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Registering recreational and then registering under 107....?

Crow Horse

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I've searched and I'm pretty certain of the answer but I would like a more definitive answer. I recently bought a used MA1 and immediately registered it as recreational (and did the TRUST). After doing quite a bit or reading I determined that because of my goals, I'll have to work towards a 107 certification (I've enrolled in Pilot Institutes 107 course). I then registered the drone under107. I've done all this and I haven't even had this drone in the air yet. Interestingly, both the recreational and the 107 registrations required it's serial #.

My understanding is that once I receive my 107 certification that I'll be good to go either commercially or under 44809. I understand that the differences between the two types of registrations, 44809- one # to cover all one's rec. drones and the 107 # covers individual commercial drones. I was concerned that I might have violated some FAA rule that might come back to bite me in the a** somewhere down the road. I don't believe I did but want to make sure......
 
You can fly a 107 registered drone under 107 & 44809 rules. You can’t fly a 44809 registered drone under 107 rules.

Does that help?
 
Thanks, but this I know. I was concerned about having 2 registrations for the same drone.
 
Thanks, but this I know. I was concerned about having 2 registrations for the same drone.
You may not have two registration numbers on an aircraft, but it doesn't matter if it is still in your recreational inventory. If you want to be able to fly it under Part 107 or the recreational exemption then just put the Part 107 registration number on the aircraft - that covers both.
 
Thanks. I've removed the rec. numbers and will have the 107 numbers on it.
 
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Interestingly, both the recreational and the 107 registrations required it's serial #.
......
I think you're mistaken here. Recreational Registration does NOT require the aircraft's serial #. Recreational Registration covers any of your aircraft that you fly ONLY recreationally so you'd have to go back in and ADD Serial #'s for each additional aircraft and there is no allowance for that.

Commercial requires Serial # because it's for a single unique aircraft.
 
I think you're mistaken here. Recreational Registration does NOT require the aircraft's serial #. Recreational Registration covers any of your aircraft that you fly ONLY recreationally so you'd have to go back in and ADD Serial #'s for each additional aircraft and there is no allowance for that.

Commercial requires Serial # because it's for a single unique aircraft.
Actually it does appear to require the aircraft serial number. This is the recreational dashboard:

grab24.png

And this is the resulting "Add Device" window that appears - serial number is shown as a required field:
grab23.png
 
Click “SERIAL NUMBER NOT APPLICABLE”.

This isn’t another example of the FAA over simplifying a page. Once RID is required, that serial number will be required.
 
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Click “SERIAL NUMBER NOT APPLICABLE”.

This isn’t another example of the FAA over simplifying a page. Once RID is required, that serial number will be required.
That meaning of "SERIAL NUMBER NOT APPLICABLE" isn't explained anywhere though, and most people seem to assume it refers to homebuilt aircraft that don't have a serial number. And that field doesn't go away when you choose "NO" for "DOES YOUR DRONE BROADCAST FAA REMOTE ID INFORMATION?*"

The only potential inference of that interpretation that I can see is from the statement "Recreational flyers must add manufacturer and model information for all UAS over 0.55 pounds that they own and operate.", which mentions model information, but not serial number explicitly.

Do you have a definitive reference that it is not currently required for any aircraft?
 
That meaning of "SERIAL NUMBER NOT APPLICABLE" isn't explained anywhere though, and most people seem to assume it refers to homebuilt aircraft that don't have a serial number. And that field doesn't go away when you choose "NO" for "DOES YOUR DRONE BROADCAST FAA REMOTE ID INFORMATION?*"

The only potential inference of that interpretation that I can see is from the statement "Recreational flyers must add manufacturer and model information for all UAS over 0.55 pounds that they own and operate.", which mentions model information, but not serial number explicitly.

Do you have a definitive reference that it is not currently required for any aircraft.
Yeah. like I said, over simplified.

I'll bring it up again with my FAA contacts. At one point it was going to be addressed. I'll see if I can get an official answer why it's there.
 
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Isn't that supposed to be the Serial # of the RID Dongle/Device?
 
Isn't that supposed to be the Serial # of the RID Dongle/Device?
One would think, but I'm not sure. I've emailed Kevin, but he's out of the office until 1/2. Sometimes he still calls me or emails me when he's on leave. I'll let everyone know what I hear. It will be tough to get any answers from the FAA this week or next. All of my FAA meetings have been cancelled until after the first of the year.
 
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Heard back from the FAA. They're response with some redactions.

