FAA Part 107 Prep — Certification, RPIC, Registration & Core Part 107 Rules

LSN-006 · Regulations — Part 1 (Core Scope + Conduct)

Module: MOD-01 · Topic: TOPIC-001

Learning objectives

By the end of this lesson you can:

• OBJ-001: Explain what Part 107 covers, what it does not cover, and why the "civil small UAS under 55 pounds" boundary matters on the exam.
• OBJ-004: Apply the hazardous operation rule (§107.23) — no careless or reckless operation, no dropping objects that create an undue hazard.
• OBJ-005: Explain your compliance duties when the FAA comes asking — presenting your certificate and allowing inspection or testing (§107.7).
• OBJ-012: Apply the alcohol and drug rules (§107.27, via §§91.17/91.19) as a personal "am I fit to fly?" check before every operation.

Scope note: certification, RPIC duties, and registration were covered in LSN-003 through LSN-005. Preflight checks and safety event reporting come next in LSN-007. Remote ID, night ops, and waivers live in MOD-02; operating limits and VLOS live in MOD-03. This lesson is just the core scope and conduct rules.

Plain-English explanation

1. What Part 107 actually covers

Part 107 is the rulebook for civil small unmanned aircraft — drones weighing less than 55 pounds — flying in the National Airspace System (NAS) (§107.1; FAA_SOURCE_NOTES LSN-006). "Civil" is the key word: it means non-government flying, and under Part 107 that includes commercial work, business use, and any flying that doesn't fit a different category.

Just as important is what Part 107 does not cover (§107.1):

• Recreational model aircraft flown under the recreational flyer exception (that's a separate statutory carve-out, not Part 107)
• Air carrier operations (moving people or property for compensation as an air carrier)
• Amateur rockets
• Moored and free balloons
• Kites
• Public aircraft operations (government operations, e.g., certain police or agency flights conducted as public aircraft)

If you're flying a sub-55-pound drone for any business or non-recreational purpose, assume Part 107 is your rulebook unless one of those exclusions clearly applies.

2. Hazardous operation — §107.23

Two short prohibitions with big teeth:

1. You may not operate a small UAS in a careless or reckless manner that endangers the life or property of another.
2. You may not allow an object to be dropped from a small UA in a way that creates an undue hazard to persons or property.

Note the nuance on dropping: the rule doesn't ban dropping objects outright — it bans dropping them in a manner that creates an undue hazard (§107.23). A controlled release over an empty, controlled field can be fine; releasing anything over people or traffic is not.

3. Alcohol and drugs — §107.27

Section 107.27 doesn't write its own alcohol rules — it applies the manned-aviation rules of §91.17 and §91.19 to Part 107 crew. The numbers you must memorize:

• No operating within 8 hours of consuming alcohol ("bottle to throttle")
• No operating while under the influence of alcohol — even outside the 8-hour window
• No operating with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.04 or greater
• No operating while using any drug that affects your faculties in a way contrary to safety (§91.17 via §107.27)
• §91.19's prohibition on carriage of certain controlled substances also applies (§107.27)

These apply to the remote pilot in command, the person manipulating the controls, and visual observers acting as crew (§107.27; AC 107-2A).

4. Inspection and testing on request — §107.7

If the FAA asks, the remote pilot in command, the owner, or the person manipulating the controls must:

• Make available the remote pilot certificate (and identification) for inspection, and
• Allow the FAA to inspect or test the small UAS, associated documents, and records to determine compliance (§107.7).

Practically: carry your certificate and ID when you fly, and cooperate if an FAA inspector shows up at your operation.

Why this matters on the Part 107 exam

• The exam loves boundary questions: "Which operation is subject to Part 107?" Know the under 55 lb / civil scope and the exclusion list cold.
• The 8 hours and 0.04 BAC numbers are classic recall items, and distractors will offer 12 hours or 0.08 (the driving limit) to bait you.
• Dropping-object questions test whether you know the standard is "creates an undue hazard," not "never drop anything."
• §107.7 questions test who must respond to an FAA request and what must be made available.

Official rule / reference

• 14 CFR §107.1 / §107.3 — Applicability and definitions (Subpart A) (FAAREF-001, FAAREF-002)
• 14 CFR §107.23 — Hazardous operation (FAAREF-009)
• 14 CFR §107.27 — Alcohol or drugs, applying §§91.17 and 91.19 (FAAREF-011)
• 14 CFR §107.7 — Inspection, testing, and demonstration of compliance (FAAREF-001 / Subpart A)
• AC 107-2A — FAA advisory guidance on small UAS operations (FAAREF-030)

Real-world drone example

You run a roof-inspection business with a 3-pound quadcopter. That's a civil small UAS, so Part 107 applies — even though your neighbor flying the identical drone purely for fun on weekends may fly under the recreational exception instead (§107.1). After a client dinner, you have two beers at 8 p.m. The 8-hour rule says no flying before 4 a.m. — but if you're still feeling the drinks at 5 a.m., you're still grounded, because "under the influence" and the 0.04 BAC limit apply independently of the clock (§107.27; §91.17). Next morning on site, an FAA inspector stops by and asks to see your certificate and look over the aircraft. You hand over the certificate and let them inspect — that's a direct obligation under §107.7, not a favor.

Common traps / misconceptions

• "Part 107 covers all drones." No — it covers civil small UAS under 55 lb. Recreational-exception flying, public aircraft ops, air carriers, amateur rockets, balloons, and kites are excluded (§107.1).
• "55 pounds or less." The scope is aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds — 55 lb and up is outside small UAS territory (§107.1/§107.3).
• "The alcohol limit is 0.08, like driving." Aviation's limit is 0.04 BAC — half the common driving limit (§91.17 via §107.27).
• "8 hours after drinking means I'm automatically legal." The 8-hour rule is a floor, not a guarantee — you also can't fly under the influence or at 0.04+ BAC (§91.17).
• "Dropping anything from a drone is illegal." The rule prohibits drops that create an undue hazard, not all drops (§107.23).
• "I only have to show my certificate to law enforcement, not the FAA," or "I can just email it later." §107.7 requires making the certificate available and allowing inspection/testing upon FAA request.

Quick recap

• Part 107 = civil sUAS < 55 lb in the NAS; excludes recreational-exception flying, air carriers, amateur rockets, balloons, kites, public aircraft ops (§107.1).
• No careless or reckless operation; no dropping objects that create an undue hazard (§107.23).
• 8 hours bottle-to-throttle, 0.04 BAC max, no impairing drugs (§107.27 applying §§91.17/91.19).
• On FAA request: present your certificate and allow inspection/testing (§107.7).