Flying from a skyscraper!

[Trackerputnam]

So most other buildings are taller than the roof I was on! Airspace clear to 492’. What about the gaps in between the buildings? I am passing in between builds getting the shots I need. I have to stay away from the hospital because of helicopters. But am I close enough to the next or my building to be ok to fly? Lot of interference from each building because of wifi antennas and such. Still a very technical flight!

 

[virtualphotographers]

why are you flying around skyscrapers and did you get a permit? cant imagine thats OK anywhere what is your RTH set to? Signal loss leads to RTH unless you cancel it.

 

[Trackerputnam]

It was in a limited height area. I laanc it. I was hired to film the target building! RTH was the roof next to me. But to be truthful it was a very small area of the roof the drone and gps would work. But all legal on my end.

 

[Skybuyer]

The scariest flight I ever attempted was between two tall buildings. My M2P got about 150' away and seemed to go into ATTI mode. No stability whatsoever and it took all the skill I could muster to get it back without crashing into one of the buildings which were probably 100' apart. The loss of GPS at such a close distance was unexpected and I had to abort my planned flight. Luckily it was recreational and I had no obligations.

 

[virtualphotographers]

It was in a limited height area. I laanc it. I was hired to film the target building! RTH was the roof next to me. But to be truthful it was a very small area of the roof the drone and gps would work. But all legal on my end.

Cool project to have. How did the MA2 do? Windy between buildings I bet. Love to see some footage

 

[Trackerputnam]

I had no problems from the roof with the wind. It’s a mavic 2 pro and never showed signs of excessive wind. The first time I was there, I refused to take off from street level because of traffic, trolley power lines and such. Permission was obtained and access to roof was easy. When gps was lost first time, I just stayed cool gained altitude and gps came back. From the ground trying to do this same project would have been suicide.

 

[Trackerputnam]

In this picture you can see the skyscraper I flew from!

 

[Trackerputnam]

This is taken right above the building where I was on the roof! Looking back at the warehouse I also filmed!

 

[JimWest]

How did you get clearance to 492'? Seems like an odd number.

 

[BrokenAero]

How did you get clearance to 492'? Seems like an odd number.

150 M

 

[JimWest]

150 M

Sorry. I wasn't very clear. How did you get permission for 492'? My understanding was that you can't get LAANC for above 400' AGL.

 

[tlswift58]

So most other buildings are taller than the roof I was on! Airspace clear to 492’. What about the gaps in between the buildings? I am passing in between builds getting the shots I need. I have to stay away from the hospital because of helicopters. But am I close enough to the next or my building to be ok to fly? Lot of interference from each building because of wifi antennas and such. Still a very technical flight!

I have flown off hotel roofs before, but most of the buildings around me were same or less than where I was in Savannah, GA on the riverside. Even did it at dark, as there is a nice church with 2 lighted steeples about 1/4 mile away (as the drone flies) that I wanted to capture.

It is a freaky feeling taking off and landing 7-8 stories up - but fun as well. Got to EXPAND your HORIZONS!

 

[tlswift58]

Sorry. I wasn't very clear. How did you get permission for 492'? My understanding was that you can't get LAANC for above 400' AGL.

Add in building height he was taking off / landing from. If 9 stories - about 100+ feet tall from "above ground level." His "AGL" would have been 100+ feet high to begin with and if he stayed within the 400' FAA requirement - he did not exceed that height requirement.

 

[Trackerputnam]

Thats what comes up on the controller! 492’ height restriction.?‍

 

[JimWest]

Add in building height he was taking off / landing from. If 9 stories - about 100+ feet tall from "above ground level." His "AGL" would have been 100+ feet high to begin with and if he stayed within the 400' FAA requirement - he did not exceed that height requirement.

That's what I suspected. But in controlled airspace, the AGL height requirements are absolute. Building heights cannot be added to LAANC or DroneZone authorizations.

 

[AtmosphericArts]

Thats what comes up on the controller! 492’ height restriction.?‍

I knew that number sounded familiar. That's just a restriction that's in the controller settings. It has nothing to do with what you're actually authorized for. As others have said, you should have kept it within 400' AGL, not 400' above the building. Additionally, the altitude your controller is saying is relative to your takeoff altitude, so you likely were 92' PLUS the height of the building over what was allowed.

 

[DavidBlezard]

Rule as noted in the Part 107 study/test for air space max altitude is 400’ above any structure as long as you are with a 400’ radius of the structure.

under Part 107 are summarized within Section 107.51. This section is entitled “Operating limitations for small unmanned aircraft”

 

[AtmosphericArts]

Rule as noted in the Part 107 study/test for air space max altitude is 400’ above any structure as long as you are with a 400’ radius of the structure.

under Part 107 are summarized within Section 107.51. This section is entitled “Operating limitations for small unmanned aircraft”

Airspace authorization is almost always limited to height above the ground rather than height above structures like you’d be able to do anywhere else. I’ve talked on the phone with people that authorize this stuff and they didn’t care that I was trying to shoot buildings that were over 400’ tall. I was only authorized to fly up to 400’ above street level even though I was launching from a landing about 250’ up. I had to limit myself to 150’ above takeoff altitude to stay within the rules.

 

[DoomMeister]

Those with Part 107 certification can get authorizations exceeding published ceilings in the sUAS Facilities Maps used by the LAANC system, but the request and subsequent authorization are to a specified height AGL which is absolute. If a job entails flying above a structure that exceeds the Facilities Map altitudes it must be part of the request for clearance.

 

[DavidBlezard]

Airspace authorization is almost always limited to height above the ground rather than height above structures like you’d be able to do anywhere else. I’ve talked on the phone with people that authorize this stuff and they didn’t care that I was trying to shoot buildings that were over 400’ tall. I was only authorized to fly up to 400’ above street level even though I was launching from a landing about 250’ up. I had to limit myself to 150’ above takeoff altitude to stay within the rules.

Sounds like you are in the typical middle of the local people that think they control the airspace when in fact the FAA controls the airspace. The FAA rule is clear. 400’ above a structure unless other airspace restrictions or TRF exist. Good luck.