Newbee thoughts about Trust vs 107

[1gratedulflyingdawg]

Hello again
Let me start out by saying I am terrible at test taking, I know it so that compounds the issue. I’m 70 so my test taking abilities I’m sure are diminished. With that said it seems like I really do need a 107 even though I have no intention of flying as a business. I like to help people and I could see myself using the drone to help someone as a friend even if I just met them and then find myself in deep trouble with only a Trust license and drone registration. With a 107 I can help who I want and have better knowledge than a Trust pilot. Does make sense?
I assume Drone Pilot Ground School is the place to go?

Anyone else a terrible test taker but made it through the 107?
Thanks

 

[mavic3usa]

Yeah, you gotta follow the rules; however, I don't think you'll find yourself in "deep trouble" for flying a drone trying to help a friend; that's not a thing (yet). Flying a drone is not a crime (yet). Good luck with your test, try the Pilot Institute.

 

[Cafguy]

For all the discussions you see on the Forum about regulations The truth is The FAA nor anyone else has the funds to fund a Drone goon squad lol. You are Flying under the Trust system here in the U.S. honestly, and unless you do something really stupid around a bunch of witnesses you will never see the FAA. Is it wrong to help your friends out a little with your drone Not really no But it all depends on what you are doing to help YES it is illegal for you to help your Buddy BUT Lets say you did, Would you get reported? Chances are NO BUT if a Local Drone operator with their 107 sees the nice add you helped your buddy make, you just may be in for a legal battle. I would not do it without a 107 its just too risky. Once again it depends on what you are doing as to if you will get reported or not.

 

[1gratedulflyingdawg]

For all the discussions you see on the Forum about regulations The truth is The FAA nor anyone else has the funds to fund a Drone goon squad lol. You are Flying under the Trust system here in the U.S. honestly, and unless you do something really stupid around a bunch of witnesses you will never see the FAA. Is it wrong to help your friends out a little with your drone Not really no But it all depends on what you are doing to help YES it is illegal for you to help your Buddy BUT Lets say you did, Would you get reported Chances are NO BUT if a Local Drone operator with their 107 sees the nice add you helped your buddy make, you just may be in for a legal battle I would not do it without a 107 its just too risky. Once again it depends on what you are doing as to if you will get reported or not.

Having a 107 protects me from myself.

 

[Cafguy]

The fines are HUGE and you also face the IRS in these cases. They seem to get a little miffed if you don't report income. If you did get reported . the FAA would probably forward it to the IRS...Never Know!

 

[mavic3usa]

Here are a couple of interesting stories about drone flights and the FAA; fwiw I believe the FAA called in response to these individuals being reported rather than the FAA being proactive:

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[hank970]

I'm strictly a recreational flyer, have no commercial aspirations, and I know better than to sell drone images, post videos on You Tube, or take pictures of my neighbor's roof in support of his insurance claim. I take pictures (mostly stills) from an aerial perspective for my own enjoyment as a photography enthusiast and to share with family and friends. I seldom, if ever, fly my drone purely for the joy of flying.

I have my Trust certificate and enrolled in a Part 107 course only because I thought it would better familiarize me with applicable regulations, constraints, and restrictions. It helps in that regard but also devotes a lot of time to topics that are of absolutely no interest or value to me. Because I'm content to stay five miles or more away from airports, do I really need to know about airport traffic patterns or how to decipher runway and taxiway signage and markings? Do I need to know about the various radio frequencies in use at airports or what class of airspace occurs at altitudes tens of thousands of feet higher than I'll ever operate a drone? Do I need to know the intricacies of the Bernoulli Principle and of weather phenomena? Do I need to memorize an airman's phonetic alphabet or know that pilots say niner instead of nine when communicating with control towers? Do I need to clutter my feeble mind with all of that trivia only because I might need to know it to pass an FAA exam? The answer is no. It's apparent to me that the knowledge required to obtain Part 107 certification far exceeds what I need to know to enjoy flying as a responsible recreational drone pilot.

