 107 license even though I almost only ever fly my less that 250g drone recreationally the moment a friend of mine who is a roofing contractor said "hey i'll pay you $50 to fly up and inspect the roof so I don't have to send a crew up there"
I don't see myself using my drone for making money but little time and money savers like that for businesses are ample. So there's always the chance. And since it only required a little effort and cost hardly anything to register I did it anyway.
Is that 249 grams with or without the battery?
Can I use my old phone without SIM card to fly mini drones?
Hey Nick, so do I need a license for RUclips B-Roll? Do you need a license to post all the drone footage in your video? 1:23 But who is flying a drone without posting some type of video online?
Thank s you’ve clear up a lot questions and kept it simple
do i need to put id tag on my kite??
Very good ,great video,thanks much!!If I have a non geofencing drone under 249 grams can I fly in no-fly zone under 400 feet recreationally?thanks.
Nope. No fly zone is just that. However, the organization that mandated the no-fly zone can grant you permission. So if you wanted to fly over a prison, for instance, you can get permission although it may be difficult to do that for recreational purpose.