Find answers to your FAA questions.
Do I need to be a U.S. citizen to get an air carrier license (certificate)?
Yes, you must be a U.S. citizen to get an FAA license to operate as a direct air carrier, and to conduct any commercial passenger or cargo aircraft operations for compensation or hire. For more information, see Regulation 14 CFR Part 119.33.
Do I need to register my drone and if so, how do I register?
Federal law requires all drones operated under 14 CFR Part 107 to be registered.The limited statutory exception for recreation requires registration of all aircraft weighing more than .55 pound (250 grams).All registered aircraft must have their registration number displayed on the exterior.Review the UAS registration informationto learn more about the program.
Still can't find what you are looking for? Please feel free to contact the UAS Support Center for general questions and comments.
Do Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) need to be included or merely referenced when an agency applies for a Jurisdictional Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA)?
It is not necessary to provide MOUs as part of the COA application; however,it is appropriate to explain the need for a jurisdictional COA that appears to exceed the expected operating area a public safety agency is expected to respond to. One could make a case for needing approval well outside a normal operating environment; however, it must be noted that the larger the requested airspace, the longer it will take to accomplish the coordination for the approval of such a COA and it may be more efficient to just utilize the FAA’s Special Governmental Interest (SGI) approval process when responding to infrequent missions outside ones normal jurisdictional boundary or alternatively, you can fly under 14 CFR Part 107.
Still can't find what you are looking for? Please feel free to contact the UAS Support Center for general questions and comments.
Do minors need identification to travel?
Each airlinedetermines identification requirements for minors.Contact your airline well in advance of your travel date to determine if they have unique policies or procedures for minors.
Typically, minors under the age of 18 do not have topresent identification for domestic U.S. travel. Airlines will accept identification from the responsible adulton behalf of the minor(s).
For international travel, minors under the age of 18 must present the same travel documents as the adult.
Please visit the Transportation Security Administration's website for more information.
Do non-certified helpers who perform some maintenance duties as part of a process under direct supervision need to be covered under a drug and alcohol testing program even though they will not sign off the work?
Yes. All employees who conduct maintenance or preventive maintenance are required to be covered by an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drug and alcohol testing program regardless of whether they sign off the work or not.
Employers who need more information about the definition of maintenance or preventive maintenance should review the FAA Flight Standards Service'sGuidance Alert on Maintenanceor consult directly with their FAA Principal Maintenance Inspector or local Flight Standards District Office. The Flight Standards Service is the expert in clarifying maintenance or preventive maintenance duties. Please visit the FAA's website to find the Flight Standards District Office closest to you.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or [email protected].
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
14 CFR part 43
14 CFR § 120.105
Do non-certified helpers who perform some maintenance duties as part of a process under direct supervision need to be covered under a drug and alcohol testing program even though they will not sign off the work?
Yes. All employees who conduct maintenance or preventive maintenance are required to be covered by an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) drug and alcohol testing program regardless of whether they sign off the work or not.
Employers who need more information about the definition of maintenance or preventive maintenance should review the FAA Flight Standards Service'sGuidance Alert on Maintenanceor consult directly with their FAA Principal Maintenance Inspector or local Flight Standards District Office. The Flight Standards Service is the expert in clarifying maintenance or preventive maintenance duties. Please visit the FAA's website to find the Flight Standards District Office closest to you.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or [email protected].
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
14 CFR part 43
14 CFR § 120.105
Do payload operators count as crew, if they do not have flight controls?
If the payload operator is a required individual of the UAS or drone operation, then they may be considered a direct participant, but it depends on the type of operation being conducted.
Still can't find what you are looking for? Please feel free to contact the UAS Support Center for general questions and comments.
Do search and rescue operations receive a special Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) so that the on-scene person in charge can make decisions about air traffic and which aircraft might get priority for flying (e.g. helicopters)?
The conditions and provisions of the COA must be complied with, which includes the unmanned aircraft giving way to manned aviation. If there is a need to protect persons and property on the surface or in the air from a hazard associated with an incident on the surface, or provide a safe environment for the operation of disaster relief aircraft, or prevent an unsafe congestion of sightseeing and other aircraft above an incident or event which may generate a high degree of public interest, the incident management at the scene can request that the airspace be restricted.
