Drone Rules 2024! Confused by drone laws? Your guide to recreational flight & 49 USC 44809 is here. Click to fly right!
As a long-time hobbyist, I know how exciting it is to get airborne. But let’s face it, keeping up with the rules can feel like trying to catch a greased hawk. That’s where 49 USC 44809 comes in for us recreational flyers – it’s our golden ticket to flying legally without a Part 107 license. It’s not always easy to wrap our heads around the FAA regulations, so that is why I’ve curated some excellent YouTube videos that unpack these crucial rules for us in easy-to-understand terms. These videos tackle essential questions: Are you really flying for fun? What do those Community-Based Organization (CBO) guidelines even mean? And just how close are you supposed to stay to your drone, anyway? The goal for all of us is the same: To have safe, legal, and enjoyable flights while avoiding those costly “Oops” moments! So, grab a snack, maybe your favorite multirotor, and let’s dig in and get our ducks in a row so we can keep our beautiful birds in the air where they belong.
Key Takeaways: Decoding 49 USC 44809 for Recreational Flyers
Here’s a breakdown of the crucial points you’ll want to keep in mind from the selected videos regarding 49 USC 44809 for your recreational drone flights:
Recreational Intent is Key: Your drone flights under 44809 must be strictly for recreational purposes. Recording your kid’s baseball game or getting stunning family photos? Good to go. Filming for a monetized YouTube channel, working for real estate clients, or a volunteer job with the local fire department? That’s Part 107 territory, so 44809 doesn’t apply.
CBO Guidelines Are Your Friend: You don’t have to join a Community-Based Organization (CBO), but you do have to follow their FAA-approved safety guidelines when flying recreationally under 44809. These are there for good reason – so utilize the CBOs, even if you aren’t a paid member. Think of it as following established community rules, like making sure your sound level isn’t too high.
Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) is Critical: Keep your drone in your sight, even when using goggles for an FPV flight. If you’re sporting those cool FPV goggles, have a visual observer who is right next to you. Remember, avoiding collisions or people below is your job. No matter what tech we have at hand.
Manned Aircraft Has the Right of Way: Drones aren’t as big as they look through a pair of FPV goggles – we must give way to all manned aircraft, and do not interfere with them! There is plenty of sky to share, and it’s our job to keep our craft from becoming a danger to others.
Altitude Limits: In uncontrolled (Class G) airspace, stay at or below 400 feet. If flying in Class B, C, D, and E controlled airspace, prior approval with LAANC or FAA DroneZone is a must. The height limits help protect airliners. Let’s face it, if a collision were to happen, no one comes out looking good.
The TRUST Test is Essential: The FAA’s free Recreational UAS Safety Test is non-negotiable under 44809. Get your certificate – it lasts forever, and TRUST providers are legally required to scrub your personal data afterward. It’s worth doing the training!
Registration is Mandatory: Register your drone, mark it with the registration number, and have proof of registration on you when flying under 44809, even just recreationally. It only costs $5 every few years, and it keeps you on the right side of the law.
Remote ID Compliance: As of Sept 16th, 2023 Remote ID is officially required in order for anyone to fly, recreationally or otherwise. The rules to fly are more complicated these days, not just a checklist that is easily done once and forgotten about. We must stay updated on everything new, so there are no fines and no flight time interruptions due to ignorance.
Fly Responsibly! Don’t operate dangerously, interfere with emergency operations, or fly under the influence of anything. You have the control, so choose to fly in a smart way and be an example of an ethical drone pilot.
Staying Ahead of the Curve
These regulations are here to stay, but they do evolve. With drone technology changing daily, we’re likely to see the rules fine-tuned in the future, especially as concerns about new technologies (e.g., long range FPV) grow. It’s essential to stay engaged with our community and up-to-date with resources from the FAA. This will ensure we’re not just following the rules, but also flying in a way that promotes the long-term health of our hobby and craft. Don’t let drone technology outpace your understanding of it. We must always strive to keep learning.
Let’s Fly Smart
Knowing 49 USC 44809 inside and out is the key to responsible and joyful drone flying. Understanding the guidelines and applying them consistently gives you the confidence and permission to get airborne without worry. The videos below really lay it all out, so please watch them all and remember: Safe flying is happy flying.
Keep scrolling to see the videos
What are the rules to fly your drone in 2024?Pilot Institute301,621 views | 6,556 | January 30 2024 19:19:58 (653 comments)[ Read more … ]
This video will explain the requirements for operating under 49 USC 44809 for recreational UAS pilots. Remember! If you fail to meet one of these requirements, you are now operating under Part 107!
