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Notifying Airports - trying to do this the right way

CashCache

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I've identified an area in my city that I want to fly and get some video. The area is urban but not in a NFZ. Edit: This is in the US.

When looking at this using Airmap, it is a Yellow zone listing 16 different entries:

1 Class B Airport - 4.1 miles away
7 Medical heliports
1 Police station heliport
1 Radio station heliport
2 TV station heliports
1 Bank heliport
2 real estate heliports
1 Hotel heliport

My plan is to call all 16 locations before I fly to let them know where, when and how high. I'm doing this for fun and not for hire. I'm registered with the FAA and my ID is firmly stamped on my Mavic.

I want to confidently fly in this area knowing I followed all the rules and did what I was expected to do. In other words, I want to relax and not have to worry or look over my shoulder.

For those of you that have flown in similar areas, can you provide any advice? I've never had to call the airport before, so I'm not sure what to expect or how much push-back I will get.

Thanks!
 
Last edited:
Wow that is alot of calling to do. I am possibly going to narrow down some of your list by pointing out the need to stay out of the Class B airspace that goes to the surface around that airport. Reference for avoiding Class B airspace from the FAA is at the following page at the bottom:

Airspace Restrictions

Then move on to those other small ones that are outside of that airspace.
 
I've identified an area in my city that I want to fly and get some video. The area is urban but not in a NFZ. Edit: This is in the US.

When looking at this using Airmap, it is a Yellow zone listing 16 different entries:

1 Class B Airport - 4.1 miles away
7 Medical heliports
1 Police station heliport
1 Radio station heliport
2 TV station heliports
1 Bank heliport
2 real estate heliports
1 Hotel heliport

My plan is to call all 16 locations before I fly to let them know where, when and how high. I'm doing this for fun and not for hire. I'm registered with the FAA and my ID is firmly stamped on my Mavic.

I want to confidently fly in this area knowing I followed all the rules and did what I was expected to do. In other words, I want to relax and not have to worry or look over my shoulder.

For those of you that have flown in similar areas, can you provide any advice? I've never had to call the airport before, so I'm not sure what to expect or how much push-back I will get.

Thanks!
I would never fly in an area that required that many phone calls. Seriously. And you realize you would need to do that EVERY TIME you fly?!? Not something I'm wired to do. But good luck!
 
First thing you do, call the facility for the Class B Airspace to verify what I'm gonna say; all the other entities fall under the jurisdiction of the Class B FAA facility, so once you talk with the FAA and get your OK, you're covered. All these other pilots from those heliports, etc., have to check in with the Approach Control of the Class B, who will issue them the advisory on the quadcopter operations. This why the FAA will say, "call us when you launch, and when you land". They will cease their advisories after you're done.
 
My plan is to call all 16 locations before I fly to let them know where, when and how high. I'm doing this for fun and not for hire. I'm registered with the FAA and my ID is firmly stamped on my Mavic.

I want to confidently fly in this area knowing I followed all the rules and did what I was expected to do. In other words, I want to relax and not have to worry or look over my shoulder.

What will your maximum altitude be and how long will your flights be?

It's quite possible you don't have to call anyone. You're not likely to be sharing their airspace.

The bigger dangers are all around you -- people, cars, dogs, cyclists, buildings, powerlines, etc.

There have been zero confirmed collisions between drones and aircraft, but there have been dozens of incidents where drones got into trouble at ground level. One took out a cyclist in a race just a few weeks ago.
 
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Thanks to all who commented. My plan was to get aerial footage of my office building. I only needed about 50 feet of altitude over a 300 foot radius. Sounds like this is illegal so I won't.

Curiously, Airmap shows a NFZ within a mile of the airport, but nothing further out where I am. I don't think any single entity (government or private) have this figured out yet.
 
Half of the guys at STS are model plane hobbyists. Call your tower and explain what you want to do and where. You don't have to be an ******* to work for the government.
 
First thing you do, call the facility for the Class B Airspace to verify what I'm gonna say; all the other entities fall under the jurisdiction of the Class B FAA facility,

This.

If you're within the surface Class B, then so are any other overlapping facilities. That's the only call you need to make.
 
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As a hobbyist, If I notify an airport about flying my drone within five miles of their tower, and they say, without any reasoning, I cannot, do I have to comply? Or is notifying them simply a courtesy?
 
As a hobbyist, If I notify an airport about flying my drone within five miles of their tower, and they say, without any reasoning, I cannot, do I have to comply? Or is notifying them simply a courtesy?
courtesy
 
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Interesting that this is an old thread, recently resurrected. In another thread, the OP describes the flight that he did later make, and put up a vid. I looked up the PHX Sectional, and the Class B restriction to the surface is primarily running east and west of the field, based upon E-W runway orientation. Areas just south and north of the airport the class B is from 5,000 to 9,000.
 
I would caution to heed all FAA rules as these are the feds, and they are serious about compliance.

I've heard the FAA has no one on the ground checking compliance. They call local police to check out complaints...
 
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