Drone pilots in the U.S. have to comply with the Federal Aviation Administration’s rules so airspace stays safe. These federal rules for commercial drone flights, known as FAA Part 107, apply to all the airspace in the U.S. But additional state and local drone laws may also apply to drone operations. They’re in place to increase privacy, improve safety, and generally discourage misuse of drones.
A guest post by Mike Danielak, Director of UAS Strategic Solutions at Skyward.
Drone management software like Skyward helps pilots follow Part 107 rules. But unlike federal regulations, there’s no single source of truth for regional drone laws. Even advanced aviation tools like VFR sectional charts typically don’t reflect local drone rules.
There are some interesting efforts to compile these regulations into a single database. For example, Skyward is the first FAA-Approved UAS Service Supplier to partner with the Virginia Department of Aviation to test the Virginia Flight Information Exchange (VA-FIX). This system will allow state and local government agencies in the commonwealth to publish and share drone advisory information with anyone who needs it.
Today, though, no map shows all the local regulations across the country. So how can you keep up with it all and know if you’re free to fly? Here are a few resources to help.
Resources for Local Drone Laws
Our favorite resource is this listing of local drone laws organized by state, provided by our friends at UAV Coach. While the list isn’t exhaustive, it’s a helpful place to start.
Another source, provided by the National Conference of State Legislatures, lists the most recent local drones laws passed. This is a little more technical and isn’t organized by region, but it’s good for keeping up to date with new laws.
Why is it important to check local drone regulations? Because they vary greatly from state to state, and even city to city. Most of these rules focus on three general themes: public safety, protecting privacy, and preserving areas reserved for wildlife or quiet recreation.
For the complete blog post on FAA Part 107 CLICK HERE.
Note – If you liked this post click here to stay informed of all of the 3D laser scanning, geomatics, UAS, autonomous vehicle, Lidar News and more. If you have an informative 3D video that you would like us to promote, please forward to editor@lidarnews.com and if you would like to join the Younger Geospatial Professional movement click here.
