FAA Part 107 Study Guide 2025

The weight of an unmanned aircraft must be under...

55 lbs (25 kg).

VLOS

Visual Line-Of-Sight

The unmanned aircraft must remain within VLOS of...

the remote pilot in command and the person manipulating the flight controls of the small UAS

OR

the visual observer.

At all times, the small unmanned aircraft must remain close enough to the remote pilot in command and the person manipulating the flight controls of the small UAS for those people to be capable of...

seeing the aircraft with vision unaided by any device other than corrective lenses (naked eye).

Small unmanned aircraft may not operate over...

any persons not directly participating in the operation.

Small unmanned aircraft may not operate under...

a covered structure.

Small unmanned aircraft may not operate inside...

a covered stationary vehicle.

Operations are only allowed during...

daylight or civil twilight (30 mins before official sunrise to 30 mins after official sunset, local time) with appropriate anti-collision lighting.

When other aircraft are present, you must...

yield right of way.

Are VOs required?

No.

Can the first-person view camera satisfy the "see-and-avoid" requirement?

No, but it can be used as long as the "see-and-avoid" requirement is satisfied in other ways.

Maximum groundspeed (fastest you can fly)

100 mph (87 knots)

Maximum altitude

400 feet AGL

OR

if higher than 400 feet AGL, within 400 feet of a structure (vertically).

AGL

Above Ground Level

VO

Visual Observer

The minimum weather visibility is...

3 miles from control station.

Which classes of airspace do not require ATC permission for operation?

G.

For how many unmanned aircraft operations can a person act as a remote pilot in command or VO? (Number of drones you can fly simultaneously)

Only one.

Can operations occur from a moving aircraft?

No.

Can operations occur from a moving vehicle?

No, unless the operation is over a sparsely populated area.

Can operations be careless or reckless?

No (duh).

Can hazardous materials be carried?

No.

Before flight, the remote pilot in command is required to perform a...

preflight inspection.

A person may not operate a small unmanned aircraft if...

they know (or have reason to believe) they have any physical or mental condition that would interfere with the safe operation of a small UAS.

Foreign-registered small unmanned aircraft are only allowed to operate under part 107 if they...

satisfy the requirements of part 375.

Are external load operations allowed?

Yes, if the object being carried by the unmanned aircraft is securely attached and does not adversely affect the flight characteristics or controllability of the aircraft.

Restrictions may be waivable if...

the applicant demonstrates that their operation can safely be conducted under the terms of a certificate of waiver.

A remote pilot in command must establish...

a remote pilot in command position.

What qualifications does a person need to operate a small UAS?

They must either hold a remote pilot airman certificate with a small UAS rating

OR

be under the direct supervision of a person who holds a remote pilot certificate (remote pilot in command).

Requirements for a remote pilot certificate

1. Demonstrate aeronautical knowledge

2. Be vetted by the TSA

3. Be at least 16 years old

TSA

Transportation Security Administration

How does one "demonstrate aeronautical knowledge" to qualify for a remote pilot certificate?

Pass an initial knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center

OR

hold a part 61 pilot certificate other than student pilot AND complete a flight review within the previous 24 months AND complete a small FAA UAS online training course.

When may part 61 pilot certificate holders obtain a temporary remote pilot certificate?

Immediately upon submission of their application for a permanent certificate.

When may applicants who don't have a part 61 pilot certificate obtain a temporary remote pilot certificate?

Upon successful completion of TSA security vetting.

May foreign-certified UAS pilots operate?

They are required to first obtain an FAA-issued remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating, since international standards have not been developed.

A remote pilot in command must...

1. Allow FAA to inspect/test and provide documents/records

2. Report serious injuries/damage

3. Conduct preflight inspection and aircraft, control station, and condition checks

4. Ensure compliance with registration requirements

(1. Make available to the FAA, upon request, the small UAS for inspection or testing, and any associated documents/records required to be kept under the rule.

2. Report to the FAA within 10 days of any operation that results in at least serious injury, loss of consciousness, or property damage of at least $500.

3. Conduct a preflight inspection, to include specific aircraft and control station systems checks, to ensure the small UAS is in a condition for safe operation.

4. Ensure that the small unmanned aircraft complies with the

existing registration requirements specified in

§ 91.203(a)(2).)

When may remote pilots in command deviate from requirements?

In response to an in-flight emergency.

Is the FAA airworthiness certification required?

No, but the remote pilot in command must conduct a preflight check of the small UAS to ensure that it is in a condition for safe operation.

Does part 107 apply to model aircraft?

Not to model aircraft that satisfy all of the criteria specified in section 336 of Public Law 112-95. This prohibits model aircraft operators from endangering the safety of the NAS.

