Got my first drone (DJI Phantom 3 Advanced) in 2015. It more than paid for itself being used for real estate photography as did its replacement, a Mavic Pro I bought in 2017.

In Aug 2017 I swallowed hard and paid the money for my FAA Operator License so I could be “legal” since I was doing commercial use. Evidently I must of missed the part about the license expiring after two years and when I found out, I really didn’t want to go through the whole testing process and expense again so I pretty much just ignored it.

I was doing less RE work and with all my customers being personal friends and having pretty casual business relationships with them they weren’t concerned about me being in good graces with the FAA.

I guess a few years back they changed the system to where there was no new testing fee for the recertification every two years. Shocking that the government actually dropped fee collection for a change! I assumed that was only for those current in their certification, and I would need to pay to play again and then revert for free in the future.

As it turns out, even us procrastinating slacker anti-government intrusion types can get right with the FAA by completing online refresher training and passing a test, so as of yesterday I am once again “current” and can impress everyone by referring to myself as a “Pilot”



Anyway, my current drone is an Autel Evo II I bought in 2020 to upgrade from DJI and some of the nanny features they were putting in their firmware. Pretty much only use the drone for RE jobs, no real recreational or flying for enjoyment. It is still fully functional but is getting a little long in the tooth and has some battle damage.


As I was getting my knowledge current I came to find out that earlier this year the previously delayed remote ID requirement is now in effect as well as the FAA “empowering” local PD to take on the Drone Police role if they choose. Seems current drones have the required feature built in and they sell modules for older drones that don’t comply.

With retirement on the horizon, I am looking forward to flying more for fun as well as maybe try my hand at video creation and doing more commercial use in areas other than the RE work. As such, I figured I should probably make sure I fully comply with all the “rules”.


My Autel model does not have the ability to be upgraded by firmware to comply and before I spend the money on a add-on broadcasting devise, I thought maybe it was time to put the Autel to pasture and get something complaint out of the box as well as smaller with better obstacle avoidance and other features.


So I guess I am just curious who on the forum is flying drones, what you are flying, and what type of flying you do

flying under Part 107 rules (compliant or not) as far as commercial use/drone weight, RID requirements.

Obviously there will be renegades who don’t want to admit to non-compliance so I made a few poll questions so you can provide info anonymously.


Feel free to comment on any other drone related things…

Question:
Do you fly personal/recreational, commercially (make money/web content), or both?

Choices:
Personal/Recreational
Commercial
Both

Question:
Is your drone registered?

Choices:
Not needed <.55/lbs
Yes
No

Question:
Are you Part 107 Compliant?

Choices:
Yes
No - Not needed
No - Violator
What is Part 107?

 

I have not been flying commercial jobs for a bit, but I have a Mavic 2 Pro and was able to easily update it for Remote ID.

My Mavic Mini 2 does not require Remote ID, but I would not use it for commercial jobs anyway.

The FAA still doesn't have acceptable ways to comply. I'm watching unlicensed pilots do whatever they F they want without any real accountability. The FAA can get bent on this remote ID BS.

There is not a single remote ID device that works in a remote location without an internet/data connection. The FAA still doesn't have an answer on how to solve that, but your SUAS will brick itself and keep you from flying.

I've purchased new drones multiple times to comply with their BS, at a cost of multiple thousands of dollars. Quite honestly...they can get bent.

quote:

Originally posted by steve495:
I have not been flying commercial jobs for a bit, but I have a Mavic 2 Pro and was able to easily update it for Remote ID.

My Mavic Mini 2 does not require Remote ID, but I would not use it for commercial jobs anyway.

Interesting question I didn’t think about - by weight the Mini 2 doesn’t require registration/RID. My understanding is commercial use triggers Part 107/Licensing. Does commercial use also require registration of a drone where not previously required?

Commercial use of a <250g drone requires License to be compliant but could otherwise be flown without registration and RID?

quote:

Originally posted by AKSuperDually:
The FAA still doesn't have acceptable ways to comply. I'm watching unlicensed pilots do whatever they F they want without any real accountability. The FAA can get bent on this remote ID BS.

