UAS Rules and Regulations

Center for Geospatial Analytics at North Carolina State University

Corey White

Objectives

• Understand the role of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in ensuring safety in the National Airspace System (NAS)
• Recognize the main types of UAS operations and the rules for each: Part 107 for commercial use and the 49 USC 44809 recreational exception (TRUST)
• Know the Part 107 operating rules, including airspace authorization with LAANC
• Recognize permanent and temporary “no-drone-zones”
• Understand the Certificate of Authorization (COA) for public agencies and when educational use requires Part 107

Frame the lecture: last week was what UAS are; this week is when and how you may legally fly them.

Emphasize that everyone in the room who ever launches a drone, even a 249 g toy in a park, falls under one of these rule sets. The recreational exception is a statute (49 USC 44809, from the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act), while commercial rules are regulation (14 CFR Part 107, effective August 29, 2016).

This material changes often; encourage students to always verify against faa.gov/uas rather than blog posts.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)

• Created in 1958 in response to a series of fatal accidents and midair collisions involving commercial aircraft
• Mandated to develop plans and policies for the use of navigable airspace to ensure the safety of aircraft and the efficient use of airspace
• Since the creation of the FAA, American airspace has become one of the most regulated fields in the United States

A Brief History of the FAA

The 1956 Grand Canyon midair collision is the classic trigger event; the Federal Aviation Act of 1958 created the agency. The key takeaway for drone pilots: the FAA owns the airspace from the ground up. There is no unregulated altitude band below 400 ft; that figure is an operating limit, not a boundary of FAA authority.

National Airspace System (NAS)

• Already congested with piloted aircraft, and adding a swarm of UAS requires thoughtful planning
• Main mandate: to ensure that UAS do not endanger current users of the NAS nor compromise the safety of people and property on the ground
• Most small UAS cannot yet detect and avoid other aircraft, the gap behind many of today’s operating rules and the proposed Part 108 BVLOS rule (end of this lecture)

Detect-and-avoid is the drone equivalent of “see and avoid” that manned pilots perform visually. Because a remote pilot cannot scan the sky from the cockpit, the default mitigations are visual line of sight and yielding right of way. This is the thread that connects most Part 107 operating rules, and the reason beyond-visual-line-of-sight flight currently requires a waiver. Foreshadow the Part 108 slide at the end.

Who may fly, and under which rules?

Types of UAS operations

Section transition: from the FAA’s mandate to the rule sets it created. The next slides sort every flight into one of three buckets and then work through each bucket’s requirements.

Types of UAS operations

Commercial / civil: any flight in furtherance of a business or non-recreational purpose, under 14 CFR Part 107

Recreational: strictly for personal enjoyment, under the 49 USC 44809 exception

Public aircraft operations: government entities, under Part 107 or a Certificate of Authorization (COA)

Educational use can fall under the recreational exception or Part 107, depending on the activity

Intent decides: the same aircraft can fly recreationally on Saturday and commercially on Monday

The 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act repealed the old “model aircraft” rule (Section 336) and replaced it with the 44809 recreational exception; the FAA no longer uses “model aircraft” as an operational category. Stress that intent, not the aircraft, determines the category: the same Mini 4 Pro is recreational in a park on Saturday and commercial when photographing a field site for a project.

Recreational use of UAS

• Operation of an unmanned aircraft strictly for personal interests and enjoyment
• Taking photographs for your own personal use is recreational
• Taking the same photographs for compensation, for sale, or in furtherance of any business (including research or coursework deliverables for pay) is a commercial operation under Part 107

Useful test question for the class: is posting drone footage to a monetized YouTube channel recreational? (No; compensation makes it commercial.) Is flying to practice piloting skills for a future Part 107 job recreational? (FAA guidance says yes, if the flight itself is purely for enjoyment/proficiency.) The line is the purpose of the individual flight.

