How to Fly Drones for Fun
If you want to fly a drone for fun in the U.S. National Airspace, there are rules you must follow. There is even a test that you must take. The FAA calls this test, TRUST. It stands for The Recreational UAS Safety Test. In addition to this test, there are some requirements that the FAA wants you to meet to fly your drone. Here is what the FAA requires to fly a drone for fun.
To fly a drone for personal enjoyment the FAA has these requirements:
1) You must pass The Recreational UAS Safety Test - TRUST. More info on this test is below.
2) You must register your recreational drone if it weighs more then .55 pounds. You can register your drone with the FAA at this link, FAADroneZone.
3) The recreational pilot must follow the rules on the FAA Website. The FAA also says you can follow the safety guidelines of an FAA-recognized Community Based Organization (CBO).
What is the FAA TRUST test?
TRUST is The Recreational UAS Safety Test that provides education and testing on important safety and regulatory information for Drone Pilots flying for fun. The FAA provides this material and test for recreational drone flyers for free.
FAA TRUST (The Recreational UAS Safety Test) is a test you cannot fail.
This multiple-choice test is designed so that you do not fail. If you get a question wrong, you are provided the correct answer. It also provides information of why your answer is incorrect. Then you are allowed to answer the question again with the correct answer.
Where do you take the FAA TRUST (The Recreational UAS Safety Test)?
You may take the free online test through any of the FAA approved test administrators. To find the list and links to the FAA TRUST Administrators, click here.
FAA Trust Certificate:
You will receive a certificate once you complete the TRUST test. Be sure to print this certificate. You must have this certificate with you while flying your drone. The good news is the certificate never expires.
However, you are not able to re-print your certificate. Neither the test administrator, nor the FAA, will keep your personal information on file. This means that if you lose your certificate, you will need to re-take the test to print a new certificate.
What if you want to fly a Drone for work or business purposes?
There is a different test and rules if you want to fly a drone for work or business purposes. You will need the FAA Remote Pilot Certificate to fly a drone under 55 pounds for work. This is also known as a “part 107 Certificate” because the rules are listed under 14 CFR part 107. It is critical to know these rules to fly legally and safely. The FAA also requires you to pass a two-hour exam. This exam covers a lot more material to becomes a professional drone pilot. Carolina Drone Academy helps our students quickly learn this material in our FAA part 107 Exam Prep Course. We also share real world tips and checklists. The FAA expects professional pilots to keep flights logs, maintenance logs, and other documentation for every drone flight. Learn more about the topics covered, the class schedule, locations along with the registration details, click here.
About Carolina Drone Academy
Carolina Drone Academy provides award winning drone pilot training. We teach drone training across many sectors including the US Military, law enforcement, media and advertising companies, colleges, engineering, construction, and other government agencies. We train at your location or ours. Please visit www.CarolinaDroneAcademy.com for the latest course offerings.
