Part 107: Commercial Drone Laws

    The drone industry is going to influence the economy similar to how the very first airlines did. Drones are being used in many industries in the US such as real estate, solar, and oil and gas. However, with the cost of electronics decreasing over time, buying a consumer-grade drone becomes easier. With the number of drones increasing, the FAA has had to implement Part 107, which lays out the regulations for operating a drone for hire. The reason for this is the increased risk of aircraft accidents that include a sUAS.  

   Part 107 covers the training and air regulations regarding sUAS pilots, and a Part 107 license is required if one intends to generate income using a sUAS. The aeronautical knowledge requirement of a Part 107 pilot is similar to private pilot knowledge minus aircraft systems and procedures. The paradox for these regulations is that some people who buy consumer-grade drones who intend to make money, do not follow the protocol for getting licensed and registering their drone. According to a survey conducted by dronelife, 40% of commercial operators do not have a Part 107 license (McNabb & DroneLife, 2020). This statistic essentially means that there are a large number of untrained pilots controlling a largely unregulated market. There is no ATC for drones and drones share the same airspace as general aviation; this can lead to mid-air collisions between aircraft and drones.

    The FAA also has a request for proposed rule changes regarding drones as a whole, which includes methods for tracking the drone's and operator's real position and implementing a ground-based infrastructure that assists with tracking. This would require the operator to pay an annual or monthly subscription to use a drone in the US (Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems, n.d.). This would eliminate recreational drone use, but add more safety and accountability to the system. This new method for tracking drones is similar to the proposal in 1991 the FAA made that introduced automation, radar, and weather forecasting systems to the NAS system (FAA, 2017).  The sUAS industry is supposed to add roughly 100,000 jobs and $82 billion in economic value over the next 10 years (FAA, 2016), yet there are still a lot of risks associated with Part 107.

         

 

Ocotillo Wells, CA (Photo taken by my DJI Mavic Air 2)

 

References

FAA. (2017, January 04). A Brief History of the FAA. Retrieved November 24, 2020, from https://www.faa.gov/about/history/brief_history/

FAA. (2016, November). The Economic Impact of Civil Aviation on the U.S. Economy [PDF]. Retrieved November 23, 2020, from https://www.faa.gov/air_traffic/publications/media/2016-economic-impact-report_FINAL.pdf

McNabb, H., & DroneLife, H. (2020, July 29). How Many Drone Pilots are Flying Without a License? DRONELIFE Minute Survey. Retrieved November 23, 2020, from https://dronelife.com/2020/07/28/how-many-drone-pilots-are-flying-without-a-license/

Remote Identification of Unmanned Aircraft Systems. (n.d.). Retrieved November 23, 2020, from https://www.regulations.gov/document?D=FAA-2019-1100-0001