Airspace Authorization - Part 107 or Recreational

[TxRailbird]

We are preparing to take a trip and I can see I am going to want to fly my drone in a couple of places where airspace is restricted but LAANC is not available. When I submit the authorization, am I better off to submit as recreational or under Part 107? I'm comfortable with the differences in what is available for recreational as far as AGL maximum and location and I'm not going to be taking any photos or videos with an intent to sell or use for profit.

In other words, if I'm making the exact same request regardless of the rule, will I have better luck getting authorization as a recreational pilot or under 107? For what it's worth, the airspace restriction is the outer part of a Class D airspace surrounding a small military base.

 

[Thomas B]

If you have a 107 it’s your call. You will likely be limited in allowed altitude especially if in approach or TO corridors.

Is LAANC or is it declining to authorize the flight? Sounds strange.

 

[TxRailbird]

If you have a 107 it’s your call. You will likely be limited in allowed altitude especially if in approach or TO corridors.

Is LAANC or is it declining to authorize the flight? Sounds strange.

It's an area where LAANC hasn't been activated yet, so I'm having to go through the manual Drone Zone application.

 

[AZFoxes]

I hope you have better luck than I have getting an authorization approved for an area where LAANC is not yet available. The FAA was fairly quick to respond to my online request but only to say the request was sent to the airport manager / tower. It has been weeks, still waiting...

 

[TxRailbird]

I hope you have better luck than I have getting an authorization approved for an area where LAANC is not yet available. The FAA was fairly quick to respond to my online request but only to say the request was sent to the airport manager / tower. It has been weeks, still waiting...

Luckily, I have a few weeks. The website asks that you allow 90 days. I don't have that much lead time, but we'll see what happens.

 

[BigAl07]

I've always submitted as Part 107 because that gives me the allowance to exercise Commercial aspects if I decide to in the area.

Depending on the airspace and authority it could take a few days or up to 90 and it could very well be denied.

 

[Vic Moss]

Apply as a 107. As long as you're not wanting to fly higher than UASFM maximums, they'll set you right up. Won't take long at all.

 

[DougMcC]

I hope you have better luck than I have getting an authorization approved for an area where LAANC is not yet available. The FAA was fairly quick to respond to my online request but only to say the request was sent to the airport manager / tower. It has been weeks, still waiting...

A year ago I had a similar dilemma and the online FAA request was 4 weeks and no reply. The day of the church event I called the tower asked for the manager. He was attentive and asked my plans and location and times and we agreed to an altitude limit of 150 ft and gave his OK. No problem and he was very helpful. My operation was 4.8 miles from the tower over an empty church parking lot for one hour. I realize The FAA has discouraged direct contact with the tower but I was down to the last day! (The LAANC has since gone live)
By the way, the official email arrived from the FAA reviewer 2 weeks after the event and six weeks after the request. My direct interaction with the tower manager could not have been any better.

 

[TxRailbird]

Just to follow up/close out this thread, I decided to submit the application under recreational rules. The area I want to fly has a 100-foot limit and that is plenty for the subjects I'm going to be filming. I realized "want" vs. "need" was the indicator for me as the purpose of the flight. It's vacation and I'm not shooting anything I would would be likely to sell. That's definitely not the intent of the flight.

Somewhat surprisingly I received a response and approval today through Drone Zone. There are some stipulations as far as informing the tower at the nearby AFB, which I completely expected.

All-in-all, a very positive experience in obtaining the approval. I'm looking forward to flying somewhere new in a few weeks. Thank you all for your advice and comments.

 

[BigAl07]

Just to follow up/close out this thread, I decided to submit the application under recreational rules. The area I want to fly has a 100-foot limit and that is plenty for the subjects I'm going to be filming. I realized "want" vs. "need" was the indicator for me as the purpose of the flight. It's vacation and I'm not shooting anything I would would be likely to sell. That's definitely not the intent of the flight.

Somewhat surprisingly I received a response and approval today through Drone Zone. There are some stipulations as far as informing the tower at the nearby AFB, which I completely expected.

All-in-all, a very positive experience in obtaining the approval. I'm looking forward to flying somewhere new in a few weeks. Thank you all for your advice and comments.

Thanks for the update.

 

[W5CI]

We are preparing to take a trip and I can see I am going to want to fly my drone in a couple of places where airspace is restricted but LAANC is not available. When I submit the authorization, am I better off to submit as recreational or under Part 107? I'm comfortable with the differences in what is available for recreational as far as AGL maximum and location and I'm not going to be taking any photos or videos with an intent to sell or use for profit.

