107 Basics

Part 107 is the section of the federal aviation regulations (14 CFR Part 107) that covers small drones, meaning anything under 55 pounds. The Remote Pilot Certificate, which everyone calls the Part 107, is the FAA saying you know those rules well enough to fly for money.

Flying purely for fun is recreational, and anything else is not. The moment a flight helps a business, yours or anyone else's, you need the certificate. Selling photos, shooting a roof for a realtor, inspecting a cell tower, posting monetized footage. Even flying for free counts if the footage benefits a business.

Fly without it where it's required and the FAA can fine you per flight. Most clients and their insurers will ask to see the card.

• Be at least 16 to hold the certificate (you can sit the test at 14).
• Read, write, speak, and understand English.
• Be in a physical and mental condition to fly a drone safely.
• Pass the Unmanned Aircraft General knowledge test: 60 questions, 2 hours, 70% to pass, taken in person at a PSI testing center for $175.

No flight hours, no checkride and no medical certificate are required.

1. Get an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) by creating an account on IACRA, the FAA's application site.
2. Book the test at a PSI testing center near you and pay the $175.
3. Pass with 70% or better. Fail and you wait 14 days to retake (and pay again).
4. Apply for the certificate on IACRA with FAA Form 8710-13. TSA runs a background check, you get a temporary certificate by email, and the plastic card shows up in the mail.
5. Register your drone for $5 on FAA DroneZone and label it with the registration number. Under Part 107 every aircraft gets registered, even the tiny ones.

The certificate never expires, but you retake a free online recurrent training every 24 calendar months to keep it current.

Five areas of operation: Regulations, Airspace, Weather, Loading and Performance, and Operations. The flight path on the home page tracks your progress in each, and the mock exam uses the same format as the real test.