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Temp No Fly Zones

Steve LaBranche

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I'm in west Sonoma County California where there are some serious active fires and all kinds of emergency vehicles and Aircraft. Up till three days ago I was able to pop up through red woods to have a look around. I took an update from DJI and now I can't fly. I spoke to local airport tower and was informed they aren't doing it, DJI is. I monitor Air traffic via Flightradar24, I would never interfere with anemergency situation, I just want to pop up above my home and look around for fires coming my way.

The times I've tried to fly, I occasionally see message to ask for clearance but when I click on it it just get a white screen.

Sorry so long winded, does anyone know of a work around?

Last shot I got from Duncans Mills.
 

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No, there is none with DJI equipment.
You have to live with the TFR until Oct. 23, 2020.

Yep, I was just on the dji geo zone map. I can't fly for a month. What if I was helping a local law, rescue, medical personnel. There has to be a work around. I mentioned, several times DJI offered a bypass, but when requested it, I just got a white screen, for 10 mins while on wifi.

I'll keep looking and trying to figure this out.
 
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There has to be a work around
You have to be a part 107 pilot, contact the issuing TFR agency or local emergency services and follow their orders. I doubt highly that you get an allowance to fly somewhere in the active TFR:

1598196816399.png
 
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Yep, I was just on the dji geo zone map. I can't fly for a month. What if I was helping a local law, rescue, medical personnel. There has to be a work around. I mentioned, several times DJI offered a bypass, but when requested it, I just got a white screen, for 10 mins while on wifi.

I'll keep looking and trying to figure this out.
Even if DJI lets you - please do not fly in the TFR - besides possibly interfering it is something that WILL be enforced if you get caught.
 
The only "Person/People" who can give you Authorization to fly in a TFR is the Agency who requested the TFR. Anything less is a Federal Violation.

You're not going to get to "Volunteer" to fly in an area with active Manned Aircraft. It takes a lot of coordination and effort to keep manned and unmanned separated and SAFE. I've been on the UAS side and on the Incident Command side of this coin and it's not an easy task. Remember, you are literally putting LIVES in danger trying to fly within a TFR because if you're flying THEY GET GROUNDED!

As stated it will also require Part 107.

It's best just to accept it and find other means to do what you need to do that do not involve UAS.
 
I'm in west Sonoma County California where there are some serious active fires and all kinds of emergency vehicles and Aircraft. Up till three days ago I was able to pop up through red woods to have a look around. I took an update from DJI and now I can't fly. I spoke to local airport tower and was informed they aren't doing it, DJI is. I monitor Air traffic via Flightradar24, I would never interfere with anemergency situation, I just want to pop up above my home and look around for fires coming my way.

The times I've tried to fly, I occasionally see message to ask for clearance but when I click on it it just get a white screen.

Sorry so long winded, does anyone know of a work around?

Last shot I got from Duncans Mills.
Flightradar24 isn't that good at showing traffic. Most corporate aircraft have turned off their transmitters so as to be anonymous. A large percentage of small planes at the Healdsburg, Lakeport and Ukiah airports don't have equipment that can display on flightradar24. In my region I'm able to see maybe 20% of all traffic on flightradar24.
 
Flightradar24 isn't that good at showing traffic. Most corporate aircraft have turned off their transmitters so as to be anonymous. A large percentage of small planes at the Healdsburg, Lakeport and Ukiah airports don't have equipment that can display on flightradar24. In my region I'm able to see maybe 20% of all traffic on flightradar24.

Very good points.

It was noted just last year that FlightRadar only shows about 30% of US traffic and in some of those cases the DATA can be delayed upwards of 5 minutes. With a 5 minute delay that information is USELESS for our purposes.
 
I'll end this thread by saying some of the responded have really upset me. I wanted to say something else. You arm chair quarterbacks do not know where I live or my situation or my concern. I live in a Redwood forest valley. The fires that were threatening were 15 miles away. All I wanted to do was pop up to tree top level and see what was going on.

I am an extremely cautious mature drone pilot/photographer. I would never fly around or near an emergency situation. These few shots I was able to take before being grounded should show my concern. First shot 30 Miles away from fire, I live left of smoke. Next two are NE and NW just above my home.

