Hurricane Michael - (Road Trip) Heading from Tampa , FL to Wake Forest, NC tomorrow

FLPilotshark · Oct 10, 2018

We are leave around 9am and it's a 11hr drive to Wake Forest from where we live in the Tampabay area! Hopefully we will barely catch any of this massive Hurricane Michael that suppose to hit landfall tonight somewhere around Panama City Beach! My family is hoping by 2 or 3 pm tomorrow it will be cleared up around the South Carolina area.. But this image that the FAA just put out, does not look good. It should be interesting to see how the conditions are on I -95 North!!!! Ones we get our company certified we could of gone to Panama City beach to help with search and rescue!! Next time.. PER FAA, if you hold a pilot license, they need your help up in the Panhandle area, just have to carry your Airmen pilot license,

PortCanaveralFlorida · Oct 10, 2018

Yep, another Hurricane, I've been through many! As far as FAA AND "FEMA" (they go hand n hand) they already have their members ready and equipped with radios and other communication for these efforts. What they don't need is everyone and his brother that has a UAV/certified or not flying around thinking their doing good and being a hero! There will be other aircraft in the air garenteed, UH-60s for one, 6 left here from PAFB from the 920th Rescue Squadron. So really, it's best to stay out of the sky's for a while. And two, don't fall for farmers here telling you they need your help, "we need all pilots now" sign up and we'll send you spam B.S.! You want to do this kind of work, be employed with FEMA or have a socked up contract with them only, no third party at all!

MaviCam · Oct 10, 2018

@PortCanaveralFlorida

Exactly right!!! DO NOT COME HERE WITH YOUR DRONE.

I got an eMail from the FAA last night that explained it very clearly. Here is the important part:

Hurricane Michael: Information for Drone Operators

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is warning drone owners and operators that they will be subject to significant fines that may exceed $20,000 and civil penalities if they interfere with emergency response operations in the areas affected by Hurricane Michael.

It had a lot more info, but the excerpt, above is the most important part. Since I live where it is expected to make landfall, flying a drone was a pretty low priority for me. I just thought it was interesting that the FAA is reminding drone owners about the rules. Good thing they did it yesterday, because it is pretty certain that I won't have electricity, phone and internet six hours from now. It will be days or weeks before power will be back on.

FLPilotshark · Oct 10, 2018

MaviCam said:
@PortCanaveralFlorida

Exactly right!!! DO NOT COME HERE WITH YOUR DRONE.

I got an eMail from the FAA last night that explained it very clearly. Here is the important part:

Hurricane Michael: Information for Drone Operators

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is warning drone owners and operators that they will be subject to significant fines that may exceed $20,000 and civil penalities if they interfere with emergency response operations in the areas affected by Hurricane Michael.

It had a lot more info, but the excerpt, above is the most important part. Since I live where it is expected to make landfall, flying a drone was a pretty low priority for me. I just thought it was interesting that the FAA is reminding drone owners about the rules. Good thing they did it yesterday, because it is pretty certain that I won't have electricity, phone and internet six hours from now. It will be days or weeks before power will be back on.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
@MavicCam, If your certified and carry an Airmen Pilot license you can get in touch with Fema for Search and Rescues's with your Aircraft if you want to help out, that's PER FAA!
I also got the same email from the FAA but I still have to bring my drone since I have a wedding on Saturday which by then it will be clear to fly in the Wake forest area.
This storm is moving very fast so by Saturday it should be long gone. Fingers crossed!