Flying inside the city

realitycheck · Sep 7, 2017

Quick question for all you guys. This weekend I'll be going into the city and flying my question is for all you that have flown in the city will it effect my compass and GPS being around the buildings and metal?
I've never flown in the city before just don't want any issues and want to fly safe and keep it from flying away, ha.
I did read of one guy that flew with the compass messed up inside the city and his flew away.
Anything I need to be on the lookout for?

dewster · Sep 7, 2017

The cops.

newguy · Sep 7, 2017

Large buildings will interrupt GPS signal....I Tried it and dropped from 67 feet down the side of a building ....amazed that I only broke props

ric96 · Sep 7, 2017

I fly in the city all the time. Just depends where in the city. Downtown you'll have to worry about signal loss, compass issues and RTH altitude around tall buildings. In the neighborhoods, not so much.

pixl · Sep 7, 2017

Depends on city/country. Laws vary (if you plan to abide by them). But yeah, cops and angry citizens are potential hazards. Flying from a spot where you wont be bothered by either may help.

realitycheck · Sep 7, 2017

What kind of laws are there for in the city? I know heliport about look out for heliport and stuff. As far as I've looked up there now laws in our city.

pixl · Sep 7, 2017

realitycheck said:
What kind of laws are there for in the city? I know heliport about look out for heliport and stuff. As far as I've looked up there now laws in our city.

You don't say where you are, so how would I know? Be specific.

realitycheck · Sep 7, 2017

Birmingham, Alabama

Blacksmith · Sep 7, 2017

realitycheck said:
Quick question for all you guys. This weekend I'll be going into the city and flying my question is for all you that have flown in the city will it effect my compass and GPS being around the buildings and metal?
I've never flown in the city before just don't want any issues and want to fly safe and keep it from flying away, ha.
I did read of one guy that flew with the compass messed up inside the city and his flew away.
Anything I need to be on the lookout for?

Anything I need to be on the lookout for? Keeping it LOS? Maybe dropping it on a sidewalk or in front of a bus?

Not trying to be a ****, but last time I was on the High Line a Mavic was moving erratically overhead, and I had to wonder how a brick falling from 50 feet was going to miss anyone in that crowd.

As far as I can determine, it is not strictly illegal to fly in NYC, meaning there are no specific prohibitions, BUT police can cite you for reckless endangerment and you will end up on the NYPD counter-terrorism watch list, far-fetched as it sounds, but so reported by ABC news.

A fly-away could be the least of your worries, depending of course on where is comes down.

pixl · Sep 7, 2017

Blacksmith said:
Anything I need to be on the lookout for? Keeping it LOS? Maybe dropping it on a sidewalk or in front of a bus?

Not trying to be a ****, but last time I was on the High Line a Mavic was moving erratically overhead, and I had to wonder how a brick falling from 50 feet was going to miss anyone in that crowd.

As far as I can determine, it is not strictly illegal to fly in NYC, meaning there are no specific prohibitions, BUT police can cite you for reckless endangerment and you will end up on the NYPD counter-terrorism watch list, far-fetched as it sounds, but so reported by ABC news.

A fly-away could be the least of your worries, depending of course on where is comes down.

Most of Manhattan is a NFZ, on top of which there are heliports up and down the Hudson and East River,both of which experience a lot of heli traffic. In reality though, the cops have more important stuff on their hands to bother you, though they could. Casey Neistat, who is on very friendly terms with the NYPD flew pretty much with impunity until recently when he found out that he was under multiple investigations by the FAA, and now that he's rich he's a big target to be made an example of. So he's stopped (supposedly, though there is still a lot of b-roll footage on his vlog).

realitycheck · Sep 7, 2017

I'm talking about early morning on the weekend hardly any people around where I'm at.

pixl · Sep 7, 2017

realitycheck said:
Birmingham, Alabama

Check the sectional here: VFRMAP - Digital Aeronautical Charts

And from the FAA website:

Recreational operators are required to give notice for flights within five miles of an airport to both the airport operator and air traffic control tower, if the airport has a tower. However, recreational operations are not permitted in Class B airspace around most major airports without specific air traffic permission and coordination.

Basically all of downtown is in Class B airspace -- at least everything east of Legion Field.

Flycaster · Sep 7, 2017

Check with Casey N. he'll set you straight!!!!

Dotcomguy3020 · Sep 7, 2017

Blacksmith said:
Anything I need to be on the lookout for? Keeping it LOS? Maybe dropping it on a sidewalk or in front of a bus?

Not trying to be a ****, but last time I was on the High Line a Mavic was moving erratically overhead, and I had to wonder how a brick falling from 50 feet was going to miss anyone in that crowd.

As far as I can determine, it is not strictly illegal to fly in NYC, meaning there are no specific prohibitions, BUT police can cite you for reckless endangerment and you will end up on the NYPD counter-terrorism watch list, far-fetched as it sounds, but so reported by ABC news.

A fly-away could be the least of your worries, depending of course on where is comes down.

I would say this... if you drop a penny off 400 ft building, it will sink into the concrete about 6 inches. So imagine if a mp falls out of the sky!

pixl · Sep 7, 2017

Flycaster said:
Check with Casey N. he'll set you straight!!!!

Meaning?

realitycheck · Sep 7, 2017

pixl said:
Check the sectional here: VFRMAP - Digital Aeronautical Charts

And from the FAA website:

Recreational operators are required to give notice for flights within five miles of an airport to both the airport operator and air traffic control tower, if the airport has a tower. However, recreational operations are not permitted in Class B airspace around most major airports without specific air traffic permission and coordination.

Basically all of downtown is in Class B airspace -- at least everything east of Legion Field.

Thanks pixel. Yeah I've been looking at multiple things to check airspace. I know there's not much room to play with there. I just want some sun shots on the buildings.
It'll be hard to see I'm so far away from them though. Haha

Flycaster · Sep 7, 2017

pixl said:
Meaning?

That was a joke, son.

pixl · Sep 7, 2017

realitycheck said:
Thanks pixel. Yeah I've been looking at multiple things to check airspace. I know there's not much room to play with there. I just want some sun shots on the buildings.
It'll be hard to see I'm so far away from them though. Haha

I've done a little of this kind of thing myself -- crack of dawn is a good time to get away with things in my opinion. I don't close hover to any buildings, and dont make a spectacle of myself, and so far no issues.

If you start up your drone downtown, DJI FlySafe will give you a warning that you will need to override, which acknowledges that you know you're flying in restricted airspace, which lets DJI off the hook. I suppose if something really nasty happened this would be your admission of guilt.