U.S

. Department

o f Transportation

Federa l Aviation

Administration 

# Advisory

Circular

Subject: Small Unma n ned Aircraft Systems

(sUAS) Date: 6/21/16 A C No : 10 7

- 2

Initiated b y : AFS

- 800 Change:

The Federal Aviation Ad m inistration (FAA) is am e nding its regulations to adopt specific rules

for the operation of s m all Un m anned Aircraft S ys te m s (sUAS) in t h e National Airsp ac e System

(NAS) through a final rule. These changes addr e ss the classification of sUAS, certification of

sUAS re m ote pil o ts, and sUAS operation a l li m it a tions. This advisory circular (AC) provides

guidance for conducting sUAS operations in the NAS in accordance w i th Title 14 of the Code of

Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 107.

/s/

John S. Duncan

Director, Flight Standards Service6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

ii CONT E N TS

Paragraph Page

Chapter 1. General

................................ ................................ ................................ ..................... 1

- 1

1.1 Purpose

................................ ................................ ................................ ......................... 1

- 1

1.2 Request for Infor m ation

................................ ................................ ............................... 1

- 1

Chapter 2. References

................................ ................................ ................................ ................ 2

- 1

2.1 Related Code of Federal R e gulations (CFR) Parts

................................ ...................... 2

- 1

2.2 Notices to Air m en (NOTAM)

................................ ................................ ...................... 2

- 1

2.3 Related Reference Material

................................ ................................ .......................... 2

- 1

Chapter 3. Background

................................ ................................ ................................ .............. 3

- 1

3.1 PL 112

- 95, Title III, Subtitle B

................................ ................................ .................... 3

- 1

3.2 Part 107

— A Regulatory First Step

................................ ................................ .............. 3

- 1

Chapter 4. Part 107 Subpart A, General

................................ ................................ ..................... 4

- 1

4.1 Applicability

................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 4

- 1

4.2 Definitions

................................ ................................ ................................ .................... 4

- 1

4.3 Abbreviations/Acronyms Used in the Advisory Circular

................................ ............ 4

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4.4 Falsification, Reproduction, or Alteration

................................ ................................ ... 4

- 3

4.5 Accident Reporting

................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 4

- 3

Chapter 5. Part 107 Subpart B, Operating Li m itations for S m all Un m anned Aircraft

Syate m s (sUAS)

................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 5

- 1

5.1 Applicability

................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 5

- 1

5.2 Aircraf t Operation

................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 5

- 1

5.3 Aeronautical Decision

- Making ( A DM) and Crew Resource Manage m ent (CRM)

.... 5

- 2

5.4 Aircraft Registration

................................ ................................ ................................ .... 5

- 2

5.5 sUAS Maintenance, Inspections, and Condition for Safe Operation

........................... 5

- 3

5.6 Medical Con dition

................................ ................................ ................................ ........ 5

- 3

5.7 VLOS Aircraft Operation

................................ ................................ ............................. 5

- 4

5.8 Operation N ear Airp o rt s ; in Certain Airspace; in Prohibited o r Restricted Areas;

or in the Proxi m ity of C e rtain Areas Designated by a Notice to Air m en (NOTAM )

... 5

- 5

5.9 Preflight Fa m iliarizatio n , Inspection, and Actions for Aircraft Operation

.................. 5

- 7

5.10 Operating L i m itations for S m all UA

................................ ................................ .......... 5

- 86/21/16 AC 107

- 2

ii 5.11 Prohibited Operation O ver Persons

................................ ................................ .......... 5

- 10

5.12 R e m aining Clear of Other Aircraft

................................ ................................ ........... 5

- 10

5.13 Operations f rom Moving Vehicles

................................ ................................ ........... 5

- 10

5.14 Transportation of Property

................................ ................................ ........................ 5

- 11

5.15 Operations while I m paired

................................ ................................ ........................ 5

- 12

5.16 Daylight Operations

................................ ................................ ................................ .. 5

- 12

5.17 In

- Flight Em ergency

................................ ................................ ................................ . 5

- 12

5.18 Careless or Reckless Operation

................................ ................................ ................ 5

- 13

5.19 CoW

................................ ................................ ................................ .......................... 5

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5.20 Supple m ental Operational Infor m ation

................................ ................................ .... 5

- 14

Chapter 6. Part 107 Subpart C, R e mote Pilot C ertification

................................ ....................... 6

- 1

6.1 Applicability

................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 6

- 1

6.2 R e m ote Pilot Certification

................................ ................................ ............................ 6

- 1

6.3 Eligibility

................................ ................................ ................................ ...................... 6

- 1

6.4 Application Process

................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 6

- 1

6.5 Security Disqualification

................................ ................................ .............................. 6

- 4

6.6 Aeronautical Knowledge Tests (Initial and Recurrent)

................................ ................ 6

- 4

6.7 Aeronautical Knowledge Training Cour s e (Initia l an d Recurrent)

.............................. 6

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Chapter 7. sUAS Maintenance and Inspection

................................ ................................ .......... 7

- 1

7.1 Applicability

................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 7

- 1

7.2 Maintenance

................................ ................................ ................................ ................. 7

- 1

7.3 Preflight Inspection

................................ ................................ ................................ ...... 7

- 2

Appendix A. Risk Assess m ent Tools........................................................................................ A

- 1

Appendix B. Supple m e ntal Operational Information ................................................................B

- 1

Appendix C. sUAS Maintenance an d In spectio n Bes t Practice s ...............................................C

- 1

List of Fig u res

Figure 4

- 1. FAA Regional Operati o ns Centers T elephone List

................................ ................... 4

- 4

Figure 6

- 1. Recurrent Test Cycle Exa mples

................................ ................................ ................ 6

- 5

Figure 6

- 2. Recurrent Training C ourse Cycle Exa mples

................................ ............................. 6

- 76/21/16 AC 107

- 2

4 Figure A

- 1. Hazard Ide n tification a n d Risk Assess m ent Process Char t

..................................... A

- 3

Figure A

- 2. Safety Risk Matrix Example s

.................................................................................. A

- 56/21/16 AC 107

- 2

5 List of Tables

Table A

- 1. S a m ple Severity an d Likelihoo d Criteri a

................................................................ . A

- 4

Table A

- 2. Safety Risk Matrix

— Exa mple 1

............................................................................... A

- 6

Tabl e C

- 1

. sUA S Condi t i o n Char t

............................................................................................. . C

- 16/21/16 AC 107

- 2

1 CHAPT ER 1

. GENERAL

1.1 Purpose. This advisory circular (AC) prov i des g u idance in the areas of air m an

(re m ote pilot) certification, a i rcraft registration and m arking, aircraft airworthiness, and

the operation of s m all Un m anned Aircraft Syst e m s (sUAS) in the Natio n al Airsp a ce

Syst em (NAS) to pro m ote co mpliance with t h e r e quire m ents of Title 14 o f the Code of

Federal Regulations (14 CFR) part 107, S ma ll Un m anned Aircraft Syste m s. It does not

provide, nor is it intended to provide, a legal inte r pret a tion of the reg u lati o ns. Re m ote

pilots are encouraged to use this infor m a tion as best practice m ethods for developing

operational progra m s scaled to specific s m all un m anned aircraft (UA), associated system

equip m ent, and operations. Use of this AC is int e nded to as s i s t the re m ote pilot in

m eeting the require m ents of applicable 14 CFR regulations.

1.1.1 Acceptable Means of Co m plia n ce (AMC). This AC uses m a ndatory ter m s, such as

“ m ust,” only in the sense of ensuring applicability of these particular m ethods of

co mpliance when using the AMC desc ribed herein. This AC is not m andatory and does

not constitute a regulation. This AC does not change, add to, or delete regulatory

require m ents or authorize deviat i ons from regulatory require m ents.

1.1.2 Part 107 Provisions. This AC is not intended to cover every provision of part 107. Rather,

this AC is intended to provide guidance on those provisions of part 107 where additional

infor m ation m ay be helpful. The Feder a l Aviation Ad m inistration (FAA) e mphasizes,

however, that persons subject to part 107 are re sponsible for co mplying with every

applicable provision of part 107, regardless of whether the provision is discussed in this

AC.

1.1.3 Privacy

- Related Laws. Part 107 operators should be aware that state and local authorities

m ay enact privac y

- related laws specific to Un m a nned Aircraft System (UAS) operations.

The FAA encourages s U AS operators to re v iew those laws prior to operating their UAS.

The National Telecommunications and Infor m ation Ad m inistration (NTIA) has also

published the Voluntary Best Practice s for UAS Privacy, Transparency, and

Accountability (https://www.ntia.doc.gov/fil es/ntia/publications/voluntary_best_

practices_for_uas_privacy_transparency_and_accountabili ty_0.pdf). This docu m ent

outli n es and descri b es v o lunt a ry best practices th a t UAS operators co u ld t a ke to advan c e

UAS privacy, transparency, and accountability f or the private and commercial use of

UAS.

1.2 Reques t fo r Information

. Direct comments and suggestions for i mproving this

public a tion to:

Federal Aviation Ad m inistration

General Aviation and Commercial Division (AF S

- 800)

5 5 M Stree t SE

, 8 th Floor

, Zon e 1

Washington

, D C 200036/21/16 AC 107

- 2

2 CHAPT ER 2

. REF E R E NCES

2.1 Related Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Parts. The following regulations and parts

can be found at http://www.faa.gov / regulations_policies/ faa_regulations/.

• Title 14 C F R Part 1, De f initions and Abbreviati o ns.

• Title 14 C F R Part 48, Registration and Marking Require m ents for S m all Un m anned

Aircraft.

• Title 14 C F R Part 71, Designation o f Class A, B, C, D, and E Airspace Areas;

Air Traffic Service Ro u t es; and Reporting Points.

• Title 14 C F R Part 73, Special Use Airspace.

• Title 14 C F R Part 91, General Operating and F light Rules.

• Title 14 C F R Part 93, Special Air T raffic Rules.

• Title 14 C F R Part 101, Moored Balloons, Kites, A m ateur Rockets and U n m anned

Free Ballo o ns.

• Title 14 C F R Part 1 07, S m all Un m anned Aircraft Syste m s.

• Title 47 C F R Part 87, Aviation Ser v ices.

2.2 Notices to Airmen ( N OTAM). Infor m ation on how to obtain NOTAMs can be found at

https://pilotweb.nas

. faa.gov/Pilot W e b/.

2.3 Related Reference M a terial. The following listed reference m aterials c o ntain ad d iti o nal

infor m ation necessary to ensure safe operat i on s i n th e NAS

. A n sUA S operator m ay want

to consi d er s eeking out additio n al p u b lications to supple m ent the lists b el o w.

2.3.1 FAA ACs, Notices, and Orders ( c urrent editions)

. Yo u ca n fin d the cu rr e nt editions o f the

following publications on the FAA Web sites:

http://www.faa.gov/regulations_poli cies/advisory_circulars/ and

http://www.faa.gov/regulation s_policies/orders_notices/.

• AC 00

- 6, Aviation W e a ther.

• A C 00

- 45

, Aviatio n Weathe r Services.

• AC 60

- 28, FAA English Language Skill S tandards Required by 14 CFR Parts 61, 63,

and 65.

• AC 120

- 92, Safety Manage m ent Syste m s fo r Aviatio n Servic e Providers.

• FA A Orde r J O 7110.10

, Fligh t Services.

• FAA Order JO 7110.65, Air Traffic Control.

• FA A Orde r J O 7210.3

, Facilit y O peration and Ad m inistration.

• FAA Order JO 7400.9, Airspace Design ations and Reporti n g Points.6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

2

- 2 • FAA Order 8130.34, Airworthiness Certificati o n of Un m anned Aircraft Syste m s and

Optionally Piloted Aircraft.

• FA A Orde r 8900.1

, Fligh t Standard s Infor m ation Manage m ent System (FSIMS).

2.3.2 Addition a l FAA Online/Mobile Sou r ces.

• UAS Web site: h ttp s :// w ww.faa.gov / uas/.

• UAS Registration W eb s ite: h ttps://register m yuas.faa.gov/.

• B4UFLY mobile app.

2.3.3 FAA Handbooks, Manuals, and Other Publications

. Yo u ca n fin d th e fol lowing

handbooks, m anuals, and other public ation s o n th e FA A W eb sit e at

http://www.faa.gov/regulation s_policies/handbooks_ m anuals/.

• Aeronautical Infor m ation Manual ( A IM):

http://www.faa.gov/air_t r affic/publications/.

• Aeronautical Charts (Hardcopy): h ttp://faac h art s .faa.gov/.

• Aeronautic a l Charts (Digit a l):

http://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/fligh t_info/aeronav/digital_products/.

• Pilot/Controller Glossary: http:// www.faa.gov/air

_ traffic/publications/.

• Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical K nowledge:

http://www.faa.gov/regulations_poli cies/handbooks_ m anuals/aviation/

pilot_handbook/.

• General Aviation Pilot’s Guide to Preflight W eather Planning, Weather

Self

- Briefings, and W e a ther Decision Making:

www

. faa.gov/nextgen/update/ m edi a /ga_weather_decisi on_making.pdf.

• Risk Manage m ent Handbook:

http://www.faa.gov/regulations_policies/h a ndbooks_ m anuals/aviation/media/faa

- h

8083

- 2.pdf.

• FAA S m all U n m anned Air craft Syste m s Ai r m a n Certification Standards: (TBD).

2.3.4 RTCA, Inc. Docu m ents (current editions). Cop i es of the current editions of the following

RTCA, Inc. docu m ents are available f o r purchase online at http://www.rtca.org.

• DO

- 178, Software Considerations in Airborne S yste m s and Equip m ent Certification.

• DO

- 304, Guidance Material and Considerati o ns for Un m anned Aircraft S yste m s.

2.3.5 Public Law (PL). PL 112

- 95, Title III, Subtitle B

— Un m anned Aircraft Syst e m s.6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

3

- 1 CHAPT ER 3

. BACKGROUND

3.1 PL 112

- 95, Title III, Subtitle B. In 2012, Congress passed t h e FAA Modernization and

Refo r m Act of 2012 (PL 112

- 95). PL 112

- 95, Sectio n 33 3 directe d th e Secretar y of

Transportation to determine whether UAS op e rations posing the least a m ount of public

risk and no threat to national security could safely be operated in the NAS and, if so, to

esta b lish re q uire m ents for the safe o p era t ion of these syste m s in the NAS, prior to

co mpletion of the UAS co m prehensive p l an and rule m akings required by PL 112

- 95,

Section 332. On February 23, 2015, as part o f it s ongoin g effort s t o integrat e UAS

operations in the NAS and in acc o r d ance with P L 112

- 95, Section 333, the FAA issued a

Notice of Proposed Rule m aking (N PRM) propo s ing to a m end its regulations to adopt

specific rules for the operation of sUAS in the NAS. Over 4,600 public com m ents were

sub m itted in response to the NPRM. In consi d eration of the p ublic comments, t h e FAA

issued a final rule adding part 107, integra t ing civil sUAS into the NAS. Part 107 allo w s

sUAS operations for m any different non

- hobby and nonrecreational purposes without

requiring airworthiness certification, exe m ption, or a Certificate of W aiv e r or

Authorization (COA). In addition, part 10 7 also applies to sUAS used for hobby or

recreation t h at are not fl o w n in accordance w ith p art 101 sub p art E (see paragraph 4. 1 ).

