Many, if not most, drone businesses and operators are flying without 107 certification. Per a popular drone website.

[cgmaxed]

Quoted from Editor of "Drone Girl".

And for all that effort (re 107 cert), many drone pilots suspect the FAA isn’t actually cracking down on whether commercial businesses have licenses. Clients don’t seem to care either, they say. If other businesses are operating without a license, some say it may be almost worth the risk to not have one either. (Editor’s note: Drone Girl does not endorse this strategy!)
“Mostly it has not gotten me any advantages in the marketplace,” said drone pilot Flo Minton. “Everyone hires unlicensed people here.”

link April 2021: Advantages and disadvantages of having a Part 107 drone license

Interesting. But I think I'll stick with getting 107 certified. It's not some FAA rep coming to check on me, I am worried about, It could be a cop with 107 knowledge that sees you and checks your credentials. If you're not compliant, and the cop decides to report you to the FAA, you may find a letter in your mailbox from the FAA asking you to explain yourself. Not good. As someone in the drone community said, "Fly it like you stole it." He meant, get the job done and get out as fast as you can.

 

[Phantomrain.org]

The 107 is going to make a world of difference when and if things go wrong. But when things go right there is no reward and no one is going to care , except those that try to use insurance , the insurance company will ask if the pilot was certified as they look for a way out. . of what ever claim is filed.

The 107 may seem like its for the FAA but the reality is its for the legal loop holes and the pilots protection under those laws and FAA laws as well.

Phantomrain.org
Gear to fly in the Rain.

 

[brett8883]

I’ve never regretted doing it. I’m already paranoid enough when i fly. I need something else to worry about like I need a hole in the head.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

except those that try to use insurance , the insurance company will ask if the pilot was certified as they look for a way out. . of what ever claim is filed.

That was my first thought, though I wondered if it would be possible to even GET commercial like business cover without official credentials in the first place.
As much as one may think insurance companies would be lining up to take anyone’s $$$ irrespective , I’d suspect pilots flying for a living would have to show a respective drone pilots licence to obtain such cover.

 

[brett8883]

That was my first thought, though I wondered if it would be possible to even GET commercial like business cover without official credentials in the first place.
As much as one may think insurance companies would be lining up to take anyone’s $$$ irrespective , I’d suspect pilots flying for a living would have to show a respective drone pilots licence to obtain such cover.

I’m sure it depends on your location but if you think about it you can own a drone business and not be a PIC. You could hire people to do that. so there’s probably not a requirement for getting the insurance. Would probably be a reason they’d drop you if something happened or maybe even try to get out of paying a claim idk but I’m sure they’d take your money to start out without many questions about it

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

you can own a drone business and not be a PIC. You could hire people to do that. so there’s probably not a requirement for getting the insurance.

True that.
I figure that would be a very rare case, most would fly their own drones to be viable . . . but it could happen.

Here a commercial drone pilot needs to be licensed, very much like your Part 107, it's called RePL (Remote Pilots Licence).
This can allow some exemptions from the general rules for drones, mostly with extra training and authorisation.

If you are a drone business operator, they need what's known as an ReOC, Remotely (piloted aircraft) Operators Certificate.
Without this you cannot trade as a drone service provider.

I'm not sure of an RePL holder ALSO needs to be ReOC approved too . . . I think so if they are pilot and business owner.

We also have a weird "Excluded Category" that allows an unlicensed person to fly for business, but following the reasonably strict drone rules, mostly close to US rules, and only for sub 2kg drones.
Examples of businesses that fly under this excluded category (from our CASA website) may include photographers and film makers, real estate agents, researchers, construction workers and tradespeople, government and community service providers.

I don't THINK the US has a category like this ??

Excluded pilots need to obtain an ARN (aviation reference number), do a very basic online accreditation to show they understand the rules, register their drones, and they are good to go, ALL FREE of charge.
I've always thought that must really rub RePL owners the wrong way just a little, but I've never really seen it mentioned in any posts online anywhere regarding the Australian position on that.

 

[brett8883]

True that.
I figure that would be a very rare case, most would fly their own drones to be viable . . . but it could happen.

Here a commercial drone pilot needs to be licensed, very much like your Part 107, it's called RePL (Remote Pilots Licence).
This can allow some exemptions from the general rules for drones, mostly with extra training and authorisation.