The 44809 exception: conditions

To fly recreationally without a Part 107 certificate you must follow all conditions of 49 USC 44809:

• Fly strictly for recreational purposes
• Pass TRUST (The Recreational UAS Safety Test) and carry proof of completion
• Register the aircraft if it weighs 250 g or more (FAADroneZone) and comply with Remote ID
• Follow the safety guidelines of an FAA-recognized Community Based Organization (CBO)

TRUST (required since 2021) is free, online, cannot be failed (wrong answers are corrected and re-asked), and takes about 30 minutes; proof must be shown to the FAA or law enforcement on request. Recognized CBOs include the Academy of Model Aeronautics and FPV Freedom Coalition; their published guidelines fill in operational detail the statute leaves open. Registration is $5 for 3 years and the number goes on the aircraft. Assignment 1B offers TRUST as one of its two options.

The 44809 exception: where you may fly

• Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight (or use a co-located visual observer)
• Give way to and never interfere with manned aircraft
• Fly at or below 400 ft in uncontrolled (Class G) airspace
• In controlled airspace (Class B, C, D, E surface areas): fly only with a LAANC authorization or FAA authorization, at or below the UAS Facility Map altitude

This slide is where the old rules differ most from current ones: the pre-2019 “notify airports within 5 miles” requirement is gone. Today recreational and commercial pilots use the same LAANC system for controlled-airspace authorization, covered in detail later in this lecture. UAS Facility Maps grid the airspace around airports into maximum authorized altitudes (often 0 ft near the runway ends).

Recreational use - Do not fly

• over people or moving vehicles, and keep a safe distance from individuals and vulnerable property
• near or over sensitive infrastructure (power stations, water treatment facilities, correctional facilities, heavily traveled roadways, government facilities)
• in adverse weather such as high winds or reduced visibility
• under the influence of alcohol or drugs

These practices come from the CBO safety guidelines that the statute requires recreational flyers to follow, and they mirror many Part 107 rules, which makes the later transition to certificated flying easier. Wind is the practical one for mapping students: most small quads struggle above roughly 20 mph sustained wind, well before the flight becomes illegal it becomes useless for data quality.

Recreational use - safety practices

• Ensure the operating environment is safe and the operator is competent and proficient
• Check and follow all local laws and ordinances before flying over private property
• Do not conduct surveillance or photograph persons where there is an expectation of privacy without permission

Privacy is mostly governed by state and local law, not the FAA: North Carolina’s drone statutes (G.S. 15A-300.1) prohibit surveillance of persons or private property without consent, with civil damages available. Good discussion prompt: who enforces what? The FAA handles airspace violations; local police handle privacy, trespass, and harassment complaints.

Flying under Part 107

Commercial operations: the pilot, the aircraft, the rules

Section transition into the course’s home rule set. Structure of this section: what counts as commercial, then pilot requirements, aircraft requirements, operating rules, operations over people, waivers, and accident reporting.

Commercial use of UAS

Any use in connection with a business or work, including:

• Selling photos or videos taken from a UAS
• Providing contract services, such as industrial equipment or factory inspection
• Providing professional services, such as security or telecommunications
• Monitoring the progress of work your company is performing
• University research and mapping projects like the ones in this course

The FAA interprets “commercial” broadly: any flight in furtherance of a business or performed as part of one’s job, whether or not money changes hands for the flight itself. Faculty research flights and most university data-collection missions are Part 107 operations. This is why the flight operations later in this course are conducted under Part 107 by certificated pilots.

Commercial use - Remote Pilot requirements

• Must be at least 16 years of age
• Be able to read, speak, write, and understand English
• Be in a physical and mental condition to safely fly a drone
• Pass the initial aeronautical knowledge exam: “Unmanned Aircraft General - Small (UAG)”

• Must pass the applicable Transportation Security Administration (TSA) vetting
• See the course Step-by-Step Guide to Getting an FAA Part 107 License

The knowledge test is 60 multiple-choice questions, 2 hours, 70% to pass, about $175 at a PSI testing center. Point students to the step-by-step guide on the course site; also note the certificate is not required for this course, but it is one of the most employable single credentials a geospatial student can add. Assignment 1B lets them either take TRUST or work through Part 107 sample test questions.

