Drones continue to gain popularity in todays society. Any influencer out there traveling the world likely uses a drone to boost his or her internet appeal. But what regulations are there for someone with a drone? If you buy your kid or relative a drone as a gift, does that mean they have to get a license to fly it? At what point do you need to get a license to fly a drone?

The FAA’s Part 107 Drone License is a legal certification for drone pilots living and flying within the United States of America that use UAV’s or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for commercial purposes (or sUAS). The Part 107 drone license is only applicable when operating a UAV within the United States. This is of course, as long as that drone and pilot meet certain criteria set out by the FAA. As always, for a complete list of rules and regulations, be sure to check the appropriate government websites before flying.

In this article, I hope to at least provide you with a base understanding of what this type of license is, what it means, and why you should get one, or at least make sure that the drone pilot you hire has one.

The FAA’s Part 107 License provides regulations for:

1. Issuance of a remote pilot certificates

2. Operating rules for drone operations.

There are a lot of rules and regulations associated with flying drones, and for good reason! Drones, while super cool and lots of fun, have the potential to cause great damage and harm. For instance, imagine flying your drone and having it hit an aircraft with people in it, that would be very bad. Or what if your drone fell out of the sky onto a moving vehicle or hit a pedestrian? All of these scenarios warrant the need for regulations and rules to mitigate the potential harm that these drones could cause.

Here are just a couple rules that are discussed and expounded on under the Part 107 license:

• Line of Sight: Basically you can’t fly beyond where you can see the drone with your own eyes.

• Weight: The drone and any accessories in total, has to be under 55lbs.

• May not operate over people: To avoid collision with a person there are tight regulations and rules as to when and how you can fly over people.

• Maximum Speed and Altitude: Dictates how fast and high your drone can go.

• Airspace: Gives full understanding of what airspace you can and can’t fly in, and when you need to get permissions to fly in a specific location.

While there may seem to be a lot of rules, these regulations do not make it impossible to fly, rather it makes it more safe for everyone out there. As a warning though, there are large fines for those who do not comply with such laws. So always make sure that you, or the drone pilot you hire, knows the laws of the area and how to fly safely.

For the majority though, what does a Part 107 License mean if we just want to fly for fun?

You do not need a Part 107 Drone license to fly your drone for fun. The FAA does have certain requirements for recreational drone pilots. For example, they require you to get a TRUST certification and register your drone with the FAA; but these certifications and registrations are generally easy to get and follow. That being said, it is still prudent for any drone pilot to get his Part 107. Going through a class and taking the test for the license will give you a complete understanding of how drones and your community mesh. It can also be a huge protection to know how to fly safely, with the license you are less likely to take risks - now that you know the consequences that could potentially ensue from flying a drone.

To put it all simply, you don’t need a Part 107 license to fly your drone for fun, but you do need it if you plan on making any sort of money with your drone. For example, even if someone says ‘hey, will you get a drone shot of my house, I’ll give you $50 bucks’ then you need a Part 107 license.

So get out there and have fun flying, doing so responsibly and safely. Whether it is for fun or for cash, happy flying!