DJI Mavic, Air and Mini Drones
Friendly, Helpful & Knowledgeable Community
Join Us Now

What does the airfield tower see or do...

Drgnfli

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 30, 2018
Messages
456
Reactions
236
Location
USA
After I receive confirmation that I can fly within 5 miles of their airfield? Do they mark a spot on their radar screen &/or do they direct aircraft away from my flight area or what goes on up in the tower to make it safer for airplanes & helos while I am flying my drone??
 
After I receive confirmation that I can fly within 5 miles of their airfield? Do they mark a spot on their radar screen &/or do they direct aircraft away from my flight area or what goes on up in the tower to make it safer for airplanes & helos while I am flying my drone??
really, move aircraft away from your flight area ,in your dreams my friend, it is you who must give way to any manned aircraft not the other way round ,
i think you are living in an alternate universe
 
The tower announces the location of the drone to the pilot in his takeoff clearance stating the direction, the distance and the location of the drone and the altitudes that the drone will be working in. They do the same thing with a new or temporary tower that is not noted elsewhere on charts. In my experience, the drone has never been in a location that could become a flight hazard. The Class D area is larger than is needed for normal flight. For instance, many airports only operate traffic on one side or the other due to noise, population or possibly terrain but they do need the option to use it all. Inbound traffic has to report before reaching the Class D..or what ever airspace. ATC is a true art and it's done using the same rules and wordings ....Most controllers are truly gifted and can easily handle a drone or two in the air space...I'm surprised that they have taken the drone authorizations out of the hands of the controllers..but on the other hand...the guy with the mic is busy and doesn't need to be blah blahing on the phone with a drone pilot. A handheld VHF transceiver could be the answer one of these days but I'm sure there would be ton's of opposition.
speaking of blah blah blah...sorry :rolleyes:
 
After I receive confirmation that I can fly within 5 miles of their airfield? Do they mark a spot on their radar screen &/or do they direct aircraft away from my flight area or what goes on up in the tower to make it safer for airplanes & helos while I am flying my drone??

From where are you getting confirmation that you can fly within 5 miles of an airport?
 
The tower announces the location of the drone to the pilot in his takeoff clearance stating the direction, the distance and the location of the drone and the altitudes that the drone will be working in.
Of course, only about 2.5% of airports in the US actually have a tower or any such form of local air traffic control.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mavic Air Head
From where are you getting confirmation that you can fly within 5 miles of an airport?

I've been using LAANC since July...

I used to call & get clearance directly from the tower before LAANC. The tower folks would only ask me how high I was going to fly & I'd say below 400' & they were happy. Some would ask me to call when I was done; some would ask how long I'd be flying; one told me I didn't have to call if I stayed below 400'; & one guy said I couldn't fly within 5 miles & insisted I couldn't until I told him that I had been calling the tower for about a year, getting clearances before he ever started working @ the tower. He checked with his tower mates then said OH! OK! You can fly now! I've also asked if they somehow recorded in what 'section' I was flying in but everyone I talked to said they didn't write anything down. LAANC is now much faster & easier & I now have a record of my flight clearance... I meant to mention that I live about 4.5 miles from the airport & most of the restricted sections on my side of the airport are listed @ 400' until I get within about 2 miles then they start dropping about 100' or so until the runway.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gindra
really, move aircraft away from your flight area ,in your dreams my friend, it is you who must give way to any manned aircraft not the other way round ,
i think you are living in an alternate universe
Ohh! Then what good is calling or LAANC. I don't think so! Read #3 - I was thinking something like this would occur or why would we bother if they didn't do something with our information for safety sake... IMHO!
 
Ohh! Then what good is calling or LAANC. I don't think so! Read #3 - I was thinking something like this would occur or why would we bother if they didn't do something with our information for safety sake... IMHO!
what they do with it is inform manned aircraft that you are flying in a specific area, but that air traffic still has priority over you ,there should not be any conflict if you stay in VLOS, and only fly with regards to any height restriction there may be at the place where you are flying
 
what they do with it is inform manned aircraft that you are flying in a specific area, but that air traffic still has priority over you ,there should not be any conflict if you stay in VLOS, and only fly with regards to any height restriction there may be at the place where you are flying
That is not what you said at first!! Why do you think I don't know this? I am not a newbie with drones! I've been flying for 2 years & read this forum, Autel forum & all the FAA regulations over & over & over again. Lecture someone else, please!
 
  • Like
Reactions: old man mavic
That is not what you said at first!! Why do you think I don't know this? I am not a newbie with drones! I've been flying for 2 years & read this forum, Autel forum & all the FAA regulations over & over & over again. Lecture someone else, please!
are i see do ,you mean when you asked do they direct aircraft away from my area, that is what i answered in your dreams to,if you are so well informed ,then why would you ask such a ridiculous question, if you already knew the answer happy flying
 
are i see do ,you mean when you asked do they direct aircraft away from my area, that is what i answered in your dreams to,if you are so well informed ,then why would you ask such a ridiculous question, if you already knew the answer happy flying

Oh! So now you are the judge of ridiculous questions on this forum. Gee! Sry to be so stupid in your eyes!

I have never read or heard what the tower does with that information. Give me a reference that states what the tower does with LAANC or what they are supposed to do with my phone calls. I have not come across that info anywhere - if you know the answers, then illuminate me & this forum instead of trying to make people sound stupid...
 