3.2 Part 107

— A Regulatory First Step. Th e FA A addresse s a v iat i o n safet y i n thre e key

area s : pers o nnel, equi pm ent, and operations. T he FAA assesses each of these areas b oth

independently to m eet current regulation s an d standards

, a s well as c o ll e ctiv e ly to e n sure

no conflicts exist overall that woul d creat e a n unsaf e conditi on. This approach allows the

FA A t o b e f l exibl e i n respondin g t o th e nee ds of the aviation com m unity while still being

able to establish standards for future gro w th and develop m ent. To that end, part 107

contai n s su b parts that f o cus on each of these key aviation safety areas specific to sUAS,

and the cha p ters in t h is AC are organized in the sa m e m ann e r.6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

4

- 1 CHAPT ER 4

. PAR T 10 7 SUBPAR T A

, GENERAL

4.1 Applicabili t y. This chapter provides guidance regarding the ap p licability of part 107 to

civil s m all UA operations conducted within t h e NAS

. How e ver

, par t 10 7 doe s no t apply

to the f ollo w ing:

1. Model aircraft that are operated in a c cordance with part 101 subpart E, Model

Aircraft), which applies to m odel aircr af t m eeting all of the f ollowing c rite r ia:

• The air c raft is flown strictly fo r hobb y o r recreationa l use;

• The aircraft is operated in accorda n ce with a c o mmunity

- based set of safety

guidelines and within the programming of a nationwide community

- based

organization;

• The aircraft is li m ited to not m ore than 55 pounds unless otherwise certified

through a design, construction, inspection, fligh t test

, an d operationa l safety

program ad m inistered by a community

- based organization;

• The aircraft is operated in a m anner that does n o t int e r f ere with and gives way to

any m anned aircraft;

• When flown within 5 m iles of an airport, the operator of t h e aircraft pro v ides t h e

airport operator and the airpo r t a ir traffic control (ATC) tower (when an a ir traffic

f

acility is l o cated a t the airpo r t) wit h prio r notic e of the operation ;

• The aircraft is capa b le of sustai ne d fligh t i n th e atmosphere ; and

• The aircraft is flown within Visual L ine o f Sigh t (VLOS ) o f t he person operating

the aircraft.

2. Operations conducted outside the United States;

3. A m ateur rockets;

4. Moore d balloons;

5. Un m anned free balloons;

6. Kites;

7. Publi c aircraf t operations ; and

8. Air carrier o perations.

4.2 Definitions. The following defined ter m s are used throughout this AC:

4.2.1 Control Station (CS). An interface u sed by t h e remote pilot o r the person m anipulati n g

the controls to control t h e f light path of the s m all UA.

4.2.2 Corrective L enses. Spectacles o r contact lenses.6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

4

- 2 4.2.3 Model Aircraft

. A U A t h a t is:

• Capable of sustained flight in the at m osphere;

• Flown within VLOS of the per so n operatin g th e aircraft ; and

• Flow n fo r hobb y o r recreationa l purposes.

4.2.4 Person Manipulating the Controls. A person oth e r than the r e mote pilot in command

(PIC) who is controlling the flight of an sUAS under the supervision of the re m ote PIC.

4.2.5 R e m ote Pilot in Com m a nd (Re m ote PIC or R e mote Pilot). A person who holds a re m ote

pilot ce r ti f i c ate with an s UAS rating and has t h e f inal authority and r e sponsibility for the

operatio n an d safet y o f a n sUA S op e ration conducted under part 107.

4.2.6 S m all Un m anned Aircraft (UA). A UA weighing less than 55 pounds, including

everything that is onboard or ot herwis e attache d t o the aircraft, and can be flown without

th e possibilit y o f direc t hu m an intervention from within or on the aircraft.

4.2.7 S m all Un m anned Aircraft System (sUAS). A small UA and its associated ele m ents

(including com m unication links a n d the co mponents t h at co n trol the s m all UA) that ar e

required for the safe and efficient operatio n o f th e s m al l U A i n th e NAS.

4.2.8 Un m anned Aircraft (UA )

. An aircraft operated without t h e possibility of direct hu m an

intervention from within or on the aircraft.

4.2.9 Visual Observer (VO). A person acting as a fli g htcrew m e mber who assists the s m all UA

re m ote PIC and the person m anipul a ting t h e controls to see a nd avoid other air traffic or

objects aloft or on the ground.

4.3 Abbreviati o n s/Acronyms Used in the Advisory Circular.

1. AC: advisory circ u lar.

2. ACR: Ai r m an Certifi c atio n Representative.

3. AGL: above ground level.

4. ATC: air traffic control.

5. CFI: ce r ti f i c ated f lig h t i n stru c tor.

6. CFR: Code of Federal Regulations.

7. DPE: Designated Pilot Exa m iner.

8. FAA: Federal Aviation Ad m inistration.

9. FSDO : Fligh t Standard s Distric t Office.

10. GPS: Global Positio n ing Syste m

.

11. IACRA: Integrated Ai r m en Certi f i c ation and/or Rating Application.

12. KTC : know l e dg e testin g center.6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

4

- 3 13. MSL: m ean sea le v el.

14. NOTAM: Notice to Air m en.

15. NAS: National Airspace Syste m

.

16. PIC: pil o t in command.

17. UA: un m anned aircraft.

18. UAS: U n m a nned Aircraft Syste m

.

19. U.S.C.: United States Code.

20. VO : visua l observer.

4.4 Falsification, Reproduction, or Alteration. Th e FA A relie s o n infor m a t io n provide d by

owners and re m ote pilots of sUAS when it au t horizes operations or when it has to m ake a

co mpliance deter m inati o n. Accordi n gly, the F AA m ay take appropriate action agai n st an

sUAS own e r, operator, re m ote PIC, or anyon e els e wh o fraudulentl y o r knowingly

provides false records or reports, or otherwise r e produce s o r alter s an y records

, reports

, or

other information for fraudule n t purposes. Such action could incl ude civil sanctions and

the suspen si on or revocation of a certificate o r waiver.

4.5 Accident Reporting. T he re m ote PIC of the sUAS is required to report an accident to the

FAA within 10 days if it m eets any of the f ollowi n g thresh o ld s :

1. At least serious injury to any person or any loss of consciousness. A serious

injury is an injury t h at q u ali f ies as L e vel 3 or higher on the Abbreviated Injury

Scale (AIS) of the Assoc i ation for t h e Advancement of Automotive Me d icine

(AAAM). The AIS is an anato m ical sco r ing system that provides a m eans of

ranking the severity of an injury and is widely used by e m ergency m edical

personnel. W ithin the AIS syste m

, injuries are ranked on a scale of 1 to 6,

with Level 1 being a m inor injury, Lev e l 2 is m oderate, Level 3 is ser ious,

Level 4 is severe, Level 5 is critical, and Level 6 i s a nonsurvivabl e injury.

The FAA currently uses serious injury (AIS Level 3) as an injury threshold in

othe r FA A regulations.

Note: It would be considered a “seri o us injury” if a person requires

hospitalization, but the injury is fully r e versible (including, but not li m ited to,

hea d trau m a

, broke n bone(s)

, o r laceration ( s) to t h e skin t h at r equires sut u ring).

2. D a m age to any property, other than the s m all UA, if the cost is greater than

$500 to repair or replace the p r operty (whichever is lower).

Note: For exa m ple, a s m all UA da m ages a property whose fair m arket value is

$200, and it would cost $ 600 to repair the da m age. Because the fair m arket

value is bel o w $500, this accide n t is not req u ired to be rep o rted. Si m ilarl y

, if

the aircraft causes $200 worth of da m age to property whose fair m arket value

is $600, that accide n t is also not re q uired to be reported b ecause the repair cost

i s belo w $500.6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

4

- 4 4.5.1 Sub m itting the Report. T he acci d ent report m ust be m ade within 10 calen d ar

- days of t h e

operation t h at c r eated t h e inj u ry or d a m age. The report m ay be sub m itted to the

appropriate FAA Regional O p erations Center ( R OC) elec t ronically or by telephone.

Electronic reporting can be co mpleted at www.f a a.gov/uas/. To m ake a report by phone,

se e Figur e 4

- 1

, FA A R e giona l Operation s Cen ters Telephone List. Reports m ay also be

m ade to the neare s t j u ri s dictional F S DO

(http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_office s /fsdo/). The report should include the

f

ollowing i n f or m ation:

1. sUAS r e m ote PIC’s name and contact infor m ation;

2. sUAS re m ote PIC’s FA A air m an certificate n u mber;

3. sUAS registration nu m ber issued to the aircraft, if requir e d (FAA registration

nu m ber);

4. Location of the accident;

5. Date of the accide n t;

6. Ti m e of the accide n t;

7. Person(s) injured and extent of injury, if any or known;

8. Property da m aged and e xtent of damage

, i f an y o r known ; and

9. Description of what happened.

Figure 4

- 1. FAA Regional Operati on s Center s Telephon e List



### FAA REGIONAL OPE R ATIONS CENTERS

LOCATI O N WHER E ACC I DEN T OCCURRED: TE L EPHONE:

D C

, DE, M D

, NJ, N Y

, P A, WV, and V A 4 04

- 30 5

- 5 150

AL, CT, FL, GA, K Y, M A, ME, M S, N C, N H

, P R, R I

, SC, TN, V I,

and VT 4 04

- 30 5

- 5 156

AK, A S, A Z , C A

, CO, G U, HI, I D, MP

, MT, N V

, O R

, UT, W A, and WY 4 25

- 22 7

- 1 999

A R

, I A, IL, I N, KS, LA, M I, MN, MO, N D, NE, N M, O H, O K, S D

, T X

, and WI 8 17

- 22 2

- 5 006

4.5.2 National T ransportation Safety Board (NT S B) Reporting. In addition to the report

sub m itted to the ROC, and in acc o r d ance with t h e criteria e s tablis h ed by the NTSB,

certain sUAS accide n ts must also be reported to the NTSB. For m ore infor m ation, visit

www.ntsb.gov.6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

5

- 1 CHAPT ER 5

. PAR T 10 7 SUBPAR T B

, OPERA T ING LIMITATIONS FOR SMALL

UNMANNE D A I RCRAF T S YS T EM S (sUAS)

5.1 Applicabili t y. This chapter provides guidance r e garding s U AS operating li m itations and

the respo n sibiliti e s of the re m ote pilot in com m a nd (PIC), person m anipulating the

controls, visual observer (VO), and anyone else that m ay be d i rectly partici p ating in the

sUAS operation. A person is also a direct participant in the sUAS operation if his or her

involve m ent is necessary for the safe operation of the sUAS.

5.2 Aircraft O p eration. Just like a m anned

- aircraft PIC, the re m ote PIC o f a n sUA S is

dire c tly res p onsible f or, and is t h e f inal a uthorit y a s to

, th e ope r atio n o f tha t UAS

. The

re m ote PIC will have f i n al auth o rity over the fl i g ht. Additio n ally, a p ers o n m anipulating

the controls can partici p ate in flight operations under certain conditions. It is i m portant to

note that a person m ay not operate or act as a re m ote PIC or VO in the operation of m o re

than one UA at the sa m e ti m e. The following items describe the require m ents for both a

re m ote PIC and a person m a nipulatin g th e controls:

5.2.1 R e m o te PIC

. A perso n actin g a s a remot e P IC of an sUAS in the National Airspace

System (NAS) under part 107 m ust obtain a re m ote pilot certificate with an sUAS rating

issued by the FAA prior to sUAS operation. The re m ote PIC must have this certificate

easily acce s sible d u ring flight operations. Gui d a n ce regarding re m ote pilot certification is

found in Chapter 6, Part 107 Subpart C, R e m o te Pilot Certification. Again, the re m ote

PIC will ha v e the final authority and respon s i b ility for the operation and safety of an

sUAS operation conducted under part 107.

5.2.1.1 Additionally, part 107 per m its transf er of control of an sUAS between

certi f icated r e m ote pilot s . Two or m o re c e rti f i c at e d re m ote pilots t r ans f erri ng

operational contr o l (i

. e., the re m ote P I C designation) to each other m ay do so

only if they are both capable of m aintaining Visual Li n e o f Sigh t (VLOS ) of

the UA and without loss of control ( L OC). For exa m ple, one re m ote pilot m ay

be designated the re m ote PIC at the beginning of the operation, and then at

so m e point in the operation another re m o te pilot m ay take over as re m ote PIC

by positi v ely communicating that he or she is d o ing so. As the person

responsi b le for the safe operation of the UAS, any re m ote pilot who will

assu m e r e mote PIC duties should meet all of the require m ents of part 107,

inclu d ing awareness of factors t h at could affect the flight.

5.2.2 Person Manipulating the Flight Controls. A person who does not hold a remote pilot

certificate or a re m ote pilot that that has not m et the recurrent testing/training

require m ents of part 107 m ay operate the sUAS under part 107, as long as he or she is

directly supervised by a re m ote PIC and the remote PIC has the ability to im m ediately

take direct control of the sUAS. This ability is n e cessary to e nsure th a t t h e re m ote PIC

can quic k ly address any hazardous situation before an accident occurs. T he ability f o r the

re m ote PIC to im m ediately take over the flight controls could be achieved by using a

nu m ber of different m ethods. For exa mple, the operation could involve a “buddy box”

type system that uses t w o c ontr o l st a tions (CS ) : o ne f or t h e person m a nipulating the flight

contr o ls and one f or the re m ote PIC that allows t h e re m ote PIC to overr i d e the ot h er CS6/21/16 AC 107

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- 2 and im m ed i ately take direct control of the s m all UA. Anoth e r m ethod could involve the

re m ote PIC standing close enough to the person m anipulating the flight control s s o a s to

be able to physically take over the CS from the other person. A third m ethod could

emplo y th e us e o f a n aut o m ation system whereby the r emot e PI C coul d immediately

engage that system to put the s m all UA in a pre

- program m ed “safe” m ode (such as in a

hover, in a holding pattern, or “return ho m e”).

5.2.3 Autono m ous Operations. An autonomous operation is generally considered an operation

in which the re m ote pilot inputs a flight plan int o th e CS

, whic h s ends it to the autopilot

onboard the s m all UA. During automated fli g ht

, fligh t contro l inputs are m ade by

co mponents onboard the aircraft, not from a CS. Thus, the remote PIC could lose the

contr o l link to the s m all UA and the air c ra f t would still continue to fly the programmed

m ission/return ho m e to land. During auto m ated flight, the re m ote PIC also m ust have the

ability to c h ange routin g /altitu d e or c o m m and the air c ra f t to land im m ediately. The

ability to direct the s m all UA m ay be through m anual m anipul a tion of the flight controls

or through com m ands u s ing auto m ation.

5.2.3.1 The re m ote PIC m ust retain the abili t y to di r ect t h e s m all UA to ensure

co mpliance with the require m ents of p a rt 107. T here are a nu m ber of different

m ethods that a re m ote PIC m ay utilize to direct the s m all UA to ensure

co mpliance with part 107. For examp l e, the remote pilot m ay trans m it a

command for the autonomous aircraft to cli m b, descend, land now, proceed to

a new waypoint, enter an orbit pattern, or return to ho m e. Any of th ese

m ethods m a y be used to satisfactorily avoid a hazard or give right of way.

5.2.3.2 The use of auto m ation does not allow a person to si m ultaneously operate m ore

than one s m all UA.

5.3 Aeronautical Decision

- Making (ADM) and Crew Resource Manag e ment (CRM).

ADM is a syste m atic ap p roach to the m ental process used by pilots to co n siste n tly

deter m ine the best course of action in respon s e to a given set of circu m stances. A remote

PI C use s m a n y differen t resourc e s to safely operate an sUAS and needs to be able to

m anage these resources effectively. CRM is a component of ADM, where the pilot of

sUAS m akes effective u se of all availab l e resources: hu m an resources, hardware, and

infor m ation. Many re m o te pilots operating under part 107 m ay use a VO, oversee other

persons m anipulating the controls of the s m all UA, or any other person who the re m ote

PIC m ay interact with to ensure safe operation s

. Therefore, a re m ote PIC must be able to

f unction in a team environ m ent and m axi m ize team per f ormance. This s kill s et incl u des

situ ational awareness, proper allocation of tasks to indiv iduals

, avoidanc e o f work

overloads in self and in oth e rs, and effectively communicati n g with other m e mbers of the

crew, such as VOs and persons m anipulating t h e controls of an sUAS. Appendix A, Risk

Assess m ent Tools, contains expanded infor m ation on ADM and CRM, as well as sa mple

risk a s sess m ent to o ls to aid in ide n ti f ying haz a rds and m itigating risks.

