FAA Updates Recreational Drone Flying Guidance

The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today issued guidance on how to become an FAA-recognized community-based organization for recreational drone flying.

Under federal law, recreational drone flyers must follow the safety guidelines of a FAA-recognized community-based organization. The organization is required to develop its safety guidelines in coordination with the FAA and an applicant may wish to tailor them to a particular type of unmanned aviation.

The FAA’s guidance, Advisory Circular 91-57C provides a comprehensive list of recommended safety guidelines that applicants may consider using in their application. Organizations that meet the legal definition of a community-based organization may apply for FAA recognition through the FAA’s DroneZone website.

The updated guidance also provides information on applying for recreational flying fixed sites, hosting sponsored events and educational use requirements.

Kim Stevens

Kim Stevens is the publisher of State Aviation Journal, which he founded in 2009. A longtime commercial-rated pilot, he was introduced to state aviation in 1992 as Director of the Nebraska Department of Aeronautics, later serving as Deputy Division Director for the Arizona Department of Transportation's Aeronautics Division. From 2013 to 2018, he was Director of Communications and Operations for the National Association of State Aviation Officials (NASAO) in Washington, D.C. Relocating to North Carolina, Kim worked for the Raleigh-Durham International Airport for two years and now concentrates solely on the Journal. Prior to his aviation career, Kim spent a decade in the newspaper and magazine business.