Beginner and Hobby Drone Pilot Tips

First-flight checklist

1. Read the quick-start guide and update the drone, controller and app firmware at home, not in the field.
2. Do your FAA steps first: pass the free TRUST test and register the drone if it needs it (next section). Carry proof of both.
3. Check the airspace with a B4UFLY app for the exact spot you plan to fly.
4. Pick a big, open, quiet area away from people, roads, trees and power lines. An empty field is ideal for your first flights.
5. Inspect the propellers. Replace any that are chipped, cracked or bent, and make sure each one is seated and locked.
6. Charge everything: drone batteries, controller and phone or tablet.
7. Wait for a GPS lock and confirm the app has recorded the home point before takeoff. Calibrate the compass only if the app asks you to.
8. Set the Return-to-Home altitude higher than the tallest trees or buildings around you.
9. Take off, then hover a few feet up for a minute. Practice slow moves: up, down, left, right, forward, back and turning, before you fly far.
10. Keep the drone in sight with your own eyes the whole time, and land with battery to spare.

TRUST test and FAA registration

TRUST (The Recreational UAS Safety Test). Every recreational flyer must pass it. It's free, online, and offered through FAA-approved test administrators. You can't fail: missed questions are explained and you try again. Keep the certificate with you when you fly. See FAA rules for recreational flyers.

Registration. Recreational flyers must register any drone that weighs more than 250 grams (0.55 pounds) at takeoff. Registration is done on the official FAA DroneZone, costs $5, and lasts three years. Put your registration number on the outside of the drone. Use only the FAA site; look-alike registration sites charge extra fees.

Flying for any business purpose is different: under Part 107 every drone must be registered, whatever it weighs, and the pilot needs a Remote Pilot Certificate (see hobby to paid work).

Remote ID basics

Remote ID is like a digital license plate: the drone broadcasts its identity and location, and the location of its controller, while it flies. Any drone that must be registered must also meet Remote ID, in one of three ways:

• Standard Remote ID: built into the drone. Most current DJI drones that weigh more than 250 g have it; add the drone's serial number to your registration in FAA DroneZone.
• A broadcast module: a small add-on for older drones. Its serial number also goes into DroneZone.
• Fly only at a FRIA: FAA-Recognized Identification Areas (FRIAs), often model-aircraft club fields, where drones without Remote ID may fly.

Recreational drones that weigh 250 g or less don't need to be registered, so they don't need Remote ID either.

Check the airspace (B4UFLY)

Before every flight, check the exact location in a B4UFLY app. It shows whether you're in controlled airspace near an airport, and any temporary flight restrictions (TFRs) for stadiums, wildfires, VIP visits or big events.

• Recreational flyers may fly up to 400 feet above ground in uncontrolled (Class G) airspace.
• In controlled airspace near airports you need authorization first, usually through LAANC, which is available in many drone apps and can approve requests in near real time.
• Always give way to manned aircraft, keep the drone within your visual line of sight, and never fly over stadiums during games or near emergency scenes. Our Where You Can Fly guide covers TFRs, military areas, dams and wildfires.

Weather and wind

• Check the wind before you go and compare it with your drone's maximum wind resistance in its specifications. Wind is usually stronger higher up than at the ground, so a calm launch spot can still be gusty at 300 feet.
• Fly upwind first so the trip home is with the wind, not against it on a low battery.
• Skip rain, snow and fog unless your drone is rated for it. Most consumer drones aren't.
• Cold shortens flight time. Keep batteries warm until takeoff and land earlier than usual.
• Heat matters too: let hot batteries cool before charging.
• A pocket wind meter, like the one in our shop, makes go/no-go calls easy.

Battery care

• Drone batteries are lithium batteries. Treat them with respect: don't use one that is swollen, dented or punctured.
• Land with charge left, and don't run batteries to empty; low batteries in cold or wind can drop fast.
• For storage longer than a few days, keep batteries partly charged rather than full. Many DJI batteries discharge themselves to a storage level automatically; check your manual.
• Charge on a hard, non-flammable surface, never unattended, and with the charger made for your battery.
• Flying with your drone: spare lithium batteries go in carry-on bags, not checked bags. Protect the terminals. See FAA PackSafe: lithium batteries.

Where hobbyists can fly

• Your own property or land you have permission to use, outside restricted airspace, is the easiest place to start.
• Model-aircraft club fields and FRIAs are made for flying and are good places to learn from experienced pilots.
• National parks: launching, landing and operating drones is banned in National Park Service areas without special permission.
• National forests and most BLM land: generally open to recreational flying outside designated wilderness, where drone takeoffs and landings are not allowed.
• State and city parks: rules vary by state and city. Our 50-state table covers state parks, and the 60 best places to fly are spots where flying is legal.
• Respect people's privacy and don't fly over people or moving vehicles.

From hobby to paid work (Part 107)

If you're paid, or the flight is for a business, you fly under Part 107 and need an FAA Remote Pilot Certificate. The steps, from the FAA's Become a Certificated Remote Pilot page:

1. Be at least 16 years old, able to read, write, speak and understand English, and in a physical and mental condition to fly safely.
2. Get an FAA Tracking Number (FTN) by creating a profile in IACRA.
3. Schedule and pass the Unmanned Aircraft General (UAG) knowledge test at an FAA-approved testing center.
4. Complete FAA Form 8710-13 in IACRA. After a TSA security check you can print a temporary certificate, and the permanent card arrives by mail.
5. Stay current: complete the FAA's free online recurrent training every 24 calendar months.

The FAA publishes a free FAA Remote Pilot Study Guide. Many people also take a test-prep course; see below. Once you're certified, register your drone for Part 107 use in FAA DroneZone.