Author: Luis Rodriguez Jr.

The new FAA Part 107 regulations created clear winners among those who follow the rules in the following businesses:

• Agriculture
• Construction site management
• Environmental research
• Infrastructure inspection (utilities, energy, telecommunications)
• Mapping/Surveying
• Real Estate sales
• Video/Movie/Photography

These winners will benefit from lower cost service providers due to the reduced barriers to entry; however, there will always be opportunities for those drone service providers that can differentiate their services with a clear brand, appropriate cost structure, and bundled services.

Remember, quality and safety always count.

See the NEW Small UAS Rule (Part 107) effective August 2016:

You don’t need permission from the FAA to fly SOME UAS (aka drones) for fun or recreation, but you must always fly safely.

Examples of UAS that do and do not require registration (PDF)

If you do need permission, then before you fly outside you must:

• Register your UAS if it weighs more than 0.55 pounds and less than 55 pounds, and you’ll need:
  1. Email address
  2. Credit or Debit card
  3. Physical address and mailing address (if different from physical address)
  4. Registration costs $5 and is valid for 3 years.
• Label your UAS with your registration number
• Read and understand all safety guidelines

You must be:

• 13 years of age or older (if the owner is less than 13 years of age, a person 13 years of age or older must register the small unmanned aircraft)
• A U.S. citizen or legal permanent resident*

* Visiting foreign nationals must register their UAS upon arrival in the United States (online registration serves as a certificate of ownership).

Safety Guidelines

• Fly at or below 400 feet
• Keep your UAS within sight
• Never fly near other aircraft, especially near airports
• Never fly over groups of people (except those part of the operation)
• Never fly over stadiums or sports events
• Never fly near emergency response efforts such as fires
• Never fly under the influence
• Be aware of airspace requirements

On June 21, 2016 the FAA released much awaited Part 107 regulations detailing commercial drone use; the regulations will likely become effective in August 2016.

These new regulations provide guidance for routine commercial use of small unmanned aircraft systems (summary).

Part 107 will not apply to model aircraft.  Model aircraft operators must continue to satisfy all the criteria specified in Section 336 of Public Law 112-95 (PDF) (which will now be codified in Part 101), including the stipulation they be operated only for hobby or recreational purposes.

Those wishing to use commercial drones have been waiting for many months for the FAA to issue regulations for their.  According to www.dronelawjournal.com the rules are supposed to be officially issued June 21, 2016; however, a leaked copy of a summary of the new Part 107 drone rules has been made available and published on various websites (FAA’s summary).

The significant changes from the notice of proposed rulemaking that was issued in February 2015 are:

• The minimum age for a Remote Pilot in Command is now 16-years-old;
• The maximum altitude has been changed to 400 feet AGL;
• There is a read, speak, write and understand English requirement; and
• Current Part 61 manned aircraft certificate holders will only have to take and pass an online test.

The new Part 107  – according to the leaked summary – will eliminate many of the most cumbersome and expensive requirements currently imposed on commercial drone operators, including the requirement for a so-called 333 exemption, a manned aircraft pilot’s license, a visual observer, the requirement to hold a certificate of authorization and the requirement to issue a notice to airmen before each flight.