General Notes:

• The FAA believes that the cost of obtaining a small UAS operator certificate will be less than $300 and the operator will be required to pass a recurrent test every 24 months and undergo vetting by the TSA.
• The FAA decided to accommodate all types of drone businesses by adopting the least complex set of regulations across all sizes and categories of drones.

Takeaways:

1. The FAA will not require a commercial pilot certificate for drone operations.
2. The FAA determined that segmenting drones into different categories based on weight, operational characteristics, and operating environment was too complex and burdensome for the public and the FAA.
3. The FAA considered, but rejected onerous inspection, maintenance and permitting requirements for drones.
4. The FAA will require drones to be operated within line of sight of the operator, rejecting technology as a substitute for an operator’s sense and avoid responsibilities.
5. Drone flights will need to take place between sunrise and sunset.
6. Drone flights will need to be below 500 feet.