Now you get it, I HAVE an "N" number attached to my serialized UAV. My UAV is registered just as a Certified Aircraft is as per FAA 333 exemption procedures using the same FAA Form 8050-1. I will have my FAA 333 exemption soon for commercial use. I am not discussing using a radio with a hobby drone, commercial use only. I have several "N" on file with the FAA for my commercial UAV's.
Flying within 5 miles of an airport
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Now you get it, I HAVE an "N" number attached to my serialized UAV. My UAV is registered just as a Certified Aircraft is as per FAA 333 exemption procedures using the same FAA Form 8050-1. I will have my FAA 333 exemption soon for commercial use. I am not discussing using a radio with a hobby drone, commercial use only. I have several "N" on file with the FAA for my commercial UAV's.
I honestly don't know if it's illegal for a non-pilot to communicate over radio with a tower or not. However....
I fly a lot with a friend who owns a couple of planes. Tail numbers on planes and your registration number on your UAV have nothing in common. If you contact the tower via radio and you do NOT have a tail number ID, you are liable to cause some confusion on the other end - they're expecting to be called by someone who is in an airplane. Generally speaking, said person in an airplane is either going to be asking about an approach or clearance for take-off. If you're neither of those, you're liable to generate a whole series of questions. In a real busy airport this is not a good plan!
As we go forward and towers, FAA, etc., get more and more contacts, this will likely be semi-automated or specifically addressed as to what procedures need to be followed. I've had a few contacts with some operators at an international airport near where I live. A lot of this is very new to them as well.
Tucson is not a Class A (international) airport which has a 5 mile restriction. Tucson is a Class B airport with only a 3 mile restriction. DJI has a fly-safe map online that shows all of the airport restriction zones.
Over and above the chatter about whether you should talk to the tower with a radio when flying your quad - which would not really happen legally with the current structure - the main goal (I thought) was how you notified the airport. If it is a one-off situation, then you call. We have a fixed wing model aircraft field (and also a 'drone' field) within three miles of a large military installation. We have an MOA (Memorandum of Agreement) with them signed by the Base that allows us to fly almost all the time. If there are exercises or other events (like air shows), they are supposed to call us and tell us to cease operations. In reality, they have never called but we don't poke the tiger - if there is a Presidential Flight landing or we see it or if there is any heavy activity, we simply go to a field that is outside the five miles. We don't try to hide behind nuances or claim righteous indignation or argue whether it is needed - we simply work with them and it seems to work well. We have been using this method for well over a decade with no issues.
I believe they will make it into law NO QUAD FLYING within 5 miles if the system bogged down by fake calls.
A lot depends on your location. Like most things in life build relationships of trust and it gets easier. I live in a less populated area but still do much of my flying within the technical limits of my local airport. Play ball with the airport operators and be a responsible flier. Most of them want their lives to be as uncomplicated as we want ours.
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I agree. I really doubt the FAA wants UAVs to be chattering about. Especially people who are not 'real' pilots. CB on the approach pattern we don't need.
As I remember from flight school, to use and air band radio you need an air band license. For most people a pilots licenses is your radio license. I will see if I can find the FAR on that.
I use one when I fly my drone commercially near airports because that is what my COA requires. I am also a licensed pilot and thus licensed air band radio operator.
I am speculating for this next part: If you don't have a license of some kind for air band, you may get in some hot water for using it without a licenses.
More thoughts on radios:
1. If you broadcast on the wrong frequencies you could end up dispatching search and rescue teams to your location.
2. If you broadcast in a specific way on specific channels, you could actually turn on the landing lights at some mid sized airports.
3. If you broadcast at the wrong times you could talk over necessary com and cause problems.
4. If you don't speak with proper vocabulary you could end up confusing pilots and controllers.
1. If you broadcast on the wrong frequencies you could end up dispatching search and rescue teams to your location.
2. If you broadcast in a specific way on specific channels, you could actually turn on the landing lights at some mid sized airports.
3. If you broadcast at the wrong times you could talk over necessary com and cause problems.
4. If you don't speak with proper vocabulary you could end up confusing pilots and controllers.
I live in Johnson County, KS near two airports. I have been trying for weeks now to find a phone number for the control towers. The phone numbers I found actually are for the Johnson County Airport Authority which I have called and only got a recording. I left a phone message and two emails but they never responded to any of them.
