OK, another newbie (dumb) question .... I'm in an unrestricted area so have a 400 ft limit. I wanted to get an aerial view of my farm but at 400ft I can't fit half of it in from directly above. I looked on ALOFT to see if I could get approval to go higher but they only have a hieght option of 400 ft, so is that the max altitude you can ever get permission for? I understand why that limit is there but didn't know if it was possible to get permission to go higher?
Flying High
- Thread starter KBF
- Start date
Good questions. All airspace for drones whether restricted or unrestricted has a limit of 400 feet but often restricted airspace is less than 400 feet (e.g. 300, 250, 200, 150, 100, 50) in some locations. This is 400 feet about the ground directly below you (AGL) rather than 400 feet altitude. In a flat area, same difference.
You can only use ALOFT in restricted airspace. You may or may not be able to "manually" request flying higher than the 400 limit using ALOFT in restricted airspace but in no cases could you go over 400 feet....without a waiver which is generally not obtainable for recreational pilots. Since you cannot use ALOFT in unrestricted airspace, you get 400 feet and that's it.
I'm an honest drone pilot so I cannot provide any advice on how to fly your drone higher than the legal limit of 400 feet AGL to gain a better photo of your property. Perhaps there are ways and methods I am unfamiliar with.
You can only use ALOFT in restricted airspace. You may or may not be able to "manually" request flying higher than the 400 limit using ALOFT in restricted airspace but in no cases could you go over 400 feet....without a waiver which is generally not obtainable for recreational pilots. Since you cannot use ALOFT in unrestricted airspace, you get 400 feet and that's it.
I'm an honest drone pilot so I cannot provide any advice on how to fly your drone higher than the legal limit of 400 feet AGL to gain a better photo of your property. Perhaps there are ways and methods I am unfamiliar with.
It's too bad your farm isn't in Canada. For microdrones under 250g, you can fly over 400' agl (technically). No waivers, licenses or exemptions required. It's not recommended, but not expressly prohibited.
there is no way to fly higher legally in spite of the ability to go into the settings and set your drone to allow it to fly up to 1640 feet. Those higher flight limits are so you can "climb" up a hill while remaining 400feet AGL.
Thanks for the replies. That’s kind of what I thought.
I’ve no interest in going higher than legally allowed. Too many light aircraft and helicopters locally plus I’ve no desire for a visit from the FAA!
I’ve no interest in going higher than legally allowed. Too many light aircraft and helicopters locally plus I’ve no desire for a visit from the FAA!
LoudThunder
Part 107 Licensed
You cannot fly higher than 400-feet legally as a Recreational Pilot…
From the FAA…
Recreational drone pilots are not allowed to fly 400 feet over a structure. Nor does the FAA offer a waiver process for hobbyists to fly above 400 feet AGL or higher than what the grid numbers allow for in controlled airspace.
The FAA allows the 400-foot altitude limit to be waiver upon request by Part 107-licensed drone pilots. Waivers are requested through the FAA DroneZone website through a process that requires the drone operator to describe the proposed operations in heavy detail. All the risks associated with the operations need to be identified, and mitigating measures have to be included in the proposal. This can be a long and tedious process for which the FAA recommends a 90-day lead time.
Hobbyists do not follow Part 107 regulation. As a result, hobbyists cannot fly 400 feet over a structure, whether in controlled or uncontrolled airspace. Hobbyists are limited to 400 feet AGL at all time in uncontrolled airspace, and whatever the altitude limit is when flying in controlled airspace (as specified by the grid).
There is currently no waiver process available for hobbyists to fly above 400 feet AGL in uncontrolled airspace, and there is no waiver process to fly higher than the published grid numbers in controlled airspace.
So, YOU CANNOT LEGALLY FLY HIGHER THAN 400-FEET…
But with all of that being said, if you are really rural and there are no airports nearby and no chance of a crop-duster, small aircraft, or helicopter to be flying in that area, who will know, if you keep quiet and don't go bragging to all your neighbors. The FAA does not have enough personnel to go out to every small community to scan the horizon with binoculars looking for drones violating the altitude limits…
Also, do this, when you are up in the air, do this, at 100', 200', 300', 400', and so forth, shoot a Globe. The drone will shoot 25- photos in all directions and creates a Photosphere. That is a photo that you can scroll around, up, down, all around in 360 degrees.
