FAA News

Federal Aviation Administration, Washington, DC 20591

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June 21, 2016

SUMMARY OF SMALL UNMANNED AIRCRAFT RULE (PART 107)

Operational Limitations • Unmanned aircraft must weigh less than 55 lbs. (25 kg).

• Visual line-of-sight (VLOS) only; the unmanned aircraft must 

remain within VLOS of the remote pilot in command and the 

person manipulating the flight controls of the small UAS. 

Alternatively, the unmanned aircraft must remain within 

VLOS of the visual observer.

• At all times the small unmanned aircraft must remain close 

enough to the remote pilot in command and the person 

manipulating the flight controls of the small UAS for those 

people to be capable of seeing the aircraft with vision 

unaided by any device other than corrective lenses.

• Small unmanned aircraft may not operate over any persons 

not directly participating in the operation, not under a 

covered structure, and not inside a covered stationary 

vehicle.

• Daylight-only operations, or civil twilight (30 minutes before 

official sunrise to 30 minutes after official sunset, local time) 

with appropriate anti-collision lighting. 

• Must yield right of way to other aircraft.

• May use visual observer (VO) but not required.

• First-person view camera cannot satisfy “see-and-avoid” 

requirement but can be used as long as requirement is 

satisfied in other ways.

• Maximum groundspeed of 100 mph (87 knots).

• Maximum altitude of 400 feet above ground level (AGL) or, if 

higher than 400 feet AGL, remain within 400 feet of a 

structure. 

• Minimum weather visibility of 3 miles from control station. 

• Operations in Class B, C, D and E airspace are allowed with 

the required ATC permission. 

• Operations in Class G airspace are allowed without ATC 

permission.

• No person may act as a remote pilot in command or VO for 

more than one unmanned aircraft operation at one time.

• No operations from a moving aircraft.

• No operations from a moving vehicle unless the operation is 

over a sparsely populated area.

• No careless or reckless operations.

• No carriage of hazardous materials.
• Requires preflight inspection by the remote pilot in 

command.

• A person may not operate a small unmanned aircraft if he or 

she knows or has reason to know of any physical or mental 

condition that would interfere with the safe operation of a 

small UAS.

• Foreign-registered small unmanned aircraft are allowed to 

operate under part 107 if they satisfy the requirements of 

part 375.

• External load operations are allowed if the object being 

carried by the unmanned aircraft is securely attached and 

does not adversely affect the flight characteristics or 

controllability of the aircraft.

• Transportation of property for compensation or hire allowed 

provided thato The aircraft, including its attached systems, payload and 

cargo weigh less than 55 pounds total;

o The flight is conducted within visual line of sight and not 

from a moving vehicle or aircraft; and

o The flight occurs wholly within the bounds of a State and 

does not involve transport between (1) Hawaii and 

another place in Hawaii through airspace outside 

Hawaii; (2) the District of Columbia and another place 

in the District of Columbia; or (3) a territory or 

possession of the United States and another place in 

the same territory or possession.

• Most of the restrictions discussed above are waivable if the 

applicant demonstrates that his or her operation can safely 

be conducted under the terms of a certificate of waiver.

Remote Pilot in Command 

Certification and 

Responsibilities

• Establishes a remote pilot in command position.

• A person operating a small UAS must either hold a remote 

pilot airman certificate with a small UAS rating or be under 

the direct supervision of a person who does hold a remote 

pilot certificate (remote pilot in command).

• To qualify for a remote pilot certificate, a person must:

o Demonstrate aeronautical knowledge by either:

 Passing an initial aeronautical knowledge test at 

an FAA-approved knowledge testing center; or 

 Hold a part 61 pilot certificate other than student 

pilot, complete a flight review within the previous 

24 months, and complete a small UAS online 

training course provided by the FAA.

o Be vetted by the Transportation Security Administration.

o Be at least 16 years old.

• Part 61 pilot certificate holders may obtain a temporary 

remote pilot certificate immediately upon submission of their 

application for a permanent certificate. Other applicants will 

obtain a temporary remote pilot certificate upon successful 

completion of TSA security vetting. The FAA anticipates that 

it will be able to issue a temporary remote pilot certificate 

within 10 business days after receiving a completed remote 

pilot certificate application.

• Until international standards are developed, foreign-
certificated UAS pilots will be required to obtain an FAAissued remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating.

A remote pilot in command must:

• Make available to the FAA, upon request, the small UAS for 

inspection or testing, and any associated documents/records 

required to be kept under the rule.

• Report to the FAA within 10 days of any operation that 

results in at least serious injury, loss of consciousness, or 

property damage of at least $500.

• Conduct a preflight inspection, to include specific aircraft 

and control station systems checks, to ensure the small UAS 

is in a condition for safe operation.

• Ensure that the small unmanned aircraft complies with the 

existing registration requirements specified in 

§ 91.203(a)(2).

A remote pilot in command may deviate from the requirements 

of this rule in response to an in-flight emergency.

Aircraft Requirements • FAA airworthiness certification is not required. However, the 

remote pilot in command must conduct a preflight check of 

the small UAS to ensure that it is in a condition for safe 

operation. 

Model Aircraft • Part 107 does not apply to model aircraft that satisfy all of 

the criteria specified in section 336 of Public Law 112-95.

• The rule codifies the FAA’s enforcement authority in part 

101 by prohibiting model aircraft operators from endangering 

the safety of the NAS.