FAA 107 Privacy & Public Safety Considerations 4 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under FAA Part 107, operations over a 'sparsely populated area' with no people present below are treated as:
- Requiring a waiver due to potential emergency landings on public roads
- Permissible without a waiver as long as no people are in the flight path (Correct answer)
- Always requiring Notice to Air Missions (NOTAMs)
- Prohibited unless a visual observer confirms the area is clear
Correct answer: Permissible without a waiver as long as no people are in the flight path
Part 107 allows overflight in areas without people present without requiring a waiver, because the hazard to persons is the primary concern the rule addresses.
Question 2: A news organization uses a drone to film a car accident on a public highway before emergency personnel arrive. Which concern is most legally significant?
- FAA waiver status for operations over a highway
- State laws restricting drone interference with emergency response and victim privacy (Correct answer)
- Drone registration certificate validity
- Maximum altitude restrictions near the accident scene
Correct answer: State laws restricting drone interference with emergency response and victim privacy
Several states have laws prohibiting drones from interfering with emergency responders or capturing images of accident victims without consent, creating distinct legal exposure beyond FAA rules.
Question 3: What is the primary purpose of the 14 CFR 107.19 requirement for the remote PIC to be 'aware of and in control of' the sUAS at all times?
- To ensure precise GPS accuracy during flight
- To maintain public safety by allowing immediate corrective action (Correct answer)
- To comply with international ICAO sUAS standards
- To enable FAA real-time tracking through Remote ID
Correct answer: To maintain public safety by allowing immediate corrective action
Continuous awareness and control enable the PIC to immediately respond to hazards, protecting both public safety and the national airspace.
Question 4: A remote pilot is filming a private outdoor wedding on private property with owner consent. A guest objects to being filmed. The pilot's obligation is best described as:
- None — property owner consent covers all guests
- Stopping filming the objecting guest if practicable, since guests may have independent privacy interests (Correct answer)
- Contacting the FAA to determine filming legality
- Terminating the entire flight immediately
Correct answer: Stopping filming the objecting guest if practicable, since guests may have independent privacy interests
While property owner consent is important, guests may retain personal privacy interests, and reasonable accommodation of objections reduces legal exposure under state privacy law.
Question 5: Which of the following best describes 'data minimization' as a best practice for drone operators collecting imagery?
- Reducing file size by using lower camera resolution
- Collecting only the data necessary for the stated purpose and deleting excess (Correct answer)
- Minimizing the number of flights to reduce noise impact
- Using ND filters to limit light data captured by the sensor
Correct answer: Collecting only the data necessary for the stated purpose and deleting excess
Data minimization means capturing and retaining only what is required for the specific task, reducing privacy risk from incidental capture of unrelated persons or sensitive locations.
Question 6: A drone broadcasting live video at a public concert is hacked and the feed is intercepted. The remote pilot's best practice to mitigate this risk would have been:
- Using an encrypted video transmission link (Correct answer)
- Flying at higher altitude to reduce signal range
- Disabling the return-to-home function
- Using a drone without FPV capability
Correct answer: Using an encrypted video transmission link
Encrypted video links prevent unauthorized interception, protecting both the commercial client's content and the privacy of individuals inadvertently captured.
Question 7: When a remote pilot operates near a school during dismissal, which public safety precaution is most critical?
- Filing a TFR request 24 hours in advance
- Maintaining maximum altitude to stay above children's line of sight
- Avoiding overflight of children and ensuring the drone cannot fall on them (Correct answer)
- Obtaining written consent from school administration
Correct answer: Avoiding overflight of children and ensuring the drone cannot fall on them
Children near schools represent a vulnerable population, and the Part 107 over-people prohibition combined with duty of care makes preventing any risk of falling debris essential.
FAA 107 Privacy & Public Safety Considerations 4
Under FAA Part 107, operations over a 'sparsely populated area' with no people present below are treated as: