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Im near 4 miles away from an Airport...able to fly the P3P?
- Thread starter MarioMiami
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If you live outside that red no fly zone, you can fly. Just notify the tower. 4.5 miles is a long way away from threshhold/property. There should be no aircraft below 500'. Just keep it at or below 400'.
SD
I believe the no flight (motors won't start) limitation is within 1.5 miles of the airport. You aren't prevented from taking off within 5 miles, but your altitude is limited within a tapered cone out to the 5 mile radius. I live approximately 2 miles from BWI airport. The app (& aircraft) alerts me that I am in a restricted zone & limits me to 160' right at my house. If I head towards the airport, the altitude decreases up to 1.5 miles at which point it will let me fly no further towards the airport. If I fly away from the airport, available altitude increases out to 5 miles, as which point the limit is removed and the app/aircraft warnings cease.
"By the book" you are supposed to notify both ATC & the Airport owner when operating with 5 miles. With the prevalence of drones I imagine this would become pretty annoying with constant calls saying "I'm 3 miles away flying around xxx park. My software is limiting me to 200' but I'm letting you know."
"By the book" you are supposed to notify both ATC & the Airport owner when operating with 5 miles. With the prevalence of drones I imagine this would become pretty annoying with constant calls saying "I'm 3 miles away flying around xxx park. My software is limiting me to 200' but I'm letting you know."
"The value of R varies based on the definition of the restricted area?"
How does one find out the value of "R" for a given location? Is "R" always 5 miles for airports (in the U.S.)? If so, does the 5 mile number apply to R1 or R2?
"If you live outside that red no fly zone, you can fly."
Understood. However, those red circles are not "official" no-fly zones, are they? I am under the impression that they are created by various private individuals. I agree they are good guides, but there is no guarantee of their accuracy. In the event something bad happened or the operator was fined for violating an airspace rule, I am not sure those red circles could be a defense. I don't know the answer, but I still would err on the side of caution when using that kind of data.
I'm not into RC model planes and such, but am aware of two popular RC fields in my area. One is well inside the 5 mile range of a very busy General Aviation airport (almost in line with the instrument approach). The other is inside 5 miles of a major metropolitan airport. I'm curious as to how that works. Am I to understand that anytime anyone wants to use those fields, they have to call the tower? Does the local club call once "our members will be flying on Saturday from 9am to 3pm" or do individual operators each have to call? Can/does the tower deny permission? Can a club or individual notify the tower in advance or for recurring events - "I am going to fly every other Saturday from April to October from 10am-4pm"?
How does one find out the value of "R" for a given location? Is "R" always 5 miles for airports (in the U.S.)? If so, does the 5 mile number apply to R1 or R2?
"If you live outside that red no fly zone, you can fly."
Understood. However, those red circles are not "official" no-fly zones, are they? I am under the impression that they are created by various private individuals. I agree they are good guides, but there is no guarantee of their accuracy. In the event something bad happened or the operator was fined for violating an airspace rule, I am not sure those red circles could be a defense. I don't know the answer, but I still would err on the side of caution when using that kind of data.
I'm not into RC model planes and such, but am aware of two popular RC fields in my area. One is well inside the 5 mile range of a very busy General Aviation airport (almost in line with the instrument approach). The other is inside 5 miles of a major metropolitan airport. I'm curious as to how that works. Am I to understand that anytime anyone wants to use those fields, they have to call the tower? Does the local club call once "our members will be flying on Saturday from 9am to 3pm" or do individual operators each have to call? Can/does the tower deny permission? Can a club or individual notify the tower in advance or for recurring events - "I am going to fly every other Saturday from April to October from 10am-4pm"?
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Mario, I looked up Tamiami Airport. It is a class D with an operating tower. D's are 5 statute miles in radius and the D airspace starts at the ground and extends up to 2,500' above the ground. The FAA regs for Class D require any aircraft to be in communication with the control tower before entering the D airspace (before take-off). Call the airport manager at 305-869-1700 and ask for the phone number for the control tower. Call the tower before each flight, tell them you location relative to the tower, where you will be flying and the maximum altitude and you will have complied with the law. I applaud you for checking before you fly. BY THE WAY there are many low flying biz jets and helos flying at your airport, so strictly limiting your altitude to 400 feet will keep everyone safe.
The red NFZ's were set up by DJI and enforced in their software, not by private individuals. Technically, the P3 will NOT fly in to those zones and will limit it's altitude the closer you get to them.
I didn't realize the graphic was DJI one. There are several apps out there which have their own list of no-fly zones. DJI is not the FAA. I probably should have indicated "private parties" as opposed to "individuals." My point was that these red zones are not all inclusive. There are some airports I know of which are not included in the DJI app.
The DJI limit is a good thing, however the point I was trying to make is that they are not "official," not necessarily "accurate" and certainly not all-inclusive. Some common sense and one's own research should be used in addition to any of these software aids. Don't assume because the software is not limiting you (or another app doesn't list your area as a no-fly) that it is safe or permitted to fly in a given area.
