Your Friend Has a Drone. Cool. Is He Part 107 Certified?

I hear this one fairly often:

“I have a drone. I can just take the aerial photos myself.”

Or even better:

“My friend has a drone.”

Cool.

My friend owns a chainsaw. That doesn’t automatically make him the person I want removing the oak tree hanging over my house.

Here’s the part that gets overlooked: if a drone is being used to photograph a property for marketing, MLS, social media, a website, or anything else connected to selling a property, it isn’t simply a recreational flight anymore.

The FAA specifically considers taking photos to help sell a property or service a non-recreational operation.

And no, having your buddy do it for free doesn’t magically turn it back into a hobby.

Nice try.

The Drone Is Actually an Aircraft

This is probably the biggest misunderstanding.

A drone isn’t just a flying camera.

According to the FAA, it’s an aircraft operating in the National Airspace System.

For most real estate drone work, that means the operation falls under Part 107 rules and requires a properly certificated Remote Pilot in Command.

There is technically a way for someone without a certificate to operate the controls, but they have to be directly supervised by a certified remote pilot who can immediately take control.

That is a little different from:

“Kyle has a DJI and he’s really good with electronics.”

And Then There’s Northwest Florida

This is where things get even more interesting.

We don’t exactly live under sleepy country airspace.

Around Crestview, Fort Walton Beach, Destin and the surrounding area, we have Eglin Air Force Base, Duke Field, Hurlburt Field, military training areas, controlled airspace, restricted areas, helicopters, transports, fighter aircraft and all kinds of other aviation activity.

In other words, the sky above your listing may be considerably busier than the driveway.

That’s why simply saying:

“I’m only going up 100 feet.”

doesn’t necessarily solve anything.

Altitude and airspace authorization are two completely different things.

Depending on where the property is located, a drone pilot may need FAA authorization before launching at all.

“But It’s a Tiny Drone.”

Still an aircraft.

Still operating in regulated airspace.

Still subject to FAA rules.

The size of the drone doesn’t create an invisible force field around it that makes aviation regulations disappear.

And depending on the operation, there can also be requirements involving registration, Remote ID, visual line of sight, operations over people or vehicles, nighttime flying and other restrictions.

This is why sometimes a professional drone pilot may tell you:

“We can’t fly here right now.”

That isn’t being difficult.

That’s actually one of the things you’re paying a professional for.

Knowing when not to launch.

Why Should an Agent Care?

Because aerial photography is incredibly valuable.

It can show acreage, location, waterfront, neighborhood context, property access, views and features that simply can’t be communicated from the ground.

I use drones constantly in real estate marketing.

I love them.

But there’s a difference between owning a drone and operating one professionally.

So the next time someone says:

“My friend has a drone. He can get the aerials.”

Maybe ask one more question.

“Is he Part 107 certified?”

Because here in Northwest Florida, the little drone hovering above your new listing may weigh a couple of pounds.

The F-35 sharing the neighborhood weighs slightly more.

And I’m reasonably confident the F-35 has the right of way.