Free FAA-107 Operations Over People & Vehicles Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers
Question 1: To operate a small UAS over people under Category 1, what two conditions must be met?
- The drone must weigh 1.0 pound or less and have propeller guards.
- The drone must have Remote ID and weigh less than 4.4 pounds.
- The drone must weigh 0.55 pounds or less and have no exposed rotating parts that could lacerate human skin. (Correct answer)
- The drone must be flown below 100 feet AGL and only over people involved in the operation.
Correct answer: The drone must weigh 0.55 pounds or less and have no exposed rotating parts that could lacerate human skin.
Category 1 operations have the least stringent requirements because the drones are very light. The drone must have a maximum takeoff weight of 0.55 pounds (250 grams) or less, and it must not contain any exposed rotating parts that could cut skin upon impact.
Question 2: According to Part 107, which of these scenarios is permissible without a waiver?
- Flying over a concert crowd to get an establishing shot.
- Flying over people who are inside a stationary, covered vehicle. (Correct answer)
- Flying over spectators at a high school football game.
- Flying over your neighbor who is sunbathing in their backyard.
Correct answer: Flying over people who are inside a stationary, covered vehicle.
The regulations for operations over people do not apply if the people are located under a covered structure or inside a stationary vehicle that can provide reasonable protection from a falling drone. This is because the vehicle itself acts as a protective barrier.
Question 3: What is a primary requirement for a small UAS to be operated over people under Category 4?
- It must weigh less than 55 pounds and have a parachute system.
- It must have an airworthiness certificate issued under Part 21. (Correct answer)
- It must be operated by a pilot with at least 100 hours of flight time.
- It must be made entirely of frangible materials.
Correct answer: It must have an airworthiness certificate issued under Part 21.
Category 4 is for drones that do not meet the kinetic energy or weight limits of Categories 1, 2, or 3. To qualify, these drones must undergo a rigorous FAA certification process and receive an airworthiness certificate under Part 21, similar to manned aircraft.
Question 4: Under the rules for Operations Over Moving Vehicles, a remote pilot is generally prohibited from...
- briefly crossing over a road with moving cars.
- operating within a closed-access site over company vehicles.
- maintaining sustained flight over a moving vehicle. (Correct answer)
- flying a Category 1 drone over a moving vehicle.
Correct answer: maintaining sustained flight over a moving vehicle.
While transient flight over moving vehicles is permitted for certain categories of drones, sustained flight is not. Sustained flight includes hovering over, flying back and forth over, or circling the same moving vehicle, which poses a greater risk.
Question 5: A key distinction between Category 2 and Category 3 operations over people is that...
- Category 2 drones can operate at night, but Category 3 drones cannot.
- Category 3 drones must not have any exposed rotating parts that could cause skin lacerations. (Correct answer)
- Category 2 drones must have a remote pilot with an advanced rating.
- Category 3 drones can be flown over open-air assemblies, but Category 2 drones cannot.
Correct answer: Category 3 drones must not have any exposed rotating parts that could cause skin lacerations.
Both Category 2 and Category 3 are based on impact kinetic energy limits, with Category 3 allowing for a higher impact energy. However, a critical safety requirement for Category 3 is that the drone must be designed to prevent lacerations from exposed rotating parts, a requirement not explicitly placed on Category 2 drones.
Question 6: For the purpose of Part 107 operations over people, the flight is not considered to be 'over' people if...
- the people are wearing protective headwear.
- the drone is at least 200 feet above the people.
- the people have given their consent to be flown over.
- the drone passes over them so quickly that it is not sustained. (Correct answer)
Correct answer: the drone passes over them so quickly that it is not sustained.
The FAA clarifies that a brief, transient passage over a person is not the focus of the rule. The rule applies to sustained flight over people, such as hovering or circling. A drone that passes over a person for a brief moment is not considered to be operating 'over' them in the context of this rule.
Free FAA-107 Operations Over People & Vehicles Questions and Answers
To operate a small UAS over people under Category 1, what two conditions must be met?