Reading, PA Drone Rules: Recreational Drones (2026)

The federal framework controls the substantive rules for recreational drone operation in Reading. 14 CFR Part 107 (the FAA Small Unmanned Aircraft Rule) governs all commercial and most non-recreational flight: a certificated remote pilot, daylight or civil-twilight operation (with anti-collision lighting for night), under 400 feet AGL within Class G airspace (LAANC required to enter controlled airspace), within visual line of sight, with maximum speed 100 mph, and away from non-participating persons. 49 U.S.C. §44809 (added by the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018) carves out limited recreational flight for hobbyist pilots flying within a community-based organization's safety guidelines, but the §44809 carve-out still requires: passage of the FAA TRUST test (Recreational UAS Safety Test), line-of-sight operation, flight under 400 feet AGL, away from manned aircraft and active emergencies, and registration of any drone over 0.55 lb at faa.gov/uas. Inside Reading three additional layers apply. First, Reading Regional Airport (Carl A. Spaatz Field, KRDG) sits in Bern Township just north of Reading and operates a Class D control tower with a Class E surface area extending into much of the City of Reading; LAANC authorization is required for any drone flight within those veils, and altitude ceilings within the LAANC grid are typically 50 to 200 feet AGL depending on the grid cell's proximity to the airport. Second, Pennsylvania state law adds 18 Pa.C.S. §3505 (Unlawful Use of an Unmanned Aircraft), enacted by Act 78 of 2018, which criminalizes operation of a drone to surveil a person on private property where the operator's view would not otherwise be possible (third-degree misdemeanor) and operation of a drone to harass a person or to deliver contraband to a correctional facility (third-degree felony for contraband). The state statute coexists with the federal floor and is not preempted; the law also preempts most local drone regulation under 18 Pa.C.S. §3505(d), which means Reading City Council cannot enact a stand-alone municipal drone ordinance that conflicts with the state framework. Third, Reading parks and Reading-managed public spaces are administered by the Recreation and Parks Department, which may include posted no-drone areas at specific facilities under the Department's general park-rules authority. Operators should always check faa.gov/uas for current Temporary Flight Restrictions (TFRs) before flying.