Real Estate practice flying

[Tee]

My sister said that I can practice taking photos of her house, I know that if you are getting any kind of compensation for your work then you have to have a pilots certification, can I practice flying and take some photos of her house without the pilots license?

 

[msinger]

can I practice flying and take some photos of her house without the pilots license?

What are you going to do with the photos?

 

[THE CYBORG]

Can’t see why not, family use is hardly commercial, would probably be a good idea to inform any neighbours of your intention just in case they think you are spying on them

 

[Tee]

Can’t see why not, family use is hardly commercial, would probably be a good idea to inform any neighbours of your intention just in case they think you are spying on them

Thank you, that's what we did,

 

[Tee]

What are you going to do with the photos?

I want to use them for my portfolio, website

 

[53-63-6f-74-74]

I want to use them for my portfolio, website

If that's the case, and you're portfolio or website is generating any kind of business, or advancing your business, then you are not flying under hobby rules and require a 107 certification. It's not the actual photos that are in question, it's the actual flight itself, which is not for pure recreation.

 

[Tee]

If that's the case, and you're portfolio or website is generating any kind of business, or advancing your business, then you are not flying under hobby rules and require a 107 certification. It's not the actual photos that are in question, it's the actual flight itself, which is not for pure recreation.

Thanks for the info, I will not post any of them, I just wanted to see if I could actually do this type of shoot

 

[DroningOn]

I just wanted to see if I could actually do this type of shoot

Who’s going to stop you? Other than several people on this site who have proudly stated they will gladly drop a dime on “rule breakers“

 

[msinger]

I want to use them for my portfolio, website

That of course wouldn't be allowed since it's for a commercial purpose.

 

[BigAl07]

Thanks for the info, I will not post any of them, I just wanted to see if I could actually do this type of shoot

First off KUDOS to you for asking and trying to do the right thing. That's how we learn and grow.

Keep in mind that when you ask a question on a forum you'll get valid answers, INVALID answers, and a lot of half accurate answers from people who either don't know the correct answers or who think they know BETTER than the correct answers. This is VERY evident with several posts above. The hard part is knowing which to trust and which to discard. Just remember the only person on here who has anything to gain or lose from your flights is YOU. None of the rest of us will be there to pay your fines, restore your credibility, or help you in court if our "suggestions/advice" happen to be wrong and you end up on the wrong side of enforcement.

@53-63-6f-74-74 and @msinger gave you SOLID and accurate answers without imparting fluff.

I'll "try" to give you the way to get the "Official" answer. Anytime you have a LEGAL question about FAA regulations etc your best bet is to get an Official word directly from the FAA. Your local FAA Contact is the local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). Yours is:
Oakland CA

Oakland FSDO - Contact the Office

www.faa.gov

Reach out to them and pose the question like you have here but give them ALL the information:

• Shooting a family members home for a Real Estate shoot
• Building a Commercial Portfolio for your soon to be business

I think you'll see the path this question is going and the FACTUAL answer without emotion.

For the record, "Compensation" is only one (of many) variables that removes the "protection" you get from flying strictly as a hobbyist. If your INTENT of the flight is not 100% purely hobby then it defaults to Part 107 Regulations.

Every sUAS operator in the United States is, by default, a Civil Operator. All Civil Operations fall under either Public Use(Govt, Emergency Services etc) or Part 107 regulations. Congress created a Carve Out to offer some special "protection" for operators who are solely flying for Hobby/Recreational purposes. Think of this Hobby/Recreational allowance as a Protective Bubble against Part 107 Regulations. Once this "Protective Bubble" is pierced it's gone for the duration of the flight. You can't Hobby and build your Commercial Portfolio just like you can't Hobby for someone else. Also you can't mix regulations within the same flight (take off under Hobby regs and then magically decide it's a Part 107 operation).

Good luck and SAFE flights!!
Allen

 

[Tee]

First off KUDOS to you for asking and trying to do the right thing. That's how we learn and grow.

Keep in mind that when you ask a question on a forum you'll get valid answers, INVALID answers, and a lot of half accurate answers from people who either don't know the correct answers or who think they know BETTER than the correct answers. This is VERY evident with several posts above. The hard part is knowing which to trust and which to discard. Just remember the only person on here who has anything to gain or lose from your flights is YOU. None of the rest of us will be there to pay your fines, restore your credibility, or help you in court if our "suggestions/advice" happen to be wrong and you end up on the wrong side of enforcement.

@53-63-6f-74-74 and @msinger gave you SOLID and accurate answers without imparting fluff.

I'll "try" to give you the way to get the "Official" answer. Anytime you have a LEGAL question about FAA regulations etc your best bet is to get an Official word directly from the FAA. Your local FAA Contact is the local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). Yours is:
Oakland CA

Oakland FSDO - Contact the Office

www.faa.gov

Reach out to them and pose the question like you have here but give them ALL the information:

• Shooting a family members home for a Real Estate shoot
• Building a Commercial Portfolio for your soon to be business

I think you'll see the path this question is going and the FACTUAL answer without emotion.

