When is a Trust certification needed?

akdrone · Jul 20, 2022

What is the dividing line for when a drone needs a Trust certificate to fly it? Little bobby that buys a $15 toy drone to fly in his backyard doesn't need a Trust cert. or so I assume... At one point does one need it?

Clintoops · Jul 20, 2022

akdrone said:
What is the dividing line for when a drone needs a Trust certificate to fly it? Little bobby that buys a $15 toy drone to fly in his backyard doesn't need a Trust cert. or so I assume... At one point does one need it?

Everyone is to have one. Kids are to be attended by a parent when flying the parent has the test .
Teaches the rules as they fly.
The main reason for the trust test is for everyone to know the rules.

msinger · Jul 20, 2022

You can find more details here:

The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) | Federal Aviation Administration

What is TRUST? The law requires that all recreational flyers pass an aeronautical knowledge and safety test and provide proof of passage if asked by law enforcement or FAA personnel. The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) was developed to meet this requirement.

www.faa.gov

MS Coast · Jul 20, 2022

This looks like a case where there's a need for the regulations to catch up a bit. It's hard to believe that anyone or any organization wants to require the same certification for a $25, 25-gram toy drone aimed at pre-adolescent children as a Mavic 3 Pro or Mavic 3.

The EU regulations are ahead of the US in that regard. They make exceptions for drones without cameras that are sold as toys.

Mavic Merrick · Jul 20, 2022

If it is being flown outdoors you need to be certified. With kids, I would recommend the parent get certified and teach their kids the rules as they fly under supervision by the parent until the kid passes the TRUST test without assistance.
Hope this helps!

Mavic Merrick · Jul 20, 2022

Mavic Merrick said:
If it is being flown outdoors you need to be certified. With kids, I would recommend the parent get certified and teach their kids the rules as they fly under supervision by the parent until the kid passes the TRUST test without assistance.
Hope this helps!

P.S. I do not know the exact ruling but this is my guess on how it could work

MS Coast · Jul 20, 2022

Mavic Merrick said:
If it is being flown outdoors you need to be certified. With kids, I would recommend the parent get certified and teach their kids the rules as they fly under supervision by the parent until the kid passes the TRUST test without assistance.
Hope this helps!

You can fly anything indoors without any certifications or licenses. The interior of a building is not part of the National Airspace System.

akdrone · Jul 20, 2022

Fascinating. I would not think twice about encouraging a parent to get a toy drone for a child that flies it in the backyard, Trust or no Trust. I doubt very much many/any such parents go online and get a Trust certificate. It may be technically required but I see that like a stop sign on a flat desert road with no car visible ahead or to the sides as far as the eye can see. Some might stop for the stop sign. I wouldn't even hesitate to blow through it. Signs and rules are generally made to keep people safe. To the degree they are meaningless in keeping people safe (ie a little toy drone flown by a 6 yr old child) they are equally meaningless in terms of a person's need to adhere to them unless there could be significant consequences for not doing so. I think no parent has any reason to worry about the FAA coming down on them for not getting a Trust certificate for their child's little toy drone, hence, IMHO it is meaningless to bother with the entire concept.

Hermey · Jul 20, 2022

akdrone said:
Fascinating. I would not think twice about encouraging a parent to get a toy drone for a child that flies it in the backyard, Trust or no Trust. I doubt very much many/any such parents go online and get a Trust certificate. It may be technically required but I see that like a stop sign on a flat desert road with no car visible ahead or to the sides as far as the eye can see. Some might stop for the stop sign. I wouldn't even hesitate to blow through it. Signs and rules are generally made to keep people safe. To the degree they are meaningless in keeping people safe (ie a little toy drone flown by a 6 yr old child) they are equally meaningless in terms of a person's need to adhere to them unless there could be significant consequences for not doing so. I think no parent has any reason to worry about the FAA coming down on them for not getting a Trust certificate for their child's little toy drone, hence, IMHO it is meaningless to bother with the entire concept.

