DJI Mavic, Air and Mini Drones
Friendly, Helpful & Knowledgeable Community
Join Us Now

An M3s Tele Lens photo of an unmarked Black Military Copter That Landed at My Local Private Airport. Is it a Black Hawk? Looks New.

Appreciate the photo of such an advanced military aircraft. Bringing up regulation was never supposed to be part of this post. Just appreciate the capability of the M3 tele lens and the subject matter. No need to quivel over specifics.

This airport is an unregulated airport in "unregulated" airspace. No geo fencing and no LAANC is required.
 
GPS put the drone about 1300 feet from the apron the chopper was on, and the angle is around 40 degrees. A reasonable math guy can find the actual distance based on the FOV of the 630 mm lens equivalence. Altitude of 430 m is also in the file, which puts the drone at 1300 feet MSL and matches the expected elevation angle. So busting rules is what this is about.

And no - that isn't one of the Bin Laden type aircraft - it looks like a generic but newer Sikorski 60 series.
Agree, just a basic off the shelf type however it appears to be a new model based on the nose modification.
 
Appreciate the photo of such an advanced military aircraft. Bringing up regulation was never supposed to be part of this post. Just appreciate the capability of the M3 tele lens and the subject matter. No need to quivel over specifics.

This airport is an unregulated airport in "unregulated" airspace. No geo fencing and no LAANC is required.
Except that is not a military chopper.

All US airspace is regulated, and that includes where you flew. And, posting photos that prove you were flying illegally doesn't help the rest of us since it brings a spotlight to the fact current regs aren't enough to stop people from doing obviously illegal things. You are just helping the FAA justify stricter rules.
 
Except that is not a military chopper.

All US airspace is regulated, and that includes where you flew. And, posting photos that prove you were flying illegally doesn't help the rest of us since it brings a spotlight to the fact current regs aren't enough to stop people from doing obviously illegal things. You are just helping the FAA justify stricter rules.
Airports in G4 airspace are allowed to be crossed during a drone run from point A to point B. There is no distance limit to the airport itself. Requirements include awareness of traffic patterns and to move your drone out of the way of incoming or takeoff traffic. Basically stay situationally alert.

From ALOFT: "Understand that, small airports in Class G uncontrolled airspace and all types of Class E (excluding Class E2) controlled airspace do not require FAA authorization for drone operations up to 400 ft AGL but you should have extra vigilance to safety precautions during these operations.."
 
I'll let the reader figure out the colored lines... but Class G it isn't (at the altitude the drone was at).

Capture.JPG
 
  • Like
Reactions: Moozer and Ty Pilot
Is it a military Aircraft or not? Civilian aircraft must be marked. This one is not. It must be military. Right?


Any aircraft can be without perm markings.... it's common when ferrying an aircraft from a Maintenance/Factory Facility to the paint facility etc. They just have to have a Section 333 Exemption or some other "allowance" to operate outside of the existing FARs.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Don Testme
Plus the minor detail it is sitting in a wide open public airport open to just about anyone walking in and touching it.
 
posting photos that prove you were flying illegally doesn't help the rest of us since it brings a spotlight to the fact current regs aren't enough to stop people from doing obviously illegal things. You are just helping the FAA justify stricter rules.
This is bizarre logic.
What he might have done doesn't hurt or help the rest of us.
And If current regulations don't stop some people from breaking them, why would you think that stricter rules would?
 
  • Like
Reactions: MAvic_South_Oz
This is bizarre logic.
What he might have done doesn't hurt or help the rest of us.
And If current regulations don't stop some people from breaking them, why would you think that stricter rules would?

Heck yeah, you only have to look at motor vehicle road laws and how that works for the law abiding.
 
Appreciate the photo of such an advanced military aircraft. Bringing up regulation was never supposed to be part of this post. Just appreciate the capability of the M3 tele lens and the subject matter. No need to quivel over specifics.

This airport is an unregulated airport in "unregulated" airspace. No geo fencing and no LAANC is required.
"Uncontrolled airport" and "uncontrolled airspace". All airspace in the U.S. is regulated.

Sort of splitting hairs here, but accuracy matters in the FAA land.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigAl07
"Uncontrolled airport" and "uncontrolled airspace". All airspace in the U.S. is regulated.

Sort of splitting hairs here, but accuracy matters in the FAA land.
THE FAA DISAGREES WITH YOUR QUOTATIONS. Here is a quote from the FAA:
Controlled airspace is found around some airports and at certain altitudes where air traffic controllers are actively communicating with, directing, and separating all air traffic. Other airspace is considered uncontrolled in the sense that air traffic controllers are not directing air traffic within its limits.

In general, you can only fly your drone in uncontrolled airspace below 400 feet above the ground (AGL).

Website page :https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_fliers/where_can_i_fly/airspace_101/
 
THE FAA DISAGREES WITH YOUR QUOTATIONS. Here is a quote from the FAA:
Controlled airspace is found around some airports and at certain altitudes where air traffic controllers are actively communicating with, directing, and separating all air traffic. Other airspace is considered uncontrolled in the sense that air traffic controllers are not directing air traffic within its limits.

In general, you can only fly your drone in uncontrolled airspace below 400 feet above the ground (AGL).

Website page :https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_fliers/where_can_i_fly/airspace_101/
I think you’re missing the point. What Vic is saying is that there is no such thing as unregulated airspace in the U.S. There is controlled airspace and uncontrolled airspace, but it is all regulated whether or not it is controlled. There is nothing in your quote from the FAA that contradicts that.
 
THE FAA DISAGREES WITH YOUR QUOTATIONS. Here is a quote from the FAA:
Controlled airspace is found around some airports and at certain altitudes where air traffic controllers are actively communicating with, directing, and separating all air traffic. Other airspace is considered uncontrolled in the sense that air traffic controllers are not directing air traffic within its limits.

In general, you can only fly your drone in uncontrolled airspace below 400 feet above the ground (AGL).

Website page :https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_fliers/where_can_i_fly/airspace_101/
No they don't.

You wrote, "This airport is an unregulated airport in "unregulated" airspace. No geo fencing and no LAANC is required." There is no such thing as "unregulated" airports or unregulated airspace.

It's just the wrong word, but it's an important distinction.
 
No they don't.

You wrote, "This airport is an unregulated airport in "unregulated" airspace. No geo fencing and no LAANC is required." There is no such thing as "unregulated" airports or unregulated airspace.

It's just the wrong word, but it's an important distinction.
Plus he was flying at 437 meters, well above the 400 foot drone limit, and well above the 700 floor shown on the chart, so he was flying in Class E CONTROLLED airspace.

Class E airspace is the controlled airspace not classified as Class A, B, C, or D airspace. A large amount of the airspace over the United States is designated as Class E airspace. David. This provides sufficient airspace for the safe control and separation of aircraft during IFR operations.
 
As fa r as "unmarked" it probably is well marked. These military craft are painted flat black. The markings are semi-gloss. Unless you are in the right position, you will not see them.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BigAl07
Lycus Tech Mavic Air 3 Case

DJI Drone Deals

New Threads

Forum statistics

Threads
130,984
Messages
1,558,573
Members
159,978
Latest member
James Hoogenboom