For the record, "Compensation" is only one (of many) variables that removes the "protection" you get from flying strictly as a hobbyist. If your INTENT of the flight is not 100% purely hobby then it defaults to Part 107 Regulations.

Every sUAS operator in the United States is, by default, a Civil Operator. All Civil Operations fall under either Public Use(Govt, Emergency Services etc) or Part 107 regulations. Congress created a Carve Out to offer some special "protection" for operators who are solely flying for Hobby/Recreational purposes. Think of this Hobby/Recreational allowance as a Protective Bubble against Part 107 Regulations. Once this "Protective Bubble" is pierced it's gone for the duration of the flight. You can't Hobby and build your Commercial Portfolio just like you can't Hobby for someone else. Also you can't mix regulations within the same flight (take off under Hobby regs and then magically decide it's a Part 107 operation).

Good luck and SAFE flights!!
Allen

Thank You! that's great advice, I really appreciate your knowledge on this matter

 

[Oconnb910]

This thread has actually made me realize how bad our current social media scenario has become because I can see where everybody just puts in there BS opinions and it makes no sense it totally defies what the intent of these forms are all about. I am truly disgusted when I look through and see what responses keep coming up to the simplest of points. I hate going and looking through the forms these days. why can't people just stay on topic and just be honestly opinionated rather than try to twist it and turned it into some other kind of crap. It's a sad State of affairs fat our society makes this their reality and I'm sorry if my spell checking has screw this up but I just wanted to put my point out there.

 

[Meta4]

Keep in mind that when you ask a question on a forum you'll get valid answers, INVALID answers, and a lot of half accurate answers from people who either don't know the correct answers or who think they know BETTER than the correct answers. This is VERY evident with several posts above. The hard part is knowing which to trust and which to discard.

You got all of that correct Allen, but the suggestion that practising your drone photography is somehow a commercial activity is going too far.

Whenever a whiff of the word commercial activity enters discussion here, the extreme ideas tend to come out.
And some of them tend to go far beyond common sense.

The OP just asked about photographing his sister's house to practise photography.
No-one said anything about selling a house or using the images in any way.
If he wanted to practise photography of a tree, or a lake, are you going to have the same advice?
What's so special about a house?

 

[Meta4]

This thread has actually made me realize how bad our current social media scenario has become because I can see where everybody just puts in there BS opinions and it makes no sense it totally defies what the intent of these forms are all about. I am truly disgusted when I look through and see what responses keep coming up to the simplest of points. I hate going and looking through the forms these days. why can't people just stay on topic and just be honestly opinionated rather than try to twist it and turned it into some other kind of crap. It's a sad State of affairs fat our society makes this their reality and I'm sorry if my spell checking has screw this up but I just wanted to put my point out there.

Forums are about an exchange of ideas, which is what's happening here, and I can't see that there's been anyone going off topic.
What is the point you want to put out there?

 

[Milo187]

All 100% accurate but the truth of the matter is the FAA doesn't have the resources to catch small fish and are far more concerned with flight safety than the fringes of minor infractions. I've called my local FSDO on far more serious matters and they admitted they don't have the time to chase down or monitor such things.
The best advice is play within the rules and get your 107! It's not hard to do and well worth the effort.

First off KUDOS to you for asking and trying to do the right thing. That's how we learn and grow.

Keep in mind that when you ask a question on a forum you'll get valid answers, INVALID answers, and a lot of half accurate answers from people who either don't know the correct answers or who think they know BETTER than the correct answers. This is VERY evident with several posts above. The hard part is knowing which to trust and which to discard. Just remember the only person on here who has anything to gain or lose from your flights is YOU. None of the rest of us will be there to pay your fines, restore your credibility, or help you in court if our "suggestions/advice" happen to be wrong and you end up on the wrong side of enforcement.

@53-63-6f-74-74 and @msinger gave you SOLID and accurate answers without imparting fluff.

I'll "try" to give you the way to get the "Official" answer. Anytime you have a LEGAL question about FAA regulations etc your best bet is to get an Official word directly from the FAA. Your local FAA Contact is the local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). Yours is:
Oakland CA

Oakland FSDO - Contact the Office

www.faa.gov

Reach out to them and pose the question like you have here but give them ALL the information:

• Shooting a family members home for a Real Estate shoot
• Building a Commercial Portfolio for your soon to be business

I think you'll see the path this question is going and the FACTUAL answer without emotion.

For the record, "Compensation" is only one (of many) variables that removes the "protection" you get from flying strictly as a hobbyist. If your INTENT of the flight is not 100% purely hobby then it defaults to Part 107 Regulations.

Every sUAS operator in the United States is, by default, a Civil Operator. All Civil Operations fall under either Public Use(Govt, Emergency Services etc) or Part 107 regulations. Congress created a Carve Out to offer some special "protection" for operators who are solely flying for Hobby/Recreational purposes. Think of this Hobby/Recreational allowance as a Protective Bubble against Part 107 Regulations. Once this "Protective Bubble" is pierced it's gone for the duration of the flight. You can't Hobby and build your Commercial Portfolio just like you can't Hobby for someone else. Also you can't mix regulations within the same flight (take off under Hobby regs and then magically decide it's a Part 107 operation).