Remote Pilot Certificate

• Must be easily accessible by the remote pilot during all UAS operations
• Certificate holders must complete free online recurrent training every 24 calendar months to maintain aeronautical knowledge recency (effective April 2021)
• FAA Safety Team Part 107 Small UAS Training Course (login required)

Before April 2021 keeping current meant paying to retake a proctored test every 24 months; now it is free online recurrent training (course ALC-677) that also covers the 2021 night-operations and operations-over-people rules. The certificate itself never expires; only recency lapses, and a lapsed pilot simply completes the training before flying again.

Commercial use - UAS requirements

• Must weigh less than 55 lbs
• Must be registered in FAADroneZone ($5, valid 3 years)
• Must comply with Remote ID
• Must undergo a pre-flight check by the remote pilot in command

Under Part 107 every aircraft is registered individually regardless of weight (the 250 g threshold applies only to recreational registration). At 55 lbs and above you leave Part 107 entirely and need an exemption or airworthiness certification. The pre-flight check requirement (107.49) is where checklists, battery inspection, and control-link verification live; this becomes routine in the flight-planning topic.

Part 107: flight limits

• Must fly at or below 400 feet above ground level (AGL), or within 400 feet of a structure if flying higher
• Must not fly from a moving vehicle unless in a sparsely populated area
• Must fly at or below 100 mph (87 knots)
• Must yield right of way to manned aircraft

The 400-ft-of-a-structure allowance (107.51) exists for tower and building inspection: you may fly up to 400 ft above a structure’s top while within a 400 ft radius of it. For mapping work in this course, flight altitude is chosen for ground sampling distance and is normally 200-400 ft AGL, so the ceiling rarely binds, but it matters when a site sits under a low LAANC grid altitude.

Part 107: line of sight and night

Must keep the UAS within visual line of sight (VLOS) of the remote pilot in command or a visual observer

Night operations allowed without a waiver (since April 2021) if the pilot has completed current training and the aircraft has anti-collision lighting visible for 3 statute miles

VLOS means unaided eyes (glasses fine, binoculars or FPV goggles alone do not count); an FPV pilot needs a visual observer next to them. The 2021 rule ended the era of night waivers: before it, daylight-only operation (old 107.29) was the most-waived rule in Part 107. Thermal mapping missions, which fly at night or dawn for temperature contrast, are the course-relevant beneficiary.

Remote ID

• UAS must broadcast identification, location, and control-station location during flight (rule effective 2021, enforced since March 16, 2024)
• Three ways to comply:
  • Standard Remote ID aircraft (built-in broadcast)
  • Aircraft with an attached broadcast module (VLOS only)
  • Fly without Remote ID only inside an FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA)
• Applies to all aircraft that must be registered (recreational and Part 107)

Think of Remote ID as a digital license plate broadcast over WiFi/Bluetooth that anyone with a phone app can receive; the FAA and law enforcement can correlate it with registration data. FRIAs are fixed sites sponsored by CBOs and educational institutions, mostly model-aircraft fields. Practical note for the course: all recent DJI aircraft have standard Remote ID built in; check compliance for anything older or self-built.

Operations over people: Categories 1-4

Since April 2021, routine flight over people is allowed under Part 107 if the aircraft qualifies for one of four categories (14 CFR Part 107 Subpart D).

Category	Aircraft limit	Certification	Over people
1	Under 250 g	Self-declared	Routine
2	11 ft-lbs impact	Manufacturer DOC	Routine
3	25 ft-lbs impact	Manufacturer DOC	Restricted sites only
4	None	Airworthiness certificate	Per certificate

Not airspace classes: Category 1-4 describes the aircraft; Class B-G describes the airspace

Set up the next two slides. Before 2021 any flight over a person outside your crew required a waiver; the Operations Over People rule made it routine, scaled to how much harm the aircraft could do. Emphasize the terminology trap: FAA “Category 1-4” (over-people) vs airspace “Class B-G”; the exam uses both. Also distinguish transiting over people (allowed per category) from sustained hovering over crowds.