If you are part 107 certified, you must choose which set of rules to operate under prior to your flight. You are not permitted to change rules halfway through your flight.
FAA Links
FAA Recreational Flight: https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_fliers/
FAA Drone Zone (for registration): https://faadronezone.faa.gov/
LAANC: https://faa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9c2e4406710048e19806ebf6a06754ad
AC 91-57C: https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_91-57C_FAA_Revised.pdf
00:00 Introduction
00:04 Rule 1: Fly strictly for recreational purposes.
00:49 Rule 2: Follow a Community Based Organization’s guidelines.
01:31 Rule 3: Maintain visual line of sight.
02:00 Rule 4: Do not interfere with traditional aircraft.
02:29 Rule 5: Fly at or below 400ft.
03:18 Rule 6: Get authorization in controlled airspace.
04:15 Rule 7: Take your TRUST test.
05:34 Rule 8: Register your drone.
06:27 Rule 9: Remote ID.
07:08 Rule 10: Don’t fly dangerously.
07:40 Part 107
Check out our gear list: https://www.amazon.com/shop/pilotinstitute
Our Other Channels
– PIXL Drone Show: drone-related podcast, posts every Tuesday morning. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbeSmbjvE0etKry8Nk2n0CQ
– Pilot Institute Airplane: our airplane channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIgBjGoM-yn_3bH8Qr9xkXA
Our courses
– Part 107 Made Easy: the most comprehensive ground school online. https://bit.ly/2AkRWq0
– Drone Business Made Easy: start your drone business with a solid foundation. https://bit.ly/3dVT55T
– Drone Flying 101: the perfect course for beginners. https://bit.ly/2XUy3Pc
– Drone Maneuvers Mastery: become a better pilot with these 50 maneuvers designed to improve your flying skills. https://bit.ly/3hkWkG3
– Cinematic FPV Drone From Scratch: build your own cinematic machine with this course. https://bit.ly/37oOfeG
Get Pilot Institute Gear: https://merch.pilotinstitute.com
Rule #1: Fly your drone strictly for recreational purposes.
This is all about the intent of the flight, with recreation being the key.
Flying to record your kids and share with the family? That’s recreational.
Flying for a monetized Youtube channel? That isn’t recreational.
Flying as a volunteer for your local Search and Rescue group? This isn’t recreational either.
Rule #2: Follow a Community Based Organization’s guidelines.
First, let’s cover what a community based organization, or CBO, is.
A CBO is a non-profit RC aviation group that sets safety guidelines approved by the Federal Aviation Administration.
You can find a list of current CBOs Here: https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreationalfliers/faa-recognized-community-based-organizations
Each CBO has a slightly different set of rules to follow and NO, you don’t need to join or pay these organizations to follow their rules.
We recommend Flite Test Community Association, FPV Freedom Coalition, and Stem+C
Rule #3: Maintain visual line of sight.
Visual line of sight means you can see your drone at all times to ensure you are able to follow the rules of your CBO.
You don’t need to stare at your drone, you do need to be sure you can avoid other aircraft and avoid flying over people.
If you fly FPV, with racing-style drones and goggles, be sure to use a visual observer to perform these duties while you fly.
Rule #7: Take your TRUST Test!
Oh no a test?
Not really, this is FREE training provided by the FAA through approved providers that covers topics you need to know to fly safely.
At the end of the training, you’ll get a TRUST certificate and number.
Your TRUST certificate is valid forever, there’s no minimum age, and the TRUST providers are required by federal law to delete your information after you get your certificate.
The training takes about a half hour, so it’s not a long course.
Head over to https://trust.pilotinstitute.com/ to get yours done!
If you’d like more info than just what’s in TRUST, head over to https://pilotinstitute.com/course/recreational-flying-made-easy/ and enroll in our free 2 hour Recreational Flying course!
Rule #9: Remote ID
Last up, there are two sets of rules you can use in the US to fly your drone: Part 107 and 49 USC 44809.
44809 is an exemption from part 107, IF you follow all the rules we just discussed.
If you fail to meet even one of these rules, you’ll be instead operating under Part 107, so be sure to follow the rules and fly safe!