If you are a drone business operator, they need what's known as an ReOC, Remotely (piloted aircraft) Operators Certificate.
Without this you cannot trade as a drone service provider.

I'm not sure of an RePL holder ALSO needs to be ReOC approved too . . . I think so if they are pilot and business owner.

We also have a weird "Excluded Category" that allows an unlicensed person to fly for business, but following the reasonably strict drone rules, mostly close to US rules, and only for sub 2kg drones.
Examples of businesses that fly under this excluded category (from our CASA website) may include photographers and film makers, real estate agents, researchers, construction workers and tradespeople, government and community service providers.

I don't THINK the US has a category like this ??

Excluded pilots need to obtain an ARN (aviation reference number), do a very basic online accreditation to show they understand the rules, register their drones, and they are good to go, ALL FREE of charge.
I've always thought that must really rub RePL owners the wrong way just a little, but I've never really seen it mentioned in any posts online anywhere regarding the Australian position on that.

No the US doesn’t have anything like that.

So what’s an example of something that isn’t excluded? I feel like everything there is to do with a drone is covered under those exclusions. Tradespeople? Can’t that be anything?

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

No the US doesn’t have anything like that.

So what’s an example of something that isn’t excluded? I feel like everything there is to do with a drone is covered under those exclusions. Tradespeople? Can’t that be anything?

Nothing can be excluded from what I read . . . (about half way down the page)

Operator accreditation

Strange isn't it ?
Even YouTube creators with monetised accounts are covered here under Excluded being film makers.

The only thing a RePL holder can do is apply for certain waivers, like flying closer than 30m to people (to within 15m with consent), flying at night, and possibly some other such with regards to distance from controlled airports, possibly / probably altitude over 120m (400') under certain circumstance, not much mentioned on the CASA site regarding other perks (authorisations).

I got my ARN and Excluded category maybe 2 years ago, have never done anything commercial but thought why not, a step towards RePL which I still wish to obtain one day for the sake of having it.

 

[brett8883]

Nothing can be excluded from what I read . . . (about half way down the page)

Operator accreditation

Strange isn't it ?
Even YouTube creators with monetised accounts are covered here under Excluded being film makers.

The only thing a RePL holder can do is apply for certain waivers, like flying closer than 30m to people (to within 15m with consent), flying at night, and possibly some other such with regards to distance from controlled airports, possibly / probably altitude over 120m (400') under certain circumstance, not much mentioned on the CASA site regarding other perks (authorisations).

I got my ARN and Excluded category maybe 2 years ago, have never done anything commercial but thought why not, a step towards RePL which I still wish to obtain one day for the sake of having it.

Yea weird.

 

[Cymruflyer]

That was my first thought, though I wondered if it would be possible to even GET commercial like business cover without official credentials in the first place.
As much as one may think insurance companies would be lining up to take anyone’s $$$ irrespective , I’d suspect pilots flying for a living would have to show a respective drone pilots licence to obtain such cover.

Ohhh I'm sure they are lining up to take your money but the moment that stuff hits the fan, they will be lining up reasons why they are not responsible to cover you, starting with not being a legal 107 pilot. It's a shame things seem to be going the way of non 107 flyers getting the work. I'd be very pleased to see a few go before the judge that were operating that way and try and fight an insurance company that won't cover them.

 

[GFields]

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Dale D]

Quoted from Editor of "Drone Girl".

And for all that effort (re 107 cert), many drone pilots suspect the FAA isn’t actually cracking down on whether commercial businesses have licenses. Clients don’t seem to care either, they say. If other businesses are operating without a license, some say it may be almost worth the risk to not have one either. (Editor’s note: Drone Girl does not endorse this strategy!)
“Mostly it has not gotten me any advantages in the marketplace,” said drone pilot Flo Minton. “Everyone hires unlicensed people here.”

link April 2021: Advantages and disadvantages of having a Part 107 drone license

Interesting. But I think I'll stick with getting 107 certified. It's not some FAA rep coming to check on me, I am worried about, It could be a cop with 107 knowledge that sees you and checks your credentials. If you're not compliant, and the cop decides to report you to the FAA, you may find a letter in your mailbox from the FAA asking you to explain yourself. Not good. As someone in the drone community said, "Fly it like you stole it." He meant, get the job done and get out as fast as you can.

