How we recommend
We recommend gear by category and use, not by brand, and do not quote prices. We may earn a commission on purchases at no cost to you.
Fly within the rules
This page explains what aviation authorities, model-aircraft associations, racing bodies and researchers publish. It is not legal advice and not a substitute for your aviation authority's own rules, a club safety officer or proper training.
Why the drone itself is left out
Whoever receives a drone takes on the rules of their country, and several of those rules turn on age. Each row is one jurisdiction's own rule, as published:
| Jurisdiction | Ages and IDs a gift brings with it |
|---|---|
| United States | 14 CFR 48.25(b) (1 January 2019 edition): a small drone is registered by its owner, unless the owner is under 13, when a person at least 13 must register it. 14 CFR 107.61: at least 16 for a Part 107 remote pilot certificate. 49 U.S.C. 44809, as read, sets no minimum age for recreational flyers |
| United Kingdom | CAA release of 29 December 2025 and CAP2320 (March 2026): children need a Flyer ID too, from a test with no age limit; under-13s must have a parent or guardian with them for the test and registration; the operator must be 18 or over, so a parent or guardian holds the Operator ID for a child; under-12s must be supervised by someone aged 16 or over while flying |
| European Union | EASA: the minimum age for remote pilots in the Open and Specific categories is 16, with no minimum in subcategory A1 with a class C0 drone, with a privately built drone under 250 g, or under direct supervision of a qualified remote pilot; a member state may lower it to 12 for flights in that state. EASA's FPV page says pilots must be at least 16 to fly an FPV racing drone, subject to national exemptions |
| Canada | Transport Canada AIM (19 March 2026): a registered owner must be at least 14; the basic pilot certificate needs age 14 and the advanced 16, and younger people may fly under the direct supervision of a certificate holder |
| Australia | No CASA minimum age was found; CASA's pages could not be reached for this site |
The detail, and the association rules on top of these, are on ages and youth rules. Goggles are left out for a related reason: every jurisdiction above has its own rule on flying from them, set out in the FPV goggles guide.
Gifts that do not depend on the rules of the air
None of the four categories below is flown, so none brings an age, registration or ID rule with it. Each is described only as a category.
- Books: history and reference reading. The site's own history section lists the sources it draws on.
- Simulators: MultiGP runs an E-Sport class in a simulator, and for 2025 the FAI said pilots in its e-Drone Racing World Cup raced from home with a game controller on a Windows computer. See simulators and practice gear.
- Backpacks and cases: for carrying a drone, radio and goggles to a field. No bag or case is presented here as protecting against a battery fire. For air travel, IATA's guidance of 31 March 2026 says spare lithium batteries go in carry-on baggage only, individually protected against short circuit; see flying with batteries.
- Practice gates: gates and flags for a course. A course does not change where flying is allowed; MultiGP's class page (read 30 October 2026) gives 5 by 5 feet for an Open gate and 30 by 30 inches for a Whoop gate.
One gift that does depend on the rules: action cameras
A camera carried on a drone adds weight and changes some thresholds. In the UK, CAP2320 (March 2026) requires an Operator ID from 100 g with a camera rather than from 250 g. In the EU, Regulation 2019/947, Article 14 (as adopted), requires registration for a drone carrying a sensor able to capture personal data, unless it is a toy. In Canada, Transport Canada's AIM counts a camera toward the aircraft's weight. In the United States, the FCC's fact sheet of 7 January 2026 says a general-purpose camera that could be fitted to a drone is not a drone critical component for its Covered List.
Recording people also brings privacy rules, which differ by country. In the US, the NTIA's voluntary best practices of May 2016 say they replace no law; the UK CAA's December 2020 Drone Code leaflet points flyers to the Information Commissioner's advice; Transport Canada's 2019 release says drone pilots remain subject to privacy and trespass laws. See flying near people.
Something to watch
Race dates make a gift of a different kind. As of 30 October 2026, the 2026 Macao Drone Racing World Cup, which the FAI lists as a Category 2 event, the category its World Cup rounds belong to, is still to come on 14 to 18 December 2026, and MultiGP lists Whooptopia, its own event, for 16 January 2027. How each organiser streams its races is on watching drone racing, and the season so far is on the 2026 season.
Our picks by category
Drone books
History and reference books about drones and drone racing. No book was reviewed for this site; the history pages give their own sources, with each disagreement shown both ways.
Best for: Anyone interested in the sport's history and rules
FPV simulators
Simulator software flown on a computer. It brings no aviation rule with it, and it is not one of the tests the authorities covered here set.
Best for: Pilots and would-be pilots who want to fly without a drone
Drone backpacks
Backpacks and cases for a drone, radio and goggles. Batteries are a separate question: no bag is presented here as preventing or containing a fire, and for air travel IATA's guidance, not the bag, sets how spares are carried.
Best for: Pilots who carry their kit to a field or a race
Racing gates
Gates and flags for practice courses. The FAI's F9U rules (Volume F9, 2025 edition; the 2026 edition, reported as effective 1 January 2026 and as 1 June 2026, was not read) do not recommend small gates because of the collision risk, and MultiGP's class page sets gate sizes per class (its Rule Book was not read). A gate does not make a place suitable to fly.
Best for: Pilots who already fly and have somewhere they may set up a course
Action cameras
Cameras for recording flights. Fitted to a drone, a camera counts toward its weight and, in the UK and EU, changes the ID and registration thresholds set out above. Privacy rules apply to what it records.
Best for: Pilots who already know their weight and registration lines
Sources
- 14 CFR 48.25 (1 January 2019 CFR edition, govinfo)
- Cornell LII, 14 CFR 107.61
- Cornell LII, 49 U.S.C. 44809
- UK CAA, news release on the rules from 1 January 2026 (29 December 2025)
- UK CAA, The Drone and Model Aircraft Code, CAP2320 (March 2026)
- EASA FAQ, other requirements
- EASA, Open category: low-risk civil drones
- EASA, Drone racing and flying a drone with goggles (FPV) (updated 26 September 2022)
- Transport Canada, Aeronautical Information Manual, RPA chapter (effective 19 March 2026)
- IATA, Passengers Travelling with Lithium Batteries (31 March 2026)
- FCC Fact Sheet, Covered List updates and FAQs (7 January 2026)
- Regulation (EU) 2019/947 as adopted (legislation.gov.uk copy)
- MultiGP, Race Class Specifications (read 30 October 2026)
- FAI, 2025 e-Drone Racing World Cup announcement (6 August 2025)
- NTIA, Voluntary Best Practices for UAS Privacy, Transparency, and Accountability (May 2016)
- UK CAA, Drone Code leaflet CAP 2007 (December 2020)
- Transport Canada, new drone safety regulations release (9 January 2019)
- MultiGP, news page
- FAI, drone sports page (2025 mirror), 2026 Macao event listing
- FAI, Drone Racing World Cup 2025 page (2025 mirror)
- FAI Sporting Code Section 4, Volume F9 Drone Sports, 2025 edition (effective 1 May 2025)
- FAI, SC4 volume CIAM F9 Drone sports 2026 (listed; host did not resolve, not read)