5.4 Aircraft Registr a tion. A s m all UA must be registered, a s provide d fo r i n 1 4 CF R p a r t 47

or part 48 prior to operating under part 107. P a rt 48 is the regulation tha t establishe s the

strea m lined online registration option for sUAS t h a t wil l b e operate d onl y withi n the6/21/16 AC 107

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- 3 ter r it o ri a l li m its of the United St a t e s. The onli n e regi s t r ati o n W eb add ress is

http://www.faa.gov/uas/registration/. Guidance regarding s U AS registration and m ar k ing

m ay be fou n d at http:/ /www.faa.gov / licenses_certifica t es/aircraft_certification/

air c ra f t_re g istry/. Alt e r n ativ el y, sUAS can elect to register under part 47 in the sa m e

m anner as manned aircraft.

5.4.1 Registration of Foreign

- Owned and Operated s U AS. If sUAS operations involve the use

o f foreig n civi l aircraft

, th e operator would need to obtain a F oreign Aircraft Per m it

pursuant to 14 CFR part 375, § 375.41 before conducting any commercial air operations

under this authority. Foreign civil aircraft m eans, a) an aircraft of fore ign registry that is

not part of the ar m ed fo r ces of a foreign n ation

, o r b ) a U.S.

- registere d aircraf t owned,

controlled, or operated by persons w ho are not citize n s or per m ane n t residents of the

United States. Application instructions are specified in § 375.43. Applications should be

sub m itted by ele c tronic m ail to the Depart m e nt of Transportation (DOT) Of f ice of

Inter n ational Aviation, F oreign Air C arrier Licen s ing Divisio n

. Additional infor m ation

can be obtained at https://c m s.dot.gov/policy /aviation

- policy/licensing/foreign

- carriers.

5.5 sUAS Maintenance, In sp ections, a n d Condition for Safe Operation. A n sUA S m u s t

be m aintained in a condition for safe oper a tion. P rior to flight, the re m ote PIC is

responsible for conducting a check of the sUAS a nd verifying that it is actually in a

conditio n fo r saf e operation

. Guidanc e regardin g how to deter m ine that an sUAS is in a

condition for safe operation is found in Cha p ter 7, sUAS Maintenance and Inspection.

5.6 Medical Condition. Bein g abl e t o safel y operat e th e sUAS relies on, a m ong other things,

the physical and m ental capabilities of the r e m ote PIC, person m anipulating the controls,

VO, and any other direct participant in the sUAS operation. T hough the person

m anipulating the controls of an sUAS and VO are not required to obtain an air m an

m edical certificate, they m ay not participate in the operation of an sUAS if they know or

have reason to know that they have a physical or m ental condition that c o uld interfere

with the safe operation of the sUA S.

5.6.1 Physical or Mental Incapacitations. Obvious examples of physical or m ental

incapa c it a ti o ns that could render a r e mote P I C, person m anipulating the controls, or VO

incapable of perfor m ing their sUAS operat i onal duties incl u de, but a r e n ot li m ited t o

,

suc h thing s as:

1. The te mporary or per m anent loss of the dexterit y necessar y t o operat e th e CS

to sa f ely co n trol the s m all UA.

2. The inability to m aintain the req u ir e d “see and avoid” vigilance due to blurred

vision.

3. The inability to m aintain proper s it u ation a l awa r eness of the s m all UA

operations due to illness and/or m e dication(s), such as after taking

m edications with cautions not to drive or operate heavy m achinery.

4. A debilitati n g physical condition, s u ch as a m igraine hea d ache or m oderate or

severe body ache(s) or pain(s) that would render the re m ote PIC, person

m anipulating the controls, or VO unable t o perfor m sUA S op e rationa l duties.6/21/16 AC 107

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- 4 5. A hearing or speaking impair m ent that would inhibit the re m ote PIC, person

m anipulating the control s, and VO f r om effectively com m un i cating with each

other. In a situation such as this, the re m ote PIC must ensure that an

alternative m eans of effecti v e communication is i m ple m ented. For example, a

person who is hearing impaired m a y be a bl e t o effectivel y us e sig n language

to com m un i cate.

5.7 VLOS Aircraft Operation. The remote PIC and person m a nipulating the controls must

be able to s e e the s m all UA at all ti m es during flight. Therefore, the s m all UA m ust be

operated cl o sely enough to the CS to ens u re visi b i lity require m ents are met during

s m all UA operations. This require m ent also app l ie s t o th e VO

, i f use d durin g th e aircraft

operation. However, the person m aintaining V L OS m ay have brief m o m e nts in which he

or she is not looking directly at or cannot see the s m all UA, but still retai n s the capability

to see the UA or quickly m aneuver it back to VLOS. These mo m ents can be for the safety

of the operation (e.g., looking at the control l er to see battery life re m aining) or for

operational necessity. F or oper a tional necessity, the re m ote PIC or person m anipulating

the controls m ay intenti o nally m aneuver the UA s o that he o r she loses si g ht of it f or b rief

periods of ti m e. Should the re m ote PIC or person m anipulating the controls lose VLOS of

the s m all UA, he or she must regain VLOS as soon as practicable. For exa m ple, a remote

PIC stationed on the ground utilizing a s m all UA to inspect a rooftop m ay lose sight of

the aircraft for brief periods while inspecting the farthest point of the roof. As another

exa mple, a re m ote PIC c onducting a search operatio n aroun d a f ire scene with a

s m all UA may briefly lose sight of the aircraft w hile it is te mporarily behind a dense

colu m n of s m oke. How e ver, it m ust be e mphasized that even though the re m ote PIC m ay

briefly lose si ght of the s m all UA, he or she always has the see

- a n d

- avoid responsibilities

set out in part 107, §§ 107.31 and 107.37. The circu m stances of what would prevent a

re m ote PIC from fu l f illing those re s ponsibili t ies will vary, d epending on factors such as

the type of UAS, the operational environ m ent, and distance between the re m ote PIC and

the UA. For this reason, there is no specific ti m e interval that interruption of VLOS is

per m issible, as it would have the effect of potentially allowi n g a hazardo u s interru p ti o n

o r prohibitin g a reasonabl e one

. I f VLO S ca nnot be regained, the re m ote PIC or person

m anipulating the controls should follow pre

- deter m ined procedures for a loss of VLOS.

These procedures are deter m ined by the ca p abilities of the sUAS and m ay include

im m ediately landing the UA, entering hover mo de, or returning to ho m e sequence. T hus,

the VLOS require m ent would not pr o hibit actions such as scanning the airspace or b riefly

looking down at the s m all UA CS.

5.7.1 Unaided Vision. VLOS must be acco m plished and m aintained by unaided vision, except

vision t h at is corrected b y the use of eyegl a s s es (spectacle s ) or contact lenses. Vision

aids

, suc h a s binoculars

, m ay be used only m o m e ntarily to e n hance situational aware n ess.

For exa m ple, the re m ote PIC, person m an i pulating the controls, or VO m a y use vision

aids to avoid flying over persons or conflicting w ith other air c raft. Si m ilarly, first person

view devices m ay be u s ed during operations, but do not satisfy the VLOS require m ent.

W hile the r u le does n o t s et spe c i f ic vision stan d a r ds, the FAA recom m ends that re m ote

PICs, persons m anipulating the controls, a nd VOs m aintain 20/20 distant vision acuity

(corrected) and nor m al f i eld of vision.6/21/16 AC 107

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- 5 5.7.2 VO. The use of a VO is optional. The re m ote PIC m ay choose to use a V O to supple m ent

situational awareness and V L OS. Although the re m ote PIC a nd person manipulating the

contr o ls m u st m aintain the capability to s ee the UA, using one or m ore VOs allows the

re m ote PIC and person m anipulating the contr o ls to conduct other m i ssion

- critical duties

(such as checking displays) while still ens u ring situational awareness of the UA. The VO

must be able to effectively communicate:

• The s m all UA location, attitude, al titude

, an d directio n o f flight;

• The position of o ther aircraft or hazards in t h e airspace; and

• The deter m ination that the UA does not e ndanger the life or pr opert y o f another.

5.7.2.1 To ensure that the VO can carry out his or her duties, the re m o te PIC m ust

ensure t h at the VO is positio n ed in a location where he o r she is able to s e e the

s m all UA su ff iciently to m aintain VLOS. The remote PIC can do this by

specifying the location of the VO. The F AA also requi r es t h a t the re m ote PIC

and VO coordinate to 1 ) scan the airspace where the s m all UA is o perating for

any potential colli s ion h azard, and 2 ) m a intain awareness of the position of

the s m all UA through direct v isual o bservation. This would be acco mplished

by the VO m aintaining visual contact with the s m all UA and the su rro u nding

airspace, a n d then communicating to t h e re m ote PIC and person m anipulating

the controls the flight status of the s m all UA and any hazar d s which m ay enter

the area of operation, so that the r e m ote PIC or person m anipulating the

controls can take appropriat e action.

5.7.2.2 To m ake this communication possible, the re m o t e PIC, person m anipulating

th e controls

, an d V O m u s t wor k ou t a m ethod of effe c tive communication,

which does not create a distraction and allows them to understand each other.

The communication m ethod m u st be dete r m ined prior to operation. This

effective c o mmunicati o n require m ent would per m it the use of

communication

- assistin g devices

, suc h a s a hand

- held radio, to facilitate

communication from a dista n ce.

5.8 Operation Near Airports; in Certain Airspace; in Prohi b ited or Restricted Areas; or

in the Proximity of Certain Areas Designated by a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM).

Though m any sUAS op e rations will occur in u n c ontrolled airspace, t h ere are so m e that

m ay need to operate in controlled airspace. Operations in Class B, Class C, or Class D

airspace, or within t h e l a teral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace

designated for an airport, are not allowed unless that person has prior authorization from

air traffic control (ATC). T h e link to the current authorizat ion process can be found at

www

. faa.gov/uas/

. Th e sUA S r e m o t e PI C m u s t understand airspace classifications and

require m ents. Failure to do so would be in violation of the part 107 regulations and m ay

potentially h ave an adverse safety effect. A lthou g h sUAS will not be subject to part 91,

the equi p age and communications re quire m ents outli n ed in p art 91 we r e designed to

provide safety and efficiency in controlled airspace. Accordingly, while sUAS operating

under part 107 are not subject to part 91, as a practical m atter, ATC authorization or

clearance m ay depend on operational para m et e rs si m ilar to those found in part 91. The6/21/16 AC 107

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- 6 FAA has the authority to approve or deny ai rcraf t operation s bas ed on traffic density,

controller workload, communicati o n issues, or any other type of operations that could

potentially impact the safe and expeditious f l ow o f air traffic in that airs p a ce. Those

planning s U AS operations in controlled airsp a ce are enco u raged to contact the FAA as

early as possible. (For suggested references, please see paragraph 2.3.)

5.8.1 S m all UA Operations N e ar an Airp o r t

— Noti f ication and Permissions. Unless the flight is

conducted w ithin controlled airspace, no notification or authorization is ne cessary to

operate at or near an airport. W hen operating in the vici n ity o f an airpo r t, the re m ote PIC

must be aware of all traffic patterns and a pproach corridors to runway s an d landin g areas.

The re m ote PIC m ust avoid operating anywhere that the pr es ence of the s UAS m ay

interfere with operations at the airp o r t, such as approach corridors, taxiways, runways, or

helipads. Further m ore, the re m ote PIC m ust yield right

- of

- way to all other aircraft,

inclu d ing aircraft operating on the s u rface of the airport

.

5.8.1.1 R e m ote PICs are prohibited from op e rating th e ir s m all UA in a m anner that

int e r f eres with oper a tio n s and tra ff ic patterns at airports, heliports, and

seapla n e ba s es. W hile a s m all UA m u st always yield right

- of

- way to a

m anned aircraft, a m anned aircraft may alter its flightpa t h, delay its landing,

o r tak e of f i n orde r t o avoi d a n sUA S that m ay present a p o t e nti a l con f li c t or

otherwise affect the safe outco m e of t he flight. For exa m ple, a UA hovering

200 feet above a runway m ay cause a ma nned aircraft holding short of the

runway to delay takeoff, or a m anned aircraft on the downwind leg of the

pattern to delay landing. While the U A in this scenario would not pose an

im m ediate t r a ff ic con f lict to t h e airc r a f t on the d o wnwind leg of the tra f f ic

patt e rn or to the airc r a f t inten d ing to take off, nor would it violate the

right

- of

- way provision of § 107.37(a), the s m all UA would have interfered

with the operations of the tr a ffic pattern at an airport.

5.8.1.2 In order to avoid interfe r ing with operations in a traffic pattern, re m ote PICs

should avoid operating in the traffic patt e rn or published approach corridors

used by m anned aircraft. When operational nece s sity requires the re m ote PIC

to operate at an airp o rt in uncontr o lled airs p ace, the re m ote PIC should

operate the s m all UA in such a way that the m anned aircraft pilot does not

need to alter his or her flightpath in the traffic pattern or on a published

instru m ent approach in order to avo i d a potentia l collision

. Becaus e re m o t e

PICs have an obligation to yield right

- of

- way to all other aircraft and avoid

interfering in traffic pattern operation s

, the FAA expects that most re m ote

PICs will a v oid oper a ti n g in the v icinity of airp o rts be c ause their a ir c ra f t

generally do not require airpo r t in f r a stru c ture, a n d the concentration of other

aircraft increases in t h e vicinity of airports.

5.8.2 Air Traffic Organization (ATO). The ATO do e s no t hav e th e authorit y t o den y sUAS

operations o n the basis o f equipage that exceeds the part 107 require m ents. Because

additional equipage and technologies, such as geo

- fencing

, hav e no t bee n certificate d by

the FAA, they need to b e exa m ined on a case

- b y

- case b asis in order for the FAA to

deter m ine t h eir r eliability and f unctional i ty. Additio n ally, re q uiring ATC to re v iew6/21/16 AC 107

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- 7 equipag e woul d plac e a burde n o n AT C an d de tract from other duties. Instead, a re m ote

pilot who wishes to operate in contr o lled airs p ace because he or she can d e m onstrate

m itigations through equipage m ay do so by appl y ing for a waiver (see paragraph 5.19).

5.8.3 Recurring or Long

- Term Operations. For rec u rring or long

- term operations in a given

volu m e of controlled airspace, prior autho r izati o n could per h aps include a letter of

agree m ent (L OA) to identi f y short fa lls and establis h operatin g procedure s fo r sUAS.

This LOA will o u tline t h e ability to integr a te i n to the existing air tra ff ic o peration and

m ay i m prove the likeli h ood of access to the a i rs p ace where o perations are proposed. This

agree m ent will ens u re a ll p a rties in v olved a r e aware of li m it a tions and c o nditions and

will ena b le the sa f e f low of aircra f t o perations in that a irs p ac e . For short

- term or

short

- notice operations proposed in controll e d airpor t airspace , a LO A ma y no t be

f

easible. P r ior autho r iz at ion is required in all cases.

5.8.4 Te mporary Flight Restrictions. Cer t ain te m porary flight restrictions

(http://tfr.faa.gov/tfr2/list.ht m l ) m ay be i m posed by way of a NOTAM

(https://pilotweb.nas.faa.gov/Pilot W e b/). There f ore, it is necessary for the sUAS r e m ote

PIC to check for NOTAMs before each flight to deter m ine if there are a n y applicable

airspace restrictions.

