FAA Part 107 Drone (Remote Pilot)

A remote pilot is hired to photograph damage near the top of a 700-ft radio tower. What is the highest altitude the small unmanned aircraft may legally reach during this inspection?

1. A700 ft AGL, matching the exact height of the tower
2. B1,100 ft AGL, as long as the aircraft stays within a 400-ft radius of the towerCorrect
3. C800 ft AGL, which is twice the standard 400-ft limit
4. D400 ft AGL, because the 400-ft ceiling has no exceptions

Why: Correct answer: 1,100 ft AGL. Under §107.51 the aircraft may fly higher than 400 ft AGL if it remains within a 400-ft radius of a structure and does not climb more than 400 ft above that structure's uppermost limit, so 700 + 400 = 1,100 ft. The 400-ft-only answer ignores the structure exception, and the 700-ft and 800-ft answers apply the wrong math to the rule.14 CFR §107.51

A remote pilot plans to fly a small UAS at 250 ft AGL over open farmland. The sectional chart shows the site is not enclosed by any solid blue, segmented blue, segmented magenta, or dashed magenta line, and no shaded band covers the area. What airspace authorization does this operation require?

1. AVerbal approval from the overlying Air Route Traffic Control Center
2. BNone, because the operation is in Class G airspace, which needs no ATC authorizationCorrect
3. CA written waiver issued by an FAA Flight Standards District Office
4. DLAANC authorization obtained through an approved UAS service supplier

Why: The absence of any airspace boundary line or shaded band means the surface airspace is Class G, and §107.41 requires prior ATC authorization only for Class B, C, D, and the lateral boundaries of surface-area Class E. LAANC and DroneZone requests apply to those controlled surface areas, not to Class G. A waiver is needed only to deviate from an operating rule such as §107.31 or §107.51, and ARTCC does not issue Part 107 authorizations.14 CFR §107.41