Good luck and SAFE flights!!
Allen

 

[RTI Glen]

I hate that the rules are so subjective .
We all know every drone pilot is breaking the
SUBJECTIVE rules every time they fly. Be it
VLOS , flying in a populated area, over a highway
Or taking photos for a friend. The rules need to be realistic
i.e. all drone pilots need to be certified if the drone weighs over 1# , can fly Higher than 100 ft or farther than 100 yards. ( not a toy drone) Then all this stupid bickering
would go away and the subjective rules would be less subjective and a little more enforceable. Everyone that drives a car has to have a driver's license. Everyone that drives a drone has to have a drone license.
Your thoughts ?

 

[Radpuppy]

First off KUDOS to you for asking and trying to do the right thing. That's how we learn and grow.

Keep in mind that when you ask a question on a forum you'll get valid answers, INVALID answers, and a lot of half accurate answers from people who either don't know the correct answers or who think they know BETTER than the correct answers. This is VERY evident with several posts above. The hard part is knowing which to trust and which to discard. Just remember the only person on here who has anything to gain or lose from your flights is YOU. None of the rest of us will be there to pay your fines, restore your credibility, or help you in court if our "suggestions/advice" happen to be wrong and you end up on the wrong side of enforcement.

@53-63-6f-74-74 and @msinger gave you SOLID and accurate answers without imparting fluff.

I'll "try" to give you the way to get the "Official" answer. Anytime you have a LEGAL question about FAA regulations etc your best bet is to get an Official word directly from the FAA. Your local FAA Contact is the local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO). Yours is:
Oakland CA

Oakland FSDO - Contact the Office

www.faa.gov

Reach out to them and pose the question like you have here but give them ALL the information:

• Shooting a family members home for a Real Estate shoot
• Building a Commercial Portfolio for your soon to be business

I think you'll see the path this question is going and the FACTUAL answer without emotion.

For the record, "Compensation" is only one (of many) variables that removes the "protection" you get from flying strictly as a hobbyist. If your INTENT of the flight is not 100% purely hobby then it defaults to Part 107 Regulations.

Every sUAS operator in the United States is, by default, a Civil Operator. All Civil Operations fall under either Public Use(Govt, Emergency Services etc) or Part 107 regulations. Congress created a Carve Out to offer some special "protection" for operators who are solely flying for Hobby/Recreational purposes. Think of this Hobby/Recreational allowance as a Protective Bubble against Part 107 Regulations. Once this "Protective Bubble" is pierced it's gone for the duration of the flight. You can't Hobby and build your Commercial Portfolio just like you can't Hobby for someone else. Also you can't mix regulations within the same flight (take off under Hobby regs and then magically decide it's a Part 107 operation).

Good luck and SAFE flights!!
Allen

Amen on that
If you want correct answers contact the people who make the rules your asking about ?

 

[kwilliams6045]

In all actuality, the FAA does not seem to have the “person” power to seek out violators. I’m a 107 Remote Pilot but there are so many ppl in my area that do the same work I do without a license and never receive any consequences.
I personally like to abide by the rules but I’m sure if you violate them like so many others, you won’t have an issue unless you draw attention to yourself and it would just be a warning unless you committed an egregious act with your uas.

If you’re just checking out your aerial photography skills without gaining financially, you should be just fine.

The FAA needs to step up enforcement but until then, ppl fly commercially all the time in my area with no consequences. They kind of laugh when I ask if they have their required license.

Good luck!!!

 

[GFields]

Welcome to the forum! As you visit this forum and ask your questions you will learn who you can trust that will give you straightforward answers without sarcasm.

 

[Paul Uttermohlen]

Following that logic, you should get commercial licensing before you take your brand-new drone from the box just in case you ended up doing something commercial with a drone at some time in the future.

Isn't this where things are heading? I had read someplace that eventually a license will be required for commercial AND amatuer pilots. This is like the wild west of drone flying. Law is coming...
On a side note, I am a newer pilot. I spend many hours reading for every hour of flying. I am devoted to learning how to fly safely and responsibly. Are all other amatuer pilots as dedicated to learning? My experience has been that most people don't read, don't like to read, won't read and will pose a danger to themselves, others and the industry. More regulation isn't necessarily bad if it compels people to learn before they fly.
Regarding the original post, if someone goes out as an amatuer and learns to fly by practice flights around a family member's house, at the time of the flight, it is not a commercial endeavor (perhaps publicly stating their intent would change one's perspective on this). At the time it is posted to a commercial website to promote a service, won't that person actually need to get their license? Sure. So, is the FAA geared up to monitor the amatuer flights of some 7 million+ drones in America? Probably not. Probably never. In practical terms fly on. In letter of the law terms, get the license first. In watchdog terms, don't put it out there where the watch dogs are going to report it. Even further down this rabbit hole, if next year I decide I want to fly commercially and I use photography from my amatuer days on my commercial website, would I have been committing a crime post factum? Really?