5.8.5 Type of Airspace. It is important t h at sUAS remote PICs al s o be aware o f the type of

airsp a ce in which they will be op er ating their s m all UA. Re f erring to t h e B4UFly app or a

curre n t a e r o nauti c al ch a rt ( h tt p :// f a a charts. f aa.g o v/) of the i n tended oper a ting a rea will

aid the sUAS re m ote PIC’s deci s io nm aking regarding operations in the NAS.

5.9 Preflight F amiliari z ation, Inspection, and Actions for Ai r craft Oper a tion. The

re m ote PIC must co mp l ete a p refli g ht fa m iliarization, inspection, and o t h er actions, s uch

as crew m e mber briefings, prior to beginni n g fligh t operations

. Th e FA A ha s produced

m any publications providing in

- depth infor m a tion on topics such as aviation weather,

aircraft loa d ing and per f or m ance, e m ergency procedures, A D M, and airspace, which

should all be considered prior to operations (see p aragraph 5. 2 0). Additio n ally, all remote

pilots are encouraged to review FA A publication s (se e paragrap h 2.3).

5.9.1 Prior to F li g ht. The re m ote PIC m ust:

1. Conduct an assess m ent of the operating environ m ent. The a ssess m ent must

include at l e ast t h e f oll o wing:

• Local weather conditions,

• Local airspace and any fligh t restrictions,

• Th e locatio n o f person s an d property on the surface, and

• Other grou n d hazards.6/21/16 AC 107

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- 8 2. Ensure th a t all p e rsons d ire c tly p a rti c ipating in t h e s m all UA operation a r e

infor m ed about the following:

• Operating conditions,

• E m ergency procedures,

• Contingenc y procedures,

• Roles and responsibilities of each person involved in the operation, and

• Potentia l hazards.

3. Ensure th a t all co n tr o l links bet ween the CS and the s m all UA are working

properly. F o r exa m ple, before each flight, t h e re m ote PIC m ust deter m ine that

the s m all UA f light control sur f a c es n ecessary for the saf e ty of flight are

moving correctly through the m anipulation of the s m all UA CS. If the remote

PIC observes that one or m ore of t h e control surfaces are not responding

correctl y t o C S inputs

, the n th e rem o te PIC m ay not conduct flight operations

until cor r ect move m ent of all f light c ontrol s u r f a c e(s) is e s tablished.

4. Ensure there is sufficient power to c o ntinue controlled flight operations to a

nor m al landing. One of the ways that t h is could be done is by following the

sUAS m anufacturer’s o p erating m anual power consu mption tables. Another

m ethod would be to include a system on the sUAS that detects power levels

and al e rts t h e re m ote pilot when remai n ing aircraft power is di m inishing to a

level that is inadequ a te fo r continue d fligh t operation.

5. Ensure that any object attached o r carr i ed by the s m all UA is secure and d oes

not adversely affect the flight characteri stic s o r controllabi lity of the aircraft.

6. Ensure that all necessary docu m en t ation is available for inspection, including

the re m ote PIC’s re m ote pilot ce r ti f i c ate, a ir c ra f t regi s tr a tion (if required), and

Certific a te o f W aiver (Co W ) (if applicable).

5.9.2 Sa f ety Risk Assess m ent. These pre f light f a m iliarizatio n s, ins p ectio n s, and actio n s can be

acco mplished as part of an overall safety risk a ss ess m ent. The FAA encourages t h e

re m ote PIC to conduct the overall sa f ety risk asse ss m ent as a m ethod of co mpliance with

the prohibition on operations over certain perso n s and the re q uire m ent to re m ain clear of

other aircraft, which are discussed in paragraphs 5.11 and 5.12. Appendix A provides

additional guidance on how to conduct an overall safety risk assess m ent.

5.10 Operating Limit a tions for Small UA. The small UA m ust be operated in acc o rda n ce

with the f ollowing li m itations:

• Cannot be flown faster than a groundspeed of 87 knots (100 m iles per hour);

• Cannot be flown higher than 400 feet above ground level (AGL), unless flown within

a 400

- foot radius of a structure and do e s not fly higher than 400 feet above the

structure’s immediate upper m ost li m it;

• Mini m u m v i sibility, as observed from the location of the CS, m ay not be less than

3 stat u te m iles (s m ); and6/21/16 AC 107

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5

- 9 • Mini m u m d i stance from clouds being no less than 500 feet below a cloud and no less

than 2000 feet horizontally from the cloud.

Note: These operating li m itations are int e nded, a m ong other things, to support

the re m ote pilot’s a b ility to ide n tify hazardous c o nditions relating to

encroaching aircraft or persons on t h e ground, and to take the appropriate

actio n s to maint a in sa f ety.

5.10.1 Deter m ining Groundspeed. There are m any differe n t types of sUAS and different ways to

deter m ine groundspeed. Therefore, this guid a n ce will only t o uch on so m e of the possible

ways for the re m ote PIC to ensure that the s m all UA does not exceed a g r oundspeed o f

87 knots during flight operation s . So m e of the possible ways to ensure that 87 knots is

not excee d ed are as follows:

• Installing a Global Positioning System ( G PS) device on the s m all UA th a t reports

groundspeed infor m ation to the re m ote pil o t, wherein the re m o te pilot takes into

account the wind direction and speed and calculates the s m a ll UA airspeed for a given

directio n o f flight

, or

• Ti m ing the groundspeed of the s m all UA when it is flown between two or m ore fixed

points, taki n g into acco u nt wind speed a nd direction between each poi n t, then noting

the power settings of the s m all UA to operate at or less than 87 knots groundspeed, or

• Using the s m all UA’s m anufacturer design li m itations (e.g., installed groundspeed

li m iters).

5.10.2 Deter m ining Altitu d e

. In order to comply w ith t h e m axi m u m altitu d e req u i r e m ents of

part 107, as with deter m ining groun d speed, there are m ultiple ways to deter m ine a

s m all UA’s altitude above the ground or struc t ure. So m e possible ways f or a re m ote pilot

to det e r m ine altitude a re as f ollows:

• Inst a lling a cali b rated altitu d e rep o rting devi c e o n the s m all UA that re p orts t h e

s m all UA altitude abo v e m ean sea level (MSL) to the re m ote pilot, wh e r e in the

re m ote pilot subtra c ts the MSL elevation of the CS f rom the s m all UA reported MSL

altitude to d eter m ine the s m all UA AGL altitu d e above th e terrain o r str u cture;

• Installing a GPS device on the s m all UA that also has the capability of reporting MSL

altitude to t h e re m ote pilot;

• W ith the s m all UA on the ground, have the re m o t e pilot and VO pace off 400 feet

from the small UA to get a visual pers p ective of the s m all UA at that d i s tance,

wherein t h e re m ote pilot and VO m aintain that visua l perspectiv e o r close r whil e the

s m all UA is in f light; or

• Using the known height of local rising terrain an d /or structures as a reference.

5.10.3 Visibility and Distance f rom Clouds. Once t h e remote PIC and VO have been able to

reliably e st a blish t h e small UA AGL alti t ude, it is incu m bent on the re m ote PIC to

deter m ine t h at vi s ibility f rom the CS is at least 3 s m and that the s m all UA is kept at l e ast

500 feet below a cloud and at least 2,000 feet horizontally from a cloud. One of the ways6/21/16 AC 107

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5

- 10 to ensure adherence to the m in i m u m visib i lity and cloud cleara n ce require m ents is to

obtain local aviation weather reports that i n clude current and forecast weather conditi o ns.

If there is more than o n e local avi a tion r eportin g statio n nea r the operati n g area, the

re m ote PIC should choose the closest one that is also the m o s t representative of the

terrain surrounding the operating area

. I f loca l a viatio n weath e r reports are not available,

then the remote PIC m ay not oper a te the s m all UA if he or she is not able to deter m ine

the required visibility an d clou d clearance s b y othe r reliab le m eans. It is imperative that

the UA not be operated above any cloud, and that there are no obstructions to visibility,

such as s m oke or a cloud, between the UA and the re m ote PIC.

5.11 Prohibited Operation Over Pers o n s. Part 107 prohibits a person from flying a s m all

UA directly over a person who is not under a safe cove r, such as a protective structure or

a stationary vehicle. However, a small UA m ay be flown over a person who is directly

particip a ting in the op e r a tion of the s UAS, such as the re m ote PIC, other person

m anipulating the controls, a VO, or crew m e m b ers necessary for the safety of the sUAS

operation, as assigned and briefed by the re m ote PIC. There are several ways that the

sUAS re m ote PIC can c o mply with t h ese req u ire m ents, such as:

• Selecting an operational area (site) that is clearly unpopulate d /uninhabited. If

sele c ting a s ite that is p o pulate d /inh a bited, have a plan of action which ensures

persons remain clear of the operating area, re m ain indoors, or re m ain under safe

cover until s uch ti m e that the s m all UA f light has ended. Safe cover is a st ructure or

stationary vehicle that would protect a person from harm i f the s m all UA were to

crash i n to t h at struct u re or vehicle;

• Establishing an operational a r ea in which the re mote PIC has taken reasonable

preca u tions to keep free of persons not directly p articipating in the operation of the

sUAS;

• Choosing an operating area that is sparsely populated, or, ideally, clear of persons if

operating a s m all UA from a m oving vehicle;

• Having a plan of action that ensures the s m all UA re m ains clear of pe rsons who m ay

enter the o p erating area.

• Adopt an appropriate operating distance from pe r sons not directly participating in the

operation of the sUAS.

5.12 Remaining Clear of Other Aircraft. A re m ote PIC has a responsibility to operate the

s m all UA so it r e m ains clear of and y ields to all o ther a ir c ra f t. This is tra d ition a lly

referred to as “see and avoid.” To satisfy t h is responsibility, the re m ote PIC m ust know

the location and flight path of his or her s ma ll UA at all ti m es. The re m ote PIC m ust be

aware of other aircraft, persons, and property in the vicinity of the operating area, and

m aneuver the s m all UA to avoid a c o lli s ion, as w ell as preve n t other aircraft from having

to take acti o n to avoid t h e s m all UA.

5.13 Operations from Mo v i ng Vehicles. Part 107 per m its operation of an sUAS from a

moving land or water

- borne vehicle over a sparsely

- popul a te d area

. However

, operation

from a m ov i ng aircraft is prohibited. A dditionally, s m all UA t ransporting another6/21/16 AC 107

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5

- 11 person’s property for compensation or h ire m ay not be operated from any m oving

vehicle.

5.13.1 Waiving the Sparsely

- Populated Area Provision. Although the regul a tion states that

operations from a m oving vehicle m a y only be conducted over a spa r sely

- populate d area,

this provision m ay be waived (see paragr a ph 5.19). The operation is subject to the sa m e

restrictions that apply to all other part 107 operations. F o r instance, the remote PIC

operating from a m oving vehicle is still r equi r ed to m aintain VLOS and operations ar e

still prohibited over persons not directly involved in the operation of the sUAS unless

under safe cover. The remote PIC is also responsible for ensur i ng that no person is

subjec t t o undu e ris k a s a resul t o f LO C of the s m all UA for any reason. If a VO is not

located in t h e sa m e vehicle as the remote P I C, the VO and remote PIC must still m aintain

effective c o mmunicati o n.

5.13.2 Careless or Reckless Operation of sUAS. Part 107 also prohibits careless or reckless

operation of an sUAS. Flying an sUAS while driving a m oving vehicle is considered to

be careless o r rec k less b e cause t h e person’s attention would be hazardously divided.

Therefore, the re m ote PIC or person m anipul a ti n g the f light c ontrols canno t operat e an

sUAS and drive a m oving vehicle in a safe m anner and re m ain in co mplia nce with

part 107.

5.13.3 Applicable Laws. Other laws, such as state a n d loca l traffi c laws

, m a y also apply to the

conduct of a person driving a vehicle. Many st ate s currentl y prohib it distracted driving

and state or local laws may a l so be a m ended in the future to i m pose restrictions on how

cars and public roads m ay be used with regar d t o a n sUA S operation

. Th e FAA

e mphasizes that people involved in an s UAS op e ration are responsible for co m plying

with all applicable laws and no t jus t th e FAA’ s regulations.

5.14 Transportation of Pro p erty. Part 107 per m its transport a tion of property by sUAS for

co mpensation or hire. These operations m ust be conducted within a confined area and in

co mpliance with the operating restri c tions of part 107. W hen conducting the

transportation of property, the transport m ust occur wholly w i thin the bounds of a state.

It m ay not involve transport between, 1) Hawaii and another place in Hawaii t h rough

airspace outside Hawaii, 2) the Di s trict of Columbia (DC) a n d another p l ace in DC, or

3) a territory or posses s i o n of the United Sta t es a n d another p l ace in the sa m e territory or

possession, as this is de f ined by statu t e as interstate a i r transportation.

5.14.1 Li m itations. As with other operations in part 107, sUAS operations involving the

transport of property m ust be conducted wit h in VLOS of the re m ote pilot. While the

VLOS l i m itation can be waived for so m e operations under the rule, it cannot for

transportatio n o f property

. A dditionally, part 107 does not allo w th e operatio n o f an

sUAS from a m oving v e hicle or aircraft if the small UA is being used to transport

property for co m pensation or hire. This li m itation cannot be w aived. The m ax i m u m total

weight of the s m all UA (in c luding any property being transported) is limited to under

55 pounds. Additionall y , other pro v isions of part 107 require the re m ote pilot to know the

UA’s location; to d e te r m ine the UA’s attitude, altitude, and direction; to yield the

right

- of

- way to other aircraft; and to m aintain the ability to see and avoid other aircraft.6/21/16 AC 107

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5

- 12 5.14.2 Hazardous Materials. P art 107 does not allow t h e carriage of hazardous m aterials because

the carriage of hazardo u s m ateria l s p oses a higher level of ri s k.

5.15 Operations while Impaired. Part 107 does not allow operation of an s UAS if the remote

PIC, person m anipulating the controls, or VO is unable to safely carry out his or her

responsibilities. It is the re m ote PIC’s responsibility to ensure all crew m e mbers are not

participating in the operation while impair ed

. Whil e dru g an d alcoho l us e ar e know n to

i mpair judg m ent, certain over

- t h e

- counter m edicatio n s and m edical conditions could also

a ff ect the a b ility to s a f ely operate a s m all UA. For exa mple, certain antihista m ines and

decongestants m ay cause drowsiness. W e also emphasize that par t 10 7 prohibit s a person

from serving as a re m ote PIC, person m anipulating the controls, VO, or other

crew m e m b e r if he or she:

• Consu m ed any alcoholic beverage withi n th e precedin g 8 hours;

• Is under the influence of alcohol;

• Has a blood alcohol concentration of .04 percent or g r eater ; and/or

• Is using a drug that affects the per s on’ s m e nta l o r physica l capabilities.

5.15.1 Medical Conditions. Certain m edical conditions, such as epilepsy, m ay also create a risk

to operations. It is the remote PIC’s re s ponsibility to deter m ine that their m edical

condition is under control and they c a n safely conduct a UAS operation.

5.16 Daylight Operations. P art 107 prohibits operation of an sUAS at night, which is defined

in part 1 as the ti m e between the end of evening civil twilight and the beginning of

morning civil twilight, as published in The A i r Al m anac, converted to local ti m e. In the

continental United States (CONUS), evening c i vil twilight is the period of sunset until

30 m inutes after sunset and m orning civil twilig h t is t h e pe r i o d of 30 m inutes p r ior to

sunris e unti l sunrise

. I n Alask a

, the definition of civil twilight differs and is described in

The Air Al m anac. The Air Al m an a c provides t a bles which are used to deter m ine sunrise

and sunset at various latitude s. These tab l es can also be downloaded from t he Naval

Observatory and custo m ized for your location. The link for the Naval Observatory is

http://aa.us n o.navy. m il/publication s /docs/aira.p h p.