As far as I am concerned I've done as much as I can to notify the airports so I am just going to fly my drone without contacting them. I would be happy to contact the control tower but have exhausted my options.
go read a NAV/COM radio manual, you will see you do need a license to operate if outside an aircraft. https://www.sportys.com/media/pdf/sp400.pdf
Interesting discussion, and is nearly the same on every forum. It's a total mess. Personally I think this whole thing has little to do with safety and much more to do with securing the NAS for commercial use of drones. Not the 333 guys, they will be crushed too. It's the Amazons of the air that will win the day then eventually we hobbyists and small time commercial operators will be so regulated, required to jump through so many hoops, pay out a lot of money for insurance and all the rest, it won't be worth it. Why do I say this has little to do with safety? Because while you, me and countless others are trying to figure out the rules, operate in a responsible manner like we always have, and arguing about it, the people that don't give a rat's behind about rules will still fly unabated with no conscience. For them there are already laws made for.
Has anyone entertained the notion that what the FAA has done is completely illegal per section 336? John Taylor is getting his day in court this month, yet not one model aircraft mfr nor the AMA is supporting his effort. It's pretty clear to me the reason for that is they are all clamoring to get in bed with FAA hoping to receive whatever scraps the bureaucrats leave them.
Does anyone really believe DJI spontaneously on their own came up with the GEO system and it just happened to be after Christmas? If nobody has been paying attention, when you log in to get authorization there are a whole lot of places the application is connecting to outside of what is needed to make the program work. In any other program that would be called malware and people would be scrubbing their pc's of every last remnant of it.
February 19 is approaching and I have not registered will not until forced to in order to avoid bankruptcy and prison time (see 8th Amendment). In fact, if it becomes too burdensome and causes too much anxiety, I may just quit the hobby again for good this time.
BTW, I live in the country but am surrounded by 4 "airports" that according to FAA's B4UFLY app I must contact the operator of my intent to fly. For 35 years we RC guys have been flying illegally and didn't know it. These are ma and pa grass strips with no tower and all but one not used, and that one for my friend's ultra light It's surpassed the point of insanity. IMO this is largely a big city problem and should be addressed as such, but like every other government solution it's a one-size-fits-all top down iron fisted mandate.
Has anyone entertained the notion that what the FAA has done is completely illegal per section 336? John Taylor is getting his day in court this month, yet not one model aircraft mfr nor the AMA is supporting his effort. It's pretty clear to me the reason for that is they are all clamoring to get in bed with FAA hoping to receive whatever scraps the bureaucrats leave them.
Does anyone really believe DJI spontaneously on their own came up with the GEO system and it just happened to be after Christmas? If nobody has been paying attention, when you log in to get authorization there are a whole lot of places the application is connecting to outside of what is needed to make the program work. In any other program that would be called malware and people would be scrubbing their pc's of every last remnant of it.
February 19 is approaching and I have not registered will not until forced to in order to avoid bankruptcy and prison time (see 8th Amendment). In fact, if it becomes too burdensome and causes too much anxiety, I may just quit the hobby again for good this time.
BTW, I live in the country but am surrounded by 4 "airports" that according to FAA's B4UFLY app I must contact the operator of my intent to fly. For 35 years we RC guys have been flying illegally and didn't know it. These are ma and pa grass strips with no tower and all but one not used, and that one for my friend's ultra light It's surpassed the point of insanity. IMO this is largely a big city problem and should be addressed as such, but like every other government solution it's a one-size-fits-all top down iron fisted mandate.
Ok, guess i'm way out in left field on this one. I'm between 2 airports. One is 4.6 miles. The other is 4.8 miles. When I step outside (2 days ago) and turned my bird it said I was in the no fly zone and all functions were locked up and I could do nothing with it. I took it 6 blocks over and was able to fly then. Di I hit the wrong switch or something? It's a funny thing. I was up 100m and there was more traffic around me then I have ever seen. A Heli almost ran it to me. I thought they were at 600 ft and we were at 400 ft max.?
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You may be right. If so, we will be crushed. I agree about the A.M.A. They've leveraged the whole situation as a conduit for increased memberships. No one is fighting the battle for the little guy that I can see. Enjoy your flying time while you can. When I bought my Phantom 3P last Spring I did so with the realization the opportunity to fly and shoot might go away. So far, it's been very enjoyable. As the saying goes: "all good things must come to an end."
In case anyone is interested, Deserteagle at RCG has started his own CBO after much discussion and joking around. It is serious however. Check it out.
I'm starting my own Official Community Based Organization - RC Groups
I'm starting my own Official Community Based Organization - RC Groups
True dat. ATC frequencies are usually quite busy, and the last thing controllers and pilots expect to hear is a drone operator on the freq.
Just so we are all on the same page, I never was asking if I could operate on the same frequency that the airplanes operate on, I was simply asking what frequency I would use and then I was told I would need a license and then the question moved to what license do I need and what frequency? I never thought I would be chatting with the tower while a plane was trying to ask for clearance etc.
Sorry if I came off harsh. The fact that your here asking before doing is evidence enough that you're a responsible person trying to make reasonable decisions.
Glad your here!
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