Are Your Drone Pilots FAA Licensed?

Yes. Every Vourly drone flight is operated by an FAA Part 107 certified pilot. Part 107 is the federal license required to fly a drone commercially in US airspace, so a licensed pilot is at the controls on every aerial shoot. There is no hobby-grade flying on a paid job, and the certification is the same standard whether the deliverable is a quick progress clip or a full drone videography shoot.

What Part 107 covers

The certificate lets us fly for hire, so every commercial aerial deliverable is covered. The same licensed pilot handles a job-site progress flight and a finished-property reveal. Typical coverage includes:

• Job-site and construction-progress aerials
• Real estate exteriors and property reveals, paired with real estate photography
• Landscape and venue establishing shots

Flying safely and legally

We fly within FAA airspace rules on every job. The flight is planned around the rules for that location, not around them. On each shoot we:

• Stay clear of restricted and no-fly zones
• Obtain the required authorization for controlled airspace near airports before the shoot
• Plan each flight around the specific site and conditions

For the local picture, see our breakdown of drone videography rules in Seattle.

Adding drone to a shoot

Drone footage can be added to any shoot for $150. Add aerials to a video or photo session you have already planned, or book the dedicated drone videography package when aerial work is the main event. Either way, a Part 107 pilot is at the controls. When you are ready, book a shoot and add drone at checkout.

What Part 107 requires

Part 107 is not a one-time box to check. A certified pilot passes the FAA aeronautical knowledge exam and completes recurrent training every 24 months to stay current. For flights in controlled airspace near a towered airport, authorization is requested through LAANC, the FAA's Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability, which is often granted in near real time. Night operations require anti-collision lighting, and any flight beyond the pilot's visual line of sight needs a separate FAA waiver, so we plan each shoot around what the rules allow.