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UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS
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UAS Recreational Commercial Public

UNMANNED AIRCRAFT SYSTEMS

 
The Recreational UAS Safety Test or TRUST is available!

Recreational flyers are encouraged to take and pass TRUST at their earliest opportunity and carry proof of passage when flying in Alaska.

Who is a Recreational User?

A recreational user is anyone who uses a drone solely for recreation. Anyone who flies a drone for monetary or business purposes is not a recreational user.

Requirements & Guidelines

FAA has published 49 USC 44809 that describes how, when, and where you can fly drones for recreational purposes. It is important to know when and where you can fly and how to register your drone.

  1. Register your aircraft if it weighs 0.55 pounds or more on takeoff.  Mark it on the outside with the registration number and carry proof of registration with you.
  2. Fly only for recreational purposes.
  3. Fly your drone at or below 400 feet above the ground when in uncontrolled (Class G) airspace.
  4. Obtain authorization before flying in controlled airspace (Class B, C, D, and E). You can obtain authorization in three ways:
    1. LAANC
    2. DroneZone
    3. A written agreement with the FAA for fixed flying sites. For more information about fixed flying sites, or becoming a community based organization contact UAShelp@faa.gov.
       
      NOTE: Flying drones in certain airspace is not allowed. Classes of airspace and flying restrictions can be found on the B4UFLY app.

  5. Keep your drone within your visual line of sight, or within the visual line-of-sight of a visual observer who is co-located (physically next to) and in direct communication with you.
  6. Do not fly at night unless your drone has lighting that allows you to know its location and orientation at all times.
  7. Give way to and do not interfere with manned aircraft.
  8. Never fly over any person or moving vehicle.
  9. Never interfere with emergency response activities such as disaster relief, any type of accident response, law enforcement activities, firefighting, or recovery efforts.
  10. Never fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol. Many over-the-counter medications have side effects that could impact your ability to safely operate your drone.
  11. Do not operate your drone in a careless or reckless manner.

Recreational flyers should know that if they intentionally violate any of these safety requirements, and/or operate in a careless or reckless manner, they could be liable for criminal and/or civil penalties.

The State of Alaska Legislative Task Force on Unmanned Aircraft Systems recognizes the Academy of Model Aeronautics as a community-based organization that promotes industry and community safety guidelines and best practices in the state for the recreational, hobby-related, and sport-related use of model aviation and unmanned aircraft systems.

logo of the Academy of Model Aeronautics

Quick Resources:

Community Based Organizations:

Updated: 12/22/2021

Note: Reference in this site to any specific commercial product, process, or service, or the use of any trade, firm or corporation name is for the information and convenience of the public, and does not constitute endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by DOT&PF.