Two guys in the same area flying within 5 miles of airports

ovyyus · Nov 6, 2016

Don't break rules, don't push boundaries, don't expect progress.

kmaluo · Nov 6, 2016

ovyyus said:
Don't break rules, don't push boundaries, don't expect progress.

Add, and don't ruin it for everyone else.

LuvMyTJ · Nov 6, 2016

Ok people... thats enough arguing. The OP has answered his accusers so back on topic or not at all.

Also, all hobby flyers area allowed to fly in the 5 Mile radius of an airport. For hobby flyers all that is required is to notify the tower.

Raptorman · Nov 6, 2016

LuvMyTJ said:
Ok people... thats enough arguing. The OP has answered his accusers so back on topic or not at all.

Also, all hobby flyers area allowed to fly in the 5 Mike radius of an airport. For hobby flyers all that is required is to notify the tower.

One correction I have to make here ...

While its true a hobby flier can contact the airports and helipads that overlap the area of flight it is not a guarantee that you will be permitted to fly. If, for example, you wanted to fly within 4 miles of the SLC airport and your flight plans kept you below, say 200 feet, you might think all you need to do is call them and tell them what you're going to do. But, if the president is flying into SLC airport on Airforce 1 I can assure you that you will NOT be permitted to fly. The idea that all you need to do is contact them and they can like it or not is flat wrong as my example with Airforce 1 should prove.

Brian

m0j0 · Nov 6, 2016

HeliFreak said:
I've got no hate for the guy, and I'm not a whistle blower, but I am SO surprised he hasn't been contacted (or worse) by the FAA yet.

Do you guys know how many FAA employees there are nationwide? I have said this 100 times before. They don't have time to troll YouTube looking for people to warn. If you are an idiot and do something stupid yeah you may hear from them but like any regulatory agency they have more important things to do.

m0j0 · Nov 6, 2016

The snobbish attitudes on these forums are amazing. To be honest I was the most cautious when I first started flying. Stop blaming it on new fliers. The folks that break the rules the most aren't traditionally the new guys. It's more likely to be someone that has experience flying. Does it really matter. If they are flying outside the rules educate them without being a tool. It's more likely to result in a change of behavior. To be honest nobody even knows if they are outside the rules.

LuvMyTJ · Nov 6, 2016

Raptorman said:
One correction I have to make here ...

While its true a hobby flier can contact the airports and helipads that overlap the area of flight it is not a guarantee that you will be permitted to fly. If, for example, you wanted to fly within 4 miles of the SLC airport and your flight plans kept you below, say 200 feet, you might think all you need to do is call them and tell them what you're going to do. But, if the president is flying into SLC airport on Airforce 1 I can assure you that you will NOT be permitted to fly. The idea that all you need to do is contact them and they can like it or not is flat wrong as my example with Airforce 1 should prove.

Brian

Don't convolute to message here. The purpose of calling is to let them know your plans. Obviously if there is a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) filed with an aviation authority they will alert aircraft pilots of potential hazards along a flight route or at a location that could affect the safety of the flight. If AF1 is going to be landing nearby they will let you know that too.

The hobby rules are as follows...

Fly in accordance with the Special Rule for Model Aircraft (Public Law 112-95 Section 336). Under this rule, operators must:

Fly for hobby or recreational purposes only
Follow a community-based set of safety guidelines
Fly the UAS within visual line-of-sight
Give way to manned aircraft
Provide prior notification to the airport and air traffic control tower, if one is present, when flying within 5 miles of an airport
Fly UAS that weigh no more than 55 lbs. unless certified by a community-based organization
Register the aircraft (UAS over 0.55 lbs. and less than 55 lbs. can be registered online at registermyuas.faa.gov; UAS 55 lbs. or greater must be registered through the FAA's paper-based process)

DroneDad · Nov 6, 2016

I encountered something along these lines, only it wasn't about proximity to airports. I found a video on YouTube that the guy shot flying above and around the Golden Gate Bridge. In one part, you can see a helicopter flying under the bridge, well below the drone. I made a comment inquiring about how he got the FAA exclusion/permission to fly above the 400' and above people/roads, and the response I got was profanity and threats. Not just from the original posting individual, but from others as well. He complained that I was going to get him in trouble, and I opted not to point out the fact that he was the one who'd posted the video in a public forum of him clearly violating FAA regulations. Go figure.

flatland · Nov 6, 2016

I've got a question about how this applies to rural airports. I've been flying RC planes and helicopters for over 10 years but the Mavic will be my first drone.

Would the control tower part exempt a lot of rural airports from being notified, or do the airport operators still need to be contacted? The reason I ask is because of where I live. See the screenshot below (full size attached).

The way each five mile radius overlaps precludes anyone from flying within the city I live in, as well as just about anywhere else close by. These are not places operating like an airport. They are pretty much all a grass runway on someone's ranch and I doubt these see much use. I know this isn't a legal forum but was hoping someone could weigh in on this. Will I actually have to drive 30 minutes to legally fly?