Category 1

Eligibility: aircraft weighs 0.55 lb (250 g) or less, including everything attached.

Requirements:

• No exposed rotating parts that could lacerate human skin
• Remote ID required for sustained flight over open-air assemblies

Operations:

• May fly over people without a waiver or a Declaration of Compliance

Example UAS: sub-250 g aircraft such as the DJI Mini series or DJI Neo (with propeller guards where needed to meet the laceration requirement)

Category 1 is self-declared: no FAA paperwork, the operator just has to be right about the weight and the laceration criterion. This is a major reason the sub-250 g market segment exists; manufacturers engineer to sit under the threshold. Weight includes payload, so adding a prop-guard set or beacon can push an aircraft out of Category 1. This is the category students will actually use.

Categories 2, 3, and 4

Categories 2 and 3: no weight limit; injury-severity based, demonstrated through an FAA-accepted Means of Compliance and a manufacturer Declaration of Compliance (DOC)

• Category 2: impact must not exceed 11 ft-lbs of kinetic energy; no exposed lacerating parts; routine flight over people
• Category 3: impact must not exceed 25 ft-lbs; no flight over open-air assemblies; over people only within a closed or restricted-access site with notice, or when people are under cover or in stationary vehicles

Category 4: aircraft holds an airworthiness certificate under Part 21, operated within its flight manual with a maintenance, inspection, and record-keeping program; may operate over open-air assemblies per the certificate

Categories 2 and 3 are manufacturer-certified, not operator-declared, and as of the mid-2020s very few aircraft hold accepted Declarations of Compliance, so these categories are rare in practice. The kinetic-energy thresholds translate to roughly a 2 lb and 4 lb aircraft at terminal velocity, though the tests are on impact severity, not weight. Category 4 is the “certify it like an airplane” path aimed at larger aircraft and delivery-style operations; no common survey drone uses it. The practical takeaway hierarchy: Category 1 if under 250 g, otherwise plan missions so you are not over people at all, which is standard practice for site mapping.

Waivers from Part 107 operating rules

• To operate outside Part 107 rules, apply for a Certificate of Waiver through FAADroneZone
• The FAA grants waivers when the proposed operation can be performed safely with the applicant’s proposed mitigations

The waiver process asks “how will you mitigate the risk this rule addresses?” and successful applications read like safety cases, not requests. Approval times run weeks to months, so waivers are planned mission infrastructure, not a quick fix. Since the 2021 rules absorbed night operations and some over-people flight, the dominant remaining waiver is beyond visual line of sight.

Waivable sections of Part 107

• Operation from a moving vehicle or aircraft (§ 107.25)
• Visual line of sight aircraft operation (§ 107.31) - the most requested waiver today (BVLOS)
• Visual observer (§ 107.33)
• Operation of multiple small unmanned aircraft systems (§ 107.35)

• Yielding the right of way (§ 107.37(a))
• Operation over people (§ 107.39, beyond the category rules)
• Operation in certain airspace (§ 107.41)
• Operating limitations for small unmanned aircraft (§ 107.51)

• No waiver will be issued to allow the carriage of property of another by aircraft for compensation or hire

BVLOS (107.31) waivers dominate because they unlock the economics of linear inspection, agriculture, and delivery: one pilot covering miles instead of a visual bubble. Daylight-only operation (old 107.29) used to top this list before the 2021 night rule removed the need. The carriage-for-hire exclusion is why drone delivery companies operate under separate exemptions and air-carrier rules, not Part 107 waivers.

Accident reporting (§ 107.9)

No later than 10 days after an operation, the remote pilot in command must report to the FAA any operation of the small unmanned aircraft involving at least:

• Serious injury to any person or any loss of consciousness; or
• Damage to any property, other than the small unmanned aircraft, unless the cost of repair (including materials and labor) or fair market value of the property does not exceed $500

Reports go through FAADroneZone. Note what does not trigger a report: destroying your own aircraft, or minor property damage under $500. “Serious injury” follows the AIS Level 3 standard, roughly an injury requiring hospitalization. Universities typically layer their own incident reporting on top, which connects to the NC State UAS procedures linked from the part page.

