# Drone Authority
> Free, source-backed U.S. drone rules and Part 107 training, plus current aircraft guidance, commercial workflows, flying communities, and drone news.

Drone Authority is an educational publisher for recreational and commercial drone pilots. Regulatory claims link to primary sources, unfinished state and international research stays noindex, and product coverage separates official specifications from editorial conclusions.

Last updated: 2026-08-27.

## Start here
- [Drone Authority](https://droneauthority.org/): Current U.S. drone rules, free Part 107 training, flight-planning tools, gear guidance, and source-backed news.
- [U.S. drone rules](https://droneauthority.org/drone-facts): 20 direct answers covering certification, registration, Remote ID, airspace, operating limits, and parks.
- [Free Part 107 study system](https://droneauthority.org/training/study): Five ACS-domain modules, local progress, interactive labs, flashcards, audio, and a guided route into practice.
- [Free Part 107 practice exam](https://droneauthority.org/tools/part-107-practice-test): 282 original Part 107 practice questions with a 60-scored-question timed simulator and explained answers.
- [Can I fly here?](https://droneauthority.org/tools/can-i-fly-here): Location-specific preflight packet for airspace, authorization, TFRs, weather, Remote ID, people, and site permission.
- [Is my drone banned in the US?](https://droneauthority.org/tools/is-my-drone-banned): Per-aircraft FCC status: Covered List (final, December 22, 2025), the July 17, 2026 PS Docket 26-184 proposal, the September 3, 2026 tariff, firmware waiver through January 1, 2029, and Blue UAS where documented, each with its dated source.
- [Drone mapping calculator](https://droneauthority.org/tools/drone-mapping-calculator): Source-backed estimate of GSD, image footprint, overlap spacing, photo count, route length, batteries, and field time for a flat nadir grid.
- [Spray-drone acreage calculator](https://droneauthority.org/tools/drone-spraying-acreage-calculator): Source-backed estimate of theoretical and planned acres per hour, mixture, tank loads, battery cycles, flow, service stops, and field time.
- [Drone inspection deliverables builder](https://droneauthority.org/tools/drone-inspection-deliverables-builder): Source-backed shot lists, record fields, field controls, QA checks, packages, and qualified-review boundaries for roofs, solar arrays, bridges, towers, and facades.

## Rules and flight planning
- [Drone laws hub](https://droneauthority.org/laws): Federal rules plus 30 indexed state guides whose visible claims resolve to named primary sources.
- [Part 108 status](https://droneauthority.org/laws/part-108): Current status of the proposed BVLOS framework and what remains governed by Part 107.
- [Special-use airspace and TFRs](https://droneauthority.org/laws/special-use-airspace-tfrs): Prohibited areas, restricted areas, MOAs, NSAs, stadiums, emergency restrictions, and the live-status decision.
- [Privacy and private property](https://droneauthority.org/laws/privacy-private-property): FAA overflight authority separated from launch permission, trespass, nuisance, cameras, audio, and state privacy law.
- [Public land launch rules](https://droneauthority.org/laws/public-lands): National Parks, National Forests, BLM land, refuges, wilderness, state land, and tribal land compared by manager and designation.
- [Drones and wildlife](https://droneauthority.org/laws/drones-and-wildlife): Species law, refuge and park rules, state hunting limits, and a behavior-based abort protocol.
- [International drone rules](https://droneauthority.org/laws/international): Searchable traveler directory; only the strongest current, multi-source country guides are indexable.

## Training
- [Part 107 training hub](https://droneauthority.org/training): Entry point for certification, recurrent training, score recovery, charts, weather, radio, and exam preparation.
- [Part 107 practice questions by topic](https://droneauthority.org/training/practice-questions): Five focused question sets drawn from 282 original questions, with explained answers and no account requirement.
- [Free Part 107 instructor resources](https://droneauthority.org/training/for-instructors): Assignable 10-question diagnostic, printable classroom set and answer key, targeted remediation paths, and CC BY 4.0 classroom use.
- [FAA chart lab](https://droneauthority.org/training/faa-chart-lab): Official testing figures with magnification, marked-area isolation, symbol practice, and synchronized side views.
- [METAR and TAF decoder](https://droneauthority.org/training/metar-decoder): Token-level weather decoding, forecast timelines, and drone-specific go/no-go decisions.

## Aircraft, ownership, and work
- [Current drone catalog](https://droneauthority.org/gear/drones): 160 tracked aircraft plus 4 primary-source dossiers with official manufacturer paths and current availability status.
- [American-made drone procurement evidence](https://droneauthority.org/gear/american-made-drones): Exact manufacturer wording for U.S. origin, configuration-level NDAA evidence, Blue UAS claims, mission fit, and source links.
- [Drone reviews and comparisons](https://droneauthority.org/gear): 46 buyer records, 17 comparisons, 42 model-specific ownership guides, and 92 Amazon and manufacturer products. Current priority decisions include DJI Neo 2 vs DJI Flip, DJI Neo 2 vs Mini 5 Pro, DJI Flip vs Mini 4 Pro, DJI Air 3S vs Mavic 4 Pro, and Potensic ATOM 3 vs ATOM 2; direct routes are listed in the extended AI corpus map.
- [FPV workshop](https://droneauthority.org/gear/fpv): Sequenced learning, versioned component builds, symptom-led diagnosis, current video-system tracking, racing discovery, and U.S. FPV operating boundaries.
- [Start a drone business](https://droneauthority.org/business): Sequenced path from legal authority to one service, proof, pricing, insurance readiness, client outreach, and repeat work.

## Current reporting and trust
- [Drone news and rule watch](https://droneauthority.org/news): 57 dated reports with visible sources, pilot takeaways, status labels, and live comment deadlines.
- [Latest report: The FCC's drone docket closed with 3,847 filings and a brief from a former Solicitor General](https://droneauthority.org/news/fcc-26-189-record-3847-filings-dji-legal-challenge): A comment docket changes nothing about an aircraft you already own. What changed is the shape of the fight. The record now holds a legal argument that the FCC never had the authority to do this, which is the kind of claim that survives into a courtroom. Watch the Ninth Circuit case and the reply-comment round rather than the filing count.
- [About and editorial policy](https://droneauthority.org/about): Named author, sourcing rules, corrections, monetization disclosure, and review cadence.
- [Extended AI corpus map](https://droneauthority.org/llms-full.txt): Comprehensive link map and detailed content inventory.

## Key facts
- Training is free and requires no account.
- Regulatory content is educational, not legal advice; pilots should verify current FAA and local sources before flight.
- Product links may include clearly disclosed affiliate relationships.
- Corrections: corrections@droneauthority.org