A few things you should know before flying drones at night. Here’s a list of 4 things you need to know before flying your drone at night. Check it out! I would like to try to help clear up any confusion for any drone operators out there by providing this high level overview.
1. Know the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations for flying drones at night
Flying drones at night comes with a lot of precaution. Every drone pilot should have a complete knowledge of the FAA regulations before taking his drone for the flight. Some of the important ones are discussed below. So, make sure you go through them to know everything about flying drones at night.
Night Authorization Available for Part 107 Drone Pilots
Drone pilots with current Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificates may now obtain near real-time authorizations to fly at night through FAA-approved providers of Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability (LAANC) services. LAANC is an automated system for drone pilots requesting to fly below 400 feet in controlled airspace often found around airports. Drone pilots need FAA approval prior to flying in controlled airspace.
https://www.faa.gov/newsroom/night-authorization-available-part-107-drone-pilots
2. Airspace authorizations are still required for night operations in controlled airspace under 400 feet.
A waiver is an official document issued by the FAA which approves certain operations of aircraft outside the limitations of a regulation. You may request to fly specific drone operations not allowed under part 107 by requesting an operational waiver. These waivers allow drone pilots to deviate from certain rules under part 107 by demonstrating they can still fly safely using alternative methods.
https://www.faa.gov/uas/commercial_operators/part_107_waivers
3. Drone Operations that Require Waivers
| You want to… | Part 107 regulation you need a waiver from… |
|---|---|
| Fly a small UAS from a moving aircraft or a vehicle in populated areas | § 107.25 – Operation from a Moving Vehicle or Aircraft |
| Fly a small UAS at night without anti-collision lighting | § 107.29(a)(2) – Operation at night |
| Fly a small UAS during periods of civil twilight without anti-collision lighting | § 107.29(b) – Operation at Night |
| Fly a small UAS beyond your ability to clearly determine the position, altitude, attitude, and movement of the sUA, with unaided vision. | § 107.31 – Visual Line of Sight Aircraft Operation |
| Use a visual observer without following all visual observer requirements | § 107.33 – Visual Observer |
| Fly multiple small UAS with only one remote pilot | § 107.35 – Operation of Multiple Small UAS |
| Fly over a person with a small UAS which does not meet conditions of operational categories 1, 2, 3, or 4 | § 107.39 – Operation over human beings. |
| Fly a small UAS: Over 100 miles per hour groundspeed Over 400 feet above ground level (AGL) With less than 3 statute miles of visibility Within 500 feet vertically or 2000 feet horizontally from clouds | § 107.51 – Operating limitations for Small Unmanned Aircraft |
| Fly over moving vehicles with a small UAS which does not meet conditions of operational categories 1, 2, 3, or 4 | § 107.145 – Operations Over Moving Vehicles |
Conclusion
Flying drones at night comes with a lot of precautions. It is important that you follow the safety rules and regulations while flying a drone during the night. You can use GPS to navigate and stay on course. In order to fly with GPS, you need to have a remote pilot certification. Make sure your drone has anti-collision lights installed on the underside of the drone and is marked with a registration number. You can also fly a non-lighted drone if the drone pilot has enough experience and flies below the minimum altitude. Be careful while flying your drone at night to avoid any accidents.