For US Pilots only… If you have a Part 107 Certification, do you need a TRUST Certificate to fly Recreationally?

[SoaringBison]

You need a TRUST card any time you operate an RC vehicle that flys...Commercial flight or recreational you must have a TRUST card on your person. A 107 cert. does not replace a TRUST card.

You are correct that neither replaces the other.

To fly under 44809 you require TRUST.

To fly under Part 107, you require a Part 107 remote pilot cert.

But you are incorrect when you claim that a Part 107 pilot operating under Part 107 requires TRUST. There is no such requirement.

For those who won't take the time to look it up...

The requirement for TRUST is in 44809 (a) (7) and is further defined in 44809 (g). None of this applies to operations under Part 107.

In Part 107, there is no reference to TRUST because is is not a requirement to fly under 107.

 

[SoaringBison]

You're correct about TRUST not being required for Part 107 pilots flying recreationally and outside the exception in Section 44809. I've clarified the earlier post to read "TRUST required for all recreational flights under Section 44809."

I don't see an FAA statement specifically stating that TRUST is not required for Part 107 pilots flying outside Section 44809. But The Pilot Institute states that to be the case. See the second bold heading.

Who Needs to Take the FAA TRUST Drone Exam? - Pilot Institute

The TRUST is the latest addition to the set of legal regulations that the FAA has imposed on the recreational drone flight community.

pilotinstitute.com

What would require a Part 107 pilot to have TRUST to fly recreationally using an unregistered sub-0.55 pound drone?

One can fly recreationally under 44809 or Part 107.

To fly a drone under Part 107, regardless of weight, the drone must be registered. And since it requires registration, it also requires RID.

The only way to legally fly an unregistered sub-0.55 pound drone in the USA is under 44809 for recreational purposes only, and for that you require a TRUST cert. More precisely, if you don't have TRUST, you don't meet 44809 (a)(7) and are therefore flying under 107. That's a problem if your drone isn't registered.

 

[SoaringBison]

First time I've heard that premise and it's...debatable.

There are too many variables to consider all recreational flights "training". I don't see the word "training" in any section of Part 107 or 44809, you're assuming a lot.

Part 107 doesn't have any restrictions on the reason you are flying. If the drone is registered under 107 and the PIC has a 107 cert, they can fly for work, research, recreation, whatever, as long as they obey the regs. If anyone disagrees, please provide the section number of Part 107 that says they can't.

 

[MS Coast]

The only way to legally fly an unregistered sub-0.55 pound drone in the USA is under 44809 for recreational purposes only,

What prohibits a Part 107 pilot from flying a sub-0.55 pound drone for recreation? Are you suggesting that I was in violation as a Part 107 pilot for flying an unregistered Neo 2 for fun this afternoon?

 

[SoaringBison]

What prohibits a Part 107 pilot from flying a sub-0.55 pound drone for recreation? Are you suggesting that I was in violation as a Part 107 pilot for flying an unregistered Neo 2 for fun this afternoon?

Congrats on the new drone! I've been eyeing the Neo 2

I'm not suggesting anything about you, your drone, or your particular circumstances. That's between you and the FAA.

From a regulatory perspective, any drone flown under Part 107 must be registered. Therefore, it would be a violation to fly an unregistered drone of any weight under Part 107.

On the other hand, if one qualifies for the Section 44809 exception, then there's no requirement to register drones under 0.55 lbs, so I don't see a problem. When flying under 44809, whether one has a Part 107 cert or not isn't relevant.

Someone asked earlier why a Part 107 cert holder might also want TRUST? This is a good example.