FAA revises AC 91-57 with new rules for hobby/recreation drones

An updated advisory circular 91-57B published May 31 spelled out more clearly the new rules for hobbyists, referring readers to the agency website for updated details on limitations, and also provided more detail on the plan to move forward. The FAA will continue to require registration and prohibit recreational drone flights within controlled airspace outside of designated locations approved by the agency in advance. Hobbyists will also be required to fly below 400 feet, keep their aircraft in sight, and eventually be required to pass an aeronautical knowledge and safety test that has yet to be created. The FAA also plans to follow up with guidance on how groups can earn designation as a “community based organization,” based on standards and procedures not yet published that would enable a CBO to establish its own rules and limits to be followed in lieu of the general guidance. Eventually, the FAA stated, hobbyists will have access to the same low altitude authorization and notification capability (LAANC) system used by Part 107 pilots to obtain near-instant authorization for flights in controlled airspace within limits denoted in the FAA UAS Facility Maps.

(Source: AOPA News)