400ft max height
Don't fly over people
Don't interfere with aircraft
Only line of sight
This is a guide for the United States drone laws for 2021 (updated every year) where you'll get a clue about what you can or shouldn't do while flying a quadcopter anywhere in this country.
I'll get very in depth with this article, but long story short, you can check the Recreational drone uses if you're a casual drone pilot.
Absolutely. But if you want to have smooth operations, you have to familiarize yourself with the guidelines from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the primary agency responsible for regulating and implementing laws and licenses for drones.
If you wish to get firsthand info from FAA itslef, you may reach them through UAShelp@faa.gov
The scope of drone laws in US depends on your purpose of using it (recreational or commercial) and where you are flying it (controlled or uncontrolled space).
For recreational purposes, the law requires all operators to pass a knowledge and safety test that is based on consolidated information gathered from manufacturers and stakeholders. The scope of this exam covers questions on:
You should follow the guidelines on recreational flying, not doing so could cause you criminal and civil penalties.
This can be done in 3 ways:
For more in-depth info about recreational flying of drones, you may read FAA’s Reauthorization Bill and the rules for Recreational Flyers and Modeler Community-Based Organizations.
For commercial purposes, it will be a different set of rules you’ll gonna have to follow.
But the first thing you should take note is the weight of your drone.
For owners of drones that are less than 55 lbs, the next thing you should secure is the Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA. In order to obtain that, you should pass these following qualifications:
Once you secure the needed permits, then you can fly commercially. However, similar to recreational purposes, there are certain guidelines too.
Meanwhile, several states in the US have their own set of regulations too. It would help if you browse on them too.
But before you decide which purpose are you using it for, you should know first if you are flying it in a controlled or uncontrolled airspace. Here are the guidelines you should from from FAA’s Pilot’s Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge.
Controlled airspace is the area surrounding airports where manned aircraft can fly. It is governed by restrictions to protect national security, that is why it is important to brush up on these classifications so you know what are the scopes you have to follow and when is it legal to fly.
Uncontrolled airspace, on the other hand, is portion of the airspace that has not been designated as Class A, B, C, D, nor E. Although there are no air traffic controls (ATC) set to regulate air traffic, operators should be mindful of the visual flight rules (VFS) that apply to this class.
Class G is used to define the uncontrolled airspace. Its scope starts from the surface to the base of the Class E airspace.
But do not be tricked by the term “uncontrolled airspace” because it is not as simple as that. Certain areas in the Class G airspace still have limitations where activities must be regulated depending on their designation, or what is called as the special use airspace or special area of operation (SAO).
According to FAA’s Pilot Handbook of Aeronautical Knowledge, these are the following SAOs that must be observed under Class G airspace:
The best way to figure out what areas you can fly in, is by consulting DJI offilicial map.
They do a great job mapping the places that one should avoid while flying in every country:
My following two recommendations are 2 great compact drones that are quite silent and also small enough to travel with and not stand out as annoying.
4k
31min
10km
No follow me
I have covered it much more in depth in my article review and even compared it with the Mavic Air 2.
4k 60fps
34min battery
9km
Follow + obstacle avoidance
DJI lowered it's price since it was first released.
At this price, every dollar counts in getting yourself a better or worse drone and the differences can be significant.
I'm going to cover the main features of basic camera drones, not FPV or otherwise niche quadcopters.
No, drone insurance is not mandatory for drones in the US, but you can always get something for safety.
For recreational purposes, the max height you can fly at is 400ft
You can fly pretty much as much as you want if you can still see the drone.
You can only fly drones between 30 mins before sunrise and 30 mins after sunset
You cannot fly drones in national parks or cities like Washington, D.C. and New York City
Yes. But like any other drones, you must secure a foreign aircraft permit from the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the FAA.
If your drone is registered in your home country, you must submit an application for permit at least 15 days prior to operating it.
Get my Free “Before flight” drone checklist
If you liked this in-depth overview of the drone laws in this country, I suggest you also check my drone laws map and maybe share it with your droning friends.