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Preflight and maintenance for Part 107 flights
Before each flight 14 CFR 107.49 requires you to assess the operating environment, brief the crew, confirm control links work, check power for the intended flight time, and secure any attached object. You must have your certificate, ID and registration on site, and make documents available to the FAA on request.
What does 107.49 require?
| Check | Detail |
|---|---|
| Environment | Weather, airspace and flight restrictions, people and property on the surface, other ground hazards |
| Crew briefing | Operating conditions, emergency and contingency procedures, roles, hazards |
| Control links | Working properly |
| Power | Enough for the intended flight time |
| Attached objects | Secured and not adversely affecting flight characteristics or controllability |
Sources (checked 2026-11-12): 14 CFR 107.49 (eCFR); 14 CFR 107.15 (eCFR).
Which documents should I have?
AC 107-2A names the remote pilot certificate, identification, aircraft registration and any waiver certificate, under 14 CFR 107.7. Part 107 does not require a filed flight plan or a mechanic-signed logbook. You must make any required record available to the FAA on request.
Who performs maintenance?
AC 107-2A advises following the manufacturer's maintenance instructions. If you do not use the manufacturer or its recommended personnel, consider people familiar with that specific aircraft. Part 107 has no rule requiring a certificated mechanic.
When should I calibrate the compass?
AC 107-2A lists compass calibration as a preflight item. Do it away from steel, vehicles and electrical equipment, which distort the local magnetic field and build an error into the aircraft's heading reference.
Does an airworthiness certificate apply?
No. A standard sUAS under Part 107 does not need an FAA airworthiness certificate, but it must be in a condition for safe operation (107.15).
Free practice questions on this topic
5 original questions from the Sectional Cue bank. Try each one, then open the answer.
Documents on site
1. AC 107-2A preflight actions include having documentation available for inspection. Which documents does it name?
- Remote pilot certificate, ID, registration and any waiver
- A maintenance logbook signed off by an FAA-certificated A&P mechanic
- A flight plan filed with flight service
Show answer and explanation
A. Remote pilot certificate, ID, registration and any waiver
AC 107-2A says to ensure all necessary documentation is available, including the remote PIC's certificate, identification, aircraft registration and certificate of waiver if applicable, under 14 CFR 107.7. Part 107 does not require a mechanic-signed logbook. Part 107 flights do not require a filed flight plan.
Source: AC 107-2A, para 5.11.1; 14 CFR 107.7
Compass calibration
2. Where should a remote pilot calibrate the drone's compass?
- Away from steel, vehicles and electrical equipment
- On a vehicle hood, because it gives a flat surface
- Next to a transformer, so readings match the work site
Show answer and explanation
A. Away from steel, vehicles and electrical equipment
AC 107-2A lists calibrating the compass as a preflight item, and a calibration only helps if it is done where the earth's magnetic field is not distorted. Steel, vehicles and electrical equipment create local magnetic fields that corrupt the calibration. Calibrating on a car hood or next to a transformer builds that error into the drone's heading reference.
Source: AC 107-2A, para 7.3.4
Inspection and testing
3. The FAA asks a remote pilot to provide a document that FAA rules require the pilot to keep. What must the pilot do?
- Provide it only if the FAA first obtains a court subpoena
- Provide it only to the NTSB
- Make it available to the FAA on request
Show answer and explanation
C. Make it available to the FAA on request
Under 14 CFR 107.7(a)(3), a remote PIC, owner or person on the controls must make available, on request, any document, record or report required to be kept under FAA regulations. No subpoena is needed. The duty runs to the Administrator, so limiting it to the NTSB is wrong.
Source: 14 CFR 107.7(a)(3)
Who performs maintenance
4. A drone manufacturer says motor replacement must be done by its authorized service center. What does AC 107-2A advise?
- Follow the manufacturer instructions, and if not using its service, consider personnel familiar with that specific small UAS
- Only an FAA-certificated airframe and powerplant mechanic may replace the motor
- Manufacturer instructions do not matter under Part 107
Show answer and explanation
A. Follow the manufacturer instructions, and if not using its service, consider personnel familiar with that specific small UAS
AC 107-2A says maintenance should follow the manufacturer instructions, and if the operator does not use the manufacturer or its recommended personnel, it should consider maintenance personnel familiar with that small UAS. Part 107 has no rule requiring a certificated mechanic. Calling manufacturer instructions irrelevant ignores the AC guidance.
Source: AC 107-2A, para 7.2.3
Thermal runaway
5. Why can a lithium battery fire flare up again after it seems to be out?
- The pack holds a small fuel reservoir that keeps burning
- The casing's built-in flame retardant wears off about a minute after ignition
- One cell in thermal runaway can heat its neighbors into thermal runaway
Show answer and explanation
C. One cell in thermal runaway can heat its neighbors into thermal runaway
FAA SAFO 09013 explains that once one cell in a battery pack goes into thermal runaway, it produces enough heat to push adjacent cells into thermal runaway, so the fire can flare repeatedly as each cell ruptures. That is why cooling after extinguishing matters. Drone lithium packs have no fuel reservoir, and the SAFO does not describe a timed flame retardant.
Source: FAA SAFO 09013
Related guides
- Emergencies and accident reporting for Part 107
- Loading and performance for drone pilots
- Part 107 operating rules: altitude, speed, visibility and clouds
- All Part 107 guides
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Sources
- 14 CFR 107.49 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-12
- 14 CFR 107.15 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-12
- 14 CFR 107.7 (eCFR), checked 2026-11-12
- FAA Advisory Circular 107-2A, checked 2026-11-12
How this page was made: written by Certloom Learning from the sources above, with the rules checked against the current regulation text. Practice items are original questions from the app's reviewed bank. Spot an error? certloomlearning@gmail.com.