Don't tell me I'm being irresponsible when I just want to protect my home.
 

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You could always buy a cheap unit that is not DJI brand for doing your smoke spotting . There are many to pick from . You don’t need a 8K picture . You just want to know if your home is safe . DJI puts these wide shutdowns because of retards that fly near airports to watch jets takeoff or near emergency spots . Chances are a small FPV race drone would work
 
You could always buy a cheap unit that is not DJI brand for doing your smoke spotting . There are many to pick from . You don’t need a 8K picture . You just want to know if your home is safe . DJI puts these wide shutdowns because of retards that fly near airports to watch jets takeoff or near emergency spots . Chances are a small FPV race drone would work
I am aware of that, I have dumb quad with a camera I haven't flown for years. When I pulled it out, needs a left front motor.

I'm just upset with the responses that I was being irresponsible and not adhering to rules. The rules were restrictive to me and my needs.
 
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I'll end this thread by saying some of the responded have really upset me. I wanted to say something else. You arm chair quarterbacks do not know where I live or my situation or my concern. I live in a Redwood forest valley. The fires that were threatening were 15 miles away. All I wanted to do was pop up to tree top level and see what was going on.

I am an extremely cautious mature drone pilot/photographer. I would never fly around or near an emergency situation. These few shots I was able to take before being grounded should show my concern. First shot 30 Miles away from fire, I live left of smoke. Next two are NE and NW just above my home.

Don't tell me I'm being irresponsible when I just want to protect my home.
I get where you’re coming from. There are way too many church deacons telling everyone what they can and can’t do like some supreme authority. Shake it off man and stay safe. Hope there’s some relief from the wildfires soon.
 
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Flightradar24 isn't that good at showing traffic. Most corporate aircraft have turned off their transmitters so as to be anonymous. A large percentage of small planes at the Healdsburg, Lakeport and Ukiah airports don't have equipment that can display on flightradar24. In my region I'm able to see maybe 20% of all traffic on flightradar24.
I have noticed Flightradar24 isn't 100% accurate. I pointed phone at a helicopter once and showed up as a private airplane. But I watched watched fire bombers, some where helicopters dipping in local ponds, some where OV-10 bronco's, even a 747 out of Sacramento. They approch at 4k AGL, descend to approx 1k ft, drop and climb out and RTB.

A bit long winded, is there a better app than Flightradar24.

Have fun, fly safe.
 
There's nothing wrong with flightradar24. It's the garbage in garbage out, computer issue. Only half the civil aircraft fleet has been equipped with ads-b transmitters. That means half the civil aircraft cannot broadcast their position, to any of the websites like flightradar24.

Current Equipage Levels
 
Flightradar24 isn't that good at showing traffic. Most corporate aircraft have turned off their transmitters so as to be anonymous. A large percentage of small planes at the Healdsburg, Lakeport and Ukiah airports don't have equipment that can display on flightradar24. In my region I'm able to see maybe 20% of all traffic on flightradar24.
I have noticed Flightradar24 isn't 100% accurate. I pointed phone at a helicopter once and showed up as a private airplane. But I watched fire bombers, some were helicopters dipping in local ponds, some were OV-10 bronco's, even a 747 out of Sacramento. Generally most water bombers approach at 5k ft, descend to ~1-1,400 ft to make their drop.

I digress, are there better apps for monitoring air traffic?
 
Flightradar24 won't acknowledge our airport that's a class E controlled airspace.

DJI usually encodes a TFR as a blue Authorization Zone. You can unlock those, usually quite easily if you have internet for the app where you are flying. I don't recommend violating TFRs, especially those enacted for emergency operations.
 
There's nothing wrong with flightradar24. It's the garbage in garbage out, computer issue. Only half the civil aircraft fleet has been equipped with ads-b transmitters. That means half the civil aircraft cannot broadcast their position, to any of the websites like flightradar24.

Current Equipage Levels
I've been out of the air defense industry for over 20 years, I thought all aircraft had IFF, Military use was Information Friend or Foe. But all Aircraft have squawk number, ident.
 
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