CHELSEA BLADOW
Chelsea Bladow
Safe Fliers Take TRUST – What to Know About the FAA’s New Recreational Flyer Requirements

As of 2021, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is requiring all recreational drone flyers to pass an aeronautical knowledge and safety test, providing proof of the test passage (the TRUST completion certificate) to the FAA or law enforcement upon request.

What is TRUST?

TRUST is “The Recreational UAS Safety Test”. It provides education and testing for recreational flyers on important safety and regulatory information. If you fly your drone recreationally under the Exception for Recreational Flyers, you must pass the test before you fly.

Who is considered a recreational flyer?

A recreational flyer is someone who operates their drone for fun or personal enjoyment purposes only.

What steps should I take to fly a drone recreationally?

  1. Pass the free online TRUST Certification test through an approved testing administrator.
  2. If you drone weighs more than .55 lbs., register your drone through FAA’s DroneZone.
  3. Follow safety guidelines on the FAA website or of an existing aeromodelling organization.

How old must I be to take the TRUST test?

There is no minimum age requirement.

Where can I take the TRUST test?

In June 2021, the FAA announced the following entities as FAA Approved Test Administrators of TRUST (FAA approved TRUST TA):

I’ve received my TRUST, now what?

Upon completion of the TRUST, you will receive a completion certificate. The certificate never expires, however, if you lose your certificate you will need to re-take the test and obtain a new certificate. Neither the test administrator, nor the FAA will maintain personally identifiable information about the recreational flyer, so it is not possible to re-print or re-issue your original certificate.

August 31, 2021

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