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FAA Part 107 Rule Changes re: Showing RPIC to LEO etc. . .

BigAl07

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This is for Part 107 Operations ONLY right now . . . (Recreational your day is coming in just a couple of months)

Specifically in regards to WHO you must legally show your ID and Part 107 Credentials to:
Up until 4/21/21 a RPIC is only required to show their RPIC Certificate to FAA Officials requesting it. This changes with the New Rules for Part 107 that were created December 28th 2020, added to the Federal Register on March 16th 2021, and will go into Full Force/Effect on April 21st, 2021. As of 4/21/21 you will be required to provide a Hard Copy (electronic version is NOT accepted, PHYSICAL COPY REQUIRED) of ID, RPIC, Proof of Currency, Registration, and any other "required FAA Documents" upon any request from someone with the following agencies:

  • FAA
  • NTSB
  • TSA
  • and any Federal, state, or local Law Enforcement Officer

This includes your ID, RPIC, COA/COW and anything else pertinent/specific to that flight!! This means a physical copy (plastic/paper) and not merely an electronic version on your phone/tablet etc. A Physical Copy must be shown if requested by those agencies! If you do not comply you are not in compliance with Part 107. This does NOT include your Recurrency proof/Registration although it's a very good idea to have those as well.

Here is the actual wording from the Executive Summary about this topic (notice it's all of the items below not pick & choose):

Inspection, testing, and demonstration of compliance
A remote pilot in command, owner, or person manipulating the flight controls of a small unmanned aircraft system must:
  • • Have in that person’s physical possession and readily accessible the remote pilot certificate with a small UAS rating and identification when exercising the privileges of that remote pilot certificate.
  • • Present his or her remote pilot certificate and identification upon a request from the FAA, NTSB, TSA, or any Federal, state, or local law enforcement officer.
  • • Make available, upon request, to the FAA any document, record, or report required to be kept under FAA regulations.
  • • Upon request, must allow the FAA to test or inspect the small unmanned aircraft system, the remote pilot in command, the person manipulating the flight controls of a small unmanned aircraft system, and, if applicable, the visual observer to determine compliance with the rule.

If you are flying under a Recurrency (anyone who isn't in their first 24 months of UAS operation are the only ones who would be) you have to have a printed copy of your most recent Proof of Currency with you. That's a print out of your FAA Document showing satisfactory completion of the Recurrency Test/Training. You should also have your plastic RPIC on hand as well IMHO.

Here is a link to the Executive Summary which includes OOP, Night Flight w/o Waiver and the other new aspects of Part 107 going into effect later this month:

I've edited and "redacted" some of the information above after we had an in-depth discussion with FAA Legal.
 
Last edited:
BigA107,

Thank you for your info. I must post for clarification though that the operator only has to “make available” documents, records, (proof of currency), reports, etc., upon request. It does NOT state that the operator has to have any of those in their possession, only an ID and UAS pilot certificate.
 
.......and to expand on that subject; pilots like myself don’t carry our logbooks or proof of currency with us as it’s not a requirement. If the FAA asked, we must make available, upon request, those documents, but that doesn’t mean immediately or it would be written that way. Again, not a requirement to physically have on us proof of currency.
 
BigA107,

Thank you for your info. I must post for clarification though that the operator only has to “make available” documents, records, (proof of currency), reports, etc., upon request. It does NOT state that the operator has to have any of those in their possession, only an ID and UAS pilot certificate.


Good point. We had an in-depth discussion with FAA Legal after this very topic was pushed up the ladder. Different levels were giving different information so it was pushed up and we got clarification earlier this week. I should have updated this thread but it slipped my mind.

Appreciate the reminder and I've edited my original post to be more accurate.
 
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