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The Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA) new small drone rule effective August 29—formally known as Part 107—allows for some expanded operations based on technology mitigations if operators can make the safety case for a waiver of some provisions. Operators can apply for waivers to operate at night, beyond line-of-sight, above 400 feet and other specific types of operation.
Here’s important information about the waiver process:
Under Part 107, operators may request a waiver of certain provisions starting August 29 if their operations don’t quite fit under the rule’s provisions. On August 29, the FAA will have an online portal available to request waivers of applicable Part 107 regulations at www.faa.gov/uas.
It’s important to understand the FAA won’t grant waivers automatically, and processing a waiver request may take time. The exact length of time will depend on the volume of requests received and the complexity of each waiver application.
Operators should submit waiver requests to the FAA as early as possible—at least 90 days before planning to fly is recommended.
Operators who currently have a Section 333 exemption grant, and who were previously given approval to operate under Part 107 with a waiver, will receive a letter by August 29 notifying them that the FAA has granted a waiver or that they need additional information for them to make their safety case.
