Gonna FILM the AIRPORT (Sofia International Airport)

[Mavic_Mini_Pilot]

Hello guys, I was flying out from my balcony, and as I live in one of them blue DJI Authorization zones I decided that I'll film the actual airport with the airplanes taking off and landing. I'll be very far away from them, so I will not interfere at all. I realized that I can actually reach vision of Sofia Airport when watching my video in full QHD definition and I saw the airport just before my descent back to home.

My plan for today and especially for tomorrow will be to film some airplanes coming in landing and also other taking off. I never realized how close I live to the airport until this flight.

From 5:55 to about 6:27 you can see the airport and its one runway in the distance, also you can see some airplanes parked nicely on the ground, and even this plane that just took off! This was at 150m above Sofia, I think that I'll have a better view of the airport from about 200m or maybe even up to 300m so that I can catch them planes very nicely as they come in for landings or even film a nice take off.

So plan is to Film Sofia Airport during the day, and maybe even at night, depending on how well the airport is lit. I'm about quite far from the actual place, about 5 km I think! So I will not interfere with the flights, also I don't plan on flying any closer to the airport, just right outside my balcony, maybe 150m ahead of me at most and then up up and away!

It would be cool if I lived even closer to the Airport, I would make such awesome videos.

PS: My Mini will be filming some big planes about 5 km away in the distance... The planes are pretty well visible in max resolution even though they're 5 km away!

cool cool

 

[RogerDH]

Have you checked the airspace restrictions around the airport?

 

[Mavic_Mini_Pilot]

Have you checked the airspace restrictions around the airport?

Nope. I just follow DJI's Air-Space algorithms which are a part of the DJI Fly App and also I fly very carefullyand vry responsibly! I am 5 km away from the airport while filming it - so that's a safe distance. In the video I made you can see the airport is very far away and so all will be good ad safe... Expect videos by tomorrow.. I'm so excited, didn't even know that I can film the airport by just rising 150m above my 4th floor mini pant-house apartment.

Awesome, I really wanna get some shots of the distant planes landing and taking off..

cool cool

 

[Olav van Gerven]

DJI is not the regulator. I know, Bulgaria seems to have only few regulations, but realize, you are not only in relativ proximity to the airport, you are in the midst of a city and there are several military restricted areas relativly close to the airport, as well as at least one official prison. Even if the airport authorities might shrugg their shoulders about a small drone, I doubt that prison and/or military would see it that relaxed.

And even if you are not caught, the disturbance you might cause would shine bad on the responsible droners.

 

[Mavic_Mini_Pilot]

DJI is not the regulator. I know, Bulgaria seems to have only few regulations, but realize, you are not only in relativ proximity to the airport, you are in the midst of a city and there are several military restricted areas relativly close to the airport, as well as at least one official prison. Even if the airport authorities might shrugg their shoulders about a small drone, I doubt that prison and/or military would see it that relaxed.

And even if you are not caught, the disturbance you might cause would shine bad on the responsible droners.

I actually have permission from DJI to fly around(not over) the not one but 2 Military bases that are near my place. DJI recognizes them all and made me agree to full liability if anything goes wrong, so I'll most definitely be flying right above my own place, where I live. Not even above the stadium, just above the car parking that is right outside my building.

The prison is very far away and I've never had a prompt about the Prison yet. Usually every day just when I'm taking off, my Mini prevents me! It first tells me that I'm in a DJI GEO blue authorization zone and that I cannot take off before I agree to all liabilities and other similar stuff, 4 checkboxes just for Sofia Airport I have to check, and then 3 for each of the 2 Military bases and that's it! I can take off and fly, oh yes and 2 more checkboxes for some warning and enhanced warning airspace. I really don't mind the Airport nor the Military bases, as if they have a problem they're welcome to take my drone down, or contact me and inform me that it's not OK to do what I'm doing. I'm not harming anyone, and I'm not doing anything illegal at all.