There is not a single remote ID device that works in a remote location without an internet/data connection. The FAA still doesn't have an answer on how to solve that, but your SUAS will brick itself and keep you from flying.

I've purchased new drones multiple times to comply with their BS, at a cost of multiple thousands of dollars. Quite honestly...they can get bent.

My understanding is the device broadcasts from the aircraft using BT and with limited range. In order to receive the info you would need to be in close proximity.

Broadcasts to your phone with a data connection which then uploads that information to the national database/map.

So what's the FAA's plan when you're not in a location with a data connection or you don't use a phone to control your SUAS?

We were told it would not be an ADSB frequency utilizing the nation's network of ADSB receivers (which again have huge dead zones, especially at surface-level heights that SUAS operate.

All I ever get is crickets when I ask FAA representatives these questions....but we "better comply". I was at an FAA meeting just last night for local pilots and mechanics. Discussion once again is to ADSB, pushing pilots to broadcast for their own safety even in airspace where it isn't required. When asked how "out" only helps to improve the pilot's safety, they're flummoxed. When asked if they utilize the ADSB data to violate pilot's, they said "no one is looking at the data with the intent to violate a pilot"...yet we all know people who they've done that to. Remote ID is the same BS. They want pilots (which is a term I use loosely for SUAS/Remote Pilots) to blindly comply, install tattle-tale devices which compromise safety all while promising that they won't actually violate anyone for the device logging potentially concerning flights or behaviors.

Because our government is so good at collecting intel against its people and NOT using it against them...even when they mistake the info?

Everyone has to make their own choices. I'm not flying in airspace, I don't accept aerial jobs around any airspace anymore, and to be fair..all the realtors just fly illegally anyway around here, so there isn't any money in that anyway. I've got about $12,000 in drones that according to the FAA are now worthless and can't be upgraded, and the solutions available require a cell-phone data connection or other internet connection. 90% of my jobs happen outside of those areas. I can post a couple hundred monetized youtube channels that are clearly flying SUAS illegally...when they go after those guys, I'll reconsider. We've got politicians and public figures flying actual high-performance twin-engine aircraft without a medical. Just this week I was offered a ride in a floatplane by a local pilot who got a pacemaker installed less than a month ago. I know another recently retired airline pilot flying in A-fib. Two of the old guys who look to be 80+ years old at the meeting last night are well known for $300 annual inspections where they don't leave the cab of their truck.

My point is this....the idiots at the FAA chase their tails over the stupidest crap while ignoring real problems, and they expect the SUAS "community" to jump on board. Overwhelmingly what I'm witnessing in youtube comments and facebook forums is that nearly no one intends to comply.

quote:

Originally posted by AKSuperDually:
Broadcasts to your phone with a data connection which then uploads that information to the national database/map.

Hmmm, nothing I’ve come across mentions any such thing being part of the current system. Would seem pointless to require the Drone to broadcast the data from the aircraft when the controller could just upload the data directly if there was an internet connection.


Seems some of the earlier/original discussion had that as a goal, but not what was finally adopted.

Good article here:

https://www.commercialuavnews....-drones-over-network


Seems the adopted “rule” has it limited to low range broadcast on BT. Also seems like a pretty ineffective system as there really is limited ability to pick up the BT signals unless using specialized equipment and even then not exactly precise.

I’m wondering if this is simply a “foot in the door” to Gen 2 and beyond intrusion…

Not remote I’d complaint nor will I ever be

Six weeks every year, part of my media job in construction is to fly inventory measuring for 14 asphalt plants. This in addition to UAV flights for video/photo needs during the year.

Some flights are in controlled (Class C, D, and E) airspace. Most are in uncontrolled airspace.

We upgraded to a DJI Mavic 3 Enterprise unit with RID built in. Our other two units (Mavic 2 Pro and Mavic 2 Zoom) received a firmware update that makes RID possible. Those two are backup units.
So far, it’s been seamless and really no factor in our use-case.

As for currency - yes, every two years in October. Moving the exam online has made it easier to pass. Which is both good and bad.

Once the FAA found out they can make 5 million annually I knew what it was all about. I’m not saying what I have or how compliant I am. They can stuff it.