After I receive confirmation that I can fly within 5 miles of their airfield? Do they mark a spot on their radar screen &/or do they direct aircraft away from my flight area or what goes on up in the tower to make it safer for airplanes & helos while I am flying my drone??
I think that's a good question. I'd like to know the answer as well. @sar104, asked where you were getting your confirmation from. When you answered him, I thought he would come back with the answer, and maybe he still will. I'm quite sure he knows.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Drgnfli
With all respect to the OP, the way Drgnfli worded his original question made it sound like he was a clueless newbie (sorry, I mean that in the most polite way possible):
  • Receiving confirmation from the tower when within 5 miles (in the present tense)
  • Asking if the tower would reroute other aircraft away from a drone pilot’s area
The two things that made the question “ridiculous” were:
  • Receiving confirmation from the tower when flying within 5 miles of an airport has not been part of the rules for about 6 months now. This is why sar104 asked the question he did.
  • Relative to other aircraft, a drone is the lowest animal in the food chain. To think that an ATC would reroute other aircraft around someone flying a drone is ridiculous.
Having said that, Old Man Mavic’s response was needlessly flippant. Too often I see harsh responses to people who are just trying to find out the answer to something.

Back when we did have to notify the tower when flying within 5 miles of an airport, they would always ask for my phone number. This was so that they could contact me in the event they needed me to clear the area to make way for some other traffic such as a helicopter (from nearby hospitals) or other emergency. That was the purpose of the notification.
 
With all respect to the OP, the way Drgnfli worded his original question made it sound like he was a clueless newbie (sorry, I mean that in the most polite way possible):
  • Receiving confirmation from the tower when within 5 miles (in the present tense)
  • Asking if the tower would reroute other aircraft away from a drone pilot’s area
The two things that made the question “ridiculous” were:
  • Receiving confirmation from the tower when flying within 5 miles of an airport has not been part of the rules for about 6 months now. This is why sar104 asked the question he did.
  • Relative to other aircraft, a drone is the lowest animal in the food chain. To think that an ATC would reroute other aircraft around someone flying a drone is ridiculous.
Having said that, Old Man Mavic’s response was needlessly flippant. Too often I see harsh responses to people who are just trying to find out the answer to something.

Back when we did have to notify the tower when flying within 5 miles of an airport, they would always ask for my phone number. This was so that they could contact me in the event they needed me to clear the area to make way for some other traffic such as a helicopter (from nearby hospitals) or other emergency. That was the purpose of the notification.
i am sorry if my reply sounded flippant,but thank you for saying that the wording made it sound ridiculous,i meant no offence i think the OP and myself got off on the wrong foot,and it all fell apart from there i dont even live in the US so maybe i should not have answered the question in the first place,i hope we can move on Yours OMM
 
I think that's a good question. I'd like to know the answer as well. @sar104, asked where you were getting your confirmation from. When you answered him, I thought he would come back with the answer, and maybe he still will. I'm quite sure he knows.

Regular LAANC approval is given for flights that will be at altitudes and locations that should not cause any conflict with normal airport operations. It's not going to involve any special notification to airport traffic, or any modification to traffic patterns.
 
OK! Let's see if I can clear some of this up.

My house is about 4 miles from Love Field, Prescott, AZ. When I want to fly in my neighborhood, I open "Airmap" on my phone. I fill out the items (Recreational, Not buying insurance, Start Time, Duration, Altitude, My Name, Phone, etc, etc) then I click on "Continue" & Airmap pops up with a "Flight Briefing" which shows Times, Wind, Visability, Temp, Dew Point & Pressure.

Toward the bottom of the screen there is a box with more info:
"Authorization & Validation"
"FAA -PRC"
"Automatic authorization to fly in controlled airspace"


In a bright orange block is:
"Authorization Pending Submission You will be notified with authorization status after submission"

At the bottom of the screen, there is a "Submit" line which I tap when I am done inserting the info required.
I think that's a good question. I'd like to know the answer as well. @sar104, asked where you were getting your confirmation from. When you answered him, I thought he would come back with the answer, and maybe he still will. I'm quite sure he knows.


After I submit, I have to wait about 20 seconds & then I receive a TEXT msg which states, "Automated FAA Controlled Airspace authorization accepted for flight with confirmation number ARMP961xxxx. Please fly in accordance with the rules & regulations. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS)"

That certainly looks like an official FAA CONTROLLED AIRSPACE AUTHORIZATION to me! I save all these texts in an archived file if needed in the future.

Now my point is, if I drive a little over a mile NW from my home, to a spot on Prescott Nat'l Forest, I am outside the 5 mile circle of Love Field. Using Airmap & inputting all the info I mentioned above, within two seconds of "submitting" I get a text msg that says something like there is no reason to ask for clearance because I am not it a "controlled airspace". Also Airmap does not show a "restricted" area near my present location.

Now, if that is not getting clearance to fly within a 5 mile circle of a Class D airport, I don't know what the heck is... IMHO... please feel free to ask any more questions or insert any good answers - please!

Drgnfli
~
 
It's a good question and as others have mentioned LAANC authorization is probably only given knowing that the flight is not going to interfere with normal airport operations. Any flight that has any a chance of interfering with airport operations is probably not going to be approved, at least not immediately via LAANC. I'm pretty sure the current restricts provide a significant buffer for normal air traffic to operate so authorized incursions into that buffer can usually be done on a routine basis without notification to airport traffic.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Drgnfli
Lycus Tech Mavic Air 3 Case

DJI Drone Deals

New Threads

Forum statistics

Threads
130,586
Messages
1,554,109
Members
159,586
Latest member
DoubleBarS