Commercial drone operators across Plymouth County follow FAA 14 CFR Part 107: hold a Remote Pilot Certificate, register the aircraft, fly below 400 feet, and keep visual line of sight. Neither the county nor towns can license or ground a lawful flight.
Any drone flight for business in Plymouth County, from real estate photos in Plymouth to roof inspections in Brockton or coastal surveys in Scituate, falls under FAA 14 CFR Part 107. Section 107.12 requires the person at the controls to hold a Remote Pilot Certificate with a small UAS rating, or to fly under the direct supervision of a certificated remote pilot. Operators register the aircraft, stay below 400 feet, keep visual line of sight, and obtain LAANC authorization in the controlled airspace around Plymouth Municipal Airport and near Logan's approach corridors over the coast. Massachusetts adds no statewide commercial drone license, and towns may only regulate takeoff and landing from municipal property.
The FAA enforces Part 107, with civil penalties reaching tens of thousands of dollars for flying commercially without a Remote Pilot Certificate. Towns can restrict launch and landing from town-owned land but cannot penalize a certificated flight through the airspace.
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