What they are referring too is that you still shouldn't operate these drones where they are not allowed just because they weight less than some FAA weight limit.
And I know people are like, "Well, just follow the rules!", and they should... some people fly drones stupidly.
BUT - it's worth pointing out that if you live in some cities like Boston, that it is nearly impossible to fly a drone in city limits. Or Cambridge. Or Somerville. Check out the maps on Skyvector; it's 70/SFC, until you're in Watertown, parts of Quincy of north of Lynn. The FAA says to call the tower for permission; and I've spoken to the tower at Logan, and they said the FAA told them to not grant anyone permission (this was 2 years ago admittedly).
So having a little micro drone that you can fly 30 ft in the air around your house legally since it's under the weight limit? Pretty neat.
So even though it’s under the limit, would one recommend not being overly cautious by registering it since that could be used against a registrant if they fly it where drones requiring registration aren’t allowed to fly?
I'm not sure. This feels a little like 49cc scooters (most states have 50cc license/registration requirements). The DMV in many states will look at you funny if you try to go register one to get a plate. It's literally 1cc under, purposefully, because it's "not a motor vehicle" - despite it having a motor and being a vehicle. Using the same logic, I'd argue this "isn't a UAV/drone", despite by all other metrics it looking just like one.
AFAIK, it used to be that you needed to notify the airport (not to ask for permission) if you were flying within five miles of it. It looks like now you use LAANC.
