Part 107 in Kansas: Plains Wind and Storms
Kansas tests drones with strong, gusty plains wind and fast-building spring and summer storms. How to read gusts and convective weather before you fly.
Kansas flying is defined by wind. Open plains let it blow steadily and gust hard, and spring and summer bring fast-building thunderstorms. Part 107 sets no wind limit of its own, so the limit is your aircraft's, and the job is reading the weather well enough to stay inside it.
This guide focuses on what makes flying in Kansas different. State and local rules on privacy, trespass and parks still apply, and the Part 107 rules apply everywhere.
How should you read wind for a flight?
Look at the gust figure in the METAR, not just the steady wind: 18G32KT means gusts to 32 knots. Compare it with your drone's rated limit and keep margin for the flight home upwind. §107.49 requires enough power for the intended operation. The METAR guide decodes the wind group.
What about convective weather?
Thunderstorms and towering cumulus produce outflow gusts miles ahead of the rain. Codes such as TS, CB and TCU in a METAR mean land and wait. The METAR decoder flags them along with your highest legal altitude under §107.51.
What federal airspace matters most in Kansas?
Wichita has Class C airspace, and McConnell Air Force Base sits next to it. Get authorization through LAANC where required.
What this means for the exam
Kansas-specific rules are not on the FAA knowledge test, which covers federal rules only. The federal topics here, airspace authorization, restricted areas, weather limits and performance, are.
Other states are compared in the state drone laws guide.
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