Where can you fly?

Airspace classes, LAANC, and reading the chart

Section transition into airspace. This is the most practical section of the lecture: every mission starts with “what airspace is my site under and do I need authorization?”

Airspace classes

U.S. airspace classes in profile

• Class B/C/D and Class E surface areas: operations require an airspace authorization, normally obtained through LAANC
• Class G (uncontrolled): may operate while following all other Part 107 rules, no authorization needed

Walk through the airspace classes on the figure from the top down: A (18,000 ft and above, irrelevant to sUAS), B around major hubs like Charlotte, C around mid-size towered airports like RDU, D around smaller towered airports, E controlled airspace that can extend to the surface, G uncontrolled. The practical question for every mission: is my site under controlled airspace that reaches the surface? If yes, get a LAANC authorization first.

LAANC - airspace authorization

Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability

• Automated, near-real-time FAA authorization for flights in controlled airspace, up to the altitude in the UAS Facility Maps
• Available to both Part 107 and recreational flyers
• Request through an FAA-approved service supplier app (e.g. Aloft, AutoPylot, Airspace Link)
• Above facility-map altitudes or where LAANC is unavailable: apply via FAADroneZone

LAANC replaced the old call-the-tower and 5-mile-notification era: since 2018-2019 authorization is an app workflow that usually returns approval in seconds. Demo one supplier app live if possible, showing the UAS Facility Map grid around RDU: each grid cell shows the maximum altitude the FAA will auto-authorize, and zero-grid cells require a manual FAADroneZone application with longer lead time. This is the single most-used regulatory tool students will touch in practice.

Reading aeronautical charts

Solid lines and blue mean more restrictive; dashed lines and magenta mean less restrictive:

Airspace class	Chart symbol	Around
B	Solid blue	Major hubs (Charlotte)
C	Solid magenta	Mid-size towered airports (RDU)
D	Dashed blue	Smaller towered airports
E (surface)	Dashed magenta	Non-towered airports with instrument approaches

Interactive charts: VFRMap, SkyVector | FAA course on airspace classification

Chart reading is heavily tested on the Part 107 exam, so this slide maps directly to Assignment 1B question types. Suggest pulling up SkyVector on the Raleigh area and having students identify the RDU Class C shelves and the dashed magenta Class E surface areas nearby. Remind them that the sectional shows airspace; the UAS Facility Map shows what LAANC will authorize, and both are needed for mission planning.

Airports and controlled airspace

No 5-mile rule: airspace class, not distance to an airport, decides whether you need authorization (the pre-2019 notification requirement was repealed with Section 336)

• Both recreational and Part 107 pilots need a LAANC (or FAADroneZone) authorization to fly in Class B, C, D, or surface Class E airspace
• Authorization is granted up to the UAS Facility Map altitude for the grid cell; near runways this is often 0 ft (no automatic authorization)

Called out explicitly because the 5-mile rule persists in older videos and blog posts and in some exam-prep material. The current logic is airspace-based, not distance-based: a site 4 miles from an airport in Class G needs nothing, while a site 8 miles away under a Class C shelf that reaches the surface needs authorization. Always resolve the question with a facility-map app, not distance.

Where NOT to fly

FAA “No Drone Zone” outreach signage

Transition into airspace restrictions. The no-drone-zone signage is public outreach; the legal substance is in the TFRs, special-use airspace, and security restrictions on the following slides. Best pre-flight habit: check a LAANC/B4UFLY-service app the day of the flight, since restrictions appear and move (wildfires, VIP movement, sporting events).