I have a coworker who runs an aerial photography side hustle. I'll have to ask him about all this next time we talk.

It was registered but I’m pretty sure it expired. My DJI hasn’t been in the air in a few years.

I'm the licensed drone pilot for my college. We met the Remote ID requirement by adding a Dronetag module to our existing drone (DJI Inspire 2). I've only had it up once for a test flight since then, but it seemed to work okay.

My 107 is lapsed, and I'm only flying sub 250 grams recreationally.

I traded for a DJI Mavic Air Fly and haven't tried to fly it yet. I'd just be recreational, taking some nature/house/etc. shots. Does this thing need registered?

Thanks.

Not a drone pilot, but a CFI. As part of the biennial recurrent training to renew one’s CFI, they go over rule changes. The remote ID rule came up and it wasn’t entirely clear to me whether this was required for *all* drones going forward, or that those who chose to comply would get a “carrot”. Of interest, drones coming from the factory compliant (that provide a little more info that the add-on compliance modules) get more “carrot” than the add-on compliance module. My first thought reading it was that I would want to research the rule in a lot more depth before ever getting a drone pilot’s license, much less getting “compliant” if I were going to get and fly a drone (probably just over the ranch to see where the darned goats were so I wouldn’t have to drive around so much to find them (and the dogs) in order to feed the guardian dogs.

So I dug into the RID stuff a little more…

Two scenarios require Remote ID:
If your drone is registered or required to be registered
If you are flying “commercially”


Drone is required to be registered if takeoff weight (with any attached items) exceed 250g (.55 lb)

OR if used for “commercial”, non-recreational flight.

So if you want to avoid registration requirement and go with a lightweight drone, you can only “legally” avoid registration if you never use it commercially. The FAA has a pretty broad definition of commercial use.

You do a quick check of your neighbor’s gutters for leaves and he gives you a cold beer in exchange? Congratulations! You are a commercial drone operator subject to FAA rules and Part 107 compliance.

You volunteer for a marine mammal research project and use your drone to count seals on rocks inaccessible from the beach. FAA considers is “commercial” use as it is for some entity and not “personal” or “recreational”.



As for the RID, if you have an older non factory equipped <250g drone and stick to recreational flight only you should be good.

If you have a newer one, even though you still don’t have to register it, if it comes from the factory RID equipped it is broadcasting even through not require for your recreational use.

I think you pretty much nailed it. Don't forget your youtube posts, even if you yourself aren't monetized, the FAA has sent "warning" letters to folks.

Even if you aren't compensated for your services, if the product is used for such, or typically is...the FAA considers it a part 107 activity.

We just got four drones in and will be compliant soon. So far only one person has gone to class and passed the test (right before he got hired with us he was finishing his pilot's license so he said it was easy).

We have a second one in class now and will be taking the test.

I was voluntold to go get certified because they wanted someone in charge of the program. SMH

quote:

Originally posted by Chowser:
We just got four drones in and will be compliant soon. So far only one person has gone to class and passed the test (right before he got hired with us he was finishing his pilot's license so he said it was easy).

We have a second one in class now and will be taking the test.

I was voluntold to go get certified because they wanted someone in charge of the program. SMH

Actually the FAA has a whole separate “program” for “Public Use” that LE Agencies can utilize -

Looks like an agency can just follow Part 107 like us “civilians” <OR> for more Jackbooted Thuggery power they can get set up with a “Certificate of Waiver or Authorization” which allows wider operating envelope and special powers…


https://www.faa.gov/about/offi...rganizations/uas/coa

quote:

Originally posted by slosig:
My first thought reading it was that I would want to research the rule in a lot more depth before ever getting a drone pilot’s license, much less getting “compliant” if I were going to get and fly a drone (probably just over the ranch to see where the darned goats were so I wouldn’t have to drive around so much to find them (and the dogs) in order to feed the guardian dogs.

VLOS (visual line-of-sight) requirements may make this tricky, as these UAVs can be seen only up to about 1/4 mile away with the naked eye.
A big help is a strobe (battery powered, rechargeable). You can see the drone for about 1/2 mile (maybe more) with one of those strobes on the bottom. Just FYI.