 

[1gratedulflyingdawg]

Here are a couple of interesting stories about drone flights and the FAA; fwiw I believe the FAA called in response to these individuals being reported rather than the FAA being proactive:

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Thanks

 

[1gratedulflyingdawg]

I'm strictly a recreational flyer, have no commercial aspirations, and I know better than to sell drone images, post videos on You Tube, or take pictures of my neighbor's roof in support of his insurance claim. I take pictures (mostly stills) from an aerial perspective for my own enjoyment as a photography enthusiast and to share with family and friends. I seldom, if ever, fly my drone purely for the joy of flying.

I have my Trust certificate and enrolled in a Part 107 course only because I thought it would better familiarize me with applicable regulations, constraints, and restrictions. It helps in that regard but also devotes a lot of time to topics that are of absolutely no interest or value to me. Because I'm content to stay five miles or more away from airports, do I really need to know about airport traffic patterns or how to decipher runway and taxiway signage and markings? Do I need to know about the various radio frequencies in use at airports or what class of airspace occurs at altitudes tens of thousands of feet higher than I'll ever operate a drone? Do I need to know the intricacies of the Bernoulli Principle and of weather phenomena? Do I need to memorize an airman's phonetic alphabet or know that pilots say niner instead of nine when communicating with control towers? Do I need to clutter my feeble mind with all of that trivia only because I might need to know it to pass an FAA exam? The answer is no. It's apparent to me that the knowledge required to obtain Part 107 certification far exceeds what I need to know to enjoy flying as a responsible recreational drone pilot.

I really appreciate that perspective

 

[Cafguy]

I'm strictly a recreational flyer, have no commercial aspirations, and I know better than to sell drone images, post videos on You Tube, or take pictures of my neighbor's roof in support of his insurance claim. I take pictures (mostly stills) from an aerial perspective for my own enjoyment as a photography enthusiast and to share with family and friends. I seldom, if ever, fly my drone purely for the joy of flying.

I have my Trust certificate and enrolled in a Part 107 course only because I thought it would better familiarize me with applicable regulations, constraints, and restrictions. It helps in that regard but also devotes a lot of time to topics that are of absolutely no interest or value to me. Because I'm content to stay five miles or more away from airports, do I really need to know about airport traffic patterns or how to decipher runway and taxiway signage and markings? Do I need to know about the various radio frequencies in use at airports or what class of airspace occurs at altitudes tens of thousands of feet higher than I'll ever operate a drone? Do I need to know the intricacies of the Bernoulli Principle and of weather phenomena? Do I need to memorize an airman's phonetic alphabet or know that pilots say niner instead of nine when communicating with control towers? Do I need to clutter my feeble mind with all of that trivia only because I might need to know it to pass an FAA exam? The answer is no. It's apparent to me that the knowledge required to obtain Part 107 certification far exceeds what I need to know to enjoy flying as a responsible recreational drone pilot.

I will say studying and taking the 107 makes you a much much more knowledgeable pilot. Lets discuss some of these "not needed" things the 107 covers just for the heck of it.

do I really need to know about airport traffic patterns or how to decipher runway and taxiway signage and markings?

I'll give you the Taxiway markings one for sure but as a recreational pilot lets say you are flying near an airport maybe even an uncontrolled one, Off in the distance you ,see a cessna that you want to make sure you avoid.......Quik is that Cessna entering the pattern or taking off or perhaps joining from a 45 from unusual direction, This info would help you a bunch in deciding what to do. if the situation occurred.

Do I need to know about the various radio frequencies in use at airports or what class of airspace occurs at altitudes tens of thousands of feet higher than I'll ever operate a drone?

it does make you much more aware of what is happening around you. and having an aircraft radio to listen to can be quite handy if you know what the pilots are talking about. some companies require their 107 pilots to have aircraft radios in certain situations.

Do I need to know the intricacies of the Bernoulli Principle and of weather phenomena?

I will give you this one too but if you are a 107 operator weather planning can save you a bunch of time and money.

It's apparent to me that the knowledge required to obtain Part 107 certification far exceeds what I need to know to enjoy flying as a responsible recreational drone pilot.

Very true but to become a responsible, Educated pilot, I think the exam covers what will be expected of you as a commercial pilot. The ones I know are always having to take recurrent training in F.A.R.s.
As a recreational pilot The knowledge given in the 107 exam would be kinda ridiculous to expect the average recreational pilot to know. If you know this info tho, you are WAY ahead in the game.

 

[Vic Moss]

A little clarification is needed here.