LuvMyTJ · Nov 6, 2016

DroneDad said:
I encountered something along these lines, only it wasn't about proximity to airports. I found a video on YouTube that the guy shot flying above and around the Golden Gate Bridge. In one part, you can see a helicopter flying under the bridge, well below the drone. I made a comment inquiring about how he got the FAA exclusion/permission to fly above the 400' and above people/roads, and the response I got was profanity and threats. Not just from the original posting individual, but from others as well. He complained that I was going to get him in trouble, and I opted not to point out the fact that he was the one who'd posted the video in a public forum of him clearly violating FAA regulations. Go figure.

The Golden Gate bridge is mostly a NFZ so he was probably in the wrong. The 400' rule is not a law and you can indeed fly higher than 400' in some circumstances.

(c) Not fly higher than approximately 400 feet above ground level within three (3) miles of an airport without notifying the airport operator.

SOURCE: http://www.modelaircraft.org/files/105.PDF

flatland said:
I've got a question about how this applies to rural airports. I've been flying RC planes and helicopters for over 10 years but the Mavic will be my first drone.

Would the control tower part exempt a lot of rural airports from being notified, or do the airport operators still need to be contacted? The reason I ask is because of where I live. See the screenshot below (full size attached).

View attachment 931

The way each five mile radius overlaps precludes anyone from flying within the city I live in, as well as just about anywhere else close by. These are not places operating like an airport. They are pretty much all a grass runway on someone's ranch and I doubt these see much use. I know this isn't a legal forum but was hoping someone could weigh in on this. Will I actually have to drive 30 minutes to legally fly?

My local AMA club field is next to a small airport as many of them are. Also, I fly near a grass farm runway that hasn't had a plane go down it in 30 years but it is still listed on maps. If you are concerned call the FAA and ask for their guidance on local strips near you. In most cases you can fly, just be vigilant and yield to manned aircraft.

cobra46 · Dec 19, 2016

getoutandplay said:
Agreed. People like him try to find the negative and look for faults in most things. I am a private pilot (and own two airplanes) as well as a part 107 holder and I still get people trying to tell me about airspace all the time.

I'm also have my private ticket. Did they just add your 107 to it like adding any other additional rating or is it an actual separate card?

Thanks

getoutandplay · Dec 19, 2016

cobra46 said:
I'm also have my private ticket. Did they just add your 107 to it like adding any other additional rating or is it an actual separate card?

Thanks

It is a separate card and a different cert #. Here is mine: Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

Andrew F · Dec 19, 2016

Peel said:
The problem with B4UFly app is that it really doesn't give you enough information to contact all those places, especially the helipads. I have several in my vicinity which simply say "private helipad" how is anyone supposed to figure out how to contact that? I really wish the app had a phone number for each one so you knew how to contact them. The FAA must keep a database of that info, correct?

Sent from my iPad using MavicPilots

Besides, a helipad 5 miles away has NO relationship to a drone being legally and safely flown under 400 feet.

RIDETOEAT · Dec 20, 2016

I think we need to let folks police themselves as the system is now set up to educate and do so, and fly our own drones rather than spending our time irresponsibly calling out others for maybe doing something wrong.

Fishstiq · Dec 20, 2016

Threads like this one are the exact reason I am extremely reluctant to share any of my images/videos publicly. I guarantee I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Oh, and before the Drone Police show up with accusations and "I bet"'s, I fly my Mav legally and safely. I'm reluctant to share any footage because its not worth having some DJW (Drone Justice Warrior?) question whether I got all my vaccination shots and checked my mirrors before backing and washed my hands after peeing before I flew.

DroningOn · Dec 20, 2016

Fishstiq said:
Threads like this one are the exact reason I am extremely reluctant to share any of my images/videos publicly. I guarantee I'm not the only one who feels this way.

Oh, and before the Drone Police show up with accusations and "I bet"'s, I fly my Mav legally and safely. I'm reluctant to share any footage because its not worth having some DJW (Drone Justice Warrior?) question whether I got all my vaccination shots and checked my mirrors before backing and washed my hands after peeing before I flew.

I couldn't have said it better!!

Rezistrat · Feb 9, 2017

The problem i have is the hover app doesnt show all the grass stripps and heli ports that b4ufly does. But it seems the most sensible app

MavPro Buddy · Feb 13, 2017

As one of the newbies...

I'm starting into real estate videography and home inspection, offering my drone as one service. I'm trying to find a clear-cut regulation that answers my question, so if you can point me in the right direction, that would be great.

I'm in Provo, which is entirely covered by airports (including helipads). I'm pretty sure I won't be able to get approval for that around the Provo airport, so I'm not even going to bother.

However, what are the regulations for helipads? Obviously, I'm going to stay as far away from them as possible. but is the area surrounding helipads Class G airspace? I look it up on the B4UFLY app, and is says "Restricted - Provo Muni Class D" when I'm in that 5-mile radius, but it doesn't give me any flight restrictions around the helipads, just an advisory. I've also tried contacting some of these helipads, but the people that answer haven't had any idea of what I'm asking.

A little help here would be great, especially with a source.

Thanks!

TRP · Feb 13, 2017

With the availability and promotions of newer modern day drones we will see a huge influx of newbie fliers. We can show them rules and regulations but only hope that they apply it in real flying scenarios. I am guilty of policing a few months ago but the FAA has stepped up and have attempted to regulate it and set an example for other fliers. Ill let prospective fliers proceed with their due diligence and hopefully they are aware of the responsibility that comes with buying a multirotor. Seems common sense nowadays is rare. Some people will pay for their ignorance.