Restricted areas - how accurate are the boundaries?

[goodlettjr]

I am going to be staying

near a nuclear power plant this weekend. I was looking to see if it was a restricted area. The B4U fly app says no. DJI Go4 app says yes. Assuming DJI is right, how accurate is the restricted red circle area?

I noticed other restricted areas like a sheriffs office , etc are very specific to the property shape but the power plant is a generic round circle that seems to be centered on the plant but is somewhat small in my eyes that I can still get some great video and pictures.

This is the STP Nuclear plant (STP Nuclear Operating or also known as The South Texas Project Electric Generating Station) near Wadsworth, TX.

South Texas Nuclear Generating Station - Wikipedia

Not looking to break any rules just looking for guidance.

 

[brett8883]

DJI says, “DJI’s GEO System delineates where it is safe to fly, where flight may raise concerns, and where flight is restricted. GEO zones that prohibit flight are implemented around locations such as airports, power plants, and prisons. They are also implemented temporarily around major stadium events, forest fires, or other emergency situations.“

So basically DJI has indentified this as a location “where flight may raise concerns.”

I’m usually vehemently against DJI restricting things that aren’t restrictioned by our own government... but I kinda get this one...

 

[brett8883]

To answer your question they are uasualy pretty accurate. Both the the red circle on the map and the actual GEO system are both based on cordinates. You are asking if you can fly around it but not directly over correct?

 

[goodlettjr]

To answer your question they are uasualy pretty accurate. Both the the red circle on the map and the actual GEO system are both based on cordinates. You are asking if you can fly around it but not directly over correct?

That is correct. In flying around it, I want to be close, but not so close to cross into the restricted area.

 

[brett8883]

That is correct. In flying around it, I want to be close, but not so close to cross into the restricted area.

Yea looks like the restricted area is only only about 2000 feet from the from the middle of the two containment buildings. Should be able to get good shots from that distance. Should go without saying try not to attract too much attention and if you do just pack it up and don’t mess with it.

If you do breach the restricted area it it will give you a 15 sec count down and then it will auto-land and you won’t be able to stop it. You be able to control the horizontal movement as always in auto-land but you can’t stop it from landing.

 

[Thomas B]

B4UFly is old, and is being reworked into Kittyhawk. Release date unknown.
If the airport has registered with LAANC you can ask for clearance via AirMap. It will give or deny official clearance for the time and length of flight you enter in less than 15 seconds. Just a potential alternative. The clearance is for the time you enter and there is a visible countdown.