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USA Checking on expired licenses

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I encountered a "licensed" drone pilot yesterday at a photo shoot. I know this guy finally got licensed after many months of flying for business un-licensed.

He was clearly flying over people at about 30 feet shooting video while climbing straight up. Clearly he was breaking the law! I decided to check on his status since it's been 2 years since he was licensed. Apparently, the FAA site that lists who's licensed, doesn't list who completed the retesting. If this is true, there appears to be no way to check on pilots after the 2 year mark.

Any thoughts?
 
I encountered a "licensed" drone pilot yesterday at a photo shoot. I know this guy finally got licensed after many months of flying for business un-licensed.

He was clearly flying over people at about 30 feet shooting video while climbing straight up. Clearly he was breaking the law! I decided to check on his status since it's been 2 years since he was licensed. Apparently, the FAA site that lists who's licensed, doesn't list who completed the retesting. If this is true, there appears to be no way to check on pilots after the 2 year mark.

Any thoughts?
Not if he had the permission and consent of the individuals he was flying over.

Unless the USA is totally different. Otherwise you would never be able to fly over people on a closed set/authorised gathering or any other person you have permission from.
 
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In the US, you can't get permission from someone to fly over them as per FAA regs. You may fly over your own crew directly involved in the flight. Maybe with a waiver(I doubt he had one) you could but they are difficult to get and require many drone safety mods.
 
In the US, you can't get permission from someone to fly over them as per FAA regs. You may fly over your own crew directly involved in the flight. Maybe with a waiver(I doubt he had one) you could but they are difficult to get and require many drone safety mods.
Very weird and overly restrictive.

Commercially In the UK you can fly over whatever/whoever you like and land on their head if you want to so long as you have the person's permission and they are deemed 'under your control'
No waiver or additional authorisation needed from the CAA.
But then the permission requirements are tougher to aquire commercial certification and require a flight assessment marked by a suitably qualified flight instructor.
 
In the US, you can't get permission from someone to fly over them as per FAA regs. You may fly over your own crew directly involved in the flight. Maybe with a waiver(I doubt he had one) you could but they are difficult to get and require many drone safety mods.

There IS a waiver for flying over people and you don't need the permission of the people you're flying over if you have that waiver, but you're probably right, this guy most likely didn't have one.

You can look here: Part 107 Waivers Issued
And try to find the person. Even if not there, not sure there's anything you can do which is very frustrating. FAA implements all these rules, but then doesn't seem to enforce them or give people a good way to report unsafe operations.

To get a waiver is such a pain in the *** too. You have to demonstrate how it will be safe for them to allow you to do what you want to do, but unless you frame your application in legal-ese type language, they won't grant you the waiver. It took me 3 tries to get a waiver to fly near airports which I finally got about 3 weeks before they launched LAANC in my area.. FFS
 
There IS a waiver for flying over people and you don't need the permission of the people you're flying over if you have that waiver, but you're probably right, this guy most likely didn't have one.

You can look here: Part 107 Waivers Issued
And try to find the person. Even if not there, not sure there's anything you can do which is very frustrating. FAA implements all these rules, but then doesn't seem to enforce them or give people a good way to report unsafe operations.

To get a waiver is such a pain in the *** too. You have to demonstrate how it will be safe for them to allow you to do what you want to do, but unless you frame your application in legal-ese type language, they won't grant you the waiver. It took me 3 tries to get a waiver to fly near airports which I finally got about 3 weeks before they launched LAANC in my area.. FFS
Woo-hoo........ something that’s actually easier, less restrictive and is common sense in the UK for a change!
(Doesn’t happen very often) :D
 
FAA
Not if he had the permission and consent of the individuals he was flying over.

Unless the USA is totally different. Otherwise you would never be able to fly over people on a closed set/authorised gathering or any other person you have permission from.
US FAA regulations have no provision for consent to be flown over. The public in the US cannot give a UAS pilot "permission" to fly over their heads.
Only crews participating in the operation can beflown over.

§ 107.39 Operation over human beings.
No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft over a human being unless that human being is:
(a) Directly participating in the operation of the small unmanned aircraft; or
(b) Located under a covered structure or inside a stationary vehicle that can provide reasonable protection from a falling small unmanned aircraft.
 
I encountered a "licensed" drone pilot yesterday at a photo shoot. I know this guy finally got licensed after many months of flying for business un-licensed.

He was clearly flying over people at about 30 feet shooting video while climbing straight up. Clearly he was breaking the law! I decided to check on his status since it's been 2 years since he was licensed. Apparently, the FAA site that lists who's licensed, doesn't list who completed the retesting. If this is true, there appears to be no way to check on pilots after the 2 year mark.

Any thoughts?
Did you file a report with local FSDO?
 
This is why I don’t fly commercially any more, why waste my time when I’m competing with hobbyists who break laws with no penalties. I gave up and didn’t renew my license didn’t see the point, half of central Florida flys without one anyways...
 
