Top Gun quotes are great and a little cheesy — but the fact is, as a drone pilot, you are not just a hobbyist. You are a professional pilot. Being a professional drone pilot comes with a responsibility upheld by a framework of laws and regulations, especially if you’re operating in the United States. Let’s look at why being a professional pilot is not just a formality, but a significant mark of your expertise and responsibility.
The Law Says You Are a Professional Pilot
The FAA’s Clear Stance
At the heart of professional drone operation in the U.S. are laws enacted by Congress and enforced by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This isn’t mere bureaucracy — it’s a legal framework designed to ensure safety, privacy, and efficiency for commercial drone operations.
Certification: More Than Just a Piece of Paper
If you’re using your drone for commercial purposes, you’re legally required to obtain Part 107 certification. This isn’t a formality. It’s a rigorous process that certifies you have the knowledge to conduct yourself as a professional pilot. Holding the Part 107 certification is a baseline certification of your skills and your commitment to safe, responsible flying.
As the FAA states: “In order to fly your drone under the FAA’s Small UAS Rule (Part 107), you must obtain a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA. This certificate demonstrates that you understand the regulations, operating requirements, and procedures for safely flying drones.”
To put it plainly: if you are flying commercially — making money — you need an FAA Part 107 Certificate.
Once you obtain your Part 107 Certificate, you are in the same pilot database as the pilot flying a commercial airliner. You are also most of the way through ground school for a Part 61 (standard aircraft pilot) certification. Under the rule of law in the United States, when you hold your Part 107 certificate, you are a government-regulated pilot.
Common Sense: Safe Operations
Now that you have your Part 107 certificate and are operating commercially, you are in a small club of professional pilots. Like it or not, you need to operate professionally — both to uphold the standard for everyone else in that club and because the FAA will vigorously prosecute violations of your Part 107 authorizations.
Drone Law and Drone Attorney Assistance provides a good analysis of FAA enforcement. Their analysis shows that fines for unprofessional drone operation can range from a few thousand dollars up to almost $2 million — though the $2 million figure is an outlier, and most fines are significantly lower.
The Professional Pilot in Action
Safety: A Non-Negotiable Priority
Professionalism in drone operation is synonymous with safety. Conducting pre-flight checks, understanding the complexity of the airspace, and adhering to operational limits are the bedrock of safe drone operations. Safety starts before you leave the ground. Once you’re airborne, you’re responsible for both the safety of the airspace and the task at hand.
Continuous Learning: Staying Ahead of the Curve
The drone industry is dynamic, with constant technological innovations and regulatory updates. Embracing continuous learning is crucial to being a professional. It is the hallmark of any professional pilot.
Know Your Airspace
As a professional drone pilot, it is vital to know your airspace. The two best tools for that are ADS-B monitoring and FAA Sectional Charts.
ADS-B (Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast) enables aircraft to broadcast their position, altitude, speed, and other data. Some drones have ADS-B receivers built in; others don’t. Either way, monitor ADS-B in some form — if your drone doesn’t have it, use a service like Flight Radar 24. Monitoring ADS-B lets you identify airspace conflicts before they become incidents.
FAA Sectional Charts are detailed maps depicting airspace classifications — controlled airspace, restricted areas, prohibited areas — along with altitudes, radio frequencies, navigation aids, and other critical details. Drone pilots should study these charts to understand the airspace structure around their operating area. Don’t rely solely on your drone’s built-in area restrictions; know the actual airspace yourself.
Bonus: To be a top-notch professional, monitor the frequencies listed on your sectional chart. This lets you hear what other aircraft are saying in your area. The Part 107 certification process teaches sectional charts, airspace classification, and how aircraft communicate over the radio — use that knowledge.
Bottom Line
Drone mapping involves commercial operations. Once you start operating commercially, you are a professional pilot who is required to hold a Part 107 pilot’s certificate. That puts you in the same database as a commercial aircraft pilot and raises the bar for how you’re expected to operate — by the government, by the public, and by your clients.
FAA Part 107 was enacted to ensure safe drone operation inside the National Airspace. Operating under Part 107 regulations will not only make you a professional pilot — it will make you a safer pilot.