First, there is no such thing as "commercial" drone rules in the United States. 14 CFR §107 is the default set of drone regulations in the U.S. Which means if you fly a drone in the U.S., you must fly under §107 unless you meet the criteria for 49 USC §44809. There are a couple of other sets of rules to fly under, but they are quite use specific, and you wouldn't be flying under those.

Lots of folks think that if they're not flying for payment, then they don't need a 107. While on the surface that could be true, you then have to look at the criteria of §44809, the "Exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft".

There are 8 different criteria you have to meet, taking TRUST is just one of them. The very first one is "The aircraft is flown strictly for recreational purposes." And if you are wanting to "help people and I could see myself using the drone to help someone as a friend even if I just met them", then it's not strictly for recreational purposes.

So you'd need a 107 for that.

Having said this, as mentioned above, the FAA does not have a squad of folks who go around looking for violations. They are not proactive in this area. Instead they rely on the UAS community to police themselves. The only time you could get in trouble is if you are reported. And unfortunately, there are some who do.

One other issue is that if you have insurance, and are flying w/o a 107 under 107 conditions, they would likely not cover an incident. Something to think about.

If you want to get your 107, I strongly recommend Pilot Institute. You can't go wrong with them, and once you sign up for courses, you become part of their private community for life. Great folks.

Online Ground School: Aviation Classes - Pilot Institute

Pilot Institute offers courses on drones and airplanes from world-class experts. Pass the Part 107 or Private Pilot exam and take to the skies.

pilotinstitute.com

 

[DDixon69]

I will say studying and taking the 107 makes you a much much more knowledgeable pilot. Lets discuss some of these "not needed" things the 107 covers just for the heck of it.

I'll give you the Taxiway markings one for sure but as a recreational pilot lets say you are flying near an airport maybe even an uncontrolled one, Off in the distance you ,see a cessna that you want to make sure you avoid.......Quik is that Cessna entering the pattern or taking off or perhaps joining from a 45 from unusual direction, This info would help you a bunch in deciding what to do. if the situation occurred.

it does make you much more aware of what is happening around you. and having an aircraft radio to listen to can be quite handy if you know what the pilots are talking about. some companies require their 107 pilots to have aircraft radios in certain situations.

I will give you this one too but if you are a 107 operator weather planning can save you a bunch of time and money.

Very true but to become a responsible, Educated pilot, I think the exam covers what will be expected of you as a commercial pilot. The ones I know are always having to take recurrent training in F.A.R.s.
As a recreational pilot The knowledge given in the 107 exam would be kinda ridiculous to expect the average recreational pilot to know. If you know this info tho, you are WAY ahead in the game.

The 107 is a joke. I've been a sport pilot for years. I haven't flown in a long time. It's a very expensive hobby. I got into drones to help scratch that itch. I've not bother taking the 107. The points you make are so true. I've done boot camps and online trading just to learn more. I've lost all respect for the FAA at this point. However the FAA has no real Drone School or agenda. They just took the Sports Pilot training and renamed it to Drone Training. About 75% of this so called "Drone Training" is BS. A drone pilot will never need to know this crap. It ridiculous to learn chart reading and weather predictions METARs. Just look out the window for your weather report. Common sense. METARS and NOTAMs are for maned aircraft. Line-of-sight is the law. Drones don't get to enter airport airspace. So until the FAA gets serious about creating a UAV course. I'm not wasting my time. Its is absolutely insane what they ask on the 107 test. You will never need it. Drone pilots are subjected to a test that honestly is useless to drone pilots. A real Drone test would be easier to pass if all the useless info was removed. Drone focused training is needed. Not bloat.in fact I say it's harmful to waste the training time on useless rules.

Take a look at the Sports Pilot training material then compare this joke call 107. You will see how out of touch the FAA is.

 

[Cafguy]

It's a very expensive hobby. I got into drones to help scratch that itch.

So you traded an expensive Hobby with another Expensive Hobby? was your itch spending money? lol

However the FAA has no real Drone School or agenda.

The FAA was Forced to regulate Drones by Congress and They were probably not thrilled to have their already limited budget shrunken even more by adding on a responsibility they neither asked for or were ready for.

A drone pilot will never need to know this crap.

This is a diverse industry, How in the world could the FAA Predict everything a commercial drone pilot faces ?!

