Part 107 Cheat Sheet
Every number you need to memorize, on one page. Tap any row with a detail to see a deeper explanation, mnemonic, or worked example.
Hard limits (memorize cold)
| Max groundspeed | 87 / 100 mph |
| Max altitude | 400 ft , or up to 400 ft above a structure if flown within a 400 ft radius of it |
| Min visibility from control station | 3 statute miles |
| Cloud clearance | 500 ft below clouds · 2,000 ft horizontal |
| Max sUAS weight | < 55 lb (including payload) |
| Min remote pilot age | 16 years old |
Alcohol / drugs (§107.27, §91.17)
| Bottle-to-throttle | 8 hours minimum |
| BAC limit | 0.04% (and not impaired) |
| Drugs | No operation while any drug affects faculties (incl. ) |
Night & civil twilight (§107.29)
| Civil twilight (CONUS) | 30 min before sunrise → 30 min after sunset |
| Anti-collision lighting | Visible for 3 statute miles, sufficient flash rate to avoid collision |
| Night ops | Allowed without waiver if (a) completed training covering night AND (b) aircraft has anti-collision lighting |
Operations over people (§107.39 / §107.110–.140)
| Category 1 | ≤ 0.55 lb (250 g) AND no exposed rotating parts capable of laceration |
| Category 2 (kinetic energy) | ≤ 11 ft-lb on impact + no laceration risk + Declaration of Compliance |
| Category 3 (kinetic energy) | ≤ 25 ft-lb + restrictions (closed/restricted access OR transit) + |
| Category 4 | Airworthiness certificate + operating limitations |
| Over moving vehicles | All categories may transit; sustained flight requires a closed/restricted site |
Accident reporting (§107.9)
| Trigger | Serious injury OR loss of consciousness OR property damage > $500 (excluding ) |
| Deadline | 10 calendar days |
| Submit to | DroneZone |
| NTSB Part 830 | Required for any accident with death/serious injury — regardless of weight |
Certification (§107.61, §107.65, §107.77)
| Pass score | 70% on the Knowledge Test |
| Time on test | 2 hours, 60 questions |
| Recurrent training | Free online every 24 calendar months |
| Change of address | 30 days |
| Carry certificate | Available for inspection by / / / law enforcement |
Registration (Part 48)
| Fee | $5 |
| Term | 3 years |
| Marking | Registration number externally visible on aircraft |
Remote ID (Part 89, effective Sept 16 2023)
| Compliance paths | 1) Standard Remote built-in · 2) Broadcast Module · 3) (FAA-Recognized Identification Area) |
| Broadcast contents | , lat/lon/alt, velocity, control-station lat/lon/elev, time mark, emergency status |
| Range | Visible to anyone within Bluetooth/Wi-Fi reception |
Sectional chart colors / lines
| Class B | Solid blue lines |
| Class C | Solid magenta lines |
| Class D | Dashed blue line, ceiling in square brackets (e.g., [25] = 2,500 ) |
| Class E to surface | Dashed magenta line around airport |
| Class E starting 700 AGL | Faded/shaded magenta |
| Class E starting 1,200 AGL | Faded/shaded blue |
| Mode C veil | Thin solid magenta 30 around primary |
| Towered airport | Blue airport symbol |
| Non-towered airport | Magenta airport symbol |
| Star above symbol | Part-time tower or operations |
| Hard-surface runway | Symbol shows runway lines for 1,500–8,069 ft; ≥8,070 ft shown to scale |
Special use airspace
| Prohibited (P-) | No flight allowed, ever |
| Restricted (R-) | Hazards present; need authorization when active |
| Warning (W-) | Same as Restricted but > 3 from coast |
| MOA | Military training; check active status |
| Alert | Unusual activity; non-participating pilots permitted but use caution |
| CFA | Controlled Firing Area — not depicted (activity suspended when aircraft detected) |
| NSA | National Security Area — voluntary avoidance requested |
TFRs
| Stadium TFR (FDC 4/3621) | 30,000+ open-air seats · 1 hr before to 1 hr after · 3 / up to 3,000 |
| Presidential | Inner 10 (no ), outer 30 , surface to 17,999 |
| Disney standing TFR | 3 / 3,000 |
| Wildfire (§91.137) | Avoid the area; check NOTAMs |
| DC SFRA | 30 around / · inner 15 |
Weather essentials
| Standard atmosphere | 15°C / 59°F · 29.92 inHg · lapse 2°C per 1,000 ft |
| Density altitude | Hot + high + humid = HIGH = degraded performance |
| Fog formation | Small temp-dewpoint spread (≤ 5°F or converging) |
| Stable air | Smooth, stratus, steady precip, poor visibility |
| Unstable air | Turbulence, cumulus, showers, good visibility |
| Cold front | Fast, towering cumulus, squall lines, brief intense precip |
