FAA Safety Team Reminds Part 137 Drone Pilots to Know and Follow the Rules
On the evening of June 25, 2024, the FAA Safety Team (FAASTeam) presented a webinar titled Pro Tips for Part 137 UAS Pilots and Operators. The speakers included two industry drone pilots and two FAA representatives familiar with Part 137 drone operations. The focus of the webinar was on the importance of professionalism and safety for drone pilots making aerial applications. A recording of the webinar can be viewed here.
The webinar began with a review of current stats for drones conducting aerial applications:
- 1,938 drones registered for aerial applications
- Over 900 drone Part 137 operations
- 12 collisions between UAS and crewed aircraft since September 2017
- No collisions involving ag drones
A 2023 collision between an R44 and a small drone in Florida was discussed. The drone pilot exceeded the altitude limitation on the certificate of authorization and failed to notify the tower about the flight. The accident was used to stress the importance that drone pilots fully understand all of the rules regarding their flights and that they must always see and avoid crewed aircraft.
The speakers provided a detailed description of how quickly a crewed ag aircraft can appear at a field. They talked about the ferry, reconnaissance, and field entry phases of the flight and how these were times for the drone pilot to notice the crewed aircraft. The speed of crewed ag aircraft and how quickly the aircraft can close the distance to a drone were emphasized, again stressing that drones alone have the responsibility to see and avoid crewed aircraft.
The FAA personnel covered the legal requirements for Part 137 drone operations. The FAA has found that many drone operators are not familiar, nor are they following, the conditions and limitations placed on their operations. Many new Part 137 drone operators are farmers with no background in aviation who don’t fully understand the importance of the rules they are operating under and the need for safety in the national airspace. The FAA stressed that receiving the required documents for operating a drone for aerial applications is only the beginning. Drone pilots must understand all the rules, how to comply with them, and continuously monitor for updates.
Over 400 people attended the Part 137 drone professionalism and safety webinar, around 45% of the over 900 Part 137 drone operations in the U.S. The NAAREF In-Season Safety Session for crewed agricultural aviators held on June 3 garnered 81 attendees, around 5% of the estimated 1,560 crewed Part 137 operations in the U.S. In both cases it must be assumed that not all attendees were pilots or operators, and that individual operations may have had more than one person in attendance.