METARS and NOTAMs are for maned aircraft.

and informed Drone Pilots I might add that some commercial Drone pilots must submit paperwork showing that they have read any Notams and they must also I.D. the Atis info they are given from the local tower.

Drones don't get to enter airport airspace.

Sure they do. NOT over say LAX but I know commercial Drone pilots that have filmed at airports while they were in operation. Their Drones had Transponders and the Pilots had Radios.

It ridiculous to learn chart reading

Care to search all the "hey whats that Helicopter or airplane doing there!" posts here. All of them caused because a pilot who simply did not think to pick up a sectional chart and notice the predicted traffic. Flying in a low flying aircraft corridor for instance may end in disaster for a Drone pilot that has no idea that corridor exists,I can think of countless other examples but you get what I'm saying.

Just look out the window for your weather report.

Thats how my grandma did it. BUT when you are running a business with employees running all over the place to gosh knows where It pays to "Know the weather "

Drone focused training is needed. Not bloat.

The test is NOT perfect and there could be some things taken away (Taxiway markings and such) There is NO way to predict what you will encounter as a commercial pilot. just like in Sport Flying.

I say it's harmful to waste the training time on useless rules.

Its like insurance. Its the best knowledge you hope to never need.
AND lastly Welcome to the Forum From Bakersfield!!

 

[1gratedulflyingdawg]

I will say studying and taking the 107 makes you a much much more knowledgeable pilot. Lets discuss some of these "not needed" things the 107 covers just for the heck of it.

I'll give you the Taxiway markings one for sure but as a recreational pilot lets say you are flying near an airport maybe even an uncontrolled one, Off in the distance you ,see a cessna that you want to make sure you avoid.......Quik is that Cessna entering the pattern or taking off or perhaps joining from a 45 from unusual direction, This info would help you a bunch in deciding what to do. if the situation occurred.

it does make you much more aware of what is happening around you. and having an aircraft radio to listen to can be quite handy if you know what the pilots are talking about. some companies require their 107 pilots to have aircraft radios in certain situations.

I will give you this one too but if you are a 107 operator weather planning can save you a bunch of time and money.

Very true but to become a responsible, Educated pilot, I think the exam covers what will be expected of you as a commercial pilot. The ones I know are always having to take recurrent training in F.A.R.s.
As a recreational pilot The knowledge given in the 107 exam would be kinda ridiculous to expect the average recreational pilot to know. If you know this info tho, you are WAY ahead in the game.

Thanks

 

[Forensics_Pilot]

So you traded an expensive Hobby with another Expensive Hobby? was your itch spending money? lol

The FAA was Forced to regulate Drones by Congress and They were probably not thrilled to have their already limited budget shrunken even more by adding on a responsibility they neither asked for or were ready for.

This is a diverse industry, How in the world could the FAA Predict everything a commercial drone pilot faces ?!

and informed Drone Pilots I might add that some commercial Drone pilots must submit paperwork showing that they have read any Notams and they must also I.D. the Atis info they are given from the local tower.

Sure they do. NOT over say LAX but I know commercial Drone pilots that have filmed at airports while they were in operation. Their Drones had Transponders and the Pilots had Radios.

Care to search all the "hey whats that Helicopter or airplane doing there!" posts here. All of them caused because a pilot who simply did not think to pick up a sectional chart and notice the predicted traffic. Flying in a low flying aircraft corridor for instance may end in disaster for a Drone pilot that has no idea that corridor exists,I can think of countless other examples but you get what I'm saying.

Thats how my grandma did it. BUT when you are running a business with employees running all over the place to gosh knows where It pays to "Know the weather "

The test is NOT perfect and there could be some things taken away (Taxiway markings and such) There is NO way to predict what you will encounter as a commercial pilot. just like in Sport Flying.

Its like insurance. Its the best knowledge you hope to never need.
AND lastly Welcome to the Forum From Bakersfield!!

Good rebuttal CafGuy!

 

[Vic Moss]

The 107 is NOT a joke. It's designed for those who don't come from an aviation background. The vast majority of drone pilots are not previous aviators. This is their first foray into the world of aviation. As such, it's a very basic test. As it should be.

Yes, there are those who feel superior and want to make others feel bad if they get their 107. Ignore them. Life is better that way.