Do I need to get approval to fly here?

spudster · Apr 30, 2021

All of these different area restrictions can be confusing to this newbie. To help me understand some of it I have an area I want to fly in and it looks to be a Class D area because of a nearby airport. Looking at the Airmap app it is showing a 400' limit but the warnings are saying I can only get automatic authorization below 200'. Flying a Mini2. Attaching a screenshot of the area. Can someone explain this to me? Thanks!

Thomas B · Apr 30, 2021

Approval from who?

spudster · Apr 30, 2021

Exactly. That's what I am asking. I did notice one small part of the flight plan was in a 200' zone.

MARK (LI) · Apr 30, 2021

You might try B4UFly App on your phone...it may give a better explanation

Recoveryone · Apr 30, 2021

just submit your flight plan via Airmap, B4UFly or any other LAANC service app and see what comes back. You will either get approved or not and it will tell you what your limits are. If it comes back with a "Further info needed" message you will need FAA authorization/clearance

neggy · Apr 30, 2021

You are near FMY and there WILL be planes in that area .... I know I was flying there just a couple of weeks ago.... you are also on the edge of RSW's class C but that starts at 1200' which is why the GA guys are at 1000' there normally

Get permission, stay below the altitude allowed, you'll be fine.

Either that or stay on the north side of the river ....

That area can be a tad sketchy, a big homeless problem YMMV

The railroad draw bridge further up river is a great flight, especially when there is a train going over... somewhere on YT there is someone following a Seminole RR Dinner train northbound.

Try The Boathouse Tiki Hut & Grill up on Rt 31....

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brett8883 · Apr 30, 2021

spudster said:
All of these different area restrictions can be confusing to this newbie. To help me understand some of it I have an area I want to fly in and it looks to be a Class D area because of a nearby airport. Looking at the Airmap app it is showing a 400' limit but the warnings are saying I can only get automatic authorization below 200'. Flying a Mini2. Attaching a screenshot of the area. Can someone explain this to me? Thanks!

You need to get authorization through LAANC via AirMap to fly within the circle. You can only request up to a maximum height of what is listed inside the box.

Right now you don’t have a specific flight plan made up in AirMap so it’s telling you all the nearby restrictions. When you submit your flight plan as long as you don’t have it going into any 200 ft boxes you can request up to the maximum 400 ft.

Up to 400 ft example flight plan

Up to 200 ft example flight plan

spudster · Apr 30, 2021

neggy said:
You are near FMY and there WILL be planes in that area .... I know I was flying there just a couple of weeks ago.... you are also on the edge of RSW's class C but that starts at 1200' which is why the GA guys are at 1000' there normally
....

Thanks for all the info everyone. The screenshots I posted are from Airmap and b4ufly. I just wasn't sure if I was headed in the right direction. I want to be sure I learn the right way to fly safely.

I'm from the area so plan on investigating further east up the Caloosahatchee. It's just that Lofton's Island (between the Edison spans) used to be all wooded. It's been pretty much cleared out and the owner is planning making it an recreation area of it. Would like to get some shots of it as it is now and see how it progresses over time.

neggy · Apr 30, 2021

I am familiar with Lofton's, hopefully they will do something good with it, and not ruin it like they did with Downtown Fort Myers (the former home of one of the greatest bike nights in the country)

PS the story behind Lofton's is pretty interesting

spudster · Apr 30, 2021

brett8883 said:
You need to get authorization through LAANC via AirMap to fly within the circle. You can only request up to a maximum height of what is listed inside the box.

....

Thank you for explaining that and giving examples. Helps a lot.

spudster · Apr 30, 2021

OK, here is another "can I fly here" question that some may think is dumb. I know that you can't fly in Florida state parks. Looking at the map in Airmap they show the state park restrictions in green but there is no green area on the beach itself (see attached). Does this mean that it can be flown on the shoreline? Not that I would want to fly over the beach shoreline, just off shore, but just trying to figure out what these maps are telling me so I can make sure I'm doing things right.

brett8883 · May 1, 2021

spudster said:
OK, here is another "can I fly here" question that some may think is dumb. I know that you can't fly in Florida state parks. Looking at the map in Airmap they show the state park restrictions in green but there is no green area on the beach itself (see attached). Does this mean that it can be flown on the shoreline? Not that I would want to fly over the beach shoreline, just off shore, but just trying to figure out what these maps are telling me so I can make sure I'm doing things right.

Even for the State Park you can fly over it you just can’t take off and land there if they don’t allow it.

For this one you can certainly fly over the beach and I have no reason to believe you can’t take off and land there but this would be a local issue not on AirMap as far as if there’s an ordinance against it or something.

Again, I don’t have any reason to believe there is an ordinance against

Thomas B · May 1, 2021

Try low tide and TO/land in the tidal zone if in doubt... tidal zone throughout the US coast is federal land.

spudster · May 1, 2021

Thanks for the info! This is helping to understand all of the ins and outs.

MARK (LI) · May 1, 2021

brett8883 said:
You need to get authorization through LAANC via AirMap to fly within the circle. You can only request up to a maximum height of what is listed inside the box.

Right now you don’t have a specific flight plan made up in AirMap so it’s telling you all the nearby restrictions. When you submit your flight plan as long as you don’t have it going into any 200 ft boxes you can request up to the maximum 400 ft.

Up to 400 ft example flight plan
View attachment 128339
Up to 200 ft example flight plan View attachment 128340

So...can anyone make the request to fly here?...or just if you have 107 Cert?

spudster · May 1, 2021

MARK (LI) said:
So...can anyone make the request to fly here?...or just if you have 107 Cert?

I was able to get approval as a recreational flyer. Using a Mini 2.

brett8883 · May 1, 2021

MARK (LI) said:
So...can anyone make the request to fly here?...or just if you have 107 Cert?

Anyone can get authorization up to the height in the boxes on the map.

Part 107 pilots can get authorization for heights above what is indicated in the boxes but recreational pilots cannot. Any request from recreational pilots for heights above what is indicated on the map will be immediately and automatically rejected.

Zeprider · May 1, 2021

I have simply used DJI Fly to get authorization in these same circumstances. No problemo. I just get a code. Is this the same as a LAANC request?

brett8883 · May 1, 2021

Zeprider said:
I have simply used DJI Fly to get authorization in these same circumstances. No problemo. I just get a code. Is this the same as a LAANC request?

No and this is really really important.

The DJI system is their own unrelated to the process of getting legal authorization from the FAA. In many cases you may need to do both but DJI’s system is less restrictive so in most instances you need FAA authorization through LAANC via AirMap or Kittyhawk but DJI won’t require you to do anything at all. This is why you should check AirMap or KittyHawk before every flight.

This is the major criticism of DJI’s system in that that make it seem so official and make you jump through so many hoops that people think they’ve done what they need to do when in reality they haven’t at all.

If DJI is making you do the code thing there’s almost a 100% chance you also need to get authorization through LAANC.