What are the rules to fly your drone in 2024?Pilot Institute944,332 views | 24,820 | June 26 2021 18:32:57 (2,355 comments)[ Read more … ]
THIS VIDEO HAS BEEN UPDATED: https://youtu.be/UZfZWETPYAc
This video will explain the nine requirements for operating under 49 USC 44809 for recreational UAS pilots. Remember! If you fail to meet one of these requirements, you are now operating under Part 107!
If you are part 107 certified, you must choose which set of rules to operate under prior to your flight. You are not permitted to change rules halfway through your flight.
FAA Links
FAA Recreational Flight: https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_fliers/
FAA Drone Zone (for registration): https://faadronezone.faa.gov/
LAANC: https://faa.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=9c2e4406710048e19806ebf6a06754ad
AC 91-57C: https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_91-57C_FAA_Revised.pdf
0:00 Introduction
0:25 Part 107 vs Recreational (44809)
3:35 #1 Fly for recreational purposes
6:28 #2 CBO Guidelines
8:59 #3 Visual Line of Sight
10:13 #4 Give way to manned aircraft
11:15 #5 Get airspace approval
13:12 #6 Fly no higher than 400 feet
14:15 #7 Take the TRUST test (https://trust.pilotinstitute.com)
15:40 #8 Registration
16:44 #9 Don’t fly dangerously
Our Other Channels
– PIXL Drone Show: drone-related podcast, posts every Tuesday morning. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCbeSmbjvE0etKry8Nk2n0CQ
– Pilot Institute Airplane: our airplane channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCIgBjGoM-yn_3bH8Qr9xkXA
Our courses
– Part 107 Made Easy: the most comprehensive ground school online. https://bit.ly/2AkRWq0
– Drone Business Made Easy: start your drone business with a solid foundation. https://bit.ly/3dVT55T
– Drone Flying 101: the perfect course for beginners. https://bit.ly/2XUy3Pc
– Drone Maneuvers Mastery: become a better pilot with these 50 maneuvers designed to improve your flying skills. https://bit.ly/3hkWkG3
– Cinematic FPV Drone From Scratch: build your own cinematic machine with this course. https://bit.ly/37oOfeG
Get Pilot Institute Gear
– T-shirt or Long Sleeve T: https://amzn.to/30CLtBw
The nine requirements to fly recreationally under USC 44809
1. Fly only for recreational purposes (enjoyment).
2. Follow the safety guidelines of an FAA-recognized Community Based Organization (CBO).
3. Keep your drone within the visual line of sight or use a visual observer who is co-located (physically next to) and in direct communication with you.
4. Give way to and do not interfere with manned aircraft.
5. Fly at or below 400′ in controlled airspace (Class B, C, D, and E) only with prior authorization by using LAANC or DroneZone.
6. Fly at or below 400 feet in Class G (uncontrolled) airspace.
7. Take The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) and carry proof of test passage.
8. Have a current registration, mark (PDF) your drones on the outside with the registration number, and carry proof of registration with you.
9. Do not operate your drone in a dangerous manner. For example:
a. Do not interfere with emergency response or law enforcement activities.
b. Do not fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Fact Vs Fiction: Common Misinformation About Drone Operations and RegulationsV1DroneMedia232 views | 22 | January 16 2024 21:45:38 (0 comments)[ Read more … ]
In this video, we go over 5 commonly misunderstood topics regarding drone (or Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) flying rules and use in the United States:
– What is the difference in operating a drone between a Part 107 pilot and a recreational pilot?
– Do I need an FAA Part 107 Certificate?
– What are the rules for recreational drone pilots?
– Do I need to register my drone?
– What is DJI geofencing?
– How do I fly in ‘0’ grid LAANC airspace?
– How high can I fly my drone?
If you’ve ever been asked any of these questions or wanted to know for yourself, then this video will help to explain all of these and more!
Chapters:
0:00 – Introduction
0:34 – Part 107 vs Recreational Flying
3:24 – Drone Registration Requirements
4:51 – DJI Geofencing
7:02 – Flying in ‘0’ Grid (LAANC) Airspace
10:07 – 400′ Max Altitude Exception
12:05 – Conclusion/Information on our Part 107 Exam Prep Course (Cleveland, OH)
Patryk Alexander is an associate copy editor at 4kVideoDrones.com, where he sharpens articles and helps keep the website's content clean and error-free. With a background in creative writing, Patryk brings a unique perspective to his editing that helps make 4kVideoDrones.com's content engaging and informative. When he's not editing or writing, Patryk enjoys spending time with his family and exploring the great outdoors.
