Part 107 flight log requirements, and what to keep anyway
By the BeaconUAV team. Updated
Part 107 does not prescribe a pilot logbook. It does require things you will want records for, such as reporting certain accidents to the FAA and staying current with recurrent training. Most commercial pilots keep a flight log because clients, insurers, and their own maintenance depend on it.
What this guide is
A plain summary for pilots, not legal advice. Rules change; check the current text of 14 CFR Part 107 and the FAA's guidance before relying on any of it.
What Part 107 requires
- Carry your remote pilot certificate when flying, and show it and other required documents when the FAA asks.
- Report an accident to the FAA within 10 calendar days if it causes serious injury or loss of consciousness, or more than $500 of damage to property other than the drone.
- Stay current: complete recurrent training within the previous 24 calendar months.
- Register the aircraft and keep its registration current.
- Fly within the operating rules, or under a waiver or airspace authorization that covers the operation.
What it does not require
There is no FAA-prescribed logbook format or minimum set of fields for remote pilots under Part 107. That leaves the choice to you, which is why records vary so much between operators.
The records commercial pilots keep anyway
| Record | Who asks for it |
|---|---|
| Flights with date, duration, aircraft, and location | Clients, insurers, your own reviews |
| Airspace authorizations and waivers with their dates and area | Clients and anyone reviewing an operation |
| Preflight checks and job hazard analyses | Clients with safety programs, insurers |
| Maintenance and battery records | Your own safety, insurers after a claim |
| Incidents and near misses | Insurers, and the FAA for reportable accidents |
Keeping it in one place
BeaconUAV keeps these on one record per job: flights, airspace authorizations, JHA, maintenance, and incidents, and can assemble a printable audit package from them. It does not file anything with the FAA or check that an authorization is valid; that stays your responsibility.
Key takeaways
- Part 107 has no logbook format, but it does have reporting and currency rules.
- Keep flights, authorizations, preflight checks, maintenance, and incidents together.
- Check the FAA's current rules; this is not legal advice.