Which leads to my other questions about how many people legally operate model aircraft inside these restricted areas.
Does the no fly rules apply to small, non-control tower local airports or grass strips? I have one near me, about 3 miles away that is very rarely even used. It's not even a class D airport. I understand the rules that apply to Class C and B airports and that makes sense. My question concerns small airports and grass strips runways that are scattered about the country side.
Do the same rules apply to these "airports" as do the big JFK, LAX and ATL?
Do the same rules apply to these "airports" as do the big JFK, LAX and ATL?
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Well you are asking a very good question. The FAA's new 'drone rule' establishes operators as aviators aka Pilots, so it would be beneficial to learn the basics about the national airspace system (NAS) and traffic patterns to allow us to continue to use these cool UAV's. Airports without an operating control tower as you are asking about have the airspace around and over them one of two types, either Class E or Class G. The distinction is the distance from clouds an aircraft must remain. At no time can a pilot fly in the clouds unless they are on an instrument flight plan, which is not available for small UAV's. Aside from that the fixed wing aircraft are/should be at or above 500' AGL (above ground level) except when climbing out and on 'final approach' to land. During those times they are aligned with the runway in use's imaginary line that runs along the runway out into space. So, if a pilot of a UAV remains at or below 400', and remains clear of the final approach and departure corridors there should be no collisions and hence no issues assuming good visibility and adequate cloud clearance. Staying out one mile or so from the runway(s) keeps the UAV away from the lateral boundaries where the aircraft are flying the 'circuit' or traffic patter around the runway prior to landing. Minimum visibility for all pilots is 3 statute miles. Cloud clearance in class G is (to remain clear) and class E is 500' below, and 2000' in between. I believe the FAA wants all UAV ops 5 miles from all airports as most operators have no understanding of the regulations and airspace and this makes it easier for everyone. Learning the airspace and traffic patterns/altitudes would allow UAV pilots to safely fly around small airports with no issues. Of course as we are the most maneuverable ship we need to yield the right of way to all other aircraft.
I called the Airport Manager and he gave me blanket approval to fly at a park within 5 miles of the airport as long as I was under 400ft AGL. Granted it is a small town airport, no tower and he was really nice and just asked that if I hear a helicopter to lower my altitude until I can eyeball the help because of the mountains and the proximity of a hospital.
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Well done! I sure hope other UAV pilots do what you have done. This will help safely integrate UAV's into the national airspace system and earn public acceptance.
I live within the 5 mile radius of an airport also. I got in touch with the operations supervisor who gave me a direct number for the tower. I was the first person to ever call and ask about flying a drone and they seemed very appreciative that I did. They have my name and relevant info on a clipboard in the tower and I just need to give them a call whenever I want to fly. Very easy and safe.
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I'm also within 5 miles from Addison Airport in north Dallas. I contacted the manager at the tower, and he gave me permission to fly within five miles in certain areas; around my house and over a greenbelt and lake nearby, without calling the tower every time.
A 2 Sept 15 FAA post suggested that people wanting to fly UAVs from a permanent location, should contact the tower with specific details. I did, and it was easy. Permission came with a caveat that it was standing and could be revoked at any time; understandable.
When you contact the tower, the more detailed your request, the better the chance of getting permission.
Realize that the tower manager may not be aware of that 2 Sept post, so cite it.
https://www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_91-57A.pdf
See 6 c 5 on page 2. Here a re my FAA Tower-approved areas, uo to 200 feet altitude, shown, about 3+ miles from the airport and well off flight paths.
Be polite. If you're a total jerk who can't live with rules, I suggest you move to Somalia, where you can do your thing in a libertarian paradise.
I understand where you are coming from but I'd tend to agree that a person will get the reaction that Sport mentions. Yes, the regs state that he need to _notify_ the tower. However, they also state the following:
"(4) the aircraft is operated in a manner that does not interfere with and gives way to any manned aircraft; and
(5) when flown within 5 miles of an airport, the operator of the aircraft provides the airport operator and the airport air traffic control tower (when an air traffic facility is located at the airport) with prior notice of the operation (model aircraft operators flying from a permanent location within 5 miles of an airport should establish a mutually-agreed upon operating procedure with the airport operator and the airport air traffic control tower (when an air traffic facility is located at the airport))."
I suspect that the air traffic tower is going to have the say as to what interfering is. I suspect that they are also going to be the ones to tell you how high you can fly within 5 miles (could be zero feet).
I'd tend to agree with Sport that at a huge International airport the tower might be less willing to allow you to fly close to their airport. I don't know for sure that they would rule at 5 miles but I think they might.
If nothing else... at 5 miles you _MUST_ call. I'd also highly recommend that we all then go by what they say. Hey, if I was in my backyard and flying at 50' for 10 minutes might not call. But if I were going to go to that location and fly more then 50' for longer for a minute or two... I'd call (and I have). I'd _MUCH_ rather be on the side of the "good guys" and do my part to protect our hobby.
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Correct! From the NoFly radius edge, the allowable altitude in the US of 400 feet is reached at just under 1/4 mile away, But you STILL need to contact the tower
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