Airspace restrictions

• Security Sensitive Airspace Restrictions
• Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs)
• Restricted or Special Use Airspace
• Stadiums and sporting events
• Wildfires

Preview the taxonomy: some restrictions are permanent and mapped (special use airspace, security areas), some are scheduled (stadium TFRs), some pop up with hours’ notice (wildfire TFRs). All of them override any LAANC authorization you may hold. The next slides take them one at a time.

Security sensitive airspace restrictions

• All UAS flights prohibited within the airspace
• Restrictions extend from the ground up to 400 feet AGL
• Apply to all types and purposes of UAS flight operations
• Remain in effect 24 hours a day, 7 days a week

14 CFR § 99.7

These cover sites like military bases, national landmarks, and critical infrastructure designated at federal request. They are depicted on the FAA’s UAS-specific maps rather than sectionals, another reason to check a drone-specific app rather than only a pilot’s chart. Violations here draw federal attention quickly; some sites have counter-UAS authority.

Temporary flight restrictions (TFRs)

TFR: airspace where flight is limited because of a temporary hazardous condition (wildfire, chemical spill) or a security-related event (VIP movement, large public events)

The TFR text gives the details: size, altitude, effective times, and which operations are restricted or permitted

TFR map, TFR list

Presidential TFRs are the famous ones: a 30-nautical-mile ring that shuts down drone activity wherever the President travels, often on short notice. For fieldwork the operational lesson is to check TFRs the same day as the flight; a site that was clear during planning can be closed by a wildfire TFR the morning of the mission.

Restricted or special use airspace

Types of Special Use Airspace include:

• Prohibited areas
• Restricted areas
• Warning areas
• Military operation areas (MOAs)
• Alert areas
• Controlled firing areas (CFAs)

The airspace surrounding Washington DC is the most restricted in the country More info

Prohibited areas (P-56 over the White House and National Mall) ban flight outright; restricted areas require permission from the using agency; MOAs and warning areas are legal but hazardous. North Carolina relevance: large MOAs and restricted areas sit east of Raleigh around Seymour Johnson AFB and the Dare County bombing range, which matters for coastal mapping projects.

Stadiums and sporting events

UAS operations are prohibited within a radius of 3 nautical miles of the stadium or venue, from one hour before to one hour after, for:

• Major League Baseball
• National Football League
• NCAA Division One Football
• NASCAR Cup Series, IndyCar, and Champ Series races

This is a standing TFR up to 3,000 ft AGL. Local hook: Carter-Finley Stadium is on this list on football Saturdays, and the restriction covers a 3 nm radius, which reaches much of west Raleigh including parts of campus and Lake Wheeler Road. Check the game schedule before planning fall field days.

Wildfires

It is illegal to fly your UAS in or around a wildfire firefighting operation

“If you fly, we can’t” is the fire community’s campaign line: a single drone sighting grounds firefighting aircraft. Wildfire TFRs carry civil penalties that can exceed $20,000 plus potential criminal liability. The legitimate path exists: public agencies fly fire-mapping missions under COAs in coordination with incident command, an application area from Lecture 1A.

Beyond Part 107

Public agencies, COAs, and educational use

Section transition: the rule paths that are not Part 107. Most students will never file a COA, but many will work for or with agencies that hold one.

Public entities

Publicly funded universities, law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and other government agencies have two options:

• Follow the same requirements and operating rules as commercial users (Part 107)

OR

• Operate as public aircraft under a blanket Certificate of Authorization (COA)

In practice most public entities, including most university flight programs, simply use Part 107 because it is simpler and their missions fit within it; COAs are reserved for operations Part 107 cannot cover, such as certain law-enforcement or emergency operations. Ask the class why an agency might still want a COA (self-certification of pilots, emergency provisions, operations outside Part 107 limits).