Here is an Example… It is one of my favorite flying spots and I posted it in Google Maps and Google Earth…
Perhaps
1) go up to 400ft,
2)take a photo,
3) fly horizontally for half the distance covered by one dimension of your image,
4) take a photo
3)
4)
3)
4) etc etc.
Stitch the images together.
1) go up to 400ft,
2)take a photo,
3) fly horizontally for half the distance covered by one dimension of your image,
4) take a photo
3)
4)
3)
4) etc etc.
Stitch the images together.
Why not just use a mapping app and stitch the photos together?
See the answers to the OP in this thread about mapping software and techniques.
Above the 400' threshold
Is it possible to get an LAANC to get permission to fly above 400'? I have a construction site that is too large for me to get a complete overhead shot of it at 400'. Need to get up higher for the shot... This image is at 400'
mavicpilots.com
PHZ
Well-Known Member
Yorkshire_Pud has shared the secret sauce (pun intended).
Take several photos. Try it from the same location by rotating the drone while you shoot the photos you need. Then stitch them together with software. (There are some free programs available and searchable in the Forum.) I use Microsoft Image Composite Editor which is sadly no longer available.
Or, with some DJI drones, use the pano feature in a horizontal mode and that may capture all of what you need.
Or, hire a professional drone pilot who can do this for you, and show you what they are doing whilst doing it.
Take several photos. Try it from the same location by rotating the drone while you shoot the photos you need. Then stitch them together with software. (There are some free programs available and searchable in the Forum.) I use Microsoft Image Composite Editor which is sadly no longer available.
Or, with some DJI drones, use the pano feature in a horizontal mode and that may capture all of what you need.
Or, hire a professional drone pilot who can do this for you, and show you what they are doing whilst doing it.
waynorth
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2018
- Messages
- 630
- Reactions
- 689
Not from Microsoft, no. But it is still possible to find it, just be sure to get version 2.03.
It can be found here: https://archive.org/compress/ice-2....s/formats=UNKNOWN,ARCHIVE BITTORRENT,METADATA
I installed it on Windows 10 with no issues.
ICE is a very good (and fast) panorama stitching program.
dan.utinske
Well-Known Member
Not sure what you are flying but Mini 3 and 4 Pro are capable of taking great automatic panoramas. The one you’ll want to use is the ‘Wide Angle’ panorama function, not the ‘180 degree’. You get there by pressing the normal shot function, scrolling down on the right to ‘panorama’, and selecting ‘wide angle’. This function simulates a wide-angle shot by creating a grid of 9 images. The drones software will combine the images into a single shot that should easily give you the photo your looking for without exceeding the 400' restriction. Just my .02 worth.
Consider making an orthomap. I use Dronelink to plan and control the flight, and WebODM to process the photos to create the orthomap, as well as other neat stuff like textured 3D models. Be warned that this is edging on varsity-level computer stuff, but I have made it work multiple times.
And the well-intentioned advice to "stitch" several photos together is a recipe for frustration and disappointment; sorry.
And the well-intentioned advice to "stitch" several photos together is a recipe for frustration and disappointment; sorry.
You don't necessarily have to go higher.
The same question came up recently here:
Above the 400' threshold
Is it possible to get an LAANC to get permission to fly above 400'? I have a construction site that is too large for me to get a complete overhead shot of it at 400'. Need to get up higher for the shot... This image is at 400'
mavicpilots.com
As our friend from Canada mentioned, this depends on which country you are in. It's true in the UK and apparently in the USA, but obviously not everywhere.
Similar threads
DJI Drone Deals
1. Mini 2
2. Mini 3 Pro
3. Mini 4 Pro
4. Air 2s
5. Air 3
6. Avata 2
7. Mavic 3 Pro
8. Mavic 3 Classic
2. Mini 3 Pro
3. Mini 4 Pro
4. Air 2s
5. Air 3
6. Avata 2
7. Mavic 3 Pro
8. Mavic 3 Classic
New Threads
-
What am I doing wrong? Unlock after LAANC approval.
- Started by twickers14
- Replies: 0
-
-
-
Forum statistics