| Warm front | Slow, stratus, drizzle, low ceilings, long-lasting |
| Thunderstorm 3 ingredients | Unstable air + moisture + lifting force |
| TS stages | Cumulus → Mature (most dangerous, hail/microbursts) → Dissipating |
| Microburst | Downdraft up to 6,000 ; outflow up to 45 kt; 5–15 min total |
| AIRMET Sierra/Tango/Zulu | Mountain obscuration / Turbulence / Icing |
| Convective SIGMET | Tornadoes, hail ≥ ¾", winds ≥ 50 kt, OR line/embedded |
METAR decoding cheat
| Sky cover (oktas) | ≤ 2 · 3–4 · 5–7 · 8 · (auto, none ≤ 12,000) · (manual) |
| Cloud height | Hundreds of feet (e.g., 040 = broken at 4,000 ) |
| Wind | dddffGff — direction (true), speed, gusts. = variable, 00000 = calm |
| Temp/dewpoint | Celsius, M = minus (M05/M08 = -5°C / -8°C) |
| Altimeter | A2992 = 29.92 inHg |
| Visibility | Statute miles. = greater than 6 |
| Vertical visibility | 002 = obscured sky, ceiling 200 ft |
METAR weather abbreviations
| Intensity prefix | − light · (no prefix) moderate · + heavy · in vicinity (5–10 ) |
| Descriptor | shallow · patches · blowing · showers · thunderstorm · freezing |
| Precipitation | rain · drizzle · snow · hail · small hail · ice pellets · ice crystals |
| Obscuration | fog · mist (5/8 – <7 ) · haze · smoke · sand · dust |
| Other | squall · funnel cloud · sandstorm · duststorm · dust whirl · unknown |
TAF decoding cheat
| Validity period | DDhhhh — day + start hour + end hour (e.g., 1218/1318 = 18 day 12 to 18 day 13) |
| FM (FroM) | Rapid change — new conditions starting at specified time, supersedes previous |
| BECMG (BECoMinG) | Gradual change, typically over 1–2 hours within the stated window |
| TEMPO | Temporary fluctuations expected < 1 hour, in any 30-min period within window |
| PROB30 / PROB40 | 30% / 40% probability of stated conditions; PROB never appears with |
| Wind shear | 010/18040 = wind shear at 1,000 ft , wind from 180° at 40 kt |
PIREP / Winds Aloft decoding
| PIREP types | = routine pilot report · = urgent (, severe turbulence, severe icing, hail, volcanic ash) |
| PIREP fields | /OV location · /TM time · / altitude · /TP aircraft type · /SK sky · /TA temp · /WV wind · /TB turbulence · / icing · /RM remarks |
| Winds Aloft (FB) | ddffTT — direction tens of degrees (true), speed knots, temperature °C (negative implied ≥ 24,000) |
| Winds Aloft example | 7030 = 200° at 130 kt (direction digits ≥ 51 signal speed ≥ 100 kt: subtract 50 from direction, add 100 to speed) |
| 9900 | Light and variable wind (< 5 kt) |
Hazardous attitudes + antidotes
| Anti-authority | "Don't tell me." → Follow the rules. They are usually right. |
| Impulsivity | "Do something — quickly." → Not so fast. Think first. |
| Invulnerability | "It won't happen to me." → It could happen to me. |
| Macho | "I can do it." → Taking chances is foolish. |
| Resignation | "What's the use?" → I'm not helpless. I can make a difference. |
ADM / CRM models
| 3P | Perceive · Process · Perform |
| PAVE | Pilot · Aircraft · enVironment · External pressures |
| DECIDE | Detect · Estimate · Choose · Identify · Do · Evaluate |
| IMSAFE | Illness · Medication · Stress · Alcohol · Fatigue · Eating/Emotion |
| Risk | Likelihood × Severity |
Loading & performance
| Forward CG | More stable · slower · higher stall speed · harder flare |
| Aft CG | Less stable · faster · lower stall speed · harder to recover |
| Increased weight | Longer takeoff · reduced climb · higher stall · shorter endurance |
| Density altitude high (hot/high/humid) | Degraded performance |
| LiPo storage | ~3.8 V/cell (40–60% charge); do not store full or empty; swelling = damaged |
| LiPo fire | Thermal runaway — cool with copious water; do NOT use (that's for lithium METAL) |
Night vision
| Dark adaptation | 30 minutes; one bright light resets |
| Rods | Low light, peripheral; use OFF-CENTER viewing at night |
| Cones | Color, central; need good light |
Right of way (§107.37)
| sUAS rule | YIELD to ALL other aircraft, manned or unmanned, at all times |
| Manned right-of-way order | Balloon > Glider > Airship > Airplane/Rotorcraft (most maneuverable yields) |
| Aircraft in distress | Always has right of way |
Airport patterns & radio
| Standard pattern | LEFT turns. Legs: upwind → crosswind → downwind → base → final |
| Right traffic indicator | "" near runway in , or segmented circle |
| Runway number | Magnetic heading rounded to nearest 10° (drop last digit). Runway 27 = ~270° |
