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Small Airport flying

MassCoyote

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A small airport near me doesn’t specifically have a no-fly zone. The pic is what Aloft shows. Besides using common sense or whether you should or shouldn’t, can you legally fly in the area?

IMG_5915.jpeg
 
Yeah I believe that rule went away a long time ago. Just because there is an airport nearby doesn't mean it's a no-fly zone. Instead you have controlled airspace and there are restrictions that you have to deal with. Long gone is the idea that you prohibited and cannot fly a drone within 5 miles of an airport. If you gain LAANC authorization then you are good to fly unless there is some legal local restriction or an unexplained TFR or some other safety reason or conditions (like weather) which you should use discretion.
 
Maybe it's because I fly older drones, but sometimes I get LAANC approval, I also get Geo-fenciing. Rotors won't turn.
 
A small airport near me doesn’t specifically have a no-fly zone. The pic is what Aloft shows. Besides using common sense or whether you should or shouldn’t, can you legally fly in the area?

View attachment 179880
The image you pasted is actually a FRIA. The airport is about 2.21 miles to the southwest. The answer is still the same, though...you can fly at the FRIA (that's what it's there for) or you can also fly near or even at the airport. That said, flying a drone at an airport in most cases demands lots of caution.
 
You may also want to get an airband radio or use the LiveATC app to listen for other aircraft landing or departing the airport. They will use a common traffic advisory frequency to announce location and intentions.

They may not always announce so I'd remain extra vigilant and also recommend VO or two.
 
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I fly at or near un-towered fields routinely. I always have FlightRadar24 running, although many planes at these places do not transmit ADS-B, and I always monitor the CTAF frequency. Aside from creating a genuinely frightening hazard, you also run the risk of making the pilots and/or field operators/owners really unhappy with you. This is not what you want so I would strongly suggest contacting those folks and discussing your flight plans in advance.
 

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