The rule then goes on to define civil twilight as beginning 30 minutes before official sunrise and ending 30 minutes after official sunset.Īlthough flight beyond daylight is normally restricted, licensed drone pilots have the privilege of applying for a night waiver. The remote pilot in command may reduce the intensity of the anti-collision lighting if he or she determines that, because of operating conditions, it would be in the interest of safety to do so.

No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft system during periods of civil twilight unless the small unmanned aircraft has lighted anti-collision lighting visible for at least 3 statute miles.

No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft at night.

The relevant rule is summarized under Section 107.29, entitled “Daylight operation” as quoted below: Instead, the FAA recommends that recreational drone pilots “do not fly at night unless their drone has lighting that allows them to know its location and orientation at all times.” Flying under Part 107ġ4 CFR Part 107 provides the legal framework for commercial drone flight. Curiously there is no provision listed under §44809 (“Exception for limited recreational operations of unmanned aircraft”) that pertains to flying drones at night for recreational drone pilots.īy default, the lack of any restriction against recreational night operations means that it is allowed. Recreational drone operationsįor recreational drone pilots, the pertinent laws on drone flight are summarized in the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018.

Ultra-bright anti-collision lights can also help avoid close encounters with manned aircraft, although such a scenario is far from ideal. Maintaining visibility at night is a critical part of safely flying your drone and making sure that it does not run into any obstacles. It bears noting at this point that the rules and recommendations for the use of anti-collision lights must not be viewed as simply complying with the FAA’s demands. If you plan on flying your drone beyond daylight, then you are going to need anti-collision lights whether you are flying for fun or for profit. Anti-collision lights are comprised of ultra-bright lights, which may be white or colored, that are designed to help maintain visibility of your drone when flying in darkness.

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