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I’m a Part 107 licensed “remote pilot”, and YouTube monetization was explicitly called out in the training materials. If you make money with your drone or use i

I’m a Part 107 licensed “remote pilot”, and YouTube monetization was explicitly called out in the training materials. If you make money with your drone or use it in support of any commercial activity, the FAA requires certification.

redis_mlc 6y ago
Normally the FAA thinks of commercial activity as advertising a [drone] service to the public, or being paid by somebody else to pilot a [drone]. They have never consistently said that incidental (flying it yourself and making sightseeing photos) is commercial activity. If you read the entire article, a Miami FSDO issued a letter regarding Youtube posting, but another (traditional) FAA official did not agree, and said it was likely a perceived safety issue. https://www.vice.com/en/article/gvykaq/the-faa-says-you-cant-post-drone-videos-on-youtube https://www.vice.com/en/article/gvykaq/the-faa-says-you-cant... I tried the FAA flow chart tool for drone operator certification, and they do not call out Youtube-type sightseeing photography for certification - only drone training films. So my point is that you should research it yourself and get the rating you think you need, but Youtube videos you make yourself don't appear to be commercial activity. Part 107 "drone operator" certificate is a good idea so you know what you're doing, especially if you're not an airman. Source: I hold a commercial pilot license. This means I've spent a significant amount of time reading and understanding FARS, including airspace and regulations. Drone rules are evolving, but they will parallel other ratings since they share the same airspace and enforcement personnel. Virtually no drone hobbyist would understand the above, hence the FAA being so hesitant about how to integrate drones with the NAS - it really can't be done safely, which is why they want hobbyists in Class G.

redis_mlc 6y ago

Normally the FAA thinks of commercial activity as advertising a [drone] service to the public, or being paid by somebody else to pilot a [drone]. They have never consistently said that incidental (flying it yourself and making sightseeing photos) is commercial activity. If you read the entire article, a Miami FSDO issued a letter regarding Youtube posting, but another (traditional) FAA official did not agree, and said it was likely a perceived safety issue. https://www.vice.com/en/article/gvykaq/the-faa-says-you-cant-post-drone-videos-on-youtube https://www.vice.com/en/article/gvykaq/the-faa-says-you-cant... I tried the FAA flow chart tool for drone operator certification, and they do not call out Youtube-type sightseeing photography for certification - only drone training films. So my point is that you should research it yourself and get the rating you think you need, but Youtube videos you make yourself don't appear to be commercial activity. Part 107 "drone operator" certificate is a good idea so you know what you're doing, especially if you're not an airman. Source: I hold a commercial pilot license. This means I've spent a significant amount of time reading and understanding FARS, including airspace and regulations. Drone rules are evolving, but they will parallel other ratings since they share the same airspace and enforcement personnel. Virtually no drone hobbyist would understand the above, hence the FAA being so hesitant about how to integrate drones with the NAS - it really can't be done safely, which is why they want hobbyists in Class G.