Training

The Part 107 cram sheet

Every high-yield fact from the free study hub, on one printable sheet, organized by exam domain and ordered by how much of the test each domain is worth. No email wall, no watermark. Print it, fold it, read it in the PSI parking lot.

Then take the practice exam →

Regulations

48% of scored items · 3–4 hours

Maximum altitude: 400 ft AGL, or within 400 ft of a structure you may fly up to 400 ft above that structure's uppermost limit.
Maximum groundspeed: 87 knots (100 mph).
Minimum visibility: 3 statute miles from the control station.
Cloud clearance: 500 ft below and 2,000 ft horizontally from clouds.
Pilot eligibility: At least 16 years old, able to read/speak/write/understand English, and in a physical and mental condition to fly safely.
Registration: Every drone operated under Part 107 must be registered individually, including drones at or below 0.55 lb (250 g). Registration is $5 per aircraft and valid for 3 years through FAADroneZone. The sub-250 g exception is only for aircraft flown exclusively under the recreational exception.
Remote ID: Required for most operations. Three paths: a Standard Remote ID drone, a broadcast module, or flying within an FAA-Recognized Identification Area (FRIA).
Certificate currency: Complete the free online recurrent training (course ALC-677 on FAASafety.gov) every 24 calendar months. No paid retest.
Waivers: Only sections listed in 14 CFR 107.205 are waivable. Current examples include VLOS, multiple aircraft, selected operating limits, operations over people, and operations over moving vehicles. New applications use Aviation Safety Hub.
Accident reporting: Report to the FAA within 10 calendar days when an operation causes serious injury, loss of consciousness, or property damage of at least $500.
FAA inspection authority: The FAA may inspect or test the aircraft and request documents, records, or reports required by Part 107.
Falsification: Falsifying, reproducing, or altering certificates, records, authorizations, or reports can suspend or revoke a certificate or authorization.
Operations over people: Categories 1-4 are based on weight, injury risk, exposed rotating parts, declarations of compliance, and operational limits.
Operations over moving vehicles: Section 107.145 governs flight over occupants of moving vehicles. Categories 1-3 may use the restricted-site/notice path or avoid sustained flight; Category 4 must follow its airworthiness certificate and operating limitations.
Remote ID broadcasts: Standard Remote ID broadcasts control-station location/elevation and emergency status along with aircraft identity, position, altitude, velocity, and time. A broadcast module instead identifies the module and broadcasts the aircraft data, takeoff location/elevation, and time.
ADS-B/transponder rule: Small UAS may not use ADS-B Out or transponders unless otherwise authorized; Remote ID is the drone identification path.
Transporting property: Part 107 package carriage must stay within line of sight, inside one state, under 55 lb total takeoff weight, and cannot carry hazardous material.