5.16.1 Civil Twilight Operations. W hen sUAS oper a tions are conducted du r ing civil twilight,

the s m all UA m u st be equipped with anticollision lights that are capa bl e o f bein g visible

f

or at le a st 3 s m . However, the re m ote PIC m ay reduce the visible distance of the lighting

less than 3 sm during a given flight if he or she h a s deter m in e d that it wo u ld be in the

interest of safety to do so, for exa m p l e if it i m pacts his or her night vision. sUAS not

operate d durin g civi l twiligh t a re not required to be equipped with anti

- c o l lision lig h ti n g.

5.17 In

- Flight E mergency. An in

- flight e m ergency is an unexpected and un f oreseen serious

occurrence or situation that requires urgent, prompt acti on

. I n cas e o f a n in

- flight

e m ergency, the re m ote PIC is per m itted to devia t e from any rule of part 107 to the extent

necessary to respond to that e m ergency. A re m o t e PIC who exercises this e m ergency

power to deviate from the rules of part 107 is required, upon FAA request, to send a6/21/16 AC 107

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5

- 13 written report to the FAA explaining the deviation. E m ergency action should be taken in

such a way as to m ini m i ze injury or da m age to property.

5.18 Careless or Reckless Operation. As with m anned aircraft, re m ote PICs are prohibited

from engaging in a careless or reckless operat i on. W e also note that b eca u se sUAS have

additional o perating co n sideratio n s that a r e not present in m anned aircraft operations,

there m ay be additional activity tha t woul d b e careles s o r reckles s i f conducte d using

an sUAS. For exa m ple, failure to consider weathe r condition s nea r structures

, trees

, or

rolling terrain when operat i ng in a densely populated area could be deter m i ned as

careless o r reckless o p eration.

5.19 Certificate of Waiver. Par t 10 7 includes the option to apply f o r a Certificate of W aiver

(Co W ). This CoW will a llow an sUAS operation to deviate f rom certain p r ovisions of

part 107 if the Ad m inistrator finds that the propose d operatio n ca n b e safel y conducted

under the ter m s of that Co W

. A list of the w a ivable sections of part 107 can be found in

§ 107.20 5 and are listed below:

• Section 107.25, Operation from a m o ving vehic l e or aircraft. However, no waiver of

this pro v i s i o n will be is s ued to allow the c a rriage of property of another b y air c ra f t

for co mpensation or hire.

• Section 107.29, Daylight operation.

• Sectio n 107.31

, Visua l lin e o f sigh t aircraf t operation. However, no waiver of this

provision will be issued to a llow the carriage of p roperty of another by aircraft for

co m pensation or hire.

• Sectio n 107.33

, Visua l observer.

• Section 107

. 35, Operati o n of m ultiple s m all unmanned aircraft syste m s.

• Section 107.37(a), Yield i ng the right of way.

• Section 107.39, Operation over people.

• Section 107.41, Operation in certain airspace.

• Section 107.51, Operating li m itations for s m all un m anned aircraft.

5.19.1 Applying for a Co W

. To apply for a C o W under § 107.200, an applicant must go to

www

. faa.gov/uas / an d foll ow th e instructions.

5.19.2 Application Process. The application must contain a co m plete description of the proposed

operation and a justification, including supporti n g data and docu m entation (as necessary),

that establishes that the propo s ed operation can safely be conducted under the ter m s of a

Co W . Although not required by part 107, the FAA encourages applicants to sub m it their

application at least 90 d ays pri o r to the start of t h e proposed o peration. T h e FAA will

strive to complete review and adjudication of waivers within 90 days; however, the ti m e

requi r ed f or the FAA to m ake a deter m ination re g ardin g wai v er req u ests will v a ry b a sed

on the co mp lexity of the request. The a m ount of data and analysis required as part of the

appli c ation will be p ro p ortio n al to the speci fi c r elief th a t is r equested. F o r exa mple, a6/21/16 AC 107

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5

- 14 request to waive several sections of part 107 for an operation that takes place in a

congested m etrop o litan area with h eavy air t r affic will likely require s igni f icantly m ore

data and analysis than a request to waive a s ingle section for an operation that takes place

in a sparsely

- populated area with m ini m al air t r affic

. I f a Co W i s g ranted, that certificate

m ay include specific special provisions design e d to ensure that the sUAS operation may

be conducted as safely as one conducted un d e r th e provision s o f par t 107

. A listin g of

standard sp e cial p rovi s i o ns f or part 1 07 wai v ers will be a v ailable on t h e FAA’s W eb site

a t http://www.faa.gov/uas/.

5.20 Supplemental Operational Information. Appendix B, Supple m ental Operational

Infor m ation, contains expanded infor m ation r e garding operational topics that should be

considered prior to operations.6/21/16 AC 107

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6

- 1 CHAPT ER 6

. PAR T 10 7 SUBPAR T C

, REM O T E PILO T CERTIFICATION

6.1 Applicabili t y. This chapter provides guidance regarding the air m an certification

require m ents and procedures for persons act i ng as re m ote pilot in com m a nd (PIC) of a

s m all UA operated in t h e National Airspace S y s tem (NAS). In the aviation context, the

FAA typically refers to “lice n sing” as “ certification.”

6.2 Remote Pilot Certific a tion. A person exercising the authority of PIC in co m pliance with

part 107 is considered a “re m ote pilot in com m and” (re m ote PIC). As such, prior to

acting as remote PIC, he or she m ust obtain a r e mote pilot c erti f icate with an sUAS

rating.

6.3 Eligibility. A person applying for a re m ote pilot certificate with an sUAS rating m ust

m eet and m a int a in the f ollowing eligibility req u i r e m ents, as applica b le:

• Be at least 16 years of age.

• Be able to read, speak, write, and understand the English language. However, the

FAA m ay make an exception if the per s on is unable to m eet one of these

require m ents due to m edical reaso n s, such as a hearing i mpair m en t

.

• Be in a physical and m ental condition that would not interfere with the safe operation

o f a n sUAS

.

• Pass the initial aeronautical knowledge t e st at an FAA

- approved knowledge testing

center (KTC). However, a person who alr e ad y hold s a pilo t cer tificate issued under

14 CFR part 61, except a student pilot certifi c ate, and has su ccessfully co m pleted a

flight re v iew in accordance with part 61 w ithin the previous 24 calendar

- months is

only req u ired to successfully co m plete a part 107 online training course, found at

www

. faasafety.gov. For more information c oncernin g aeronautica l knowledg e tests

and training, see paragraph 6.6.

6.4 Application Process. Thi s paragrap h provide s guida nce on how a person can apply for a

re m ote pilot certificate.

6.4.1 Applicants W ithout Part 61 Certificates. A person who does not have a part 61 pilot

certificate or a part 61 certifi c ate holder who has not co mplet e d a part 61 flight review in

the previous 24 calendar

- m onths m u st use the following process. A part 61 pilot who has

co mpleted a f light re v i e w within the previous 24 calendar

- m onths m ay elect to use this

process.

1. Pass an initial aeronautical knowled g e test ad m inistered at a KTC (see

paragraph 6.6).

2. Co m plete t h e Re m ote Pilot Ce r ti f ic at e and/or R a ting Applic at ion f or a r e mote

pilot certificate (FAA Form 8710

- 13).

• Option 1 (Online Form ) : This is the fastest and si mplest m e t hod. The

FAA Fo r m 8710

- 13 application should be co m p leted online using the electronic

FAA Integr a ted Air m en Certi f ic a te a nd/ o r Ratin g Applicatio n (IACRA ) system6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

6

- 2 (https://iacra.faa.gov/iacra/). The applica n t m ust have already passed an initial

aeronautical knowledge test. Once registered with IACRA, he or she will login

with their userna m e and password. Click on “ S tart New Application” and,

1) Appl ication Type “Pilot”, 2) Certif i cations “Re m ote Pilot,” 3) “Other Path

Infor m ation,” and 4) “Start Applic ation. ” Continu e throug h th e application

process and, when prompted, the applica n t will enter the 17

- digit Knowledge Test

Exam I D from the knowledge test in IACRA. It m ay take up to 48 hours from the

test d ate for the knowle d ge te s t to a p pear in IACRA. The KTC test pr o ct o r will b e

the one t h at veri f ied the identity of t h e applicant. Once the a p plica n t completes

the online a pplic a tion in I A CRA, he or she will sign t h e ap p lication electronically

and sub m it it to the Air m an Registry f o r processing. No FAA representative will

be required to sign the ap p lic a tion if the applicant was able to sel f

- c e rti f y.

Note: When the applicant uses this onli n e option, the application will be

trans m itted ele c tronically f rom the applica n t to the Air m an Registry. T h e

only electronic signature that will be re f le c ted o n the IACRA applic a ti o n

will be the a pplica n t’s. T he appl i cant will t h en re c eive a con f i r m ation

e m ail once h is or her application has co m pleted the Transportation

Security Ad m inistration (TSA) vetti n g process. T he e m ail will provi d e

in f or m ation that will a ll o w the appli c ant to log into the IACRA system

and print a copy of the temporary certificate.

• Option 2 ( P aper Application) : An applicant could also sub m it a paper

application. If the applicant chooses the paper method, the original initial

aeronautical knowledge test report must be m ailed with the a pplication to the

following address:

DOT/FAA

Air m en Certific ation Branch (AFS

- 760)

P.O. Box 25082

Oklaho m a City, OK 73125

Note: A te m porary air m an certificate will n ot be pro v i d ed to the r e mote

pilot applicant if they do not hold a p a rt 61 certificate. For this reason, it

would be of the applicant’s best i n te r est to u tilize Option 1 ( I ACRA

syste m ) instead of the paper m ethod, in order to receive a temporary

air m an certificate once the applic a tion has co m p leted the T S A vetting

process.

3. Receive per m anent remote pilot cer t ificate o n ce all o ther F A A internal

processing is co m plete.

6.4.2 Applicants with Part 61 Certi f ic a tes. Instead of the process described above, a person

who holds a part 61 p ilot certificate, except a st u dent pilot c e rti f i c ate, and has co mpleted

a flight review within the previous 24 calendar

- m onths m ay elect to apply using the

following process:6/21/16 AC 107

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6

- 3 1. Co m plete t h e online co u rse (P a rt 107 s m all Un m a nned Airc r a f t Syste m s

(sUAS), ALC

- 451) located within t h e FAA Safe t y Team (FAASTe a m )

Web site ( w ww.faasafe t y.gov) and r eceive a c o mpletion certificate.

2. Co m plete t h e Re m ote Pilot Ce r ti f ic at e and/or R a ting Applic at ion f or a r e mote

pilot certificate (FAA Form 8710

- 13).

• Option 1 (Online Application ) : In al m ost all cases, the application should be

co m pleted online using the electronic FAA IACRA system

(https://iacra.faa.gov/iacra/). The applicant m ust include verification that he or she

co m pleted the online course or passed an initial aeron a utical knowledge test. The

applicable o fficial doc um ent(s) m ust be uploaded into IACRA either by the

appli c ant or the c e rti f yi n g o ff icer.

• Option 2 ( P aper) : The application m ay be co m pleted on paper. Using this

m ethod, the certificate of co mpletion for t h e online course or original initial

aeronautical knowledge test report must be included with the application. Please

note th a t the proces s ing ti m e will be increa s ed if a paper ap p lication is us e d.

3. Contact a F S DO, an FAA DPE, an ACR, or an FAA CFI to m ake an

appoint m ent to validate the applican t’ s identification

. Th e applicant m ust

present the co m pleted F AA Fo r m 8 7 10

- 13 along with the online course

co m pletion certificate or knowledge test report (as applicable) and proof of a

curren t fligh t review

. Th e FA A Fo r m 8710

- 1 3 applicatio n wil l b e signe d by

the applica n t after the FS DO, DPE, ACR, or CFI exa m ines the applicant’s

photo identification and verifies t h e applicant’s identity. The FAA

repre s entative will then s i gn the application. The ide n tificati o n presented must

include a photograph of the applica n t, the ap p licant’s s ignat u re, and t h e

appli c ant ’ s a ctual re s ide n ti a l addr e ss ( if d i fferen t fro m the m ailing address).

This information m ay be presented in m ore than one fo r m of identification.

Acceptable m ethods of i dentification include, b u t are not li m ited to

U.S. drivers’ licenses, govern m ent ide n ti f ic a tion cards, pa s s p orts, and m ilit a ry

identification cards (refer to AC 61

- 65 )

. If using paper or IACRA method, an

appropriate FSDO represent a tive, a DPE, or an ACR will i s sue the ap p licant a

te mporary air m an certificate.

Note: A CFI is not authorized to issue a temporary certificate. They can

process applications for applicants w ho do not need a te mpora r y c e rti f i c ate. If

using IACRA and the a p plica n t is u tili z ing a CFI as the FAA representative,

the applica n t can p r int t h eir own te m po r ary air m an certificate after receiving an

e m ail from t he FAA notifying them t hat it is a v ailable. If using the paper

m ethod and the applicant is utilizing a CFI as the FAA representative, the

applicant will not b e iss u ed a te mporary air m an certificate. O n ce the FSDO has

signed and approved the application, it will be m ailed to the R egistry for the

issuance of the per m anent certificate.

4. Receive per m anent remote pilot cer t ificate o n ce all o ther F A A internal

processing is co mplete.6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

6

- 4 6.5 Securit y Disqualification

. After the FAA receives t h e ap p lication, the T S A will

auto m atically conduct a background security scr e ening of the applica n t prior to issuance

of a re m ote pilot ce r ti f i c ate. If the s e curity sc r e e ning is su cc ess f ul, the F AA will iss u e a

per m anent re m ote pilot certificate. If the security scree n ing is not succe s sful, the

appli c ant will be d isquali f ied and a te mporary pilot c e rti f icate will n o t be issued.

Individuals who believe that they i mproperly failed a sec u rity threat assess m ent m ay

a ppeal the d eci s ion to t h e TSA.

6.6 Aeronautical Kno w ledge Tests (I n iti a l and Recurrent). It is i mportant to have and

retain the knowledge necessary to o p erate a s m all UA in the NAS. This aeronautical

knowledge can be obtained through self

- study, t a king an online training course, taking an

in

- person training course, or any combination thereof. The FAA has published the

S m all Un m anned Aircraft Syste m s Air m an Certification S tandard

(https://w ww.faa.gov/training_testing/testing/a c s/) that provides the necessary reference

m aterial.

Note: The below info r m ation regarding i n itial and recurrent knowledge tests

appl y t o person s wh o d o no t hol d a c urrent p art 6 1 air m an certificate.

6.6.1 Initial Test. As described in paragraph 6.4, a person applying for re m ote pilot certificate

with an sUAS rating m ust pass an initial aeronautica l knowledg e tes t give n b y an

FAA

- approved KTC. The initial kn o wledge te s t will cover t h e aerona u tical knowled g e

areas li s ted below:

1. Applicable regulations relating to s U AS rating privileges, limitations, and

flight operation;

2. Airspace classification and operating r e quire m ents, and flight restrictions

a ff ecting small UA ope r atio n ;

3. Aviatio n weathe r source s an d effect s o f weather on s m all UA perfor m an c e;

4. S m all UA loading and perfor m ance;

5. E m ergency procedures;

6. Cre w Resourc e Manage m e n t (CR M );

7. Radio communication procedures;

8. Deter m ining the perfor m ance of s m a l l UA;

9. Physiological effects of drugs and alcohol;

10. Aeronautical decision

- m aking (ADM) and judg m ent;

11. Airpor t operations ; and

12. Maintenance and preflight inspectio n procedures.

6.6.1.1 A par t 6 1 certificat e hol der who has co mpleted a flight review within the

previous 24 calendar

- m onths m ay complete an initial onlin e training course

instead of taking the knowledge test (see paragraph 6.7).6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

6

- 5 6.6.1.2 Additional info r m ation on so m e of the knowledge areas listed above can be

found in Appendix B.

