Restricted zone low altitude flying

[pbrenner]

Question for you all. If I were in a restricted zone but wanted to do some active tracking where I would not be flying more than say 10-15 ft AGL, would this really not be allowed?

 

[Recoveryone]

Question for you all. If I were in a restricted zone but wanted to do some active tracking where I would not be flying more than say 10-15 ft AGL, would this really not be allowed?

There may be several reason why the area you are in is restricted, but the rules are what they are. If your drone gets off the ground, being in a NFZ you are taking a risk that may have long reaching issues down the road other than your own desire to do an active track video.

 

[Thomas B]

Question for you all. If I were in a restricted zone but wanted to do some active tracking where I would not be flying more than say 10-15 ft AGL, would this really not be allowed?

Generally, no.

 

[MavicFlyer]

I agree that there should be some altitude (like 10-15 ft AGL) to which you can fly legally, even if you're near an airport. If you're flying between buildings, where a manned airplane couldn't even fit, it doesn't seem legitimate to restrict such flying, and it breeds disrespect for the law.

Unfortunately that is not the legal case today, so we have to deal with what we have, not what we want it to be.

 

[Fred Garvin]

...Unfortunately that is not the legal case today, so we have to deal with what we have, not what we want it to be...

And for all of us who had to endure the National Nightmare of the 55 MPH speed limit...been there.....

 

[BigAl07]

Question for you all. If I were in a restricted zone but wanted to do some active tracking where I would not be flying more than say 10-15 ft AGL, would this really not be allowed?

As stated already it's still a No-Go! Restricted Airspace is restricted even under the best of intentions.

With our DJI (and many other brands now) aircraft having GPS Guidance, Gryo Stabilization, and Automated Flight modes (including Return to Home) you have to keep in mind that our best of intentions may not be enough... what happens if you're flying at 10'-15'AGL and there is some type of system error.... the aircraft goes into RTH and ascends to whatever your previously set RTH altitude is... now you're potentially a safety hazard in Restricted Airspace.

With AVIATION we are always (or we should be) thinking WHAT IF.... WORST CASE.... HOW DO WE HANDLE THE EMERGENCY....

 

[MavicFlyer]

As stated already it's still a No-Go! Restricted Airspace is restricted even under the best of intentions.

With our DJI (and many other brands now) aircraft having GPS Guidance, Gryo Stabilization, and Automated Flight modes (including Return to Home) you have to keep in mind that our best of intentions may not be enough... what happens if you're flying at 10'-15'AGL and there is some type of system error.... the aircraft goes into RTH and ascends to whatever your previously set RTH altitude is... now you're potentially a safety hazard in Restricted Airspace.

With AVIATION we are always (or we should be) thinking WHAT IF.... WORST CASE.... HOW DO WE HANDLE THE EMERGENCY....

I get your point, and agree. I got my PPL back in the 70s, so I appreciate good flight planning, including contingencies.

In the case you cited, you could make it a part of pre-launch checklist to verify that RTH is set to stay within the max allowed altitude for the area in which you're going to fly. That's a good idea anyway, like if you're flying through a wooded area, where you might lose GPS signal, and have your drone climb right up into the trees, or inside of a building.

As I said in my post, we have to live with what we have, not what we'd like to have, so I wouldn't endorse such operation, as it would be a violation, under current regs.

 

[Recoveryone]