Confusion about Seattle

[TheWolfen]

So I'm visiting Seattle right now and am right on the water downtown - just north of the Seattle Aquarium. I've seen multiple references on the forums to many NFZs in downtown Seattle but looking on Airmap, all I see is many heliports and a couple NFZs that I am just outside of. I know some have said that if you call Seattle Seaplanes they will tell you all of downtown is an NFZ but I'm not seeing any in my exact location... Just advisories.

Anyone from Seattle care to comment on how viable it is to fly here? I haven't decided if I would try to fly after seeing how many heliports I'd have to contact but I wanted to be sure that was the only thing holding me back.

Thanks!!!

 

[TheWolfen]

I should add that the two NFZs I am near are the two seaplane bases and I am also within 5 miles of those bases. I'm guessing those are the companies that tell drone pilots not to fly at all here.

 

[TheWolfen]

Another followup as I continue to investigate this. I found the following statement on Seattle.gov:

"No drone use is allowed in the City of Seattle unless the drone activity is commercial filming and permitted with a Seattle Master Film Permit."

Is that actually legal? Since the FAA handles our airspace can a city declare itself off limits to drones? If so, I guess that means I can't fly at all here.

 

[ascension]

I should add that the two NFZs I am near are the two seaplane bases and I am also within 5 miles of those bases. I'm guessing those are the companies that tell drone pilots not to fly at all here.

I'm not sure about the Seattle laws that you pointed out in a subsequent post, but nobody except the FAA has the authority to tell you you can't fly in uncontrolled airspace, least of all some seaplane base operator.
You can agree to abide by their desires, but they don't control uncontrolled airspace, and have no authority.

 

[747P4]

So I'm visiting Seattle right now and am right on the water downtown - just north of the Seattle Aquarium. I've seen multiple references on the forums to many NFZs in downtown Seattle but looking on Airmap, all I see is many heliports and a couple NFZs that I am just outside of. I know some have said that if you call Seattle Seaplanes they will tell you all of downtown is an NFZ but I'm not seeing any in my exact location... Just advisories.

Anyone from Seattle care to comment on how viable it is to fly here? I haven't decided if I would try to fly after seeing how many heliports I'd have to contact but I wanted to be sure that was the only thing holding me back.

Thanks!!!

There are television news stations downtown, such as Komo 4 news, which have/had helicopter operations there.
Of course the sea planes are also operating nearby as well as Boeing field down South (near the cranes) along with Renton field. There are also hospital heli pads in and around the city expanses.

Hope this helps.

 

[TheWolfen]

I completely forgot to update this thread while I was in Seattle, but I'll add it now. So the heliports were so plentiful and the seaplane port so busy that I realized there was no point in even trying to fly around downtown Seattle.

I did find a nice spot on Bainbridge Island near the ferry terminal though. I tried calling the one heliport in the area but never got through. It was a great area to fly and even had a nice distant view of downtown Seattle!