A client wants to fly a 0.5-pound sUAS directly over a crowd of spectators at an outdoor festival. The aircraft has no exposed rotating parts capable of lacerating skin and meets the eligibility requirements for Category 1 operations over people. What must the remote pilot NOT do that would remove the operation from Category 1 eligibility?

Correct answer: C. Operate the aircraft in a sustained hover above the crowd for an extended period

Category 1 aircraft weighing 0.55 lb or less may fly over people and moving vehicles without further restriction, but sustained flight over open-air assemblies still requires the aircraft to meet the exposed rotating parts standard; a sustained hover increases exposure time and risk, and while not itself disqualifying by weight, the scenario tests recognizing that any condition increasing injury risk (like unnecessary sustained hovering over a crowd) is a poor operational practice inconsistent with the intent of the categories, whereas normal transit flight is the expected profile.