As our current Vice President said, "that little girl was me." Though I'm not a little girl but a regular old man, my philosophy of flying can be condensed to one word...."STEALTH." I fly like a jailbird on the run. Get in early AM, look around for authorities who may hinder or catch me, and fly out and back rapidly, then rapidly packing my gear and getting the hell out of there. Not interested in engaging the quizzing public about what I am doing there. This technique actually allowed me to avoid possible arrest on one occasion. By the time somebody reported me to the police, and the police arrived, I was all packed up and driving away. I was actually doing nothing wrong, in my opinion.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

and try and fight an insurance company that won't cover them.

Would break a lot of such operators financially, courts with injury claims aren't going to wait for insurance companies drawing out claims procedures, and finally rejecting such claims.

It'd pay for these people doing risky commercial work without the licensing / compliance costs to think carefully before getting into that situation.

That said, so many drive uninsured motor vehicles, don't insure their homes / contents, or have health insurance.
All well and good until something happens.

 

[SethB]

...It'd pay for these people doing risky commercial work without the licensing / compliance costs to think carefully before getting into that situation.

That said, so many drive uninsured motor vehicles, don't insure their homes / contents, or have health insurance.
All well and good until something happens.

Everything is grand until there’s an accident, an injury, a fire. This is business, not droning. In business you plan, recognize liability, take reasonable precautions to manage risks, and buy insurance for the unexpected, and, yes, for operator error. It happens.

If dronegirl’s sources are to be believed, it’s hard to imagine that unlicensed operators & their clients are recognizing their real liability in case of accident.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

If dronegirl’s sources are to be believed, it’s hard to imagine that unlicensed operators & their clients are recognizing their real liability in case of accident.

Correct. A real estate biz might just consider drone photography is covered by their normal professional indemnity cover for instance, where it generally wouldn't be unless specifically added.
Ok, 99% of these people will get through without an issue, maybe some close calls . . . the other few each year are probably in for some pain.

 

[wsteele]

As our current Vice President said, "that little girl was me." Though I'm not a little girl but a regular old man, my philosophy of flying can be condensed to one word...."STEALTH." I fly like a jailbird on the run. Get in early AM, look around for authorities who may hinder or catch me, and fly out and back rapidly, then rapidly packing my gear and getting the hell out of there. Not interested in engaging the quizzing public about what I am doing there. This technique actually allowed me to avoid possible arrest on one occasion. By the time somebody reported me to the police, and the police arrived, I was all packed up and driving away. I was actually doing nothing wrong, in my opinion.

So there is a little rogue in you after all!

 

[cgmaxed]

As our current Vice President said, "that little girl was me." Though I'm not a little girl but a regular old man, my philosophy of flying can be condensed to one word...."STEALTH." I fly like a jailbird on the run. Get in early AM, look around for authorities who may hinder or catch me, and fly out and back rapidly, then rapidly packing my gear and getting the hell out of there. Not interested in engaging the quizzing public about what I am doing there. This technique actually allowed me to avoid possible arrest on one occasion. By the time somebody reported me to the police, and the police arrived, I was all packed up and driving away. I was actually doing nothing wrong, in my opinion.

Excellent

 

[CapitalSkyEye]

My business is 107 certified and I could not operate without it. I do quite a few jobs a year inside the Washington DC Flight Restriction Zone and I could not get a waiver to do a job without Part 107. The FRZ is a 30 mile diameter circle extending out from DCA and covers all of Washington, DC and quite a bit of the suburbs.

 

[CountryGuy]

Everything is grand until there’s an accident, an injury, a fire.

Bingo.
Not unlike driving a car without a license or registration, or insurance. No problem unless/until...

 

[Cobra193]

Quoted from Editor of "Drone Girl".

“Mostly it has not gotten me any advantages in the marketplace,” said drone pilot Flo Minton. “Everyone hires unlicensed people here.”

link April 2021: Advantages and disadvantages of having a Part 107 drone license

If the above pilot hasn't gotten any advantage from having sUAS cert, then he's either not Marketing himself well or he's doing private real estate. Almost every single client that I've gotten came to me BECAUSE I'm a 107 cert holder. I mostly do commercial real estate and the larger companies tend to make sure their ***** are covered.

In private home real estate, yes, most small company/individual realtors (in my experience) don't care about insurance and 107 etc, and many times have their own drone (with no 107). But the bigger RE companies usually do care.