Certificate of Authorization

Can be obtained:

• Only by government entities, such as federal and state agencies, law enforcement, and public colleges and universities, for public (governmental) UAS aircraft operations

Allows:

• Flights at or below 400 feet in Class G airspace nationwide, self-certification of the UAS pilot, and emergency COAs under special circumstances

Applying:

• Online via the FAA’s COA process (sample application); average processing under 60 days, expedited in emergency and life-threatening situations

The blanket public COA is the standing nationwide authorization; operations outside it (higher altitudes, specific controlled airspace) need a jurisdictional COA for a defined area. Self-certification of pilots is the notable difference from Part 107: the agency, not the FAA, attests pilot qualification. Students will not file COAs themselves, but they may work under one; emergency COAs matter after disasters, as with post-hurricane mapping flights in North Carolina coordinated with emergency management.

Educational use

• Under 49 USC 44809(c) and FAA educational-user guidance, students at accredited institutions may fly under the recreational exception as part of coursework (TRUST, registration, and all other 44809 conditions still apply)
• Faculty-directed research and flights that further university business generally require Part 107

In this course: instructional flight operations are conducted under Part 107 by certificated pilots

History for context: a May 2016 FAA legal interpretation first allowed student flying under model-aircraft rules; the 2018 Reauthorization Act wrote the concept into statute at 44809(c), and 2021 FAA guidance details when instructors and faculty can participate (limited assistance is fine; directing research flights is not recreational). The safe institutional default is Part 107 for anything tied to funded research.

UAS best practices

• If you can, tell other people you’ll be taking pictures or video of them before you do so
• If someone has a reasonable expectation of privacy, don’t violate it by taking pictures or video, unless you’ve got a very good reason
• Don’t fly over other people’s private property without permission if you can easily avoid doing so
• Don’t harass people with your drone

• Don’t gather personal data for no reason, and don’t keep it for longer than you have to
• If you keep sensitive data about other people, secure it against loss or theft
• If someone asks you to delete personal data about him or her that you’ve gathered, do so, unless you’ve got a good reason not to

These come from the NTIA voluntary best practices for UAS privacy: not law, but the professional norm, and often stricter than what the FAA requires. For mapping projects, landowner permission for takeoff, landing, and ground control points is both courteous and usually a practical necessity; the FAA governs the air, but the launch site is property law. The data-handling side maps directly onto research-data management: orthophotos of residential areas contain personal data (faces, vehicles, backyards), and IRB or data-management plans may govern retention. Good habit to teach: plan flight lines to minimize capture of areas outside the study site rather than cropping afterwards.

Current developments - BVLOS and Part 108

• The biggest open problem in UAS regulation today: beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) flight without a waiver
• The FAA published the proposed Part 108 rule (Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, August 2025) to enable routine BVLOS operations
• Built on automated traffic awareness/deconfliction services and aircraft airworthiness acceptance instead of one-off waivers

The rules keep moving: always verify against faa.gov/uas before you fly

Close the loop with the detect-and-avoid concern from the NAS slide: Part 108 is the FAA’s answer, replacing case-by-case BVLOS waivers with a performance-based rule using strategic deconfliction and third-party services. Check the current rulemaking status before lecture and update the class, since the final rule may land during or after this semester. Good discussion prompt: which mapping applications change most if BVLOS becomes routine? (Corridor mapping, large-area agriculture, disaster response.)

Resources

• FAA UAS home - start here, always current
• Recreational flyers and TRUST
• LAANC and approved service suppliers
• FAADroneZone - registration, waivers, reports
• Operating UAS in North Carolina
• Aviation Weather Center

Point students at faa.gov/uas as the single source of truth and remind them Assignment 1B (TRUST, or the Part 107 sample questions) is where this lecture becomes graded work. The NCDOT page matters because North Carolina additionally requires a state UAS operator permit for commercial and government operations in the state, a detail many out-of-state guides miss.

Wrap-up

Assignment 1B: pass the TRUST safety test (submit your certificate), or explain 5 Part 107 sample questions

Next topic: Structure from Motion, how overlapping photos become orthophotos and surface models

Recap the arc: who regulates, the three operation types, recreational (44809/TRUST) vs commercial (Part 107), airspace and LAANC, restrictions, and where the rules are heading. If students choose the sample-questions option of Assignment 1B, encourage picking chart and airspace questions since those are the hardest on the real exam.