The Blog
Straight answers on Part 107 and drone work.
Written by working commercial drone operators, licensed aircraft pilots, and OSHA-certified construction professionals. No hype, no filler, just what we'd tell you on a job site.
10 Part 107 Test Questions That Trip Up Students
The same question patterns cost Part 107 students points over and over. Here are ten of them, what makes each one tricky, and how to drill it.
October 30, 2026
Part 107 Waivers Explained: What You Can Get, How Long It Takes, and When to Bother
A Part 107 waiver is the FAA's permission slip to break one specific rule. Which rules can be waived, how the application actually works, realistic timelines, and when you should not bother.
October 27, 2026
Part 108 Doesn't Require a Pilot's License. Here's What It Requires Instead.
The proposed Part 108 rule requires no pilot certificate. Instead: an operations supervisor with final authority, flight coordinators watching each aircraft, and an operator-run training program with records (108.315) plus TSA threat assessments for some roles.
October 23, 2026
Real Estate Drone Photography: The 12 Shots That Actually Sell Listings
The 12 drone shots that sell real estate listings: the exact shot list working pilots fly on every property, the angles agents actually use, and the mistakes that make aerials look amateur.
October 20, 2026
Can You Fly a Drone at Night? Part 107 Night Rules Explained
Night flying is legal under Part 107 without a waiver, and has been since 2021. What counts as night, the anti-collision light requirement, and the twilight rules that confuse everyone on the test.
October 16, 2026
How to Get a Drone License in California: Steps, Cost, and Timeline
How to get a commercial drone license in California, including the Part 107 test, cost, timeline, registration, and what to do after you pass.
October 13, 2026
Part 107 Recurrent Training: How the Free Online Renewal Works
Part 107 recurrent training is free, online, and takes about two hours. How the 24 calendar month cycle works, where to take ALC-677, and what happens if you let it lapse.
October 6, 2026
Construction Progress Documentation With Drones: A Field Guide for Contractors
How drone progress documentation works on a construction site: what a weekly flight captures, what it costs, how it settles disputes, and what to look for when hiring a drone operator.
October 2, 2026
How to Start a Drone Business in 2026: The Unsexy Checklist That Actually Works
How to start a drone business in 2026, step by step: the Part 107 certificate, insurance, pricing, picking a niche, and landing your first five clients without wasting money on the wrong gear.
September 29, 2026
Part 108 Operating Permit vs Certificate: Which Path Fits Your BVLOS Plan?
The FAA proposes two BVLOS operating paths. Compare permits and certificates by mission, fleet limits, application, oversight, and real operator examples.
September 28, 2026
Part 107 vs Proposed Part 108: Which Rule Covers Your Drone Flight?
Part 107 covers today's in-sight small-drone work. The FAA proposes Part 108 for certain BVLOS flights, with operator permits, certificates, and new roles, not a new pilot license.
September 28, 2026
Part 107 Weather: How to Read a METAR and TAF for the Test (and for Real Flights)
Weather questions fail almost as many Part 107 students as airspace. Here is a working pilot's plain decode of METARs and TAFs, the visibility and cloud minimums, and the density altitude questions the FAA loves.
September 25, 2026
Part 108 Flight Coordinator: Duties, the 5-Hour Rule, and Ratios
What the proposed Part 108 Flight Coordinator would do, how the 5-hour make-and-model rule and 12-month recency would work, and how 1:1 and 1:many ratios are set.
September 23, 2026
Real Estate Drone Photography Pricing: What to Charge in 2026
Real estate is where most drone pilots make their first dollar, and where most undercharge. Real package prices, how to structure your rate card, and the mistakes that keep pilots stuck at $100 a shoot.
September 22, 2026
Part 108 Operations Supervisor: Role, Authority, and Requirements
What the FAA's proposed Operations Supervisor would control, how the role differs from a Flight Coordinator, and what operators can prepare now.
September 21, 2026
Part 107 Airspace: How to Read a Sectional Chart Without Crying
Airspace and sectional charts fail more Part 107 students than everything else combined. Here is the plain-English version: the six airspace classes, the symbols that matter, and the questions the FAA keeps asking.
September 18, 2026
How Much Do Drone Pilots Actually Make? Real Numbers From the Field
Salary sites will tell you drone pilots make six figures. Some do. Most freelancers make far less until they figure out the business side. Here are the honest numbers by type of work.
September 15, 2026
25 Part 107 Practice Test Questions With Answers and Explanations
25 FAA-style Part 107 test questions with answers and explanations, from the same 122-question bank as our free timed practice test.
September 11, 2026
What Is Part 108? The FAA's BVLOS Rule in Plain English
Part 108 is the FAA's proposed rule for flying drones beyond visual line of sight without a waiver. Where it stands in 2026, what it would change, and what Part 107 pilots should do now.
September 8, 2026
Part 108 Status: Where the FAA's BVLOS Rule Actually Stands
Part 108 is still a proposed rule. The final text has been under White House review since July 10, 2026. The real timeline, what OIRA review means, and what happens the day it publishes.
September 5, 2026
How to Use a Part 107 Practice Test (Without Fooling Yourself)
A Part 107 practice test is the best study tool you have, if you use it right. How to take one cold, review your misses by topic, and know when 85% means you are actually ready.
September 4, 2026
How to Pass the Part 107 Test on the First Try
A first-try study plan for the FAA Part 107 test: what the 60 questions actually cover, the topics that fail people, and how to know you are ready before you pay the $175 fee.
September 1, 2026
Drone Roof Inspections in Santa Clarita: Why Contractors Are Making the Switch
Roofing contractors around Santa Clarita are using drone documentation to bid faster, put fewer people on ladders, and build claim files that hold up. Here is what changes on the job.
August 26, 2026
How Much Does It Actually Cost to Get Your Part 107 License?
A real breakdown of what getting your Remote Pilot Certificate costs: the FAA testing fee, study materials, the time investment, and the recurring costs nobody mentions up front.
August 22, 2026
What Is FAA Part 107, and Do You Need It to Fly a Drone Commercially?
Part 107 is the FAA rule that turns drone flying into legal paid work. Here is who needs a Remote Pilot Certificate, what the knowledge test actually covers, and how to keep the certificate current.
August 18, 2026