A remote pilot operates a commercial drone whose manufacturer provides no scheduled maintenance intervals. What does FAA guidance require the pilot to do?

Why →FAA Advisory Circular 107-2A addresses maintenance responsibilities for small UAS operators. When a manufacturer does not provide scheduled maintenance intervals, the responsibility falls to the remote pilot in command to establish a maintenance protocol. This should draw on any available manufacturer guidance, flight hours, environmental exposure, and known wear items for the aircraft type.

The trap →The absence of a manufacturer schedule does not remove the obligation to keep the aircraft in safe operating condition under § 107.15. It shifts responsibility for defining the schedule to the pilot.

Field note →A simple log tracking flight hours, battery cycles, propeller inspections, and motor checks forms the foundation of any self-established maintenance schedule. Review it after significant events such as hard landings or propeller strikes.