In other words, if I'm making the exact same request regardless of the rule, will I have better luck getting authorization as a recreational pilot or under 107? For what it's worth, the airspace restriction is the outer part of a Class D airspace surrounding a small military base.

I have the same exact situation going on here. where I want to fly has a 400 ft limit which is way more than I need.

 

[AZFoxes]

I hope you have better luck than I have getting an authorization approved for an area where LAANC is not yet available. The FAA was fairly quick to respond to my online request but only to say the request was sent to the airport manager / tower. It has been weeks, still waiting...

Update on my request. The FAA contact came back to see if I thought I would fly there again and I said yes as it is a great place to fly. A few days I received a 2 year authorization to fly in the area. Wow. In the end it was a great experience using Drone Zone.

 

[TxRailbird]

Update on my request. The FAA contact came back to see if I thought I would fly there again and I said yes as it is a great place to fly. A few days I received a 2 year authorization to fly in the area. Wow. In the end it was a great experience using Drone Zone.

The optimist in me wants to believe it is in the FAA's interest to make doing the right thing as easy as possible. Glad to hear they actually took time to understand what you really needed and you got more than you expected!

 

[lookout]

ON a recent airspace authorization, the FAA informs me, that they are getting selective on on airport/in airspace authorizations, maximum ceilings below 400' AGL. They are starting to reduce those maximums down to 250' AGL or less.

 

[Vic Moss]

ON a recent airspace authorization, the FAA informs me, that they are getting selective on on airport/in airspace authorizations, maximum ceilings below 400' AGL. They are starting to reduce those maximums down to 250' AGL or less.

Can you please send me the contact of the person who told you that, or the email. [email protected].

 

[lookout]

Can you please send me the contact of the person who told you that, or the email. [email protected].

Just curious the nature. This is class B, C, D, or E surface.

 

[Vic Moss]

Just curious the nature. This is class B, C, D, or E surface.

If someone is limiting your heights to below what you’re allowed to fly (UASFM), they’re not following the rules. Or they have a very specific reason for a very specific area.

 

[lookout]

If someone is limiting your heights to below what you’re allowed to fly (UASFM), they’re not following the rules. Or they have a very specific reason for a very specific area.

I'm doing a Class E2. Without a P107 it would be 0. They stated that changes have occurred just since last year (maybe shown in the part 107 itself, haven't read it all yet). I asked for 400' AGL but that's just a guess figure (I might use it and I might not). The wind would actually have to be really calm to want to go that high outside of any airspace. The constant wind usually keeps me down.

DroneZone shows 250' AGL or below, just like he said, but my actual authorization says 120' AGL or below. Where I'm at is where they're starting to put a limit on.

snippet: reviewed by AJT (Air Traffic Division) at FAA Headquarters in D.C., the UAS division and signatory at the Service Center level, and the ARTCC.

 

[Vic Moss]

I'm doing a Class E2. Without a P107 it would be 0. They stated that changes have occurred just since last year (maybe shown in the part 107 itself, haven't read it all yet). I asked for 400' AGL but that's just a guess figure (I might use it and I might not). The wind would actually have to be really calm to want to go that high outside of any airspace. The constant wind usually keeps me down.

DroneZone shows 250' AGL or below, just like he said, but my actual authorization says 120' AGL or below. Where I'm at is where they're starting to put a limit on.

snippet: reviewed by AJT (Air Traffic Division) at FAA Headquarters in D.C., the UAS division and signatory at the Service Center level, and the ARTCC.

Now I'm more confused. Are you flying in a 0AGL grid, or a 250'AGL Grid? Can you please PM me the address? I'd like to look into this further.

 

[lookout]

Now I'm more confused. Are you flying in a 0AGL grid, or a 250'AGL Grid? Can you please PM me the address? I'd like to look into this further.

I'm throwing you for a loop. Class E is everything else, but an E2, E3, or E4 is a different type of class E.

Typically, class E/G might have a base of 700' AGL. Since drones are limited to 400' AGL, there's no problem. But Class E down to the surface, acts like Class B, Class C, or Class D. So if you don't have a part 107, you'd have the same 0' AGL grid in those areas. So if you have a part 107, then you apply for the airspace waiver and can go past the 0' AGL restriction. But instead of being able to get a 400' AGL like class E or G uncontrolled, they're getting a little nervous and saying let's bring that down. Since it starts at the surface and goes up, the higher you go the more nervous they are getting.

https://www.faa.gov/uas/resources/events_calendar/archive/2019_uas_symposium/media/How_To_Understand_and_Operate_in_Class_E.pdf