6.6.2 Recurre n t Test. After a person r e ceives a re mo te pilot ce r ti f icate with an sUAS ratin g

, that person must retain and periodically update the requ i red aeronautical knowledge to

continue to operate a small UA in the NAS. To c ontinue exercising the p r ivileges of a

re m ote pilot certificate, the certificate holder m ust pass a recurrent aeronautical

knowledge test within 24 calendar

- months of passing either an i n itial or recurrent

aeronautical knowledge test. A part 61 pilot certificate holder who has completed a flight

review within the previous 24 calendar

- m onths may co m plete a rec u rre n t o nline traini n g

course instead of taking the knowledge test.

6.6.2.1 Figure 6

- 1, Recurre n t Test Cycle E x a mples, illu s tr a tes an in d ividu a l’s

possible re n ewal cycles.

Figure 6

- 1. Recurrent Test Cycle Examples

Person passes an i n itial aerona u tic a l

knowledge test on

Septe m ber 13, 2016. then Recurrent knowledge test m ust be

passed no later than

Septe m ber 30, 2018, which does not

exceed 24 calendar

- m onths.

Person does not pass recurrent

knowledge test until

October 5, 2018. then Person m ay not exercise the privileges

of the re m ote pil o t ce r ti f icate betwe e n

October 1, 2018, and October 5, 2018,

when the test is passed. The next

recurrent knowledge test m ust be passed

no later than October 31, 2020, which

does not exceed 24 calendar

- m onths.

Person elects to take recurrent

knowledge test prior to

October 2020. The recurrent

knowledge test is taken and passed

on July 15, 2020. then The next recurrent kno w ledge test m ust

be passed no later than July 31, 2022,

which does not exceed

24 calendar

- months.

6.6.2.2 The recurrent aeronautical knowledge tes t area s ar e a s follows:

1. Applicable regulations relating to s U AS rating privileges,

li m itations, and flight operation;

2. Airspace classification and oper a ting require m ents and flight

restri c tions a ff ecting small UA ope r atio n ;

3. E m ergency procedures;

4. CRM;

5. ADM and judg m ent;6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

6

- 6 6. Airpor t operations ; and

7. Maintenance and preflight inspectio n procedures.

6.6.3 Test Provi d e rs. KTCs will ad m inist e r initial and r ecur r ent ex a m inations p r ovided by t h e

FAA. In order to take an aeronautical knowledge test, an applica n t will be required to

schedule an appoint m ent with the K T C providing proper govern m ent

- issued photo

identificatio n t o th e K T C o n th e da y o f sch eduled testing. The location of the closest

KTC can be found at http://www.faa.gov/trainin g _testing/testing/ m ed i a/test_centers.pdf.

6.7 Aeronautical Kno w ledge Training Course (Initial and Recurrent). This section is

app licable only to persons who hold a part 61 air m an certificate, ot h er t h an a stude n t pilot

certificate, and have a curren t fligh t review.

6.7.1 Initial T raining Course. As described in paragraph 6.4, a pilot applying for a re m ote pilot

certificate may co mplete an initial training course instead of the knowledge test. The

training course can be taken online at www

. faas a f ety.gov. The initial training course w ill

cover the aeronautical kno w ledge areas listed b e low:

1. Appl icable regulations relating to s U AS rating privileges, limitations, and

flight operation;

2. Effects of weather on small UA perfor m ance;

3. S m all UA loading and perfor m ance;

4. E m ergency procedures;

5. CRM;

6. Deter m ining the perfor m ance of s m a l l UA; and

7. Maintenance and preflight inspectio n procedures.

Note: Additional info r m ation on so m e of t h e knowledge areas listed above can

be found in Appendix B.

6.7.2 Recurrent Training Course. After a p ilot rec e ives a re m ote pilot ce r ti f ic a te with an sUAS

rating, that person m ust retain and period i cally update the required aeronautical

knowledge to continue to operate a s m all UA in the NAS. As a renewal process, the

re m ote pilot must co mp l ete either a recur r ent training course or a recurren t knowledge

test within 24 cal endar

- months of passing e ith e r an initi a l or recu rrent ae r onauti c al

knowledge test. Figure 6

- 2, Recurre n t Trai n i ng Course Cycle Exa m ples, illustrates an

individual’s possib l e re n ewal cycles.6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

6

- 7 Figure 6

- 2. Recurrent Training Cours e Cycl e Examples

Person passes an i n itial aerona u tic a l

knowledge test on

Septe m ber 13, 2016. then Recurrent training course m ust be

co m pleted no lat e r than

Septe m ber 30, 2018, which does not

exceed 24 calendar

- m onths.

Person does not co mplete recurrent

training course until

October 5, 2018. then Person m ay not exercise the privileges

of the re m ote pil o t ce r ti f icate betwe e n

October 1, 2018, and October 5, 2018,

when the c o urse is co mp leted. The n ext

recurrent training course m ust be

co m pleted no lat e r than

October 31, 2020, which does not

exceed 24 calendar

- m onths.

Person elects to co m p lete rec u rre n t

training course prior to

October 2020. The recurrent

training course is taken and

co mpleted on July 15, 2020. then The next recurrent training course must

be co mpleted no lat e r t h an

July 31, 2022, which does not exceed

24 calendar

- months.

6.7.2.1 The recurrent training course areas are as foll o w s:

1. Applicable regulations relating to s U AS rating privileges,

li m itations, and flight operation;

2. E m ergency procedures;

3. CRM; and

4. Maintenance and preflight inspectio n procedures.6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

7

- 1 CHAPT ER 7

. sUA S MA I NT E NANC E AN D IN S PECTION

7.1 Applicabili t y. Section 107.15 requires the re m ote PIC to perfo r m checks of the UA prior

to each flig h t to d e ter m ine if the sUAS is in a co n dition for sa fe operation. This chapt e r

provides guidance on how to inspect and m ai n tain an sUAS. Additionally, Appendix C,

sUAS Maintenance and Inspection Best Pra c tices, contains expanded infor m ation and

best practices for sUAS m aintenance and inspection.

7.2 Maintenance. sUAS m a i ntenance includes schedul e d and unscheduled overhaul, repair,

inspection, modification, replace m ent, and sys t em software upgrades of the sUAS and its

co mponents necessary for flight. W h enever po s sible, the o p erator sho u ld m aintain the

sUAS and its co mponents in acc o rdance with m anufacturer’s instr u c t ions. The aircraft

m anufacturer m ay provide the m aintenance progra m , or, if one is not provided, the

applicant may choose to develop one. See paragraph 7.3.5 for suggested benefits of

recordkeeping.

7.2.1 Scheduled Maintenance. The sUAS m anu f acturer m ay provide documentation for

scheduled m aintenance of the entire UA and associated system equip m ent. There m ay be

co mponents of the sUAS that are identifi e d by the m anufacturer to undergo scheduled

periodic m aintenance or replace m ent based on ti m e

- in

- service li m its (such as flight

hours, cycles, and/or the calendar

- days). All m anufacturer scheduled m aintenance

instructions should be followed in the interest of achieving t h e longest and safest service

li f e of the s UAS.

7.2.1.1 If there are no scheduled m aintena n ce instructions provided by the sUAS

m anufacturer or co mponent m anufa c tur er

, th e operato r shoul d establis h a

scheduled m aintenance protocol. This could be done b y docu m enting any

repair, m odification, overhaul, or re p lace m ent of a system component

resulting from no r m al flight operations, and rec o rding t h e ti m e

- in

- servi c e for

that co m ponent at the ti m e of the m a intenance procedure. Over ti m e, the

operat o r sh o uld then be able to esta b lish a reliable m aintenance schedule for

the sUAS and its co m ponents.

7.2.2 Unscheduled Maintenance. During the course of a preflight inspection, the re m ote PIC

m ay discover that an sUAS co mponent is in need of servicing ( suc h a s lubricatio n),

repair, m odification, overhaul, or re p lace m e n t outside of the scheduled m aintena n ce

period as a result of nor m al flight operations or resulting from a m ishap. In addition, the

sUAS m anufacturer or co m ponent manufacture m ay require an unscheduled system

software update to correct a pro b lem. In t h e e v e n t such a co n dition is found, the re m ote

PIC should not conduct flight operations until the discrepancy is corrected.

7.2.3 Perfor m ing Maintenance. In so m e instance s

, th e sUA S o r componen t m a nufacture r m ay

require certain m aintenance tasks be perfor m ed by the m anufacturer or by a person or

facility (personnel) specifi e d by the m anufacturer. It is highly recom m ended that the

m aintenance be perfor m e d in acc o rdance with t h e m anufacturer’s instructions. However,

if the oper a tor deci d es n ot to use the m an u facturer or personnel recom m e nded by the

m anufacturer and is unable to perform t h e required m aintenance, the operator should6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

7

- 2 consider the expertise of m aintenance personn e l f a m iliar with the s p ecific sUAS and its

co mponents. In addition, though not required, the use of certificated m aintenance

providers are encouraged, which m a y include repair stations, holders of m echanic and

repair m an certificates, and per s ons working und er the supervision of these m echanics and

repair m an.

7.2.3.1 If the operator or other m aintenance p e rsonnel are unable to repair, m odify, or

overhaul an sUAS or component back to its safe operational specification,

then it is a d visable to replace the s U AS or co m p onent with o ne that is in a

condition for safe operation. It is i m port a nt that all required m aintenance be

co m pleted before each flight, and p referably in accordance with the

m anufacturer’s inst ruction s or

, i n lie u o f t h at, within known industry best

practices.

7.3 Preflight I n spection. Before each flight, the remote PIC m ust inspect t h e sUAS to

ensur e tha t i t i s i n a conditio n fo r saf e operation, such as inspecting for equip m ent

da m age or m alfunction(s). The preflight i n spection should be conducted in accordance

with the s U AS m anufacturer’s inspection pr ocedure s whe n availabl e (usuall y foun d in

the m anufa c turer’s owner or m aintenance m anual) and/or an inspection procedure

develope d b y th e sUA S owne r o r operator.

7.3.1 Creating an Inspection P rogra m

. As an option, the sUAS owner or operator m ay wish to

create an i n s pection p ro g ram for their UAS. The person creating an inspection program

for a specific sUAS m ay find sufficient details to assist in the develop m ent of a suitable

inspection program tailored to a specifi c sUA S i n a va riety of industry progra m s.

7.3.2 Scalable Preflight Inspection. The preflight check as part of the inspection program

should include an appropriate UAS preflight inspection that is scalable to the UAS,

progra m , and operation to be perfor m ed prior to each flight. An appropriate preflight

inspection should encompass the entire sys t em in order to deter m ine a continued

condition for safe operation prior to f light.

7.3.3 Title 14 C F R Part 43 Appendix D Guidelin e s

. Another option and best practice m a y

include the a pplica b le p o rtions of part 43 appendix D as an inspection guideline

correlating to the UA only. Syste m

- related equip m ent, such as, but not li m ited to, the CS,

data link, payload, or support equip m ent, are not included in the list in appendix D.

Therefore, these ite m s should be included in a co mprehensive inspection program for the

UAS.

7.3.4 Preflight In s pection Ite m s. Even if t h e s UAS m anufacturer h a s a written p reflight

inspection procedure, it is recom m ended that the re m ote PIC ensure t h at the f ollowing

inspection ite m s are incorporated i n to t h e preflight inspection procedure required by

part 107 to help the re m o te PIC deter m ine that the sUAS is in a condition for safe

operation. T he preflight inspection should inc l ude a visual or functional check of the

f

ollowing ite m s:6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

7

- 3 1. Visua l conditio n inspecti on of the UAS co mponents;

2. Airfra m e structure (incl u ding undercarr i age), all flight contr o l surfaces, and

linkages;

3. Registration m arkings, for p r ope r displa y an d legibility;

4. Moveable control s u rface(s), inclu d ing airfra m e attach m ent point(s);

5. Servo m otor(s), i n clu d i n g attach m ent point(s);

6. Propulsion syste m , including powerplant(s ) , propeller(s), r o tor(s), ducted

fan(s), etc.;

7. Verify all syste m s (e.g., aircraft and c ontrol unit) have an adequate energy

supply for the intended operat io n an d ar e functionin g properly;

8. Avionics, including control link tra n sceiver, communication/navigation

equip m ent, and antenna(s);

9. Calibr a te U A S co mpass prior to any f light;

10. Control link transceiver, communication/ navigatio n dat a lin k trans c eiver, and

antenna(s);

11. Display panel, if used, i s functionin g properly;

12. Check ground support equip m ent, including takeoff and landing syste m s, for

proper operation;

13. Check that control link correct functional i ty is e stablis h ed between the ai r cra f t

an d th e CS;

14. Check for correct m ov e m ent of con t rol surfaces using the C S ;

15. Check onboard navigation and communication data links;

16. Check f light ter m ination syste m

, if installed;

17. Check fuel for correct type and quantity;

18. Check battery levels for the aircraft and CS;

19. Check that any equip m ent, such as a ca m era, is s ecurely attached;

20. Verify communication with UAS and t h at the UAS has acquired GPS location

fr o m at least four satellites;

21. Start the UAS propellers to insp e ct f or any i m balance or irregular operation;

22. Verify all c o ntroller o p er a tion for heading and altitude;

23. If required by flight path walk throu g h

, verif y an y note d ob s truction s tha t m ay

int e r f ere with the UAS; and

24. At a controlled low altitude, fly within range of any int e rference and rec h eck

all co n tr o ls and sta b ilit y

.6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

7

- 4 7.3.5 Benefits of Recordkeeping. sUAS owners and operators m ay find recordkeeping to be

beneficial. This could be done by docu m enting any repair, m o dification, overhaul, or

replace m ent of a system co m ponent res u lting from no r m al flight operations, and

recording the ti m e

- in

- service for that c o m ponent at the ti m e of the m aintenance

procedure. Over ti m e, the operator should then be able to establish a reliable m aintenance

schedu le for the sUAS and its co m ponents. R e cordkeeping that includes a record of all

perio d ic in s pectio n s, m a intena n ce, p reventati v e m aintenance, rep airs

, an d alterations

perfor m ed on the sUAS could be retrievab l e from either hardcopy and/or electronic

logbook for m at for future reference. This includes all co m ponents of the sUAS,

including: s m all UA, CS, laun c h and recovery equip m ent, C2 link equip m ent, payload,

and any other co mponents required to safely operate the sUAS. Recordkeepin g of

docu m ented m aintenance and inspection events reinforces owner/operator responsibilities

for airworthiness through syste m atic condition for safe flight deter m inations.

Maintenance and inspection recordkeeping p r o v ides retrievable e m pirical evide n ce o f

vital safety assess m ent data defining the condition of safety

- c ritical syste m s and

co mponents supporting the decision to launch. Recordkeepin g o f a n sUA S m ay provide

essential safety support for com m ercial operators that m ay experience rapidly

accu m ulated flight operational hours /cycles. Met h odical m aintenance and inspection data

collection can prove to be very helpful in t h e tracking of sUAS co m ponent service life, as

well as syste m ic co m ponent, equip a ge, and structural failure events.6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

Appendi x A

A

- 1 APP E ND I X A

. RIS K AS S ESSMEN T TOOLS

A.1 Purpose of this Appendix. The infor m ation in this appendix is a presentation of

aeronautical decision

- making (ADM), Crew Resource Manage m ent (CRM), and an

exa mple of a viable risk assess m ent process. T h is process is used to i d entify hazards and

clas s ify the potential ri s k that those hazards c ould present in an operatio n

. It also pro v ides

exa m ples of potential criteria for the s ev e rity of consequences an d likelihoo d of

occurrence that m ay be used by an s UAS re m ote pilot in com m and (PIC).

