Pensacola. All NFZ?

[marklyn]

Will be in Pensacola near the end of November for a couple of days and wanted to get some video of Pensacola beach but see that pretty much everything in/around Pensacola is NFZ. Is there *any* place I can fly while in the immediate area, even by trying to get permission? Would hate to miss an opportunity to fly in such a beautiful place.

 

[Robert Mitchell]

You can forget it anywhere immediate to Pensacola but, not far away...

The western end of Santa Rosa Island, just before you get to the National Seashore is an excellent place to fly. That is where the powered paragliders go also. It is one of the few places not blanketed by a five mile radius. There are a couple of pullouts with beach access there also.

Otherwise it is a maze of airports, National Seashore, and Military Operations Areas, and unless you are p107 and know your airspace very well you'll spend a lot of your time calling airports.

Navarre is one other exception, with only a couple of airport notifications needed, and is on the other end of the National Seashore going east on Santa Rosa Island.

Also beware of numerous helos and military aircraft low over the beach area.

 

[marklyn]

Any advice on where to go from there and altitude suggestions?

 

[Robert Mitchell]

Any advice on where to go from there and altitude suggestions?

Again, read above. I would definitely watch altitude, (wouldn't even think of going over 400ft) as there are lots of unexpected low flying aircraft in that area.

 

[marklyn]

OK, I just didn't know if you had to always stay far under since so much of the area is NFZ or if you needed permission even for that area. Altitude angel shows the entire area red, red, red.