What Is a Drone? The FAA Definition of a Drone vs UAV, UAS and sUAS

The simplest definition of a drone is an aircraft with no pilot on board, flown by a person on the ground, by automation or by both. That’s it. Whether it’s a palm-sized toy, a camera drone or a delivery aircraft, if nobody is flying it from inside, it’s a drone.

However, things get confusing when you start seeing UAV, UAS and sUAS on FAA pages, job listings and test questions. They’re related, but they don’t mean exactly the same thing. So below, we break down each term, how the FAA actually defines them and why the difference matters the moment you want to fly for work.

What is a drone? A plain-English definition of a drone

“Drone” is the everyday word. In fact, you’ll hear it from pilots, news outlets and even the FAA, which uses it all over its website, on pages like “How to Register Your Drone.”

Here’s the interesting part: “drone” isn’t a defined term in the FAA’s general definitions in 14 CFR Part 1. Instead, the regulations use “unmanned aircraft.” So the working definition in plain English is the same idea: an aircraft operated without a pilot on board.

There’s one more thing the FAA stresses: drones are aircraft. Its recreational flyer page puts it plainly—”Drones are aircraft. Congratulations, you are an aviator!” That’s why the same airspace, safety and registration rules that shape manned aviation reach your drone, too. If you plan to fly for work, you’ll learn the FAA rules in our Part 107 course, but first, let’s sort out the vocabulary.

Drone vs UAV vs UAS vs sUAS: the comparison table

If you want one definition of a drone that fits all five terms, it’s “an aircraft with no one on board.” From there, each term zooms in or out on a different part of the system. In other words, some describe just the aircraft, while others include everything you need to fly it.

Put simply, the UAV or UA is the airplane, and the UAS is the airplane plus the cockpit. With a drone, the “cockpit” is your controller, app and radio link.

The FAA definition of a drone: small UAS and the 55-pound line

For regulatory purposes, the FAA’s official definitions live in 14 CFR 1.1 and 14 CFR 107.3. Here’s what they say:

• Unmanned aircraft: “an aircraft operated without the possibility of direct human intervention from within or on the aircraft.”
• Unmanned aircraft system: an unmanned aircraft plus its associated elements, “including communication links and the components that control the unmanned aircraft,” required for safe and efficient operation.
• Small unmanned aircraft: “an unmanned aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds on takeoff, including everything that is on board or otherwise attached to the aircraft.”
• Small UAS: a small unmanned aircraft and its associated elements.

Notice the phrase “including everything that is on board or otherwise attached.” In practice, that means the weight limit counts your payload, too: cameras, sensors, lights and anything you carry.

What the “system” in UAS includes

The “S” is where new pilots get tripped up. A UAS isn’t just the thing in the air. Based on the FAA’s definition, it includes:

• Aircraft: airframe, motors, battery and payload
• Control station: which Part 107 defines as “an interface used by the remote pilot to control the flight path”—usually your remote controller, tablet or app
• Communication links: the radio connection between controller and aircraft
• Other required elements: anything else needed for safe and efficient operation

This is also why lost link is treated as a system failure, not just an aircraft problem. If the link drops, part of your “aircraft” just went away, so plan for it before every flight.

Why the definitions matter

These aren’t just vocabulary words. Instead, they decide which rules apply to you:

• Under 55 pounds: commercial flights fall under Part 107, the FAA’s Small UAS Rule.
• 55 pounds or more: the aircraft is outside Part 107’s definition of a small unmanned aircraft, so it needs a different FAA path. Drones over 55 pounds must also be registered individually under 14 CFR Part 47.
• More than 0.55 pounds (250 grams): recreational flyers must register. Below that, however, a drone flown only for recreation doesn’t have to be registered.
• Any weight under Part 107: every drone flown under Part 107 must be registered, even a sub-250-gram model.

As a result, the same small drone can carry different obligations depending on why you fly it. That’s the practical side of the definition of a drone. Those weight lines and definitions are fair game on the Part 107 exam.

Types of drones: multirotor, fixed-wing, VTOL and FPV

Beyond the legal terms, drones come in a few common designs, and each one has real trade-offs.

Multirotor

This is what most people picture: four or more rotors, vertical takeoff and the ability to hover in place. Because of that, multirotors are easy to fly and great for photos, video, inspections and small mapping jobs. The trade-off is endurance, since every rotor is working to hold the aircraft up.

Fixed-wing

Fixed-wing drones fly like small airplanes, with a wing doing the lifting. As a result, they’re efficient over long distances and large areas, which makes them popular for mapping big sites and corridors. However, they can’t hover, and they need room to launch and land. Our guide to fixed-wing drones compares popular models.

VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) hybrids

VTOL hybrids take off and land like a multirotor, then transition to wing-borne flight like a fixed-wing. In short, they aim to combine hover convenience with long-range efficiency. On the other hand, they’re more complex, and often pricier, than either design alone.

FPV (first-person view)

FPV drones are flown through goggles showing a live view from an onboard camera. Typically, they’re fast, agile and popular for racing and cinematic shots. That said, goggles limit your ability to scan the sky. The FAA’s recreational guidance says a visual observer is necessary if you want to fly FPV, and Part 107 requires visual line of sight with unaided vision. Read more in our guide to FPV drones.

Meanwhile, consumer and enterprise drones also differ in sensors, accuracy and support. Our breakdown of enterprise drones vs consumer drones explains what you get for the money.

What drones are used for

Once you understand the definition of a drone, the list of uses gets long fast. Here are the big ones, with our guides to each:

• Real estate: listing photos, video and tours. See our drone real estate photography guide.
• Mapping and surveying: orthomosaics and 3D models. Read our drone mapping guide.
• Inspections: roofs, towers, bridges and utilities. Start with our guide to drone inspections.
• Thermal imaging: solar, building envelopes and search work. See our overview of thermal drones.
• Public safety: police, fire and search and rescue. Read about police drones.
• Delivery: companies like Amazon Prime Air and Wing now deliver packages by drone in several U.S. metro areas.

Most of these are paid work, which brings us to the question every new owner asks.

Do you need a license to fly a drone?

No matter which definition of a drone you use, the FAA cares about why you fly, not just what you fly. Here’s the short answer, based on the FAA’s rules:

• Purely for fun: pass the free Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST), carry proof and follow the recreational rules under 49 U.S.C. 44809. Register your drone if it weighs more than 250 grams.
• For work, a business or any non-recreational purpose: you need a Part 107 Remote Pilot Certificate, and your drone must be registered.

The FAA also notes that compensation isn’t the only test. For example, taking photos to help sell a property counts as non-recreational, even if nobody pays you. When in doubt, the FAA says, assume Part 107. In addition, registered drones must comply with Remote ID.

For the recreational side, see our TRUST drone test guide. For the commercial side, read how to get your Part 107 license.

Start flying the right way with Drone U

Now you know the definition of a drone and the terms around it. Next comes the fun part: flying it well and flying it legally.

If you just got your first drone, explore our free courses or our Drone Basics course to build safe habits from day one.

Planning to earn even a dollar with it? Get your Part 107 with Drone U’s course for $147 (regularly $197). You get on-demand video lessons, FAA-aligned quizzes (score 90%+ and you’re ready), a downloadable study guide, lifetime access and a 14-day money-back guarantee. Drone U has 10+ years of in-person drone training and 14+ years of online drone education, and we teach what actually works in the field.

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