A.2 Aeronautical Decision

- Making (ADM). The ADM process addresses all aspects of

decision m aking in a solo or crew environ m e n t and identifies the steps in v olved in go o d

decision m aking. These steps for good decision m a king are as follows:

A.2.1 Identifying Personal Attitudes Hazardous to S a fe Flight. Hazardous attitudes can affect

un m anned operations if the re m ote PIC is not a wa re of the ha z ards, l e ading to such t h i n gs

as: getting behind the aircraft/ s ituation, operating without adequ a te fuel/battery reserve,

loss of positional or situation a l awareness, operating outside th e envelope

, an d failur e to

co mplete all flight planning tasks, preflight inspections, and checklists. O perational

pressure is a contributor to bec o m ing subject to these pit

- falls.

A.2.2 Learning Behavior Modification Techniques. Continuing to uti l ize risk assess m ent

procedu r es f or the op e ration will assist in i d e n ti f ying risk ass o ciated with the oper a tio n

. Conducting an attitude assess m e n t will identify situations w h ere a hazard o us attitude m ay

be present.

A.2.3 Learning How to Recognize and Cope with Stres s

. Stress is ever pre s ent in our lives and

you m ay already be familiar with situations that create stress in aviation

. However

, UAS

operations m ay create stressors that differ from m anned aviation. Such exa mples m a y

include: working with an inexperienced c r ew m e mber, lack o f standard crew m e m ber

training, interacting with the publi c an d cit y officials

, a n d understandin g ne w regulatory

require m ents. Proper planning for the operat i on can redu c e o r eli m inate stres s, allowing

you to focus m ore cle a rl y o n th e operation.

A.2.4 Developing Risk Asses s m ent Skills. As with any aviation operation, ide n tifying

associated h azards is t h e first step. Analyzing the likelihood and severity of the hazards

occur r ing e s tablishes the probability of risk. In most cas e s, steps can be taken to m itigate,

even eli m inate, th o se ri s ks. Actions such as using visual observers (VO), co mpleting a

thorough preflight i n spection, p lanning for weath e r, fa m iliarity with the airspace, p ro p er

aircraft loa d ing, and per f or m ance planning can miti g ate identified risks. Figure A

- 1,

Hazard Ide n tification a n d Risk Assess m ent Process Chart, is an exa mple of a risk

assess m ent tool. Others are also available for use.

A.2.5 Using All Availa b le Re s ources with M o re Than One Crewme m ber (CRM). A

characteristic of CRM is creating an environ m ent where open communication is

encouraged and expected, and involves the e n tire crew to m axi m ize team perfo r m ance.

Many of the sa m e resources that are availab l e to m anned aircraft op e rati o ns are a v ailable

to UAS operations. For exa m ple, r e mote PICs can take advantage of traditional CRM6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

Appendi x A

A

- 2 techniq u es b y utilizing additio n al crew m e m bers, such as VOs and other g r ound crew.

These cre wm e mbers can provide info r m ation about traffic

, airspace

, weather

, equip m ent,

and aircraft loading and perfor m a n ce. Exa mples of good CRM include:

A.2.5.1 Communication Procedure s

. One way to acc o mplish this is to have the VO

m aintain vi s ual contact with the s m all UA and maint a in awa r eness of the

surrounding airspace, a n d then communicate flight status a n d any hazar d s to

the re m ote PIC and person m anipulat i ng the controls so that appropriate

action can be taken. Then, as conditions change, the re m ote PIC should brief

the crew on the changes and any needed adjustments to ensure a safe outco m e

of the operation.

A.2.5.2 Communicatio n Method s . The remote PIC, person m anipulating the

controls, and VO m ust work out a m e t hod of co m m unication, such as the use

of a hand

- held radio or other effe c ti v e m eans, that would not create a

distraction and allows them to underst a nd each other. The remote PIC should

evaluate which m ethod is m ost appro p riate for the operation and should be

deter m ined prior to f lig h t.

A.2.5.3 Task Manage ment. Tasks very depending on the co m plexity of the

operation. Depending upon the area of the operations, additional

crew m e m b e rs m ay be needed to safely operate. Enough crew m e mbers should

be utilized to ensure no one on the team beco m e s overloa d e d . Once a m e mber

of the team beco m es over worked, t h ere’s a greater possibility of an

incident/accident.

A.2.5.4 Other Res o urce s

. Tak e advantag e o f info r m ation from a w e ather briefing,

air traffic control (ATC), the FAA, local pilots, and l andowners

. Technology

can aid in decision m aking and i mprove sit u atio n a l awaren e ss. Being able to

collect t h e info r m ation from these re s ources and m anage the info r m ation is

key to situational awareness and co u ld have a p o siti v e effect on your

decision m aking.

A.2.6 Evaluating the Effectiveness o f One’s ADM Skills. Successful decision m aking is

m easured by a pilot’s consistent ability to keep hi m self or herself, any persons involved

in the operation, and the aircraft in good c ondition regardless of the conditions of any

given flight. As with m a nned operations, co mp lacency and o verconfide n ce can be ri s ks,

and so there are se v eral checklists a n d m odels to assi s t in the decision m aking process.

Use the IM S A FE checklist to ensure you are m e ntall y an d physicall y prepare d fo r the

flight. Use the DECIDE model to help you conti n ually e v aluate each o p eration for

hazards and analyze risk. Paragraph A.5.5 and the current e d ition of AC 60

- 22,

Aeronautical Deci s ion Making, can provide a d d itio n al infor m ation on these m odels and

others.

A.3 Ha z ard Identification. Ha zards in the sUAS and its operating environ m ent m ust be

identified, d ocu m ented, and contr o lled. The ana l ysis process used to define hazar d s n eeds

to consider all co m ponents of the syste m , based on the equip m ent being used and theA

- 3 6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

Appendix A

environ m ent it is being operated in. T he key question to ask during analysis of the sUAS

and its operation is, “ what if ? ” sUAS re m ote PICs are expected to exercise due dilige n ce

in identifying significant and reasonably foreseeable hazards related to their operations.

Figure A

- 1. Ha z ard Identification and Risk Assessment P rocess Chart

A.4 Risk Anal y sis and Assessment. The risk assess m ent should use a conventional

breakdown of risk by its two co mp o nents: likelihood of occurr e nce and severity.

A.5 Severity a n d Likelihood Criteria. There are several tools w h ich could be utilized in

deter m ining severity and likelihood w hen evalu a ting a hazard. One tool is a risk m atrix.

Several examples of these are p resented in Figure A

- 2, Safety Risk Matrix Exa mples.

The de f initions and co n stru c tion of the m atrix is le f t to t h e s UAS re m ote PIC to design.

The definitions of each level of severity and likelihood need to be defined in ter m s that

are realistic for the operation a l envir o n m ent. This ensures each re m ote PIC’s decision

tools are relevant to their operations a nd operational environ m ent, recognizing the

exten s ive diversity which exists. An exa mp l e of severity and likelihood definitions is

shown in Table A

- 1, Sample Severity and Likelihood Criteria.A

- 4 6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

Appendix A

Tabl e A

- 1

. Sampl e Severit y an d Likelihoo d Criteria

Severit y o f Consequences Likelihood of Occurrence

Severity

Level Definition Value Likelihood

Level De f inition Value

Catastrophic Equip m ent destroyed,

multiple d e a ths. 5 Frequent Likely to occur m any

ti m es 5

Hazardous Large red u ction in

sa f ety m argins,

physical distress, or a

workload s u ch that

crew m e m b e rs cannot

be relied upon to

perform their tasks

accurately o r

co mpletely. Serious

injury or death. Major

equip m ent da m age. 4 Occasional Likely to o c cur

so m et i m es 4

Major Significant reduction in

sa f ety m argins,

reduction in the ability

of crew m e mbers to

cope with adverse

operating conditions as

a result of an increase

in workload, or as

result of conditions

i mpairing t h eir

efficiency. Serious

incident. Injury to

persons. 3 R e m ote Unlikely, but possible to

occur 3

Minor Nuisance. Operating

li m itations. Use of

e m ergency procedures.

Mino r incident. 2 I mprobable Very unlikely to occur 2

Negligi b le Little cons e quence. 1 Extre m ely

I mprobable A l m ost inconceivable

that the eve n t will o ccur 1

A.5.1 Risk Acce p tance. In the develop m ent of risk assess m ent criteria, sUAS r e m ote PICs are

expected to develop risk acceptance proc e dures, inclu d ing acce p tance criteria and

designation of authority and responsibility for risk m an a ge m e nt decision m aking. The

acceptability of risk can be evaluated using a risk m atrix, such as those ill u strated in

Figure A

- 2. Table A

- 2, Safety Risk Matrix

— E x a m ple shows three ar e as of acceptability.A

- 5 6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

Appendix A

Risk m atrices m ay be color coded; u n acceptable (red), acceptable (green), and acce p t a ble

with m itigation (y e llow )

.

A.5.1.1 Unacceptable (Red). Where co m binations of severity and likelihood cause

risk to fall into the red area, t h e r i sk would be a s sessed as u n acceptable and

further work would be r e quired to design an intervention to eli m inate that

associated h azard o r to control the facto r s that lead to high e r risk li k eliho o d or

severity.

A.5.1.2 Acceptable (Green). W here t h e ass e ssed risk f alls into t h e g r een ar e a, it m ay

be acce p ted without further action. T he objective in risk m anage m ent should

always be to reduce risk to as low as practicable regardless of whether or not

the assessment shows t h at it can be accepted as i s

.

A.5.1.3 Acceptable w ith Mitig a tion (Yell ow ). W here the risk a sse s s m ent f alls into

the yellow area, t h e risk m ay be accepted under d efined conditions of

m itigation. An ex a m ple of this situation would be an asse s sment of the i m pact

o f a n sUA S operatio n nea r a schoo l y a rd. Scheduling the operation to tak e

place when school is n o t in ses s ion cou l d be one m itigation to prevent u n due

risk to the children that study and play there. Another m itigation co u ld b e

restricting people from the area of ope r ations by placing cones or security

personnel to prevent unauthorized a c cess during the sUAS flight operation.

Figure A

- 2. Safety Risk Matrix ExamplesA

- 6 6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

Appendix A

Table A

- 2. Safety Ri s k Matrix

— E xample

Risk

Likelihood Risk Severity

Catastrophic

A Hazardous

B Major

C Minor

D Negligi b le

E

Frequent 5 5A 5B 5C 5D 5E

Occasional 4 4A 4B 4C 4D 4E

R e m o te 3 3A 3B 3C 3D 3E

I mprobable 2 2A 2B 2C 2D 2E

Extre m ely

I mprobable 1 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E

Note: The direction of higher/lower and mor e /less scales on a m atrix is at the

discretion of the re m ote PIC.

A.5.2 Other Risk Assess m ent Tools for Flight and Operational Risk Man a gement. Other tools

can also be used for flight or operational risk assess m ents and can be developed by the

re m ote PICs the m selves. The key thing is to e ns u re th a t all p o tential hazards and risks are

identified and appropriate actions are taken to re d uce the risk to persons and property not

associated w ith the operations.

A.5.3 Reducing Risk

. Ris k analyse s shoul d concent rate not only on assigning levels of severity

and likelihood, but on deter m ining why these particular levels were selected. This is

referred to a s root cause analysis

, a n d is the fi rst step in d eveloping effective controls to

reduce risk to lower levels. In m any cases, si mple brainstor m ing sessions a m ong

crew m e m b e rs is the m o s t effective and affor d able m ethod of finding ways to reduce risk.

This also h a s the adva n t age of involving people who will ulti m ately be required to

i m pl e m ent the controls developed.

A.5.3.1 I t i s als o ver y eas y t o ge t quit e bogge d down in trying to identify all hazards

and risks. T hat is not the purpose of a risk assess m ent. The focus should be

upon those h azards which pose the g reatest risks. As stated earlier, by

docu m enting and co m p i ling these proc e sses, a remote PIC can build an

arsen a l of s af ety practic e s that will a dd to the safety and success of future

operations.A

- 7 6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

Appendix A

A.5.4 Sa mple Hazard Ide n tification and Risk Assess m ent.

A.5.4.1 Example. I am the re m o te PIC of an sUAS in the proxi m ity of an accident

scene shooting aerial footage. Much like pilots in m anned aircraft m u st adhere

to preflight action (part 91, § 91.103), I m u st adhere to preflight

f

a m iliarization, inspecti o n, and aircraft operations (§ 107.49). Let’s say that

there is an obvious takeoff and landing site that I intend to u s e. W hat i f , while

I am operating a m anned air c raft (e m ergency m edical ser v ic e s (EMS)

helicopter) requires use of the sa m e a r ea and I am not left with a suitable

landing site? Further m ore, I am running low on power. If I consider this

si tuation p rior to flig h t, I can use t h e Basic Hazard Identification and

Miti g ation Process. Thr o ugh this pr o cess, I m ight deter m ine that an acce p table

level of risk can be achieved by also havin g a n alternat e landin g sit e and

possibly ad d itio n al s ites at which I c an sac r i f ice the UA to avoid i mposing

risk to people on the ground or to m ann e d aircraft operations. It is really a

si m ple process: I m ust consider the h azards p re s ented during this particular

operation, deter m ine the risk severity, a nd then develop a plan to lessen (or

m itigate) t h e risk to an a c cepta b le le v el. By doc um enting and co mpiling these

process e s, I can build an arsen a l of sa f ety pra c ti c es th a t will a dd to the s a f ety

and success of future operations. The f o llowing are so m e prove n m ethods that

can help a new re m ote PIC along the way:

A.5.4.2 Ha z ard Identification. Using the Personal Minimu m s (PAVE) Checklist for

Risk Manage m ent, I will set per s onal m ini m u ms based upon my specific

flight experience, health habits, and tolerance for stress, just to na m e a f e w.

After identifying hazard s

, I will then input t h em i nto the Hazard Identification

and Risk Manage m ent Process Chart (Figure A

- 1 )

.

1. P ersonal: Am I healthy for fl i ght and what are my personal

m in i m u ms based upon my experience operating this sUAS?

During this step, I will o f ten use t h e IMSAFE checklist in o r der to

perform a more in

- d epth evaluation:

• I llne s s

– Am I su ff ering f rom any illness o r s y mptom of an ill n ess

which m ight affect m e in flight?

• M edic a tion

– Am I currently taking any drugs (prescription or

over

- the

- counter)?

• S tress

– Am I experiencing any p s ychological or e m otional factors

which m ight affect m y perfor m ance?

• A lcohol

– Have I consu m ed alcohol within the last 8 to 24 hours?

• F atigue

– H ave I recei v e d sufficient s l eep and rest in t h e recent past?

• E ating

– Am I sufficiently nourished?

2. A ircraft: Have I conducted a preflight check of my sUAS (aircraft,

control station (CS), takeoff and landing equip m ent, etc.) andA

- 8 6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

Appendix A

deter m ined it to be in a condition fo r saf e operation ? I s th e fil m ing

equip m ent properly secured to the aircraft prior to flight?

3. En V iro m en t : W hat is the weather li k e? Am I comfortable a n d

experienced enough to fly in the forecas t weathe r conditions ? Have

I considered all of m y options a nd left m yself an “out ? ” Have I

deter m ined alternative landing spots in case of an e m ergency?

4. E xternal P ressures: Am I stressed or anxious ? I s thi s a fligh t that

will ca u se me to be s tre s sed or anxi o us? Is t h ere pressu r e to

co mplete the flight operation q u ickly? Am I dealing with an

unhealthy safety culture? Am I being honest with myself and

others about m y personal oper a tion a l abilities and li m itation s ?