| CTAF default | 122.9 when no assigned freq |
| Beacons | White-Green = lighted civilian land · White-White-Green = military · Green-Yellow = heliport |
| VASI/PAPI on glideslope | 2-bar : Red over White = on glidepath · Red over Red = too low · White over White = too high |
Load factor in turns
| Level turn formula | Load factor = 1 / cos(bank angle) |
| 30° bank | 1.15 |
| 45° bank | 1.41 |
| 60° bank | 2.0 (doubles weight) |
| 75° bank | 3.86 |
| Stall speed in turn | New Vs = Vs × √(load factor) — at 60° bank, stall speed increases 41% |
Military Training Routes (MTRs)
| Three-digit (IR-123, VR-456) | Includes one or more segments ABOVE 1,500 ft |
| Four-digit (IR-1234, VR-1207) | Flown entirely AT or BELOW 1,500 ft |
| IR vs VR | = under rules (no weather min). = under (need 5 vis, ceilings ≥ 3,000) |
| Speed | Often > 250 (manned military, low-level) |
VASI / PAPI / runway lighting
| VASI (2-bar) | Red over red = below glidepath (low) · Red over white = on glidepath · White over white = above (high) |
| PAPI (4 lights, horizontal) | 4 red = far below · 3 red 1 white = slightly low · 2 red 2 white = on glidepath · 1 red 3 white = slightly high · 4 white = far high |
| REIL | Runway End Identifier Lights — flashing white synchronized strobes near runway threshold |
| Runway edge lighting (HIRL/MIRL/LIRL) | High/Medium/Low Intensity Runway Lights — all white; last 2,000 ft on instrument runways = yellow ('caution zone') |
| Threshold lights | Green (approach side) / Red (departure side) |
Spatial illusions at night
| Featureless terrain illusion | Approach over dark area appears too high — tendency to fly approach too low |
| False horizon | Sloping cloud layer / lights / coastline at night confuses true horizon |
| Autokinesis | Stare at single light in dark too long (6–12 sec) → light appears to move |
| Black hole approach | Approach over water/unlit terrain — flat sense of altitude |
| Reverse perspective | Sloping runway alters perceived approach angle |
Compass / magnetic variation
| Isogonic lines | Lines of equal magnetic variation on sectional (e.g., '5°E') |
| Easterly variation | True direction MINUS variation = magnetic. ("East is least") |
| Westerly variation | True direction PLUS variation = magnetic. ("West is best") |
| Deviation | Compass error from aircraft magnetic fields — shown on compass correction card |
| TVMDC + variation rule of thumb | True → (apply Variation) → Magnetic → (apply Deviation) → Compass |
Phonetic alphabet (ICAO)
| A B C D E | Alpha · Bravo · Charlie · Delta · Echo |
| F G H I J | Foxtrot · Golf · Hotel · India · Juliet |
| K L M N O | Kilo · Lima · Mike · November · Oscar |
| P Q R S T | Papa · Quebec · Romeo · Sierra · Tango |
| U V W X Y Z | Uniform · Victor · Whiskey · X-ray · Yankee · |
| Numbers | Zero · Wun · Too · Tree · Fower · Fife · Six · Seven · Eight · Niner |
Sectional chart numbers to recognize
| Maximum Elevation Figure (MEF) | Largest digit = thousands · smaller digit = hundreds (e.g., '15' = 1,500 ft ). Tallest obstacle + buffer in quadrant |
| Class B notation | 100/40 = ceiling 10,000 / floor 4,000 |
| Class C notation | 40/ = ceiling 4,000 / floor surface |
| Class D ceiling | Number in square brackets, hundreds of feet (e.g., [25] = 2,500 ) |
| Obstacle elevation | Big number = height · small number in parentheses = |
| Lighted obstacle | Lightning-bolt rays around obstacle symbol |
| Group obstacles | Two triangles close together = group of obstacles |
Common test traps
| 250 g vs 0.55 lb | Equivalent — 0.55 lb ≈ 249.5 g. uses both interchangeably. Threshold for Part 48 registration. |
| 55 lb max sUAS weight | If aircraft ≥ 55 lb you are NOT operating under Part 107 — different rule set |
| Part 107 vs §44809 recreational | Part 107 = commercial/all purpose, certificated , all weights register. §44809 = recreational only, < 0.55 lb exempt from registration |
| Yield rule (§107.37) | yields to ALL aircraft, even other . Manned aircraft never yield to |
| Altitude reference | 400 ft — terrain (a mountain ridge is terrain, NOT a structure for the +400 exception) |
| Civil twilight = night? | No — civil twilight is a distinct period from night. Anti-collision lighting visible 3 is required for BOTH. |
| Reporting threshold | Property damage EXCEEDS $500 (the cost to repair/replace), EXCLUDING the itself. So if only the drone is damaged, no report needed. |