Through our regional "UAS Working Group", geared primarily toward public safety, our subject matter experts have developed a concept we call the "Overlapping Jurisdictional COA", in which each of our local city and county public agencies are pursuing a Jurisdictional COA with a domain covering not only their own county, but also each of the contiguous, surrounding counties...Therefore, we are all able to adequately cover each of our neighbors, while also have them cover us. The justification for this is founded in existing public agency Memorandum of Understandings.
Still can't find what you are looking for? Please feel free to contact the UAS Support Center for general questions and comments.
Do the FAA rules and regulations apply to a commercial UAS or drone operations conducted indoors ONLY?
No, Part 107 would not apply to operations conducted indoors. FAA rules and regulations apply to operations conducted outdoors in the National Airspace System (NAS).
Still can't find what you are looking for? Please feel free to contact the UAS Support Center for general questions and comments.
Do you know of any school districts that are using drones for emergency situations? Which option are they using in the application process?
The FAA is not aware of any school districts using drones for emergency situations, but this would certainly be a viable use of a UAS.
Still can't find what you are looking for? Please feel free to contact the UAS Support Center for general questions and comments.
Do you offer a list of acceptable transmission electronics?
The FAA does not publish a list of acceptable transmission electronics.
Still can't find what you are looking for? Please feel free to contact the UAS Support Center for general questions and comments.
Does a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) allow a fire department to conduct training flights? Specifically, initial and recurrent pilot training and training for emergency incident responses?
A public agency is allowed to operate under the COA as a public aircraft operator to conduct training exercises as a component/tool of the exercise. Training pilots on how to fly a UAS or using the UAS to memorialize events does not constitute a governmental function,and would not be authorized under the COA.
Still can't find what you are looking for? Please feel free to contact the UAS Support Center for general questions and comments.
Does a Certificate of Waiver or Authorization (COA) allow me to fly a drone over heavily populated public areas even though the Part 107 does not?
An approved COA states that for operations where it is necessary to fly a drone over a human being, in order to safeguard human life, the remote pilot in command must not operate any lower or in proximity as necessary to accomplish the operation.
Still can't find what you are looking for? Please feel free to contact the UAS Support Center for general questions and comments.
Does a person who cleans an aircraft have to be covered under a drug and alcohol testing program?
No, unless preparing the aircraft for cleaning requires the removal of components or the protection of components, which may fall under the definition of maintenance or preventive maintenance under 14 CFR § 1.1 or Part 43. For example, before cleaning an aircraft, it may be necessary to close and secure the upper and lower fan cowl doors on a transport category aircraft. The FAA considers the closing and securing of the engine fan cowl doors maintenance.
Additionally, after the cleaning process, it may be necessary to reapply lubrication compounds and preservatives to aircraft components, both of which could be considered maintenance or preventive maintenance. If the aircraft is operated by a part 119 certificate holder authorized to conduct Part 121 or 135 operations, or is used to conduct sightseeing operations as defined in 14 CFR § 91.147, the individual performing the aircraft maintenance or preventive maintenance must be subject to drug and alcohol testing in accordance with 14 CFR Part 120.
Conversely, the FAA does not consider cleaning seat cushions/covers maintenance or preventive maintenance.
The FAA's Flight Standards Service are the experts in determining whether work is considered maintenance or preventive maintenance, in accordance with the definitions in 14 CFR § 1.1 and Part 43. If you have additional questions about these definitions, please contact your local Flight Standards District Office (FSDO) or your Principal Maintenance Inspector.
If you have any other questions or need additional guidance regarding the FAA's drug and alcohol testing requirements in 14 CFR Part 120,contact the Drug Abatement Division at 202-267-8442 or [email protected].
Please visit our website to learn more about our program.
Applicable Regulations:
14 CFR § 1.1
14 CFR Part 43
14 CFR § 91.147
14 CFR § 120.1
14 CFR § 120.105(e)
14 CFR § 120.215(a)(5)
Does an individual's participation in a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) testing program satisfy U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) drug and alcohol testing requirements?
View the full FAQ here.
