First off, my last name is spelled W i l e y.

Commercial and recreational flying is legal throughout The Villages and surrounding areas.

LAANC approval is required when flying in restricted airspace such as within 5 miles of an airport, Leesburg being the closest of these. There are 15 general aviation untowered airfields within 5 miles of the boundaries of The Villages. I've reached out to all of these over the years and only received a few responses, mainly - keep it under 400ft, don't bother us again, and a few other choice words we used in the engineer of a submarine when something broke.

Part 107 flight certificate (14CFR107) is required for commercial operations but not required for recreational. Recreational pilots must take the TRUST exam, just go to the faa.gov/uas website for a link to take the test, it's free and you can't fail.

Flying over private property is legal and does not require permission. The FAA owns the airspace not the property owner. (United States v. Causby (1946) – airspace ownership of a private individual “immediate reaches above the land”)

Neither the county, the city, nor The Villages can make any laws or regulations concerning use, operation, or any other restrictions specific to sUAS (drones), that power belongs to the state per FS330.41.

Lake county ordinance, is legal under 330.41 as it is not specific to drones.

Lake County FL Code of Ordinances Chapter 16 Parks and Recreation
Section 16-7 – Prohibited Activities
16-7(a)(9) Non-recreation areas. No person or persons shall engage in rough or potentially dangerous games or practice for same, such as football, baseball, softball, horseshoes, quoits, tennis volleyball, badminton or any other games, practice or exercise involving thrown or otherwise propelled objects such as balls, stones, arrows, javelins, shuttlecocks, Frisbees, model aircraft, roller skates or skateboards in those areas posted as nonrecreation
areas, or in those areas specifically restricted.

There is also the Florida Administrative code:
Florida Administrative Code 5I-4.003.(11) (Forestry – Vehicular, Animal and Pedestrian Control)
No person shall takeoff or land an aircraft on managed lands, except at a runway or a helispot and only with authorization from the Service, and such authorization shall be based upon a determination that the takeoff or landing will not endanger the health, safety or welfare of any person; potentially damage the forest resources; or interfere with management objectives of that forest as provided in that forest’s management plan. Authorization from the Service is not required in an emergency or for Service official business.)

There are two other Florid laws that apply 330.411 Prohibited possession or operation of unmanned aircraft.
and
Florida Statute 934.50 Searches and seizures using a drone. - this one covers the privacy issues related to drone operation.

14CFR89 – sUAS Remote Identification requirements - this is the latest changes to the law requiring Remote ID on all sUAS or their operation is restricted to an FAA Recognized Identification Area (FRIA). Most newer aircraft have RID built in, if not you can purchase a RID module and attach it to your aircraft (stupidly expensive right now), or you will be limited to a FRIA area.

You only need to get your Part 107 certificate if you work is monetized - basically any one or any entity received monetary or other compensation for your work. This include YouTube and Facebook postings; YT & FB are compensated for your work even if you are not, therefore it is commercial work and a Part 107 cert is required.

Getting you Part 107 cert is neither difficult nor expensive. The Drone Flyers Club offers to its members discounted study books and training every month on Part 107. Depending on your background and experience it will take you 6 to ??? to study for the test. The testing is done at the Leesburg airport and costs about $150. The DFC had 2 members get their 107 cert this week, and has a goal of 50% of the membership getting or having their 107 by the end of the year, we're at about 40% right now.

Hope that answers your questions. Send me a PM if you have more.

Many of the responses seem to center on privacy, what I'm curious is if the drone causes any damage either to property or even worst to a human are these so call pilots liable.

Just think, you can remove dog poop from your yard, and drop it back at offender's house by drone, all from the comfort of your favorite armchair.
When you get really good at it, you could drop a packet on the errant dog owners head.
The sky is the limit!

Funny
 

This is from a bunch of people living on top of each other and staring into others lanais and reporting garden gnomes bwahahhahha

:BigApplause:

Yes, the FAA calls and considers the operator of a drone or sUAS a pilot.

Yes, the pilot would be liable for damage and personal injury

§107.23 Hazardous operation.
No person may:
(a) Operate a small unmanned aircraft system in a careless or reckless manner so as to endanger the life or property of another; or
(b) Allow an object to be dropped from a small unmanned aircraft in a manner that creates an undue hazard to persons or property.

I agree with this thinking. I feel the same way about titles such as “sailor” and “astronaut.”

I’m not a sailor because I go on a cruise and no one is an astronaut just because they took a joy ride in a suborbital rocket. A far as I’m concerned, you don’t deserve such titles unless you do it for a living.

Curious what it is about Drone flying for recreation that is fun/enjoyable?

Thank you , Don.
You took a lot of time and gave a factual analysis to a very valid question.
Without you, this discussion would have rambled on for 6 pages, and yes, there would have been snarky comments.
You are one of the unique people who make The Villages the best place in America.

Absolutely
 

I also agree with this thinking. I was a locomotive engineer for a passenger railroad and many of the guys thought they were really something special. In reality, running a 10 or 12 car passenger train is waaaaay different form running a mile or so long freight train through the mountains. Most passenger guys would tear that freight train apart. Myself included. Same title but still apples and oranges.

The ego on some people!
The obsession with titles.
Dont get me started....Chiropractors and Podiatrists (kidding) but it's a Seinfeld episode brewing here!

TRUST Certificate is a requirement
 

Every drone flyer in the US must take and pass the TRUST exam on the FAA.gov website.
Law enforcement and FAA officials can legally ask for that certificate from any drone flyer while they are flying. The fines have been up to $30,000 if a drone flyer does not have that certificate while flying.
The FAA has authority over all air space and not local or state law enforcement. All air space in The Villages is Class G air space with no restrictions. However, drones are not permitted to fly over groups of people, public events or stadiums full of people.
I am VP of the Drone Flyers Club of The Villages and Don Wiley is President. Our club educates drone flyers and promotes safety and respect for others while flying drones.

You could be VP of United Airlines and you'd still be wrong and a perfect example of why a drone "pilot" isn't in the same universe as someone with an FAA Airmen's Certificate.

I didn't look at a Sectional to see what is or isn't Class G airspace over The Villages but I can assure you, that doesn't mean there are "no restrictions". It means some portion of the airspace over The Villages is "uncontrolled airspace". Uncontrolled Airspace is a world apart from "no restrictions".

You really should get your terms straight and understand what you're talking about.

Class G Airspace, Explained | Boldmethod

So tell us, what restrictions are there for drones other than not flying over groups of people, public events, or stadiums full of people?

To answer a question above, I enjoy getting a unique vantage point over a common area that's not normally seen (or easily assessable). Also, I make personal video diaries of my travels where I'll have my drone follow me while I ride a bike or drive a boat, etc. It just adds a little extra to an otherwise boring video of mine.