Flying Near Airports Under Part 107: What §107.43 Says

Part 107 flying near airports comes up on almost every commercial job close to a runway, heliport or seaplane base, and pilots often mix up two separate rules. One is about airspace: whether you need permission to fly in controlled airspace at all. The other is about behavior: whether your flight gets in the way of the airport's own traffic. That second rule is 14 CFR 107.43, and it applies even when you have an airspace authorization in hand. This post walks through its text as published in the eCFR (14 CFR 107.43, checked Nov 11, 2026; eCFR Title 14 up to date as of Nov 9, 2026). It is general information, not legal advice.

The text of §107.43

The regulation is one sentence. Here it is in full.

§ 107.43 Operation in the vicinity of airports.

No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft in a manner that interferes with operations and traffic patterns at any airport, heliport, or seaplane base.

What §107.43 covers

The rule is short, but each part of it matters.

• "No person." It applies to anyone operating the aircraft, not just the remote pilot in command.
• "In a manner that interferes." The test is the effect of the flight on airport operations, not a fixed distance. The section does not set a radius, a mileage or an altitude. You will sometimes hear a "five-mile rule" repeated, but §107.43 contains no such number, so check the actual airspace and airport rather than relying on a rule of thumb.
• "Operations and traffic patterns." That includes aircraft taking off, landing and flying the pattern around the field, not just the runway itself.
• "Any airport, heliport, or seaplane base." The rule is not limited to large airports or towered fields. A small private strip, a hospital helipad or a seaplane base on a lake all count.

Airspace authorization is a separate requirement

§107.43 does not tell you whether you need permission to be in the airspace. That is §107.41, which reads in full:

§ 107.41 Operation in certain airspace.

No person may operate a small unmanned aircraft in Class B, Class C, or Class D airspace or within the lateral boundaries of the surface area of Class E airspace designated for an airport unless that person has prior authorization from Air Traffic Control (ATC).

(14 CFR 107.41, checked Nov 11, 2026.)

Many pilots get that authorization through LAANC. The FAA describes LAANC as automating "the application and approval process for airspace authorizations," and it is clear about the scope: "LAANC provides airspace authorizations only. Pilots must still check NOTAMs, weather conditions, and abide by all airspace restrictions" (FAA, UAS Data Exchange (LAANC), checked Nov 11, 2026). For how that process works, see our post on LAANC authorization under Part 107.

Put together:

• An airspace authorization answers may I be here? under §107.41.
• §107.43 still requires that, once you are there, you do not interfere with airport operations and traffic patterns.
• Neither one gives you permission to use the ground. Launch and landing sites still need the property owner's permission, and an airspace authorization does not grant access to airport property or anyone else's land.

It also works the other way. An airport or heliport can sit in uncontrolled airspace where no §107.41 authorization is needed, and §107.43 still applies there.

How this connects to right-of-way

§107.43 is about airport operations as a whole. The duty to give way to individual aircraft is a separate rule, §107.37, which we cover in Part 107 right-of-way rules. Near an airport the two overlap: you are more likely to meet manned traffic, and both rules point the same direction. Stay out of the way.

Practical steps before flying near an airport

These are planning habits, not legal requirements beyond the rules quoted above.

• Identify every airport, heliport and seaplane base near the site, including private ones, and note where their traffic patterns and approach paths are likely to be.
• Check the airspace class and, if §107.41 applies, get the authorization before the flight.
• Read any authorization's conditions and follow them.
• Check NOTAMs and temporary flight restrictions, as the FAA's LAANC page reminds pilots to do.
• Plan the flight so it stays clear of arrival and departure paths, and brief the crew on what to do if manned aircraft appear.
• Keep the aircraft in visual line of sight so you can see traffic and react.

Part 107 also requires the remote pilot in command to assess the operating environment before flight, and that assessment must include "local airspace and any flight restrictions" under §107.49(a)(2). For the full list, see Part 107 preflight requirements under §107.49. Building airport checks into a standard routine makes them hard to skip. A digitized commercial drone pre-flight checklist is one way to keep the airport and airspace steps in front of the whole crew.

FAA rules are separate from landowner permission and from state or local laws that may apply where you fly. Check those too, and read the current eCFR text before relying on any summary, including this one.