Airspace & Charts

20% of scored items · 4–5 hours

Class B: Surrounds the busiest airports. Solid blue lines on the chart. Drone authorization required (LAANC where available).
Class C: Busy airports with a control tower and radar. Solid magenta lines. Authorization required.
Class D: Smaller towered airports. Dashed blue lines. Authorization required.
Class E: Controlled airspace not B/C/D. Dashed magenta = Class E to the surface (auth required); magenta vignette = Class E from 700 ft AGL.
Class G: Uncontrolled airspace. No ATC authorization needed for drones, but all other Part 107 rules still apply.
LAANC: Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability: near-instant approval to fly in controlled airspace, up to published grid ceilings.
Airport markers: Blue airport symbols have a control tower; magenta airport symbols do not. The runway shape gives you a quick picture of the runway layout.
Airport data blocks: Airport labels can show name, elevation, longest runway, lighting, CTAF/tower frequency, ATIS, and special notes. They aid situational awareness; they do not grant drone authorization.
VFR checkpoint flag: A magenta flag marks a VFR checkpoint: a named visual reporting point. A stand-alone VFR waypoint uses a four-point star. They may be collocated, but the flag itself means checkpoint.
FAA Chart Users' Guide: The official FAA symbol dictionary for aeronautical charts. Use it to confirm line styles, airport data, obstacles, special-use airspace, and chart terms; it does not replace current NOTAM/TFR or LAANC checks.
MSL vs AGL: MSL is altitude above mean sea level and is used for most chart elevations, airport elevations, MEF, obstacle top elevations, and airspace shelf labels unless marked otherwise. AGL is height above local ground and is used for Part 107's 400 ft limit, Class E 700/1,200 ft floors, METAR ceilings, and obstacle heights in parentheses.
Shelf floor/ceiling labels: Class B and C shelf numbers are written ceiling over floor in hundreds of feet MSL. 40/15 means 4,000 ft MSL over 1,500 ft MSL; 40/SFC means 4,000 ft MSL down to the surface. Class D uses a bracketed ceiling such as [25] for 2,500 ft MSL.
Runway numbers: Runway numbers approximate magnetic heading divided by 10: runway 18 is roughly 180 degrees, runway 36 is roughly 360 degrees.
Traffic-pattern position: Final for runway 18 means the aircraft is north of the runway, heading south. Final for runway 36 means south of the runway, heading north. On left downwind, the runway is on the pilot's left.
Latitude/longitude & scale: Read latitude first, longitude second. Latitude parallels run east-west but measure north/south. Longitude meridians run north-south but measure east/west. On U.S. sectionals, latitude is normally north and longitude is normally west.
Minutes and distance: One minute of latitude is about 1 nautical mile. If only latitude changes, the answer is north/south; if only longitude changes, the answer is east/west. Use the latitude side scale for distance, not the top longitude scale.
Special-use airspace: Prohibited, restricted, warning, MOA, alert, and controlled firing areas each signal a different hazard or permission issue.
Other airspace areas: Know TFRs, MTRs, parachute jump areas, TRSAs, National Security Areas, VFR routes, and airport advisory areas.
NOTAMs: NOTAMs publish abnormal, time-critical NAS status: temporary restrictions, airport/service changes, runway closures, communication outages, obstructions, and hazards.
FDC NOTAMs and TFRs: Temporary Flight Restrictions are issued by FDC NOTAM. Read the effective time, radius or boundary, altitude block, reason, and coordination contact.
NOTAM search habit: Use FAA NOTAM Search and the Graphic TFR map before flight, especially near airports, stadiums, wildfire/disaster response, VIP movement, and public events.
Wire environment: Towers, guy wires, powerlines, and unlit ground obstacles are major low-altitude hazards. Avoid skeletal towers laterally by at least 2,000 ft.
Thermal plumes: Smoke stacks, cooling towers, and fires can create rising air and turbulence that can exceed a small drone's control margin.
Aircraft and structure lighting: At night, learn the difference between manned-aircraft lights, obstruction lighting, and the drone's required anti-collision light.

Weather

5% of scored items · 2–3 hours

METAR: An hourly observation of CURRENT weather at a station. Coded: wind, visibility, weather, sky cover, temp/dewpoint, altimeter.
TAF: A Terminal Aerodrome FORECAST for the ~5-statute-mile area around an airport, valid 24-30 hours. It forecasts wind, visibility, significant weather, and sky condition with timing/change groups, not METAR temperature/dewpoint or altimeter fields.
Wind in a METAR: Reported as direction in degrees TRUE and speed in knots, e.g. 24015G25KT = from 240° at 15 kt gusting 25 kt.
Sky cover codes: SKC/CLR (clear), FEW, SCT (scattered), BKN (broken), OVC (overcast); BKN/OVC define a ceiling.
Density altitude: High temperature, high elevation, and high humidity all raise density altitude and reduce lift and performance.
Temp/dewpoint spread: A small spread (close numbers) means high humidity and a higher chance of fog or low visibility.
Stable vs. unstable air: Stable air = smooth, poor visibility, stratus clouds. Unstable air = turbulence, good visibility, cumulus clouds.
Altimeter setting: Given in inches of mercury, e.g. A2992 = 29.92 inHg, the standard sea-level pressure.
ASOS/AWOS: Automated weather stations provide wind, visibility, sky condition, temperature/dewpoint, altimeter, and other local observations.
Weather charts: Surface analysis and prog charts help spot fronts, pressure systems, precipitation, and changing flight conditions.
Fronts and air masses: Cold fronts can bring gusty winds and thunderstorms; warm fronts often bring widespread clouds, precipitation, and reduced visibility.
Convective hazards: Thunderstorms, microbursts, tornadoes, hail, icing, and lightning are no-go hazards for small UAS.
Ceiling and visibility: Ceiling is the lowest broken or overcast layer; Part 107 still requires 3 SM visibility and cloud clearance.
Fog: Fog is likely when temperature and dewpoint are close, especially with light wind and stable air.

