Part 107 Rules People Forget
One drone per pilot, no hazardous materials, no careless flying and a designated remote PIC: the short Part 107 rules that still show up on the test.
Most Part 107 study time goes to airspace, night and people. Between those big topics sit a handful of one-sentence rules that are easy to skim past and easy to test. Each one below is quoted or paraphrased from 14 CFR Part 107, Subpart B.
Who is in charge?
Under §107.19, a remote pilot in command must be designated before or during the flight, and that person is directly responsible for, and the final authority on, the operation. The same section requires the remote PIC to make sure the drone will pose no undue hazard to people, aircraft or property if control is lost for any reason, and to be able to direct the aircraft to comply with the rules. The client post shows what that means when a customer pushes for a shot.
Can you fly more than one drone at a time?
No. §107.35 says a person may not manipulate the flight controls, act as remote PIC or act as visual observer for more than one unmanned aircraft at the same time. A light-show swarm or a multi-drone survey needs a waiver, which the waivers post covers.
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unmanned aircraft per pilot, per visual observer, at a time, under §107.35
What does "careless or reckless" cover?
§107.23 prohibits operating in a careless or reckless manner that endangers the life or property of another, and allowing an object to be dropped in a way that creates an undue hazard. The second half is not a ban on dropping things; the dropping objects post explains where the line is.
Can a drone carry hazardous materials?
No. §107.36 says a small unmanned aircraft may not carry hazardous material, as defined in 49 CFR 171.8. That is why spraying pesticides needs an exemption, as the agriculture guide explains.
Who has the right of way?
Everyone else. §107.37 requires a small UA to yield to all aircraft, airborne vehicles and launch and reentry vehicles, and defines yielding: give way, and do not pass over, under or ahead unless well clear. It also forbids flying so close to another aircraft as to create a collision hazard.
Two more short rules sit in the same subpart: no flying from a moving aircraft, and from a moving vehicle only over sparsely populated areas, covered in the moving vehicle post; and the alcohol and drug limits, covered in the medical post.
What the exam asks about these rules
They all sit in UA.I.B, Operating Rules, the largest task in the Regulations area. Questions are short and literal: who is the final authority, how many aircraft one person may operate, whether a drone may carry a given item. Read the scenario for the word that triggers the rule.
One pilot, one drone, nothing hazardous on board, and always yield.
One more short rule: carry your certificate and ID, and show them on request, as the police and certificate post explains.
One more that surprises people: the rule for flying over moving cars, explained in flying over roads and cars.
The cheat sheet pairs these rules with the limits the test asks about most.
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