No. The DOT drug and alcohol testing regulation (49 CFR Part 40) applies to transportation employers who are regulated by federal agencies such as the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The FAA's regulation (14 CFR part 120) defines specific drug and alcohol testing requirements for the aviation industry. Therefore, an individual's participation in a DoD testing program, or that of any other Federal agency, would not satisfy the FAA's drug and alcohol testing requirements.
If you have any further questions or need additional guidance that is more specific to your situation, please contact the FAA Drug Abatement Division at (202) 267-8442 or [email protected].
Please visit our website to learn more about the program.
Applicable Regulations:
Does my change of address apply to all FAA certificates?
Your change of address applies to all certificates maintained in the Airmen Certification Branch, as well as your medical certificate. To update your address, please go to theAirmen Certificationwebsite. If you want to update your address on your certificate of Aircraft Registration, please go to theAircraft Registrationwebsite.
However, we do not confirm receipt of change of address, nor dowe automatically send replacement certificates showingyour new address. To confirm that your change of address was received by the FAA, calltheCivil Aviation Registryat 1-866-878-2498 or 405-954-3261. Press #1 for Airmen Certification, then press#0 to speak with an examiner OR press #2 for Aircraft Registration. You canalsoemailus.
Does my change of address apply to all FAA certificates?
Your change of address applies to all certificates maintained in the Airmen Certification Branch, as well as your medical certificate. To update your address, please go to theAirmen Certificationwebsite. If you want to update your address on your certificate of Aircraft Registration, please go to theAircraft Registrationwebsite.
However, we do not confirm receipt of change of address, nor dowe automatically send replacement certificates showingyour new address. To confirm that your change of address was received by the FAA, calltheCivil Aviation Registryat 1-866-878-2498 or 405-954-3261. Press #1 for Airmen Certification, then press#0 to speak with an examiner OR press #2 for Aircraft Registration. You canalsoemailus.
Does the FAA have a list of prescription and over-the-counter drugs that pilots can and cannot take while flying?
View the full FAQ here.
The FAA does not maintain a list ofacceptable medications. Pilot performance is affected by both theunderlying medical condition(s) andmedication (s);we mustconsider both in individual cases.
You should consultwith your FAA Regional Flight Surgeon or designated Aviation Medical Examiner (AME)to determine if your condition or treatment precludes flying. You can findcontact information for your Regional Flight Surgeonor yourAMEon our website.
You may not fly if you are taking any of these types of medications. If you aren't sure whether your medication falls into one of these categories, you should check with your AME:
- Tranquilizers, such as but not limited to Valium, Librium, Ativan
- Most antidepressants.PLEASENOTE: According tonew FAA policy announced in the Federal Register on April 5, 2010, some conditions and medications are acceptable. Please see theFederal Register Announcementfor the requirements to qualify for a special issuance authorization (waiver).
- Opiates, such as Morphine, Codeine, Lortab, Percodan, Oxycontin
- Muscle relaxants, such as Soma, Sonata, Flexeril
- Anicholinergics, such as Levsin, Bnetyl, Transderm Scop
- Sedating antihistamines, such as Benadryl, Chlorpheniramine, Zyrtec
- Antipsychotics, such as Mellaril, Thorazine, Haldol
- Over-the-counter active dietary supplements, such as Kava-Kava, Valerian
You can alsofind helpful information in our brochure "Medication and Flying".
Does the FAA pay for my air traffic controller (ATC) training?
Yes, the FAA pays for initial ATC training for entry-level ATC employees (FG-2152-03 Academy Training). ATCS Trainees attend an AT Basics course virtually from their home locations and receive an hourly salary. Upon successful completion of AT Basics, ATCS Trainees attend additional training at the FAA Academy in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. While in Oklahoma City, ATCS Trainees receive an hourly salary and are also entitled to long term per diem (unless their home location is within a 50 mile radius of the FAA Academy).
Does the FAA require children on commercial flights to be in child restraint systems (CRS)?
The FAA does not require the use of CRS's on commercial airplanes. However, the FAA strongly recommends the use of CRS's or an alternative FAA-approved device based on a child's weight.
You can find more information about flying with children on our website.