Requirements for transportation of property for compensation or hire (total weight, conducting, territory)

1. Total weight less than 55 lbs (aircraft, attached systems, payload, cargo)

2. Within VLOS and not from a moving vehicle/aircraft

3. Wholly within the bounds of a state, and not between two places in...

1) Hawaii s.t. you must travel through airspace outside of Hawaii

2) The District of Columbia

3) A territory/possession of the US

The lightest drone that must be registered must be over...

0.55 lbs.

The maximum blood alcohol level is...

0.04.

The time that must pass since you have had alcohol to fly is...

8 hours. It doesn't matter if you aren't even buzzed or if the alcohol doesn't feel like it's in your system.

The maximum time you can take to file an FAA accident report is...

10 days.

The time you have to notify the FAA if you move residences is...

30 days.

The lead time required when requesting an FAA waiver is...

90 days.

FAA waivers approve...

certain operations of aircraft outside the limitations of a regulation .

(operating from a moving aircraft, flying at night or during civil twilight without anti-collision lighting, flying without VLOS, not following all VO requirements, flying multiple small UAS with only one remote pilot, flying over a person or moving vehicle, flying very fast or high, flying with low visibility or close to clouds)

The time that must pass after a final narcotics conviction is...

1 year.

The youngest person who can register a drone is...

13 years old.

This certification is good for...

24 months.

The twilight time before sunrise or after sunset when you can still fly is...

30 minutes.

Distances for flying around clouds

500+ feet below; 2,000+ feet away horizontally

If an accident causes damage, what repair cost requires you to file an accident report?

$500.

If an accident causes injury, what AIS level requires you to file an accident report?

Level 3, "serious injury."

AIS

Abbreviated Injury Scale

What is the MULTICOM frequency for self-announce procedures?

122.9.

Self-announce procedure

Verbally stating your drone's presence on the radio

CTAF

Common Traffic Advisory Frequency. How pilots communicate with each other when there's no tower.

What distance should you operate from a tower to avoid hitting guy wires?

2000+ feet.

When do stalls occur?

When the wing exceeds its critical angle of attack and can no longer sustain lift. https://eaglepubs.erau.edu/app/uploads/sites/4/2021/08/Airfoil_TEseparation.png

What are the CG Limits?

They don't typically exist for drones. They are usually defined in the Pilot's Operating Handbook or UAS flight manual. May be established by the manufacturer.

Angle of attack

How the craft is angled towards the wind. Determines when the craft stalls. Independent of vehicle weight.

AC

Advisory Circulars. FAA publications issued to inform the aviation public in a systematic way of non-regulatory material.

ADM

Aeronautical Decision-Making

AFM

Aircraft Flight Manual

AIM

Aeronautical Information Manual

ASL

Above Sea Level

ASOS

Automated Surface Observing System. Weather monitoring.

ATC

Air Traffic Control

ATCT

Air Traffic Control Tower

ATIS

Automatic Terminal Information System. An info loop radio broadcast near an airport.

AWC

Aviation Weather Center

AWOS

Automated Weather Observing System. Weather station.

CFR

Code of Federal Regulations

CG

Center of Gravity

CoW

Certificate of Waiver

CRM

Crew Resource Management. How you manage your "crew." Should integrate into all phases of operation.

CS

Control Station. The drone's remote.

FAA

Federal Aviation Administration

FDC

Flight Data Center

FLIP

Department of Defense Flight Information Publication

Latitude

North/south locations. "Ladder."

What side of a plane do pilots usually sit? How does this impact their flight and VLOS?

Left. Aircrafts always turn left when circling a runway. This makes it easier to look out the left window and spot the tower.

Load Factor

Any force applied to an aircraft to deflect its flight from a straight line (steering) puts stress on its structure. This amount of force is the load factor. It increases during any maneuver.

Longitude

East/west location.

Maintenance schedule

Most drones can't be repaired by a user. You're supposed to have one. Most drones have best practices published by their manufacturers.

Who is responsible for all aspects of the operation?

The remote PIC.

PIC

Pilot In Command

What briefing contains the weather forecast?

The standard briefing.

How do you scan the sky for traffic?

Systematically focus on different segments of the sky for short intervals. Let your eyes rest in different areas for a while, rather than continuously scanning.

What can constitute temperature inversion?

When warm air is above cold air. Smooth air. Fog. Haze. Low clouds. Poor visibility.

What can constitute moist, unstable air?

HOT AND HUMID. Turbulence. Showery precipitation.

What can constitute stable air?

COOL AND DRY. Smooth air. Poor visibility. Steady, but not showery precipitation (due to humidity).

What can constitute unstable air?

Intermittent precipitation. Turbulence. Clear visibility. Cumuliform clouds.

High-density altitude

High altitude. Air is thinner. Lift decreases.

Nimbus

Rain cloud

Risk management helps to prevent...

an accident chain.

Machismo

Taking risks to impress others.

Impuslivity

Doing something without thinking about it.

Invulnerability

Thinking accidents won't happen to you.