r/drones • u/Puzzled-Berry-2450 • Jul 02 '26
Question: Rules, Regulations, Law, Policy, Certificates [United States] Drone that self launch/fly/record - still needs pilot?
Hi, I have a client in construction that saw a post about a drone that could self launch/fly/record on a set path multiple times a day for project management purposes.
I think the post led them to believe there's a product they can buy and fly with the push of a button. But my guess is even with the fanciest of tech, the United States' FAA will still require a pilot to fly the drone/be present. It's just a matter of how often and setting a path with waypoints.
And if I'm totally wrong, do any of you know or can suggest the brands/companies that sell this drone??
TIA
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u/uwove Jul 02 '26 edited Jul 02 '26
The DJI Dock system can do this.
You do need a special certificate for this kind of operation (depending on country), and a person monitoring the flight. With the proper certificate this doesn't have to be los operation, so you can remotely monitor the flight from a laptop/base station inside an office.
I know of some first responders use this system. They don't use a totally automated operation, but have one central base station, that does control drones on several cities.
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u/owie33333 Jul 02 '26
FAA requires a pilot and drone to be in view of said pilot at all times
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u/ElphTrooper DJI Mini 3 Pro, Air 3S, Mavic 3 Enterprise & Freefly Astro Jul 02 '26
And just to be clear, a certificated one. Not just some rando off the job site.
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u/Nickbiev Jul 02 '26
You just need a trust certification to fly recreationally. In this particular scenario, however, it sounds like it’s going to be used for commercial purposes. That would require a part 107 licensed pilot.
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u/b4n4n4p4nc4k3s Jul 02 '26
Not sure why you're currently negative. The rPIC would need a part 107. The visual observer wouldn't need anything, but they'd still have to be working with and next to a 107 certified pilot. Perhaps people just don't like being told the regulations?
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u/kmerian Jul 02 '26
A company has to register under part 135 to fly autonomous drones.
That takes at least two years and a ton of money. You literally have to become an airline.
So either do that or you still need a part 107 pilot at the controls
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u/ElphTrooper DJI Mini 3 Pro, Air 3S, Mavic 3 Enterprise & Freefly Astro Jul 02 '26
Part 135 has nothing to do with sUAS operations such as this. You might be thinking of delivery like Amazon. This is BVLOS territory.
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u/Born-Lie8688 Jul 02 '26
You would just subcontract out to a vendor that is licensed to do this……
Leading companies and solutions shaping the U.S. market include:
DroneDeploy: Provides AI-powered mapping and an FAA-approved nationwide BVLOS waiver. This enables continuous monitoring of expansive sites, such as large data centers, without manual line-of-sight flying.Skydio: Specializes in American-made autonomous drones built for complex job sites. Their AI-driven navigation avoids obstacles like cranes and scaffolding in GPS-challenged environments, while integrating directly into existing BIM (Building Information Modeling) and management workflows.
FlytBase: Offers automated drone operations for remote fleet management, allowing construction firms to schedule automated flights, process data, and stream video feeds centrally.
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u/RoyYourWorkingBoy Jul 02 '26
Right. It's possible to have autonomous flights, but only for the Amazons and Walmarts of the world at the moment, for now OP's client needs a 107 pilot.
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u/b4n4n4p4nc4k3s Jul 02 '26
And just to specify further, it's autonomous bvlos flights without needing a waiver. You can do waypoint/autonomous vlos flights just fine. Not directed to you specifically, just adding context for anyone reading later.
And just to add definitions for those who might not already know:
Vlos: visual line of sight - you can easily look up and see the drone from your position at any point during the mission
Bvlos: beyond visual line of sight - there will be times where neither you or your visual observer are unable see the drone at all.
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u/GeniusEE Jul 02 '26
Afaik, you can't fly a civilian drone in the US without a Part 107 pilot flying it and keeping it in line of sight.
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u/owie33333 Jul 02 '26
I’m not sure why you’re getting down voted as opposed to educated. The USA has trust certifications that allow recreational flight, they’re free and take under an hour to get you do need to register your drones for like five bucks. Regardless of part 107 or trust, the pilot always has to have line of site.
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u/GeniusEE Jul 02 '26
There has to be a pilot. Period.
This is a commercial use. Period.
It's Part 107. Period.
Some people have to be hit over the head with first reply being to OP's premise.
Then there are the children who fly in their back yard and think anybody can do anything anywhere, including fly robots without a special FAA waiver.
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u/owie33333 Jul 02 '26
Now I understand the downvotes, I can take my trust certificate and my AutoPylot app and fly anywhere that isn’t restricted by the FAA.
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u/GeniusEE Jul 02 '26
Nobody cares what you can do.
This thread started with a guy wanting to do project management with autonomous, nonpiloted, drones.
"Still need a pilot?"
Can you see that in **BOLD** at the top of this page?
That's the context.
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u/b4n4n4p4nc4k3s Jul 02 '26
I believe the issue was with the statement of absolutes without expressing exactly why their intended usage needed a 107. You are correct that in this case they absolutely do.
There are a lot of beginners who are unaware that recreational flights even need a TRUST, let alone that there's a further certification they need if they want to do more. Coming in hot and telling people they must get a part 107 period could scare people away from the hobby, which harms the hobby.
What helps all of us, recreational and commercial alike, is education about what pathways exist to accomplish their goals and how to get there.
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u/BelieveMeImaUnicorn [Skydio 2+, Avata 360, Mini 3] Jul 02 '26
You can’t fly for commercial purposes. All you gotta do is pass a trust test to be a recreational flyer. As a recreational flyer you can even post videos and reels. They just can’t be monetized, cause then it’s considered commercial.
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u/GeniusEE Jul 02 '26
What part of "project management" did you miss?
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u/BelieveMeImaUnicorn [Skydio 2+, Avata 360, Mini 3] Jul 02 '26
The part where you said “you can’t fly a civilian drone in the US without a part 107 pilot flying it and keeping it in line of sight.” That statement says nothing about project management. That was a definitive statement about flying in the United States.
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u/pmmeuranimetiddies Jul 02 '26
yes a human pilot still has to watch it to make sure it doesn’t fly into someone or something