In Command: The Part 107 Podcast

You’ll never taxi, takeoff, or land at an airport — but the FAA still expects you to understand exactly what’s happening there. In this episode we break down airport operations from a drone pilot’s perspective, covering runway numbering and what those numbers actually mean, how traffic patterns work and why understanding them keeps you out of serious trouble, the difference between towered and non-towered airports and what each one means for your authorization requirements, how to read an airport diagram, and how to interpret the airport figures in the FAA test supplement — the exact same ones handed to you at the testing center on exam day. You don’t need to land there — but you absolutely need to know what’s going on. Grab the sticks. Class is in session.

Turns out the FAA cares about what’s going on inside your body just as much as what’s going on in the sky. In this episode we cover the one Part 107 topic that catches almost everyone off guard — human physiology. We break down how fatigue, stress, and common medications affect your performance as a remote pilot, why the 8 hour bottle to throttle rule applies to drone pilots too, how your eyes actually work differently in low light conditions, what the IMSAFE checklist covers and how to use it before every flight, and why your over the counter cold medicine could literally ground you under Part 107. Your drone might be airworthy — but are you? Grab the sticks. Class is in session.

Sometimes following the rules and keeping your drone in the air are two different things — and the FAA actually has a plan for that. In this episode we cover emergency procedures and aeronautical decision making, two of the most scenario-heavy topics on the Part 107 knowledge test. We break down when you can legally deviate from Part 107 in an emergency, what you have to report afterward and when, the accident reporting thresholds that trigger a mandatory report, right of way rules, the PAVE checklist, the five hazardous attitudes the FAA tests, their antidotes, and how to make a confident go or no go decision before you ever leave the ground. Grab the sticks. Class is in session.

Most drone pilots unbox their aircraft, charge the battery, and immediately start flying — and most drone pilots are skipping one of the most tested topics on the Part 107 knowledge exam. In this episode we break down small UAS maintenance and inspection procedures, covering the remote pilot in command’s responsibility for airworthiness before every single flight, what a proper preflight inspection actually includes, how to identify and document defects, when your aircraft must be grounded, why deviating from the manufacturer’s maintenance instructions is a bigger deal than you think, how to safely inspect and maintain your batteries, and what records the FAA expects you to keep. Your drone isn’t just a toy — treat it like the aircraft the FAA says it is. Grab the sticks. Class is in session.

Surprise — every drone flying in the United States is now required to broadcast its location in real time like a digital license plate in the sky. In this episode we break down Remote ID — one of the newest and most misunderstood rules in the Part 107 knowledge test. We cover Standard Remote ID, broadcast modules, what information gets transmitted and when, what an FAA-Recognized Identification Area is and what limitations come with it, and what happens if your Remote ID stops working mid-flight. This is a newer rule that a lot of outdated study materials get completely wrong — don’t be that pilot. Grab the sticks. Class is in session.

Here’s something nobody tells you when you buy your first drone — the FAA expects you to understand aviation radio communications even though you’ll never touch a radio. CTAF, UNICOM, ATIS, squawk codes, the NATO phonetic alphabet — it’s all on the Part 107 knowledge test and it will absolutely catch you off guard if you skip it. In this episode we decode every radio communication concept the FAA tests, explain why drone pilots need to know what’s happening on aviation frequencies even from the ground, and make sure that when you see squawk 7700 on a test question you know exactly what it means. Grab the sticks. Class is in session.

Test day is here. Your palms are sweaty. You’re sitting in the parking lot of the testing center wondering if you studied enough. This is the episode you want playing in your earbuds right now. In this rapid fire cheat sheet episode we blast through every number, limit, and rule that the FAA loves to put on the Part 107 knowledge test. Maximum altitude — 400 feet AGL. Maximum speed — 87 knots or 100 miles per hour. Minimum visibility — 3 statute miles. Registration threshold — 0.55 pounds. Recurrency period — 24 months. Retest waiting period — 14 days. We cover cloud clearance requirements, the rules that can never be waived no matter what, and all the tricky little numbers that students second guess themselves on right before they bubble in the wrong answer. No stories, no detours, no fluff — just the facts, fired at you one after another like the world’s most useful drone podcast pop quiz. You’ve put in the work. This is your final briefing. Grab the sticks. Go pass that test