All I'm doing is filming my city from right above where I live, no spying on any Military bases, I honestly don't even know exactly where they are - I don't try to look for them or anything, I just noticed today after watching my video in its maximum resolution that I can see the runway and some airplanes. And that is from my place, if it were a sky scraper I'd get the same view. lol

The cool thing about the Mini is that once its about over 120m up high or a bit higher, say 150m then the Mini cannot be heard nor seen from the ground! So once I'm up there, nobody is even gonna notice me at all, I just do my 5 to 10 minute video of planes landing and taking off and back home I come quick quick the same way as you see in my current video.



Yeah Bulgaria doesn't have any official rules, but it is our Responsibility to fly safely and respect others. This is why I will not venture away and head to fly exactly over the military bases or start flying towards the actual Airport. I just fly out the balcony, then straight up to 200m or so, and then I do a pirouette and come back home, that's all.

cool cool

 

[Olav van Gerven]

DJI is NOT the party to give you permission to fly in certain areas. DJI works with general information they get from the authorities. Based on that, they can release a certain area through the software, but you still will need the approval of the authorities to fly.

And for the millitary, it is not important that you say "I don't want to spy..." If they feel you could be spying, you have a problem; in case they think you might be spying, the problem gets bigger and if they think you are spying, your problem will be even bigger. The thing is, for millitary it is irrelevant what you say, it is their risk assesment that determins the procedure. And believe me or not, I know how these risk assesments are made in the millitary.

 

[Mavic_Mini_Pilot]

DJI is NOT the party to give you permission to fly in certain areas. DJI works with general information they get from the authorities. Based on that, they can release a certain area through the software, but you still will need the approval of the authorities to fly.

And for the millitary, it is not important that you say "I don't want to spy..." If they feel you could be spying, you have a problem; in case they think you might be spying, the problem gets bigger and if they think you are spying, your problem will be even bigger. The thing is, for millitary it is irrelevant what you say, it is their risk assesment that determins the procedure. And believe me or not, I know how these risk assesments are made in the millitary.

That's cool, thanks for the heads up...

I'll keep it in mind.

Like I said, I'm flying right outside where I live. Where else to fly if I can fly in my very own area, right outside.

My aim is to just fly to 500m above Sofia, just outside my balcony, do one or pirouettes at maximum altitude and just have a quick look around from half a kilometer up in the area. I think my home City is beautiful when busy, especially from high up. Also I plan to do the same thing at night, the city lights must be really beautiful!

I'm a very responsible pilot, and my dad and grandfather were both Civil Aviation Pilots of real commercial airplanes, flying Airbus A380, A320, Boeing 737 and other, just my dad has 16500 hours in the air!! He was flying for Balkan Bulgarian Airlines long ago, then for many other Airlines till he retired about 6 years ago...

So I have some experience myself in listening about aviation and its rules all my life, since I was born...

I really really think and plan my flights very carefully before I take off out the balcony, the whole flight is planned very well, exactly where I will go and what I will do.

Worry not about anything, just enjoy my new videos which I'll upload of Sofia city as I get the courage to fly higher and higher above the City - and film the airport.

Cool cool

 

[Unknown Pilot]

I actually have permission from DJI to fly around(not over) the not one but 2 Military bases that are near my place. DJI recognizes them all and made me agree to full liability if anything goes wrong, so I'll most definitely be flying right above my own place, where I live. Not even above the stadium, just above the car parking that is right outside my building.

DJI has zero authority. They're happy to let me fly in places where regulations clearly state I should not be.

 

[bcfd29]

this is not going to end well...

 

[le_wib]

Hi FYI in july 2020 drone regulations will start to change in your country, as Bulgaria is part of Europe. Check the official website EU Regulations Updates - Drone Rules

I was nearby an airport never the less I would fly a drone. no matter good intention there is. Flight space is regulated for a reason.

 

[Matriculated01]

Regardless of what Bulgaria’s regulations are, this just seems like a bad idea. Flying legally does not necessarily mean flying smart.