A.5.5 Controlling Risk. After hazards and ris k s are fully understo o d through t h e prece d ing

steps, r isk c ontrols m u st be designed and i m plemented. These m ay be additio n al or

changed pr o cedures, ad d itio n al or m odi f ied equip m ent, the a ddition of VOs, or any of a

nu m ber of other changes.

A.5.6 Residual a n d Substit u te Risk. Resid u al r isk is the risk r e m aining a f ter m itigation h a s b een

co mpleted. O f ten, this is a m ultistep process, c o ntinuing u n til r isk has b e en m itigated

down to an acceptable level necessary to be g in o r continue o peration. After these controls

are designed but before the operation begins or continues, an assess m ent must be m ade of

whether t h e contr o ls are likely to be effecti v e and/or if they introduce new hazards to the

operation. T he latter co n dition, intr o duction of n e w hazards, is referred to as substit u te

risk, a situation where the cure is worse than the disease. The loop seen in Figure A

- 1 that

retur n s back to the top of the dia g ram depicts the use of the preceding hazard

identificati o n, risk anal y sis, and risk assess m ent process e s to deter m ine if the m odi f ied

op eration is acceptable.

A.5.7 Starting the Operation. Once a ppropriate risk controls are developed and i mpl e m ented,

the n th e operatio n ca n begin.6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

B

- 1 Appendi x B

APP E ND I X B

. SUPP L E M EN T A L O P ERATIONA L INFORMATION

B.1 Determining Operati o n al Performance. The m anufacturer m ay provide operational and

perfor m ance infor m ation that contains the op e rational perfor m ance data for the aircraft

such as data pertaining to takeoff, climb, range, enduranc e

, descent, and landing. To be

able to m ake practical use of the aircraft’s capa b ilities and limit a t i ons, it is essential to

understand the significance of the operational data. The use of this data in flying

operations is essential for safe and efficie n t operation

. I t shoul d b e e m pha s i ze d tha t the

m anufacturers’ infor m ation regarding per f or m an c e data is not standardized. If

m anufacturer

- published perfor m ance data is unavailable, it is advisable to seek out

perfor m ance data that may have already been deter m ined and published by other users of

the sa m e sUAS m anufacturer m odel a nd use that data as a starting point.

B.2 sUAS Loading and Its Effects on P erformance.

1. Weight and Balance (W&B). Before any flight, the re m ote PIC should verify

the aircraft is correctly loaded by deter m ining the W &B condition of the

air c raft. An air c raft’s W &B restri c tions established by the m anufacturer or the

builde r shoul d b e closel y followed . Co m pliance with the m anu f acture r ’s

W & B li m its is c r itical to f light sa f et y . The re m ote PIC m ust consider the

consequences of an overweight aircraft if an e m e rgency condition arises.

• Although a m ax i m u m gross takeoff weight m ay be specified, the aircraft m ay not

always safely take off with this load under all c o nditions. C o nditions that affect

takeoff and cli m b perfor m ance, such as high elevations, high air te mperatures,

and high hu m idity (high density altitud e s) m ay require a reduction in weight

before flight is atte mpted. Other fac t o rs to con s id e r pri o r to ta k eo f f are

runway/lau n ch area length, surface, s l ope, surface wind, and t h e prese n ce o f

obstacles. T hes e factors m ay require a reductio n i n weigh t prio r t o flight.

• Weight changes during flight also have a direct effect on aircraft perfor m ance.

Fuel burn is the m ost common weight ch a ng e tha t take s plac e during flight. As

fuel is used, the aircraft beco m es ligh t er and perfor m ance is improved, but this

could have a negative effect on balance. In UAS operations, weight change during

flight m ay occur when expendable ite m s are used on board (e.g., a jettisonable

load).

2. Balance, Stability, and Center of Gravity (CG )

. Adverse balance conditions

(i.e., weight distribution) m ay affect flight characteri s tics in much the sa m e

m anner as those m entioned for an e x cess weight condition. Li m its for the

locatio n o f th e C G m ay b e establishe d by the manufacturer. The CG is no t a

fixed point m arked on the aircraft; its location depends on t h e distributio n of

aircraft weight. As variable load ite m s are shifted or expended, there m a y be a

resultant shift in CG location. The r e mote PIC should deter m ine how the CG

will shi f t a n d the res u lt a nt e ff ects on the airc r a f t. If the CG is not within t h e

allowable li m its a f ter l o a d ing or do not re m ain within the allowable li m its for

sa f e f light, it will be n e c e ssary to rel o cate o r shed so m e weight be f ore f lig h t is

atte mpted.6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

B

- 2 Appendi x B

B.3 Sources of Weather I n formation for Small U A Operati o n s. R e m ote PICs are

encouraged to obtain weather information prior to flight from Flight Service by using the

Web site www.1800wxbrief.co m

. Re m ote PICs can create a free account in order to use

the b r ie f ing servi c e. W hile Flig h t Se r vice does o f fer a telephone

- based service, it is

intended for m anned aircraft pilots only.

B.3. 1 National W eather S e rvi c e (N W S ). Re m ote PICs are also encouraged to v isit the NWS’s

Aviation Weather Center (AWC) at www.a v iationweather.gov. This free, W eb

- based

service does not require regis tr a tion and offers all of the w eather products i m portant to a

re m ote PIC, such as Aviation Routine W eather Reports (METAR) and Ter m inal

Aerodro m e Forecast ( T AF). W hile reviewing t h e weather f o r your i n te n ded operati o n, it

is also c r iti c al th a t the r e mote PIC r e view an y temporar y fligh t res trictio n s (TFR) at the

FAA’s TFR Web site, which can b e foun d a t http://tfr.faa.gov.

B.4 Weather a n d the Effects on Performance. W e a ther is an i mportant factor that

influences aircraft perfor m ance and flying safety

. A t m o spheri c pressur e an d density,

wind, and uneven surface heating are factors t h at affect sUAS perfor m an c e and m ust be

considered prior to flight.

B.4.1 W ind. Wind speed and direction are important as they affect takeoff, landing , and cruise

of flight operations. Geological features, tree s

, structures, and other ano m alies can affect

the wind direction and speed close to the ground. In particular, ground topography, trees,

and buildings can break up the flow of the w i nd and create w ind gusts that change rapidly

in direction and speed. T he re m ote PIC s houl d b e vigilan t whe n operating UAS near

large buildings or oth e r m an

- m ade s tructures and natural obstructions, such as m ountains,

bluffs, or canyons. The intensity of the tur b ulence associated with ground obstructions

depends on the size of the obstacle and the pri m a ry velocity of the wind. This sa m e

condition is even m ore noticeable when f l ying in mountainous regions. W hile the wind

flows s m oothly up the w indward side of the m ountain and the upward current s hel p to

carry an aircraft over the peak of the mountain, the wind on the leeward side does not act

in a si m ilar m anner. As the air flows down the leeward side of the m ount a in, the air

follows the contour of the terrain and is i n creasingl y turbulent

. Thi s tend s t o pus h an

aircraft into the side of a mountain. T h e stronger the wind, the greater the downward

pressure and turbulence beco m e. Due to the e ffect terrain has on the wind in valleys or

canyons

, downdraft s ca n b e severe.

B.4.2 Surface Heat. Different surfaces ra d i ate heat in v arying a m ounts. Plowed ground, roc k s,

sand, and barren land give off a larger a m ount of heat, whereas water, trees, and other

areas of vegetation tend to absorb and retain heat. The resulting uneven heating of the air

creates s m all areas of local circulation ca l le d convectiv e currents

, whic h create s bumpy,

turbulent a i r . Convective curre n ts, with th e ir rising and sinking air can adversely affect

the controll a bility of the s m all UA.

B.5 Battery Fires. Lithiu m

- base d batterie s ar e highl y flammable and capable of ignition.

A batter y fir e coul d caus e a n in

- fligh t e m ergency by causing a LOC of the s m all UA.

Lithium battery fires can be caused when a b a ttery short circuits, is i mproperly charged,

is heated to extre m e temperat u res, is da m aged as a result of a crash, is m ishandled, or is6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

B

- 3 Appendi x B

si mply def e ctive. The remote PIC shou l d consider following the m anufacturer’s

recom m endations, when available, to help ensure safe battery handling and usage.

B.6 sUAS Frequency Utili z ation. A n sUA S typicall y use s r adio frequencies (RF) for the

communication link between the CS and the s m all UA.

1. Frequency spectrum (RF) Basics. The 2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz syste m s are the

unlicensed band RFs that m ost sUAS u s e for the connection b etween the CS

and the s m all UA. Note the frequencies are also u sed for computer wireless

networks and the interference can cau s e proble m s when operating a UA in an

area (e.g., dense housing and office building s ) that has m any wireless signals.

LOC and flyaways are so m e of the reported proble m s with sUAS frequency

i mplication s

.

• To avoid frequency interference, m a ny m odern sUAS operate using a 5.8 GHz

system to control the s m all UA and a 2.4 GHz system to trans m it video and

photo s t o th e ground

. Consul t th e sUA S operating m anual and m anufacturers

recom m ended procedures before conducting s U AS operations.

• I t shoul d b e note d tha t bot h R F band s (2.4 GHz and 5.8 GHz) are considered line

of sight and the com m and and contr o l link b etw e en the CS a n d the s m all UA will

not work properly when barriers are between the CS and the UA. Part 107

requires the re m ote PIC or person m anipulat i ng the controls to be able to see the

UA at all ti m es, which should also help p r event obstructions from interfering with

the line of sight frequency spectru m

.

2. Spectrum Author i z ation. Frequency spectrum used for s m a ll UA operations

are regulated by the Federal Com m unications Commission (FCC). Radio

trans m issio n s, such as t h ose used to control a UA and to downlink real

- ti m e

video, m ust use frequency bands that are approved for use by the operating

agency. The FCC authorizes civil o p erations. So m e operating frequencies are

unlicense d an d ca n b e use d freel y (e.g.

, 90 0 MHz

, 2. 4 GHz

, an d 5. 8 GHz)

without FCC approval. All other frequencies require a user

- specific license for

all civil users, except fe d eral agencie s , to be obtained from the FCC. For

further infor m ation, visit https://w w w .fcc.gov/licensing

- databases/licensing.6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

Appendi x C

C

- 1 APP E ND I X C

. sUA S MA I NT E NANC E AN D IN S PECTIO N BES T PRACTICES

C. 1 In the interest of assisting varying background levels o f sUA S knowledg e an d skill,

below is a chart offering conditions that, if noticed during a preflight inspectio n o r check,

m ay support a deter m ination that the UAS is not in a condition for safe operation. Further

inspection to identify the scope of da m age a nd ex tent of possible repair needed to re m edy

the unsafe condition m ay be neces sa ry pri o r to flight.

Tabl e C

- 1

. sUA S Co ndi tio n Chart

Conditions that m ay be found m ay include, but are not li m ited to, the following:

Condition Action

1

. Structura l o r ski n cracking Further inspect to deter m ine scope of d a m age

and existence of possible hidden damage that

m ay compro m ise struct u ral inte g rity. Assess

the need and extent of repairs that m ay be

neede d fo r continue d saf e fligh t operations.

2

. Delaminatio n o f bonde d surfaces Further inspect to deter m ine scope of d a m age

and existence of possible hidden damage that

m ay compro m ise struct u ral inte g rity. Assess

the need and extent of repairs that m ay be

neede d fo r continue d saf e fligh t operations.

3. Liquid or gel leakage Further inspect to deter m ine source of the

leakage. This condition m ay pose a risk of fire

resulting in extre m e heat negatively i mpacting

aircraft structures, aircra f t perfor m ance

characteristics, and flight duration. A ssess the

need and extent of repairs that m ay be needed

for continued safe fligh t operations.

4. Strong fuel smell Further inspect to deter m ine source of the

s m ell. Leakage exiting t h e aircraft m ay be

present and/or accu m ulating wit h in a sealed

co mpar t m ent. This condition m ay pose a risk

of fire resulting in extre m e heat negatively

i m pacting aircraft s tru ct ures, air c raft

perfor m ance characteristics, and flight

duration. Assess the need and extent of repairs

that m ay be needed for continued safe flight

operations.

5. Smell of electrical bur n ing or arci n g Further inspect to deter m ine source of the

possible electrical m alfunction. An electrical

hazard m ay pose a risk o f fire or extre m e heat

negatively impacting aircraft structures,6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

Appendi x C

C

- 2 aircraft per f or m ance characteristics, and flight

duration. Assess the need and extent of repairs

that m ay be needed for continued safe flight

operations.

6. Visual indications of electrica l burning

or arcing ( b lack soot tracings, sparking) Further inspect to deter m ine source of the

possible electrical m alfunction. An electrical

hazard m ay pose a risk o f fire or extre m e heat

negatively impacting aircraft structures,

aircraft per f or m ance characteristics, and flight

duration. Assess the need and extent of repairs

that m ay be needed for continued safe flight

operations.

7. Noticeable sound (decibel) change

during operation by the propulsion system Further ins p ect e n tire a i rcraft with emphasis on

the propulsion system components (i.e., m otors

and propellers) for da m age and/or di m inished

perfor m ance. Assess the need and extent of

repairs that m ay be needed for continued safe

fligh t operations.

8. Control inputs not synchron i z ed or

delayed Discontinu e fligh t and/o r avoid further flight

operations u ntil f u r ther inspection a n d testing

of the control link bet w een the ground control

unit and the aircraft. E ns ure acc u rate contr o l

communications are established and reliable

prior to further flight to circu m vent possible

loss of control resulting in the risk of a

collision or flyaway. Assess the need and

extent of repairs that m ay be needed for

continue d saf e fligh t operations.

9

. Batter y casin g distorte d (bulging) Further ins p ect to d et er m ine integrity of the

battery as a reliable po w er source. Distorted

battery casings m ay indicate i mpending failure

resulting in abrupt power loss and/or

explosion. A n electrical hazard m ay be

present, posing a risk of fire or extre m e heat

negatively impacting aircraft structures,

aircraft per f or m ance characteristics, and flight

duration. Assess the need and extent of repairs

that m ay be needed for continued safe flight

operations.

10. Diminishi n g flight time capability Further ins p ect to d et er m ine integrity of the

(electric p ow ered propulsion systems) battery as a reliable po w er source. Di m inishing

battery capacity m ay indicate i m pending

failure due to exhausted service life, internal,

or external da m age. An e lectrical hazard m ay6/21/16 AC 107

- 2

Appendi x C

C

- 3 be present, posing a risk of fire or extre m e heat

negatively impacting aircraft structures,

aircraft per f or m ance characteristics, and flight

duration. Assess the need and extent of repairs

that m ay be needed for continued safe flight

operations.

11. Loose or missing hard w are/fasteners Further ins p ect to d et er m ine struct u ral inte g rity

of the aircraft and/or components with loose or

m issing hardware/fasteners. Loose or m issing

hardware/fasteners m ay pose a risk of

negatively impacting flight characteristics,

structural failure of th e aircraft

, dropped

objects, loss of the aircr a ft, and risk to persons

and property on the grounds. For continued

safe flight operations, secure loose

hardware/fasteners. Replace loose

hardware/fasteners that cannot be secured.

Replace m issing hardware/fasteners.Advisor y Circula r Feedbac k Form

If you find an error in this AC, have recom m end a t ions for i m proving it, or have suggestions for

new ite m s/subjects to be added, you m ay let us know by contacting the G eneral Aviation and

Com m ercial Division ( A FS

- 800) at 9

- AFS

- 800

- Correspondence@faa.gov or the Flight

Standards D irectives Manag e m ent Officer.

Subject: AC 107

- SMALL, S m all Un m anned Aircraft Syste m s (sUAS)

Date:

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Sub m itted b y: Date: