Seattle Area Pilots

[brettseattle]

Hey Seattle friends - I am a new Mavic Pro owner (have had it for 1 week, ordered directly from DJI with about a 3 week delivery timeline). I am just taking my "training wheels" off (Beginner Mode) and have been researching all the appropriate regulations and rules. Great resource here and ability to meet you all. I live across the Sound in Poulsbo and fly in Kitsap primarily (but get to Seattle and Eastside weekly).

I am in the mode of checking the B3UFly app regularly and it is disheartening that there is very little landmass not near some airport, no matter how small. Is there a thread that discusses this? I want to stay within the law at all time, but dang, sure want to be able to fly in the NW too!

Also - if there are monthly meet ups or clubs, would love to hear about that too. Cheers and happy flying.

 

[Spike1]

Hey guys. I too am new to the Mavic and actually flying all together. I have been flying on some private property in the puyallup valley. I would be interested in knowing all the places I could fly

Sent from my iPhone using MavicPilots

 

[rossmoney]

It could definitely be fun to set a meetup somewhere, all fly together (the drones won't interfere with each other will they?)

I love in Queen Anne and it looks like the closest I could fly is north of Ballard along the water maybe...

 

[D2fly]

Hello. My name is Don. I live in Graham, Wa. I have had my Mavic about a month and due to weather have only flown it about 5 times, with all of those flights in my back yard. I've posted up a couple videos on FB. I am experimenting with the different flight modes and so far have been able to execute a follow me flight.

I am having trouble getting the craft to circle an object. It seems the app sort of hangs when I try to hit apply.

I am also having failures when trying to update the firmware using either the phone or the DJI Assistant 2 app on the Win 10 PC. Today I am going to try updating the RC and copter separately, as outlined in the DJI help video.

Does anyone local have recommended sites for flying? I have read a little about the RC park at Flaming Geyser State Park.

I know that many of us are still waiting for the delivery of our Mavics (me included), but thought it would be good to find out who lives in or around Seattle, so that once we all get our equipment, it'd be easier to find others to get together with to fly.

To begin, I'm Pete, live in Seattle (Beacon Hill), and am new to drones.

 

[pbrokaw]

Hello. My name is Don. I live in Graham, Wa. I have had my Mavic about a month and due to weather have only flown it about 5 times, with all of those flights in my back yard. I've posted up a couple videos on FB. I am experimenting with the different flight modes and so far have been able to execute a follow me flight.

I am having trouble getting the craft to circle an object. It seems the app sort of hangs when I try to hit apply.

I am also having failures when trying to update the firmware using either the phone or the DJI Assistant 2 app on the Win 10 PC. Today I am going to try updating the RC and copter separately, as outlined in the DJI help video.

Does anyone local have recommended sites for flying? I have read a little about the RC park at Flaming Geyser State Park.

Don:
You can fly at Fort Stellacoom RC field in Tacoma. I fly both quads and airplanes there.

Perry Brokaw
Tacoma WA

 

[Mavic Ray]

Don:
You can fly at Fort Stellacoom RC field in Tacoma. I fly both quads and airplanes there.

Perry Brokaw
Tacoma WA

Yeah I live in Tacoma and I fly at that park as well.

 

[Defens]

Hi Folks,
Yet another Mike here, I live a bit east of Monroe, overlooking the Skykomish River. I ordered my Mavic combo from Drone World in October, and it arrived last week.

I'm totally new to quadcopters. Been flying the little free nano that came with my Mavic, indoors. Im getting pretty good at annoying the cats! Figured I would practice up on cheap ones before unleashing and crashing the pricey one. I also have an inexpensive Syma that I'll practice with outdoors before I try the Mavic, although my understanding is that the stability of the Mavic actually makes it a dream for beginners - true?

I've registered with FAA, and have studied a bit for the Part 107 - which looks pretty easy. I passed the written test for a private pilots license years ago, and passed some online practice tests for drone without too much head scratching. Hopefully a bit of study will make it a first time pass event.

Looking forward to flying this beast! We live in a beautiful area, and also enjoy hiking and camping at various places of geologic interest in the NW.

 

[kennedye]

Hi Folks,
Yet another Mike here, I live a bit east of Monroe, overlooking the Skykomish River.

That area is really nice; I've taken the Miata out on Ben Howard Road a couple of times, it's a good twisty road.

 

[rnewman34]

That area is really nice; I've taken the Miata out on Ben Howard Road a couple of times, it's a good twisty road.

good road for motorbikes too :^)

 

[rnewman34]

Hey Seattle friends - I am a new Mavic Pro owner (have had it for 1 week, ordered directly from DJI with about a 3 week delivery timeline). I am just taking my "training wheels" off (Beginner Mode) and have been researching all the appropriate regulations and rules. Great resource here and ability to meet you all. I live across the Sound in Poulsbo and fly in Kitsap primarily (but get to Seattle and Eastside weekly).

