Federal Guidelines You Should Know Before Flying
Congratulations! You have decided to embark on one the newest and fastest growing hobbies out right now.
Flying drones or other UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System described by FAA – which requires the pilot in command to
operate safely and efficiently in the national airspace system) can be one of the most thrilling hobbies. The term
‘‘unmanned aircraft system’’ means an unmanned aircraft and associated elements, including communication links and
the components that control the unmanned aircraft. Now that you have purchased your first drone, the first thing you
might want to do is run out to the closest open space and just let it fly. Well, that probably is not a good idea. The FAA,
or Federal Aviation Administration, has put some rules in place in order to insure the safety of those around these UAS.
Now, the first thing you might think is ‘the last thing you want to be part of is a hobby that has tons of federal
regulations preventing you from having a good time’, but the rules that have been put in place are simple to follow, and
do not take anything away from enjoying the full drone experience.
The first rule is “Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles”. This rule should be easy to
follow since most beginner drones are probably not going to reach those heights. When you move up to more
experienced drones, then this is something you should keep in mind. The second rule is to “Keep the aircraft within
visual line of sight at all times”. This is a no-brainer for beginners. Learning to fly a drone is going to take practice and
keeping it in view is important to learning how the drone moves to your commands. The next few rules can be
summarized like this: do not fly anywhere near airplanes, airports or any manned aircraft. For obvious reasons, you
need to remain completely clear of airplanes and airports. If your hobby interferes with their operation, the
repercussions could be catastrophic. Another rule that should be followed is “Don’t fly near people or stadiums”. As a
novice drone operator you are going to crash. It will happen and the last thing you want to do is to crash it into a person
or in an area where people are gathered. This hobby is meant to be fun and hurting someone by accident will take the
fun right out of it. The next rule says “Don’t fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 lbs.” This rule, again, is to protect
people on the ground. If by accident, you flew a 60 lbs. drone into someone’s car, that would not be not be fun. The
last and maybe the most important rule, which really can encompass the other rules, is “Don’t be careless or reckless
with your unmanned aircraft”. Being able to take control of a drone is a great experience, but it comes with a great
responsibility. By being reckless or careless you could be putting people’s lives in danger and or putting property at
These rules are all easy to follow and all are in place to keep you and those around you safe. So, I would suggest
looking over these rules before flying your first drone or you can always visit the FAA website directly by clicking on this
link https://www.faa.gov/uas/model_aircraft/. There you will find a more complete list of rules and regulations.