....maybe there should have been?
The Ironman triathalon is held in Kailua Kona every year, I've been around for the last few years but this was my first year as a drone pilot. I was knocking around the idea of getting some footage of the athletes and spectators but recalled that there are usually a few helicopters buzzing around shooting videos for promotions and news footage. Kept checking Skyvector and general Google searches for any potential TFRs, and none ever popped up. I assumed that meant the choppers were going to be operating WAAAY up there, outside the potential realm of legally operated hobbyist drones. Nope. Not an expert but based on what I saw they were occasionally operating approximately 60'-200', though usually much higher. Three of them within a few square miles.
I just found this:
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/atl/local_more/media/nlowfly.pdf
Excerpt (and trimmed for clarity):
91.119 Minimum safe altitudes;
(c) ·An altitude of 500 feet above the surface except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In that case, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure. (d) ·Helicopters. ·Helicopters may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed In paragraph (b) or (c) of this section if the operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface.
And come to think of it, yes, all their low-level flying was out over the bay, not over people/boats, etc.
Still strikes me as odd though that for the sake of safety they wouldn't enact a TFR.
Thoughts?
In the end, I was still able to snag some decent footage as the choppers are really only there to film the professional athletes, (only a small segment of the competitors) as such they're gone from my area for the majority of the day. DJI Go4 app also applied no restrictions on the flights today.
The Ironman triathalon is held in Kailua Kona every year, I've been around for the last few years but this was my first year as a drone pilot. I was knocking around the idea of getting some footage of the athletes and spectators but recalled that there are usually a few helicopters buzzing around shooting videos for promotions and news footage. Kept checking Skyvector and general Google searches for any potential TFRs, and none ever popped up. I assumed that meant the choppers were going to be operating WAAAY up there, outside the potential realm of legally operated hobbyist drones. Nope. Not an expert but based on what I saw they were occasionally operating approximately 60'-200', though usually much higher. Three of them within a few square miles.
I just found this:
https://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/field_offices/fsdo/atl/local_more/media/nlowfly.pdf
Excerpt (and trimmed for clarity):
91.119 Minimum safe altitudes;
(c) ·An altitude of 500 feet above the surface except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In that case, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure. (d) ·Helicopters. ·Helicopters may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed In paragraph (b) or (c) of this section if the operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface.
And come to think of it, yes, all their low-level flying was out over the bay, not over people/boats, etc.
Still strikes me as odd though that for the sake of safety they wouldn't enact a TFR.
Thoughts?
In the end, I was still able to snag some decent footage as the choppers are really only there to film the professional athletes, (only a small segment of the competitors) as such they're gone from my area for the majority of the day. DJI Go4 app also applied no restrictions on the flights today.