I am in the mode of checking the B3UFly app regularly and it is disheartening that there is very little landmass not near some airport, no matter how small. Is there a thread that discusses this? I want to stay within the law at all time, but dang, sure want to be able to fly in the NW too!

Also - if there are monthly meet ups or clubs, would love to hear about that too. Cheers and happy flying.

Don't use B4uFly.. it's quite useless compared to other apps available. The problem with B4UFly is first of all, it's an app put out by the government, but by default, they show every stinking school, government property/building, private air strip (controlled and uncontrolled), hospital, heliport, along with the actual places you need to really avoid, such as TFR's, Class B, C, D airspace etc.

Airmap is the app that gets my vote.. It's much easier to work with in terms of disabling some of those "advisory" areas, they also have information on how to contact control towers for access to fly, and I just heard that they will soon include 3D layered overlays for those tricky multi-layered airspaces

 

[rnewman34]

City parks are banned? First I've heard that. The city doesn't own the airspace :-/

true, they don't own the airspace, but they own the property under it.. and in some cases, it's been ruled that those property rights extend up to 84ft or thereabouts.. based on a lawsuit way back in the 50's I believe, where 84ft is about treetop level..

 

[rnewman34]

it's called a Sea Plane base...Kenmore Air flies numerous flights out of there daily...better check again...

It's also a city park and drone flying is banned in all of them...

technically, it's part of the Class B airspace that extends out from SEA-TAC.. but according to the sectional chart, it looks like the controlled space begins at 3,000 feet.. so you're good from surface to 2,999 feet.. but, that lake does get quite a bit of air traffic, and there is no tower too coordinate with, although you could monitor the CTAF frequency if you carry a radio.. and yeah, there's the issue with the ban in the park. So rent a row boat and you would probably considered to be legal but probably not advised because of the safety issues regarding flying that close to the seaplanes..

 

[Peel]

technically, it's part of the Class B airspace that extends out from SEA-TAC.. but according to the sectional chart, it looks like the controlled space begins at 3,000 feet.. so you're good from surface to 2,999 feet.. but, that lake does get quite a bit of air traffic, and there is no tower too coordinate with, although you could monitor the CTAF frequency if you carry a radio.. and yeah, there's the issue with the ban in the park. So rent a row boat and you would probably considered to be legal but probably not advised because of the safety issues regarding flying that close to the seaplanes..

True about the space being below the floor of Class Bravo. But if you look at the Seattle TAC instead of the Sectional, you'll notice that it calls out Lake Union as "Kenmore (W55)" at CTAF 122.9. If you look up W55 on skyvector.com you'll get a phone number for the airfield manager:
ANDREW OTTERNESS
950 WESTLAKE AVENUE N
SEATTLE, WA 98109
425-486-1257

So you should call and let them know of your planned operation in the area. As it's in Class Golf, and they're not ATC, they can't tell you no, but the FAA does require that you notify them.

[EDIT] Actually I see that the Sectional has W55 on it as well, but it looks like it's out in Elliott Bay there with no arrow pointing to Lake Union as there is on the TAC

 

[rnewman34]

True about the space being below the floor of Class Bravo. But if you look at the Seattle TAC instead of the Sectional, you'll notice that it calls out Lake Union as "Kenmore (W55)" at CTAF 122.9. If you look up W55 on skyvector.com you'll get a phone number for the airfield manager:
ANDREW OTTERNESS
950 WESTLAKE AVENUE N
SEATTLE, WA 98109
425-486-1257

So you should call and let them know of your planned operation in the area. As it's in Class Golf, and they're not ATC, they can't tell you no, but the FAA does require that you notify them.

[EDIT] Actually I see that the Sectional has W55 on it as well, but it looks like it's out in Elliott Bay there with no arrow pointing to Lake Union as there is on the TAC
View attachment 8062

good catch.. I missed that info on the sectional as well... terminal charts, are a much better tool when flying in a densely populated area.. I love skyvector.com

 

[DJIWA]

Hi Guys
We have a DJI Authorized Retail Store on Factoria square mall Seattle.
Welcome to follow our facebook page for latest DJI product update
Kinakailangan ang Pagtiyak sa Seguridad

 

[silver5262]

Hello from Broadview, in the way-NW corner of Seattle. I fly Carkeek park, or just from my yard. The Sound is probably about a mile from my house, and sometimes I fly off the deck and head out there.

Anyone else in this corner of Seattle?

 

[Dragonflyer]

Hey all - new Mavic pilot here in the Bothell area. Just flew North Creek Trail a few nights ago and got some pretty cool shots. Not a lot of color around here right now, though. Love browsing these forums, so let me know if any get-togethers happen!

 

[Wicky wicky]

Hello from Renton. Mavic arrived two days ago. Flew it at Magnuson park yesterday. Awesomeness.

 

[gr5]

How's it going?!! I'm also here in the Graham area as well. I fly a lot in parks but just recently went down to Titlow beach park awesome views from the sound!! We need some get togethers!!!

 

[Rabid Machina]

Now that the weather is getting nicer we should have a greet & meet or something.