Part 107

News, deep dives, and analysis — every Part 107 story, newest first.

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Beats covered

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Oct 23

Last updated

DJI Mini 5 Pro sitting on a glass kitchen scale whose display reads 253 grams

Part 107 · Legal

New York's Hobby Drone Exemption Stops Just Short of DJI's Mini 5 Pro

New York made flying near schools and police stations a misdemeanor. Part 107 pilots are exempt; hobby drones over 0.55 pounds are not.

Haye KestelooOct 235 min read

A soldier in camouflage stands on a concrete riverbank holding a drone controller as a white quadcopter hovers above tall grass, with an orange buoy barrier in the river behind him.

FAA

FAA Bans Drones Along Entire US-Mexico Border Until October 2027

Three FAA NOTAMs ban drones within one nautical mile of the US-Mexico border from Monday to October 2027. CBP approves only listed missions.

Haye KestelooOct 16

Mike Yoder of nuWay Ag beside an FAA remote pilot certificate stamped SUSPENDED in red

FAA

nuWay Ag's Yoder Takes FAA Drone Suspension Over Deer and Sled Lifts

nuWay Ag's Mike Yoder says he settled for a 180-day FAA remote pilot suspension after videos of heavy-lift drones hauling a deer, logs and a sled.

Haye KestelooOct 15

Federal Aviation Administration headquarters at 800 Independence Avenue SW in Washington, D.C., with the Orville Wright Federal Building sign in front

FAA

FAA Part 107 Test Adds Chart Questions Oct. 26 Not in the Supplement

From October 26, the FAA Part 107 knowledge test draws chart questions from current sectionals, not the printed supplement. One in six already fails.

Haye KestelooOct 9

Top-down drone photo of a Main Line estate near Philadelphia showing the gray roof, brick patio and swimming pool surrounded by trees

Industry

Redfin Just Handed Drone Pilots a Client Checklist. Use It

Redfin tells home sellers how to prep for a drone shoot. Here is the checklist pilots should send clients, with photos by Billy Kyle and Ken Dono.

Haye KestelooSep 27

Pilot Institute 90-plus day drone training plan thumbnail with drone graphic

Drone Service Providers

The Drone Industry Is at a Crossroads: What Drone Service Providers Should Do Right Now

I sat down with revenue operations specialist Amy Wiegand to talk through the drone market squeeze, the Part 108 question mark, and the decisions drone service providers should be making today.

Greg ReverdiauSep 14

A DJI Mini 5 Pro hovering head-on at eye level, its forward LiDAR sensor visible above the camera gimbal, against an out-of-focus green lawn and trees.

DOCKET 26-189

FCC Drone Ban Comments Close Tonight. Here's What I Filed

DroneXL filed comments in FCC docket 26-189 today. Read the filing in full, and use the step-by-step guide to submit your own before the window closes.

Haye KestelooSep 2

A commercial drone pilot in a lime high-visibility vest holds a controller with both hands while a DJI Mavic 2 Enterprise Dual hovers directly above him against a deep blue sky.

DOCKET 26-189

FCC Drone Deadline Is Tomorrow. Fewer Than 3,000 Comments Are In.

Fewer than 3,000 comments have been filed in PS Docket 26-189 against nearly half a million certificated remote pilots. The window closes September 2.

Haye KestelooSep 1

Part 107

The drone industry moves fast. Stay ahead of it.