I quite agree with your further north perspective, which may have granted you some of the wisdom of Merlin, or perhaps Santa Claus, or some northlands character whose wisdom exceeds that of many who claim to represent us.

Mavic Merrick · Jul 21, 2022

MS Coast said:
You can fly anything indoors without any certifications or licenses. The interior of a building is not part of the National Airspace System.

Of course you don’t need FAA certification to fly indoors!

Ralph thompson · Jul 21, 2022

akdrone said:
Fascinating. I would not think twice about encouraging a parent to get a toy drone for a child that flies it in the backyard, Trust or no Trust. I doubt very much many/any such parents go online and get a Trust certificate. It may be technically required but I see that like a stop sign on a flat desert road with no car visible ahead or to the sides as far as the eye can see. Some might stop for the stop sign. I wouldn't even hesitate to blow through it. Signs and rules are generally made to keep people safe. To the degree they are meaningless in keeping people safe (ie a little toy drone flown by a 6 yr old child) they are equally meaningless in terms of a person's need to adhere to them unless there could be significant consequences for not doing so. I think no parent has any reason to worry about the FAA coming down on them for not getting a Trust certificate for their child's little toy drone, hence, IMHO it is meaningless to bother with the entire concept.

Meaningless until (a similar incident happened some years ago) little Johnny gets disoriented wrt the drone direction and flies it full speed into grandma’s face causing significant facial damage. Just like a car or a gun, they are perfectly safe until u put them in the hands of an uneducated or irresponsible human.

Robert Prior · Jul 21, 2022

akdrone said:
I see that like a stop sign on a flat desert road with no car visible ahead or to the sides as far as the eye can see.

I still stop.

Stopping at stop signs became automatic for me when learning to drive (in Saskatchewan, so flat), just as checking that I have my seat belt fastened did. I hesitate to weaken habits that add to my safety.

Getting a TRUST certificate looks to be pretty easy. Certainly easier than getting a Canadian sRPAS certificate, which is required to fly a 250+g drone.

Clintoops · Jul 22, 2022

Ralph thompson said:
Meaningless until (a similar incident happened some years ago) little Johnny gets disoriented wrt the drone direction and flies it full speed into grandma’s face causing significant facial damage. Just like a car or a gun, they are perfectly safe until u put them in the hands of an uneducated or irresponsible human.

The kids behind me were out flying in the back yard almost wack the dog I ask if they had taken the trust test didn't know a thing no parents super vision. There is no fence I went in side for my own safety.
6 and 7 Year olds .
I feel they were going to kill the drone soon so end to there flying.
There parents won't spend the money on something that breaks so easy. Haven't seen it since that day.

Jagerbomb52 · Jul 22, 2022

Bob in Savannah · Jul 23, 2022

MS Coast said:
This looks like a case where there's a need for the regulations to catch up a bit. It's hard to believe that anyone or any organization wants to require the same certification for a $25, 25-gram toy drone aimed at pre-adolescent children as a Mavic 3 Pro or Mavic 3.

The EU regulations are ahead of the US in that regard. They make exceptions for drones without cameras that are sold as toys.

Really not sure what the problem is... I was "concerned" myself since I didnt have to have this certification 3or 4 years ago with my Mavic Pro.

I LITERALLY just took the test and received the certification via email all in less than 10 minutes.

Jagerbomb52 · Jul 24, 2022

I'm in Canada, don't need it unless I came to visit the US which I have no plans of doing right now but took it when it came out. If you can't pass it which is impossible then you really should not have a drone, toy or not. Personnally they never made it hard enough and is pretty much a joke of a test. Our Basic exam here in Canada will take you at least 40 minutes to complete and way harder then this thing.

MS Coast · Jul 24, 2022

OJsakila said:
Really not sure what the problem is... I was "concerned" myself since I didnt have to have this certification 3or 4 years ago with my Mavic Pro.

I LITERALLY just took the test and received the certification via email all in less than 10 minutes.

Of course, the TRUST test is very simple and straightforward.

The problem is that the U.S. regulations don't make exceptions for children's toys that weigh a few grams and can't fly further than 50 feet away.