Taking photos from as high as the sky gives a fresh, new perspective.

But it also comes with new challenges, dangers and responsibilities.

That’s what I’ve learned over the past few months becoming a licensed drone pilot.

It’s not a matter of simply buying a drone and flying it.

Yes, we live in a free country, but there are rules to follow. And drones are subject to quite a few rules.

Airspace is heavily regulated. It’s important for there to be records as to who’s doing what.

So one of the most important requirements is the understanding that drone certification is mandatory. It doesn’t matter if you’re flying a drone for recreational or commercial purposes. You still need a license.

And that’s a big deal because my guess is that many folks go out and buy a drone and fly it without actually becoming legal.

People even give drones to children as gifts.

But to do it the right way involves becoming familiar with the Federal Aviation Administration and licensing requirements. A proper starting point.

A drone pilot should be at least 16 years old. You also have to be proficient in English, meet minimum physical and mental drone operator standards, and pass an FAA exam for UAVs, or unmanned aerial devices.

To fly for recreation, there’s a free online exam, The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST), which includes multi-choice questions on basic knowledge on how to fly a drone.

A perfect score is required to pass the test. But if you miss a question, you’re allowed to retake the portion where you made a mistake.

If you intend to fly for any reason other than recreation, you’ll need to earn your Part 107 license. This includes becoming FAA-qualified. The commercial test requires a 70% passing score and costs roughly $200. The test needs to be retaken every few years.

If that’s not enough, your drone itself likely needs to be registered according to its weight. Any drone over 250 grams will require registration numbers assigned by the FAA. This costs only $5, valid for three years. This is a must for both recreational and commercial flying.

The registration numbers must be affixed to the drone, similar to how airplanes display identification numbers.

As a drone pilot, your FAA Tracking Number is a unique code that remains associated with you throughout your aviation career.

Perhaps one of the most important guidelines is to avoid flying more than 400 feet high without preapproval by the FAA.

Planes can cruise as low as 500 feet, from what I understand. So establishing a 400-foot limit allows for 100 feet of a safety buffer.

The other caveat, in my mind, is to stay far away from people and power lines, for obvious reasons. Always!

As daunting as all of this sounds, it didn’t deter me from teaching myself how to do it. I went with a fairly inexpensive model. Not the cheapest, but not the Cadillac either. (Some sell for $15,000.)

Drones are highly perishable. They can crash and be destroyed. Or get lost in trees. Or in the middle of a lake. They tell me it’s heartbreaking to watch your drone become the Titanic.

Best to be fiscally conservative, especially when on a learning curve. Best to experiment with one you can afford to lose.

So far, it’s been going well.

I’ve shot some interesting still photos and have taken fun videos, too. I’ve posted some of the results on Facebook.

The drone has allowed me to see my world from a much different perspective. And I haven’t had a single crash.

Overall, I’d say drones can be a worthwhile retirement pastime.

And the best part, I’ve proven that you can teach an old dog new tricks.

Donald R. Serfass can be reached at dserfass@tnonline.com