You’ve got a drone, a sectional chart, and absolutely no idea what those numbers around the edges mean. Don’t worry — you’re not alone. In this episode we tackle one of the most overlooked skills on the Part 107 exam — reading latitude and longitude coordinates on a sectional chart. We start from absolute zero, covering what latitude and longitude actually are, how degrees minutes and seconds work, which lines run which direction and why students mix them up every single time, and how to pinpoint an exact location on the sectional chart figures you’ll see on your actual exam. We walk through the real chart figures from the FAA Airman Knowledge Testing Supplement — the exact same ones handed to you at the testing center — so nothing on test day catches you off guard. Latitude runs horizontal, longitude runs vertical, and by the end of this episode you’ll never mix them up again. Probably. Grab the sticks. Class is in session

urns out the FAA has some pretty strong feelings about flying a drone over people’s heads. Shocking, we know. In this episode we dive into one of the newer and most misunderstood sections of Part 107 — operations over human beings. We break down the four categories that determine whether you can legally fly over people, what kinetic energy limits actually mean in plain English, what a Declaration of Compliance is and why it matters, and the critical difference between someone who is part of your operation and a random person just trying to enjoy their day below your drone. We also cover when you can fly over someone inside a car or building without meeting any category requirements at all — yes that’s actually a thing. This is a newer rule that didn’t exist when a lot of older study materials were written, so if you’ve been using outdated resources you might have this completely wrong. Don’t be that pilot. Grab the sticks. Class is in session

Sorry to break it to you, but Google Maps isn’t going to cut it when the FAA asks you to identify an airspace boundary on your knowledge test. Sectional charts are the official aviation maps that every Remote Pilot in Command needs to read — and they look nothing like anything you’ve seen before. In this episode we decode the colorful, symbol-packed world of VFR sectional charts. We cover airport symbols, airspace boundary colors and line styles, obstruction symbols and what those little numbers mean, special use airspace markings, and how to find exactly where you are and whether you’re allowed to be there. We even walk through the actual chart figures from the FAA test supplement — the same ones that show up on your exam. By the end of this episode a sectional chart won’t look like a toddler’s art project anymore — it’ll look like the roadmap to your Remote Pilot Certificate. Grab the sticks. Class is in session

Ever wondered why your drone feels sluggish on a hot summer afternoon, or why adding a camera payload suddenly cuts your flight time in half? Welcome to loading and performance — the smallest section on the Part 107 exam but the one that explains why your drone does what it does. In this episode we break down how payload weight affects flight time and handling, why center of gravity matters even on a drone, and why density altitude is basically kryptonite for your motors and batteries. We also cover why that perfect morning flight turns into a struggle session by noon when the temperature climbs and the humidity kicks in — yes we’re looking at you Hampton Roads summers. This section is only 7 to 11 percent of the test but students who skip it almost always regret it on exam day. Don’t be that pilot. Grab the sticks. Class is in session

Weather kills flights — and sometimes pilots. As a drone pilot you don’t need to be a meteorologist, but you do need to know what the sky is telling you before you ever unbox your drone. In this episode we decode the two most important weather reports you’ll see on the Part 107 exam — METARs and TAFs. We’ll show you how to read them without a decoder ring, what the Part 107 weather minimums actually are (hint: 3 statute miles visibility and 500 feet below those clouds), why density altitude can turn a perfectly good drone into a very expensive lawn dart, and how hot humid summer days are secretly your drone’s worst enemy. By the end of this episode you’ll never look at a weather report the same way again — and more importantly you’ll know exactly what the FAA expects you to know on test day. Grab the sticks. Class is in session

If there’s one episode you can’t afford to skip, it’s this one. Operations makes up a whopping 35 to 45 percent of the entire Part 107 knowledge test — meaning nearly half your exam score lives right here. In this episode we break down everything from preflight planning and crew roles to emergency procedures, aeronautical decision making, night operations, and reading sectional charts like a pro. We cover the Remote Pilot in Command responsibilities, visual observer rules, and the real world scenarios the FAA loves to put on the test. This isn’t just the biggest section of the exam — it’s the heart of what it actually means to fly safely and legally. Grab the sticks. Class is in session

Ever opened a drone app and seen a big red circle over your flying spot and wondered why? Welcome to the National Airspace System — the invisible architecture that governs every inch of sky above the United States. In this episode we break down the alphabet airspace classes from A through G, what each one means for drone pilots, which ones will get you in serious trouble without authorization, and which ones are yours to fly freely. We also cover special use airspace — MOAs, restricted areas, TFRs — basically all the ways the FAA can ruin your perfect flying day. By the end of this episode you’ll know exactly where you can fly, where you need permission, and where you absolutely cannot go no matter what. Grab the sticks. Class is in session

Before you ever spin up those rotors, you need to know the rules. In this first episode of In Command: The Part 107 Podcast, we break down the FAA Part 107 regulations that every Remote Pilot in Command must know. From who needs a certificate to what operations are allowed, what can be waived, and what happens when pilots break the rules — we cover it all. Whether you’re studying for the exam or just picked up your first drone, this is where command begins