What Know Before You Fly does

Know Before You Fly is a U.S.-based non-profit educational campaign that provides free drone safety and regulatory guidance to prospective and current unmanned aircraft operators. It is organized by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) and the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), in formal partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), giving it direct alignment with federal airspace regulations including Part 107, Remote ID, TRUST testing, and Certificate of Authorization processes. The campaign serves four primary user segments: recreational drone operators, commercial Part 107 pilots, educators and K-12 students, and federal/state/local/tribal public safety agencies.

The campaign's product surface is informational rather than software-based: a centralized Knowledge Library of guides, checklists, videos, and downloadable resources; co-branded retail point-of-sale materials distributed through 100+ supporter organizations including Walmart, B&H Photo, and Amazon; federally funded Discovery and Student Drone Kits for K-12 STEM education; and integration with the FAA's B4UFLY airspace-awareness application. A Safety Reporting System is powered by NASA's Aviation Safety Reporting System (ASRS). The technology stack is a standard content/web platform with no proprietary systems, no AI/ML capabilities, and no mobile app owned by the campaign itself.

The business model is non-commercial: all resources are free, no revenue is generated from users, and the entity has no traditional ownership, investors, funding rounds, or acquisition history. Distribution is achieved through partner organizations (AMA's 200,000+ members across 2,500+ flying sites, AUVSI's 60-country reach), FAA channels, retail supporter networks, and educational institutions. The customer base is deliberately diversified across hobbyist, commercial, educational, and government segments, with no paying-customer concentration risk because there are no paying customers.

Name

Know Before You Fly

Legal name

Know Before You Fly

Website

https://knowbeforeyoufly.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Know Before You Fly is a free, FAA-aligned non-profit educational campaign that provides drone safety guidance to recreational flyers, commercial operators, educators, and public safety agencies, organized by AMA and AUVSI.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Drone Safety Education

NAICS

Other Support Activities for Air Transportation (488190)

akta.pro primary industry

UAS Integration, Certification & Compliance Systems (Remote ID, Detect-and-Avoid) (IMABAIAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emerging Aviation Maintenance (UAS/Drone, eVTOL & Advanced Air Mobility) (EDAOAFAO)

Keywords

• Drone safety education
• UAS compliance guidance
• Aviation safety resources
• Recreational drone flying
• FAA partnership programs

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Educational Campaign (Non-Commercial): Know Before You Fly is a non-profit educational campaign that does not generate revenue. It is organized by AMA and AUVSI, in partnership with the FAA, to promote safe and responsible drone use. The campaign is sustained through supporter organizations who help spread the message and may include co-branded safety materials in retail products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Know Before You Fly is a non-profit educational campaign that provides prospective and current drone operators with free information, guidance, checklists, and training resources needed to fly safely and responsibly. It is organized by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) and the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), covering recreational, commercial, educational, and public safety drone use cases through a central Knowledge Library.

Product overview

Know Before You Fly is an educational campaign (not a traditional software product company) organized by the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) and the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), in partnership with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The organization provides a comprehensive suite of educational resources and tools for drone safety, organized as: a central Knowledge Library containing practical tools, guides, and learning materials; The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) for recreational flyers; FAA Small Drone Rules portal; B4UFLY app for airspace awareness; Remote ID compliance resources; Safety Reporting system via NASA ASRS; and segmented resources for recreational flyers, commercial operators, public safety/government entities, and educators/students. Educational programs include the Discovery Drone Kit for ages 8-12 and Student Drone Kit for grades 9-12, both funded by federal sources. The portfolio is fundamentally informational/educational rather than a software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Knowledge Library

Quantifiable outcome

• Free safety education accessible to all drone operators, reducing regulatory violations and safety incidents

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMA is one of the two organizing partners of the Know Before You Fly campaign. Founded in 1936 and headquartered in Muncie, Indiana, AMA serves as the nation's collective voice for approximately 200,000 modelers in 2,400 clubs across the United States and Puerto Rico. AMA provides the community framework and insurance coverage for recreational flyers.
• Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAUVSI is one of the two organizing partners of the Know Before You Fly campaign. As the world's largest non-profit organization dedicated to the advancement of uncrewed systems and robotics, AUVSI represents corporations and professionals from more than 60 countries involved in defense, civil, and commercial markets. AUVSI provides the industry connection and Trusted UAS Operator certification program.
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe FAA is the regulatory partner in the Know Before You Fly campaign. The FAA provides the regulatory framework, B4UFLY app, TRUST test administration, Remote ID requirements, and COA processes that KBYF educates operators about. FAA is committed to safely integrating drones into the National Airspace System.
• AmazonminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAmazon is listed as a supporting organization that helps promote safe drone flying through the Know Before You Fly campaign. Likely distributes KBYF messaging through drone product sales channels.
• WalmartminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWalmart is listed as a supporting organization that helps promote safe drone flying through the Know Before You Fly campaign. Major retailer distributing KBYF materials at point of sale.
• B&H Photo – VideominorGTM or Marketing PartnerB&H Photo is listed as a supporting organization that helps promote safe drone flying through the Know Before You Fly campaign. Distributes KBYF materials through photography/drone retail channels.
• Pilot InstituteminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPilot Institute is an FAA-approved TRUST test administrator and supporting organization of Know Before You Fly. Provides drone education and training resources.
• DARTdronesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDARTdrones is listed as a supporting organization of Know Before You Fly. Provides drone training services and helps spread safety messaging.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Emerging players

• AirData UAV: Drone flight data, logging, and airspace awareness platform (formerly Kittyhawk). Provides operational/airspace tooling that complements KBYF's educational mission and partially overlaps with the B4UFLY airspace awareness function.
• DroneDeploy: Commercial drone software platform for mapping, inspection, and analytics. Adjacent to KBYF's commercial-operator segment — its users are the same audience KBYF educates on Part 107 compliance.

Direct peers

• DARTdrones: Drone training company offering in-person and online Part 107 prep and safety courses. Listed as a KBYF supporting organization; competes in the same drone pilot education space with a commercial training model.
• UAV Coach: Online drone training and Part 107 prep platform with educational content, study guides, and news. Directly comparable to KBYF on the commercial-operator education segment.
• Drone U: Drone training and mapping/business-focused drone education platform. Overlaps with KBYF's commercial-operator segment but focuses more on monetization and business use cases.
• Pilot Institute: FAA-approved TRUST test administrator and drone training provider. Directly comparable to KBYF because both deliver FAA-aligned drone safety education and certification prep, though Pilot Institute operates a paid commercial model.
• Drone Launch Academy: Drone training and Part 107 certification platform. Provides similar educational content to KBYF for prospective and active commercial drone operators.
• Drone Pilot Ground School: Online Part 107 test preparation course provider. Competes with KBYF on commercial-operator educational content, particularly FAA certification prep.

Broad incumbents

• Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI): Co-organizer of KBYF and the world's largest non-profit for uncrewed systems. A broad incumbent covering defense, commercial, and policy advocacy beyond safety education.
• Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA): Founding co-organizer of KBYF with 200,000+ members and 2,500+ flying sites. A broader incumbent organization that hosts recreational drone/model aviation community and supports safety education as one of many programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/flyresponsibly
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@knowbeforeyoufly
• Facebookfacebook.com/know-before-you-fly-1048685898499732

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Know Before You Fly