Heliport notifications

[DonB]

Well I'm on week 2 of owning a drone and finally got around to calling all the heliports in the area and they all seem to not know what to do with the information I'm giving them. Very interesting since FAA requires the notification but it seems like all they all have never been notified before. The FAA show 70 drones in my town, surely I can't be the first to call them.


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[J-Dub]

Same sit here in Long Beach, CA, I'm surrounded by "airports within 5 miles", and that includes Heliports etc....Just got my MP yesterday, took it to my local park just so I could Calibrate the compass on grass (I'm surrounded by buildings and concrete at my home) Success. Told her to take off (beginner mode), she did and hovered like a champ. But, on my device I got two Check-Boxes something like "I have permission to fly in this location" and "I take full responsibility for this flight" or to that affect (was nervous to say the least). So I landed it rather than fly it. I will take her to the flying field at El Dorado Park, even though it's in the same area, I thinks it's okay at certified air fields...I'm AMA, I'm registered with the FAA. Looks like I'll have make some phone calls to the "airports" just in case. I'll post their responses if I get any.

 

[Andrew F]

In my opinion the FAA requirements with regard to heliports are a joke. A heliport 5 miles away has NO relationship to safely flying a drone under 400 feet. A helicopter's "glide path" or landing pattern is measured in hundreds of feet, not miles. I made my calls and the heliports couldn't give a rip and reportedly didn't even write anything down. Their attitude was "unless you are next door or in the immediate neighborhood, why are you bothering us?" I agree. The FAA needs to update their rules so that they are somewhat logical. Just my two cents.

 

[J-Dub]

After Christmas every airport will be M-Fing the FAA for making us do this. Don't get me wrong, I Want to be safe and I want the local-airports to know that I'm aware of the rules, but If I take the FAA to the word, then I might as well move to the Mojave Desert...Oh wait, we've got Military Bases out there, crud...

 

[DonB]

So I had to contact 2 hospitals and they both said have fun and be safe, a hotel that said "are you landing here" and that's all they wanted, a tv station that said I'm not in the power to make a decision regarding any flight but our news copters and a private heliport that requested me to leave a recorded message. Waste of 2 hours.


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[Andrew F]

So I had to contact 2 hospitals and they both said have fun and be safe, a hotel that said "are you landing here" and that's all they wanted, a tv station that said I'm not in the power to make a decision regarding any flight but our news copters and a private heliport that requested me to leave a recorded message. Waste of 2 hours.


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Now you have CYA. Rest easy. The FAA is happy and the local thought police won't pester you. )

 

[J-Dub]

Here's my Local Flying Area

 

[wifideath]

Same sit here in Long Beach, CA, I'm surrounded by "airports within 5 miles", and that includes Heliports etc....Just got my MP yesterday, took it to my local park just so I could Calibrate the compass on grass (I'm surrounded by buildings and concrete at my home) Success. Told her to take off (beginner mode), she did and hovered like a champ. But, on my device I got two Check-Boxes something like "I have permission to fly in this location" and "I take full responsibility for this flight" or to that affect (was nervous to say the least). So I landed it rather than fly it. I will take her to the flying field at El Dorado Park, even though it's in the same area, I thinks it's okay at certified air fields...I'm AMA, I'm registered with the FAA. Looks like I'll have make some phone calls to the "airports" just in case. I'll post their responses if I get any.

we should go fly together i live in your area

 

[wifideath]

In my opinion the FAA requirements with regard to heliports are a joke. A heliport 5 miles away has NO relationship to safely flying a drone under 400 feet. A helicopter's "glide path" or landing pattern is measured in hundreds of feet, not miles. I made my calls and the heliports couldn't give a rip and reportedly didn't even write anything down. Their attitude was "unless you are next door or in the immediate neighborhood, why are you bothering us?" I agree. The FAA needs to update their rules so that they are somewhat logical. Just my two cents.

Helicopters fly 100-250ft in the air in my neighborhood ( i live by a freeway and and they report traffic)

 

[Andrew F]

Helicopters fly 100-250ft in the air in my neighborhood ( i live by a freeway and and they report traffic)

I highly doubt it - not you. They are higher than you think. If they are really that low, video tape them and report it and they will lose their license.

 

[Syphon]

Helicopters fly 100-250ft in the air in my neighborhood ( i live by a freeway and and they report traffic)

Doubt they are that low. I thought they were that low too, but once I got the drone, I realized how different I judged altitude. 400ft up, well 390ish feet up is actually much lower than I thought and I realize most helicopters, even traffic/news helicopters are above that, which they are supposed to be at 500ft. What tricks you is their size. They look lower because how big they are. If a 747 buzzed your house at 500ft, you would think it was pretty much right on top of you. The size of the aircraft really plays a big part.

 

[wifideath]

Doubt they are that low. I thought they were that low too, but once I got the drone, I realized how different I judged altitude. 400ft up, well 390ish feet up is actually much lower than I thought and I realize most helicopters, even traffic/news helicopters are above that, which they are supposed to be at 500ft. What tricks you is their size. They look lower because how big they are. If a 747 buzzed your house at 500ft, you would think it was pretty much right on top of you. The size of the aircraft really plays a big part.

i have an app that shows their altitude and its around 150ft

 

[SteveT1]

i have an app that shows their altitude and its around 150ft

What App are you using? I would be interested I have a bunch of low flyers here.
thanks,
steve t

 

[wifideath]

What App are you using? I would be interested I have a bunch of low flyers here.
thanks,
steve t

Flightradar24 App

 

[scottg9999]

From my experience many of the heliports are hard to track down VALID phone numbers for and if you can, they don't seem to care. Only real issue I had with a heliport I spoke to was for a hospital. He said he was the coordinator for the hospital but the flights are run using a helicopter service that he wouldn't provide the contact information. He told me flying anywhere near the hospital would be stupid and I would be liable if anything happened (lol... this would always be the case). He wouldn't define what he meant by "near" but he always wouldn't say flying 3 miles away at <400' would not impact their flight path either. I view it as notification for that flight, but seems worthless to try and contact them to make additional flights.

 

[Andrew F]

Flightradar24 App

Spent too much time on this but your app will NOT provide accurate data for helicopters below 5,000 feet. I'm surprised you see them at all on your app. Unless they are commercial transport Copters, they do not have the type of transponder to provide that level of resolution. Take a video and report them if you ever see it again and they may very well lose their license if they are really that low.

 

[Skydog]

Well I'm on week 2 of owning a drone and finally got around to calling all the heliports in the area and they all seem to not know what to do with the information I'm giving them. Very interesting since FAA requires the notification but it seems like all they all have never been notified before. The FAA show 70 drones in my town, surely I can't be the first to call them.


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Can you provide a FAA link that shows the drones in town?


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[RFaust]

Responding to the statement made about news Helicopters flying at 100-200ft AGL, I don't buy it. 500ft is minimum where unpopulated and 1,000ft where populated. It would be crazy to fly lower - the rules allow for an aircraft to find a landing spot should they lose power.
BTW: News/traffic copters use really long lenses.
Also the Flightrader app would be a disappointment. IMO

 

[Andrew F]

Responding to the statement made about news Helicopters flying at 100-200ft AGL, I don't buy it. 500ft is minimum where unpopulated and 1,000ft where populated. It would be crazy to fly lower - the rules allow for an aircraft to find a landing spot should they lose power.
BTW: News/traffic copters use really long lenses.
Also the Flightrader app would be a disappointment. IMO

Totally agree.

 

[DonB]

Can you provide a FAA link that shows the drones in town?


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FAA Releases Drone Registration Location Data