“Wouldn’t you have to have a pilot’s license to operate one of those things?”
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If you can build a functional single person aircraft that weighs less than 254
pounds, you don’t need registration or a license in the US to get on or in it and fly.
You still have to obey all the flight rules though.
But...
if you build or buy a drone that weighs even less than 249 grams (8.7 ounces)
and make any money from flying it, it seems that you ARE required to have a
drone pilot’s license and register any and ALL of your drones, whether used
commercially or not. (And still obey all the flight rules.)
You can, however, get on and fly an ultra-lite aircraft, no license and
no registration and even bring your camera, and sell the video afterwards.
For example, when ultralight aircraft first came out, I was working on my commercial certificate and instrument rating. I was training out of Topeka Billard Airport, an airport with a control tower. I was holding short of the active runway, called tower for take off clearance, and was cleared for take off. Then I looked out on short final and saw an ultralight heading for my runway. I told tower I was holding short for the ultralight. He said "What?" Then he looked. We both sat there and watched the ultralight come in, touch down, and depart again. That's my first concern. Ignorant operators going where they shouldn't go.