The short answer, is yes.
If you just bought a drone to fly in your neighborhood or take videos of your family vacation, you are flying under the FAA’s Exception for Limited Recreational Operations. You need to pass the free TRUST safety test, register your drone if it is over 250 grams, and follow basic safety guidelines, but you do not need a formal license.
However, the moment you fly a drone to benefit a school publication, business, or organization, the FAA classifies it as commercial operation under 14 CFR Part 107. For high school journalists, this means if you are capturing aerial footage for the website, filming the football team’s run-out for a hype video, or capturing a footage for the school news broadcast, you must hold a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate.
Even if you are not getting paid personally, producing media for the school’s official channels is considered “furthering an organization.” There are limited educational exemptions, but those do not generally cover high school media. For student media operations producing content for public consumption, a Part 107 license is legally required. Securing this license not only keeps the program compliant with federal airspace laws and you and your team out of trouble, but passing the test is a great professional certification to add to your resume before you even graduate from high school.
You may see other people out flying drones and they may not have their license. Just because someone else might not have theirs, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get yours. If you’re really interested in using a drone and getting footage to use for your school publication, take the time to study for and pass the test.