Did you file a report with local FSDO?

Not yet.... It's a complicated issue with MY client involved. I realize that sometime the light from a burning bridge is the brightest light of them all, but it's not time just yet. Waiting to see the video evidence online first.

Back to the real question... How can we check on currency of the operator after the original two year mark has passed? No listing on the FAA site for recurrent testing, just the original .
 
Not yet.... It's a complicated issue with MY client involved. I realize that sometime the light from a burning bridge is the brightest light of them all, but it's not time just yet. Waiting to see the video evidence online first.

Back to the real question... How can we check on currency of the operator after the original two year mark has passed? No listing on the FAA site for recurrent testing, just the original .


You can not. I have troubles finding where my recurrent documentation is, let alone someone else's!
 
You can not. I have troubles finding where my recurrent documentation is, let alone someone else's!

And therein lies the problem.....

No way to self police the operators.. Why bother getting licensed anymore???? No one seems to care. It's sad.
 
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And therein lies the problem.....

No way to self police the operators.. Why bother getting licensed anymore???? No one seems to care. It's sad.

I don't really care about what other people do although what others do illegally give us all a bad name. Not much I can do, I am not the police. I am mostly concerned with what I do and do not do. I am legal, follow the rules and sleep well at night.
 
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Not yet.... It's a complicated issue with MY client involved. I realize that sometime the light from a burning bridge is the brightest light of them all, but it's not time just yet. Waiting to see the video evidence online first.

Back to the real question... How can we check on currency of the operator after the original two year mark has passed? No listing on the FAA site for recurrent testing, just the original .
No renewal database available.
 
This is why I don’t fly commercially any more, why waste my time when I’m competing with hobbyists who break laws with no penalties. I gave up and didn’t renew my license didn’t see the point, half of central Florida flys without one anyways...
I feel your pain. We fly for clients that demand all paperwork/insurance/permitting are in order. In fact, the agencies that issue permits (like CALTrans) also demand proper paperwork. We can only hope that clients will eventually get wise to this and consider a 107 ticket as important as proper driver's license when hiring a driver. But that doesn't help anyone now...
 
Not yet.... It's a complicated issue with MY client involved. I realize that sometime the light from a burning bridge is the brightest light of them all, but it's not time just yet. Waiting to see the video evidence online first.

Back to the real question... How can we check on currency of the operator after the original two year mark has passed? No listing on the FAA site for recurrent testing, just the original .
[/QUOTE

POI, while not intending to veer off-topic here, but simply thought I'd share my personal attempts to ascertain some basic information from the FAA regarding renewal of my current registration.\ I actually found I was unable to find a means of simply going onto the FAA website and verifying my current registration and applying the necessary steps needed in the registration renewal process via their Drone Zone website, which I originally established back in Jan. 2016, so I turned to the FAA help desk. In short, after being bounced around from one dept. to another, I was informed that I would need to provide a receipt of proof that the registration fee was actually paid & sent to them, this after providing my FAA UAS registration #, name, address, as well as other pertinent information such as the registration issue and expiration dates provided on the issued reg. card.
I've since requested to speak with a supervisor regarding this issue, but have yet to be contacted back further.
I do however believe this info. would be readily available had I been involved in some infraction of rules & regs. with my UAS which necessitated revealing my identity and registration info.
I've now requested from my bank, information regarding date of payment, etc. to the FAA, and plan to see what their next course of action will be in this anomaly. Have a nice day! : )
 
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I'.m confused...

DroneZone is not for FAA certificate business. To renew your 107 you do exactly the same as your initial 107 process. You contact one of those companies, like CAT, and schedule the recurrent exam locally . After you pass the test they will give you a printed test report, that is your proof of recurrency.
 
Thank you, however, as mentioned my response was more to obtaining various info. from the FAA database. In my particular instance, I was simply looking for basic registration information and was not as successful as hoped via the Drone Zone website and that coming directly from the FAA help desk.
I realize the response was not entirely on topic, sorry for any confusion there. : )
 
I'm sorry but I think it's ridiculous that you can't ascertain the status of a pilot from the FAA site......

Just a complete fail by the FAA...... Why bother renewing? No cop will even know better. I could direct them to the site and say "see..... I have a license" or show my original without an expiration date. Sorry but I'm really not happy with the FAA right now.

Next time I'm saving the $150. No one else cares why should I????????
 
I'm sorry but I think it's ridiculous that you can't ascertain the status of a pilot from the FAA site......

Just a complete fail by the FAA...... Why bother renewing? No cop will even know better. I could direct them to the site and say "see..... I have a license" or show my original without an expiration date. Sorry but I'm really not happy with the FAA right now.

Next time I'm saving the $150. No one else cares why should I????????

A few words come to mind as to "Why Bother", professionalism, Integrity, self respect, honor, principle, liability, insurance, etc, etc.
 

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