Eligibility
Before submitting a Part 107 waiver request, ensure a waiver is necessary for your operation. If unsure, please see our article on How to Check For Airspace Restrictions.
Keep in mind that the FAA’s Operation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Over People final rule allows for routine operations over people and at night under certain conditions without the need for a Part 107 waiver. Most Propeller supported drone surveying operations over people will fall under Category 3.
If you need to fly in controlled airspace and LAANC authorization isn’t possible, you’ll need a Part 107 waiver to be cleared to fly.
Requirements
To get a waiver to fly in controlled airspace, you’ll need:
- Your Part 107 license
- Registration of yourself and your drone(s) in FAA DroneZone
Keep the FAA registration paperwork in your drone case and use a label to put the registration number on the aircraft itself.
Submitting a Part 107 Waiver
1. Go to the FAADroneZone webpage.
2. Go to your Part 107 Dashboard.
3. Scroll down to Part 107 Waivers & Authorizations and click Create Part 107 Waiver/Authorization.
4. Select Airspace Authorization. Then click Start Application.
5. In Step 1 (Acknowledgement), enter the Operation Title and confirm the information for the Responsible Party is correct.
6. In Step 2 (Operation Parameters), you’ll carefully need to fill in all the information. Here's an explanation of each field in the form.
Please copy and paste the text below into the "Description of Your Proposed Operation" text box, filling in the blanks with your specific details. You can check your AGL ceiling with AirMap.
[Company Name] uses drones for 3D modeling, earthmoving progress, imagery, safety inspections, and topographic surveys. This site will be flown [planned frequency of surveys] with a [drone model] drone weighing less than 55 lbs. We will fly over the [site name] area with heavy equipment, and the site is off-limits to the public and surrounded by [safe things or buffer from potential hazards]. All heavy equipment operators will be part of the tailgate meetings with knowledge of the flight and will use the radio for communicating with us and each other. We will fly during lunch or late in the afternoon when fewer operators are on site. sUAS will fly below [max AGL requesting for] ft which is the maximum Above Ground Level, and PIC will review UASFM to ensure maximum AGL has not been updated.
The pilot in command (PIC) will call ATC at [ATC phone number] at least 30 minutes before the flight and immediately upon flight termination. PIC will leave contact information with ATC at the time of the call. PIC and VO will perform preflight inspection, ensuring that sUAS is in proper condition for flight and will not add any external or internal load to the sUAS. In addition, the PIC will check that the weather conditions are within the limitations of the sUAS and check the surroundings, especially the takeoff or landing area, are free from any obstructions.
PIC will set the boundaries of the flight path into the software to avoid aircraft from flying away that might cause a loss of connection PIC will determine and ensure safe Minimum Obstruction Clearance Altitude (MOCA) and that sUAS has the home point. before launching. In case of loss of communication between sUAS and controller, sUAS will activate an automatic Return to Home (RTH) sequence. sUAS will enter hover mode for 15 seconds. If communication is not regained, sUAS will climb to predetermined MOCA and return to the home point. Upon reaching the home point, sUAS will automatically land. If PIC regains control of sUAS before landing, PIC will bring the sUAS to land at the home point. If the cause of communication loss cannot be determined, PIC will end the mission.
In the event of uncontrolled fly away, VO will immediately call ATC and inform them of the last known location, altitude, and direction of sUAS. PIC will continue to try regaining control of sUAS and/or follow it to determine location.
In the event of unpredicted obstacles or emergencies, or if instructed by ATC to do so, PIC will immediately end the mission by returning sUAS to the home point or landing in a predetermined location, if necessary.
If this text box is not filled in correctly, you will most likely not receive the waiver in a timely manner, if at all.
7. Complete Steps 3 and 4 by reviewing the information and confirming the request.
It may take some time to be granted, from a week to several months. Once you receive the waiver, you can submit an unlock request with DJI.
I still can't do it!
We wrote these articles to equip you with everything you need to get the job done on your own, but we understand that sometimes this isn't sufficient.
If you're stuck, the Propeller hardware support team may be able to help. You can contact them by emailing hardwaresupport@propelleraero.com.au.
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