An sUAS is used by personnel at an outdoor music venue to drop promotional T-shirts and CDs over the audience. Is this sUAS operation in accordance with 14 CFR 107?

Under Part 107, the operation of a small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) for commercial purposes is subject to certain operational limitations and restrictions. These include requirements for the sUAS to remain within visual line of sight of the remote pilot in command, to fly below 400 feet above ground level (AGL), and to avoid flying over people who are not directly participating in the operation.

Dropping objects from an sUAS over a crowd of people is not in compliance with these requirements, and could pose a significant safety hazard to the people below. In addition, the operation of an sUAS in this manner is not considered to be a permissible commercial operation under Part 107, as it does not fall within any of the categories of authorized operations.

Therefore, the use of an sUAS to drop promotional items over a crowd of people at an outdoor music venue would not be compliant with Part 107, unless the operator obtains a waiver from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) that specifically authorizes the proposed operation.