Loading & Performance

2% of scored items · 1.5–2 hours

More weight = less performance: Added payload reduces climb rate, flight time, maneuverability, and increases battery drain.
Maximum takeoff weight: Never exceed the manufacturer's maximum gross/takeoff weight; it is a hard performance and safety limit.
Center of gravity (CG): An out-of-limits CG (too far forward or aft) makes the aircraft unstable and harder to control.
Payload placement: Mount payloads at the manufacturer-specified position; off-center loads shift the CG and degrade handling.
Battery effects: Heavier or colder batteries reduce flight time; battery placement also affects balance.
Wind & loading interact: A heavily loaded drone has less margin to fight wind and gusts; reduce payload in strong wind.
Density altitude link: High density altitude compounds a heavy load: thinner effective air plus more weight sharply cuts performance.
Performance data: Use manufacturer data for endurance, range, climb, descent, temperature limits, payload limits, and wind limits when available.
No standard format: Small UAS performance data is not standardized like crewed-aircraft handbooks, so know your model's published limits and test conservatively.
Reserve planning: Plan battery reserve for return, landing, wind, cold, and unexpected go-around or repositioning needs.

Operations & ADM

25% of scored items · 3–4 hours

Visual line of sight (VLOS): The PIC or a visual observer must keep the aircraft in unaided sight at all times (glasses/contacts allowed).
Right of way: A small UAS must always yield the right of way to all other aircraft, manned or unmanned.
One aircraft at a time: A single remote pilot may not operate more than one small unmanned aircraft at the same time.
Night operations: Permitted with an anti-collision light visible for 3 statute miles and the updated night-operations training. No waiver needed.
Operations over people: Four categories (1–4) based on weight and injury risk; Category 1 is ≤0.55 lb with no exposed lacerating parts.
Operating from moving vehicles: Never operate from a moving aircraft. From a moving land or water-borne vehicle, operate only over a sparsely populated area and never while transporting another person's property for compensation or hire. Flight over occupants of moving vehicles is governed separately by section 107.145.
Hazardous attitudes (ADM): Anti-authority, impulsivity, invulnerability, macho, and resignation; recognize and counter each.
IMSAFE checklist: Illness, Medication, Stress, Alcohol, Fatigue, Emotion: a personal pre-flight fitness self-check.
Alcohol/drugs: No operation within 8 hours of consuming alcohol, while impaired, or with a blood-alcohol concentration of 0.04% or greater.
CTAF/UNICOM/ATIS: Monitor airport frequencies for situational awareness: CTAF for advisory calls, UNICOM for airport info, ATIS for weather and runway status at towered fields.
Radio language: Know the phonetic alphabet, aircraft call signs, runway numbers, left/right traffic, and calls for downwind, base, final, and clear of runway.
Airport operations: Know towered vs. non-towered airports, runway markings, traffic patterns, SIDA/security areas, airport lighting, and seaplane/heliport symbols.
Airport data: Read airport name, elevation, runway orientation/length, lighting, CTAF, UNICOM, tower, and ATIS clues before operating nearby.
Wildlife hazards: Bird and wildlife activity can create collision hazards; wildlife strikes by aircraft are reportable through FAA wildlife-strike channels.
Lithium batteries: Inspect, transport, charge, and store batteries carefully. Damaged or swelling packs can ignite and are a major emergency hazard.
Lost link/GPS loss: Brief return-to-home, hover, land, and manual-control responses before launch. GPS loss can change position-hold and navigation behavior.
Radio-frequency limits: Understand controller frequency limitations, interference, antenna orientation, and terrain or structure masking.
Maintenance records: Follow manufacturer maintenance instructions, document meaningful repairs/updates, and verify Category 2/3 Declaration of Compliance where applicable.
Night scan pattern: Scan roughly 30-degree sectors with brief 2- to 3-second stops and about 10 degrees of overlap. Do not stare at one point.
Off-center viewing: A dim target is easier to detect at night when you look about 10 degrees above, below, or beside it rather than directly at it.
Distracting light: Avert your gaze from a bright or flickering source while maintaining aircraft awareness. Return-to-home is not the human-factors answer; safely terminate the flight if VLOS cannot be maintained.
Dark adaptation: Bright light quickly degrades night vision. Use the minimum practical light and allow time for your eyes to readapt after glare.

The sheet is the summary — these are the reps

A cram sheet holds a score; it doesn't build one. Work the study modules, drill the flashcards, run the chart lab, and take the full practice exam twice before you book. Need a schedule? Free 7- and 14-day study plans.

Original Drone Authority study material summarizing the FAA Airman Certification Standards topic areas — not FAA exam questions. Facts verified against FAA primary sources; current as of July 2026. Educational, not legal advice.