Newb here looking for feedback and information

[mewalsh100]

Hello - Long time surface RC enthusiast here, but total newb to RC flight / drones. I've been mulling purchasing a drone for a couple years now, and I think it's finally time to take the leap. My intention is to use the drone primarily in a recreational manner, but I've also been doing some research on commercial applications such as Real Estate marketing. It looks like my first step should be to find or enroll in a local or online course to obtain my remote pilot certification, Part 101 and Part 107?

I have a lot of questions and was looking to get feedback from folks here about the best way to proceed. Should I purchase the drone and get some flight time first? Is it even legal to fly a drone prior to certification? (There seems to be some blurry areas here)  Should I dive right in and do the course and get certified first? 

Recommendations on a drone that is "forgiving" to learn on, but will allow me some good overhead as I advance and gain skills?

Ok, thanks in advance for any feedback and recommendations. I appreciate the help!

~Mike

[Alex]

Here's a good read on this: http://www.droneguru.net/license-to-fly-a-drone/

Flying a Drone Recreationally

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has provided clear guidelines regarding pilot license requirements for flying drones recreationally. If you fly your drone indoors, you don’t need a remote pilot’s license and you may not even need to register your drone with the FAA.

If you fly your drone outdoors for recreational purposes then you will need to register the device if it weighs more than 0.55 pounds. At this point you have two options for flying your drone recreationally. According to the FAA, you do NOT need to obtain a remote pilot license under the following conditions:

• You are flying the drone purely as a hobby and for solely recreational reasons.
• You follow the guidelines set forth by your local community.
• You keep your drone within a visual line-of-sight.
• Yield to any and all manned aircraft.
• Remain at least five miles away from airports and air traffic control towers.
• Your drone must not weigh more than 55 pounds.

You can also fly your drone for recreational purposes if you or someone monitoring you has a valid remote pilot license. The restrictions for such recreational flights are as follows, according to the FAA website:

• You must register your aircraft as a non-model, unmanned aerial vehicle.
• You must adhere to the FAA’s Small UAS Rule, Part 107.

It is an absolute requirement that if you operate your drone under this second set of rules that either you or someone supervising you has a valid remote pilot’s license.

Long story short, if you plan to fly your drone in a field, park, or other area where there manned aircraft aren’t constantly passing through and there is no immediate threat to power lines or people then you do not need a remote pilot’s license, although you will likely need to register your drone and ensure that you are only using the device as a hobby.