"Hey Vic,

This feature was added to DroneZone back in April following publication of the Remote ID rule. I think of it as a placeholder until September 2023. Recreational Flyers just need to add at least one device, and then they can register / renew. The answer to the “DOES YOUR DRONE BROADCAST FAA REMOTE ID INFORMATION?” question remains “NO” for everyone. When the registrant selects “NO”, the ‘Add Device’ window will ask for the [aircraft] serial number. When the registrant mistakenly selects “YES”, it will ask for the [nonexistent] Remote ID Serial Number. We have been contacted by a number of stakeholders who wish to renew their existing Recreational Flyer sUAS registration, and then they get stumped by DroneZone telling them that they don’t have any registered inventory. Well, prior to April of this year, we only asked for the first and last name, email address, and physical address of the registrant, so they don’t have any saved aircraft info.

Practically speaking, that guidance is still spot on, a Recreational Flyer registration is for an individual rather than a specific drone. A Recreational Flyer may use the same registration number on any number of drones / model aircraft as long as they are flown for exclusively recreational purposes. (See 14 C.F.R. §48.105 and 14 C.F.R. §48.110).

I like the way you worded that… “prematurely reflecting the upcoming RID requirement”. Pretty much. I also copied in xxxx in this response as well. xxxx has been doing quite a bit of work trying to improve DroneZone."


I hope this clears it up.
 
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You may not have two registration numbers on an aircraft, but it doesn't matter if it is still in your recreational inventory. If you want to be able to fly it under Part 107 or the recreational exemption then just put the Part 107 registration number on the aircraft - that covers both.
This was very helpful. Thanks.
 
Heard back from the FAA. They're response with some redactions.

"Hey Vic,

This feature was added to DroneZone back in April following publication of the Remote ID rule. I think of it as a placeholder until September 2023. Recreational Flyers just need to add at least one device, and then they can register / renew. The answer to the “DOES YOUR DRONE BROADCAST FAA REMOTE ID INFORMATION?” question remains “NO” for everyone. When the registrant selects “NO”, the ‘Add Device’ window will ask for the [aircraft] serial number. When the registrant mistakenly selects “YES”, it will ask for the [nonexistent] Remote ID Serial Number. We have been contacted by a number of stakeholders who wish to renew their existing Recreational Flyer sUAS registration, and then they get stumped by DroneZone telling them that they don’t have any registered inventory. Well, prior to April of this year, we only asked for the first and last name, email address, and physical address of the registrant, so they don’t have any saved aircraft info.

Practically speaking, that guidance is still spot on, a Recreational Flyer registration is for an individual rather than a specific drone. A Recreational Flyer may use the same registration number on any number of drones / model aircraft as long as they are flown for exclusively recreational purposes. (See 14 C.F.R. §48.105 and 14 C.F.R. §48.110).

I like the way you worded that… “prematurely reflecting the upcoming RID requirement”. Pretty much. I also copied in xxxx in this response as well. xxxx has been doing quite a bit of work trying to improve DroneZone."


I hope this clears it up.

So to summarize:

When the registrant selects “NO”, the ‘Add Device’ window will ask for the [aircraft] serial number.

So the system is asking for the aircraft serial number.
 
So to summarize:

When the registrant selects “NO”, the ‘Add Device’ window will ask for the [aircraft] serial number.

So the system is asking for the aircraft serial number.
Yes, but simply click n/a.
 
Is it me, but shouldn't the process of registering be painfully simple? Having a "placeholder" for a process that's over 1.5 years away seems by it's very nature to be unnecessarily confusing. I would expect the process to be clearly defined with very little ambiguity. That isn't the case unless the confusion is by design. I'm not bashing the FAA, just making an observation......
 
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Yes, but simply click n/a.
I don't want to labor the point, but the response above that you got from the FAA doesn't really make sense.

So the "Add device" page is partly a placeholder for future RID information, which is why when you answer "YES" to "DOES YOUR DRONE BROADCAST FAA REMOTE ID INFORMATION?", the data entry field changes to ask for the RID serial number:

grab25.png

Fair enough. But if you click no, then it asks for the aircraft serial number:

grab23.png

So what is that a placeholder for, especially if they are not going to require an aircraft serial number now or in the future? This doesn't appear to have anything to do with the RID stuff.

Also, the instructions state: "Recreational flyers must add manufacturer and model information for all UAS over 0.55 pounds that they own and operate." Without the serial number, how would that work if, for example, you have two of the same make and model?

It's not a huge deal, of course, but how on earth did they manage to make such a simple process so confusing and self-contradictory?
 
Recreational registration still needs serial number but if you register multiple drones under recreational it will be the same # for marking purposes
 

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