Based on the proposed rule (NPRM, docket FAA-2025-1908) as of July 2026. The final rule may differ; our Part 108 timeline tracks the milestones.
Everything you fly within visual line of sight. The Remote Pilot Certificate, the 400 ft rule, LAANC, recurrent training: none of that changes under the proposal. If your operation never leaves VLOS, Part 108 is background noise. Our Part 107 airspace guide covers the current rules.
Can a Part 107 pilot operate under Part 108? The proposed rule genuinely leaves this unresolved, and it's among the most-discussed gaps in practitioner forums. Because Part 108 as drafted has no individual certificate, the mapping from today's Remote Pilot Certificate to tomorrow's company roles is something the final rule will have to settle. Anyone selling you a confident answer today is ahead of the FAA.
Mid-market operators with real BVLOS ambitions: survey and mapping firms, utility and infrastructure inspection teams, security operations. The large delivery networks built their own infrastructure years ago; the proposal is what opens a practical path for everyone else. If your BVLOS plans currently run on a waiver, read what the proposal says about waiver carry-over; if you're mapping what readiness means operationally, start with the readiness checklist.
Flying today, under the rules that exist now? The live-video side of a BVLOS-scale operation is what Hover does: a live drone feed on any network.
No. Part 107 remains the framework for visual-line-of-sight operations. The proposed Part 108 adds a separate framework for routine beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) flight, which today requires case-by-case waivers or exemptions. If you fly VLOS, Part 107 continues to cover you.
The proposed rule leaves this genuinely unresolved, and it is one of the most-asked questions among practitioners. Part 108 as drafted has no individual airman certificate at all; it defines company roles instead (operations supervisor and flight coordinator). How Part 107 certificate holders map into those roles is a question the final rule will need to answer. Treat any confident answer you read today with suspicion.
Based on the proposed rule, no. Part 108 is the path for routine BVLOS operations. VLOS operations continue under Part 107 unchanged.
The proposal defines permits for lower-risk operations (a streamlined path) and operating certificates for larger or riskier operations, with the certificate tier requiring a safety management system (SMS) and a training program.
No. The proposed Part 108 does not create an individual airman certificate. Responsibility attaches to the operating company through defined roles: an operations supervisor and a flight coordinator.
The final rule has not been published. The NPRM appeared in August 2025, the comment period closed in October 2025, and the executive-order target of roughly March 2026 has slipped. As of July 2026, practitioner expectations range from imminent to another one or two years. Our Part 108 timeline page tracks the milestones.
FAA/TSA joint NPRM "Normalizing UAS Beyond Visual Line of Sight Operations" (docket FAA-2025-1908), Federal Register notices on the comment period and its partial reopening, and practitioner-community discussion as of July 2026. This page describes the PROPOSED rule; the final rule may differ materially.
This page is for general orientation and may not reflect the latest regulatory changes. It is not legal advice: confirm current rules, fees, and permitted zones with your country's civil aviation authority before you fly.