Who Part 107 Covers
Determine whether Part 107 applies, what counts as a small unmanned aircraft system, and who can exercise remote-pilot privileges.
YOU WILL BE ABLE TO
- 01Identify the rule, source, or principle behind this idea: Part 107 generally governs civil small-UAS operations that do not qualify for the statutory recreational exception.
- 02Explain the operational effect of this idea: A small unmanned aircraft weighs less than 55 pounds at takeoff, including everything attached or carried.
- 03Apply the lesson to a new mission and defend a go, modify, or no-go decision.
01 / MISSION
Begin with the operating problem.
A business owner offers an unpaid promotional flight for a friend's company and calls it recreational.
02 / CORE BRIEF
What the remote pilot needs to know.
Part 107 generally governs civil small-UAS operations that do not qualify for the statutory recreational exception.
A small unmanned aircraft weighs less than 55 pounds at takeoff, including everything attached or carried.
An aircraft may qualify for more than one operations-over-people category, but previously manufactured aircraft receive no automatic category or Remote ID status; current eligibility evidence still controls.
03 / PILOT DECISION
Make the call.
Evaluate the purpose of the flight, not whether money changes hands; if the purpose is business promotion, use the appropriate Part 107 path.
04 / FIELD CHECK
Put it into the flight plan.
Write the mission purpose in the brief before choosing the regulatory framework.
05 / KNOWLEDGE CHECK
Does an unpaid flight automatically qualify as recreational?
Reveal the debrief
No. The purpose and statutory recreational conditions matter; compensation is not the only dividing line.
RELATED FAA REFERENCES
Verify before you fly.
- 14 CFR Part 107 — current eCFR
- FAA — Become a Certificated Remote Pilot
- FAA — Operations Over People
- FAA — Remote Identification
- FAA — Remote Pilot Airman Certification Standards
Educational summary only. Current regulation, FAA approval conditions, manufacturer instructions, and site-specific facts control the operation.