On the Line / Class D Airspace

[EarthBoundMisfit]

Hey all!

I thought I would just pass this along ...

I had a request from a realtor to do a real estate shoot near a local AFB. After checking airspace I found that the house is about 500 feet within the Class D airspace or 4.88 miles from the field. Eventually, automated authorization would allow me to fly up to 400 feet in this space, but not yet.

I called the airport manager and told them that I wanted to fly a real estate operation 4.88 miles east of the field for about an hour and asked if that would be okay or if I needed an FAA waiver. She said that should be fine, just to give them a call when it's a little closer to the shoot date and stay below 400 feet.

Now, originally when I was describing the site I described it as 500 feet within the airspace, which she misunderstood to mean 500 feet from the field, and told me an FAA authorization would be required, but I corrected her (or explained more accurately) that it was almost 5 miles from the field. So when you're describing where you're shooting I recommend describing not how close to the edge of the airspace you are, but how far and in which direction from the field you are. So, "I'll be flying 4.88 miles east of the field" would have been a little clearer.

Anyhow, sharing is caring! Safe flying!

 

[barefootbeachcombing]

Just so you know, for Part 107 flights, you are supposed to get an FAA authorization not permission from the airport.

LAANC will simply this, of course, once it is rolled out in your area.

 

[EarthBoundMisfit]

Just so you know, for Part 107 flights, you are supposed to get an FAA authorization not permission from the airport.

LAANC will simply this, of course, once it is rolled out in your area.

Yeah, that was/is my understanding as well. I was surprised when the airport manager said I didn't need a waiver, but they might not know for sure so I'll go ahead and put in an FAA airspace authorization.

Thanks!

 

[BigAl07]

Just so you know, for Part 107 flights, you are supposed to get an FAA authorization not permission from the airport.

LAANC will simply this, of course, once it is rolled out in your area.

It depends on who you ask and how they want to "interpret" the writing. But from a purely legal standpoint, until the regs are re-written to state as such, "technically" we are good to go with a verbal approval from the tower. Until they make the FARs state, "Must have written approval via portal or automated approval from LAANC in order to fly in controlled airspace" we can"technically" fly with verbal. Ultimately they have the final say-so either way and they are the ones who helped decide what is allowable in the grid in that area to begin with.

PS: The Caveat here is that ATC facilities have been "instructed" to not give verbal approvals because the FAA wants to force us to "use the system" as intended. At the moment a few facilities will still give verbal if you talk nicely and know the correct lingo.

PSS: If you're going to fly off of a verbal you'd better CYA and get some names and document it VERY well. Just in case. I'd much rather have something in email, text, fax that has their information on it. Fortunately the phone lines are recorded (as best as I understand) so that if there is an incident and you got verbal ultimately it can be verified.... unless there's a computer glitch at which point you're the new scape goat LOL.

PSSS: I don't really expect the FARs to be rewritten anytime soon in this respect because there are too many facilities not cooperating with LAANC.

 

[EarthBoundMisfit]

It depends on who you ask and how they want to "interpret" the writing. But from a purely legal standpoint, until the regs are re-written to state as such, "technically" we are good to go with a verbal approval from the tower. Until they make the FARs state, "Must have written approval via portal or automated approval from LAANC in order to fly in controlled airspace" we can"technically" fly with verbal. Ultimately they have the final say-so either way and they are the ones who helped decide what is allowable in the grid in that area to begin with.

PS: The Caveat here is that ATC facilities have been "instructed" to not give verbal approvals because the FAA wants to force us to "use the system" as intended. At the moment a few facilities will still give verbal if you talk nicely and know the correct lingo.

PSS: If you're going to fly off of a verbal you'd better CYA and get some names and document it VERY well. Just in case. I'd much rather have something in email, text, fax that has their information on it. Fortunately the phone lines are recorded (as best as I understand) so that if there is an incident and you got verbal ultimately it can be verified.... unless there's a computer glitch at which point you're the new scape goat LOL.

PSSS: I don't really expect the FARs to be rewritten anytime soon in this respect because there are too many facilities not cooperating with LAANC.

Yeah, I'm really suffering from a sort of "estimated information" overload with this one. For example, on AirMap if I put in "Fly for Fun" the circle restricts leaving the property available for drone work without any authorization. When I select FAA Part 107 the airspace expands slightly to include the property in question. I'm a bit of a rule follower, so the ambiguity is a little nerve-racking.

Awesome information and advice!

 

[BigAl07]

Yeah, I'm really suffering from a sort of "estimated information" overload with this one. For example, on AirMap if I put in "Fly for Fun" the circle restricts leaving the property available for drone work without any authorization. When I select FAA Part 107 the airspace expands slightly to include the property in question. I'm a bit of a rule follower, so the ambiguity is a little nerve-racking.

Awesome information and advice!

You clear this up by reading the sectional. At the end of the day it's the only thing you can really trust.

Also remember "fly for fun" (aka 336/hobby) does not have an Authorization process. The rules are you call and notify for each flying session if within 5M of the airport.

The reason why Part 107 and Hobby don't align in the apps is because hobby/336 is about distance from the airport and Part 107 is about the actual Airspace which is irrelevant to distance from the airport. Clear as mud at first but it eventually starts to sort of make sense LOL.

The local Sectional for your area is now your "sUAS Bible" for flying locations. It's right all the time if you read it right

 

[livefreeanddrone]

Hey all!

I thought I would just pass this along ...

I had a request from a realtor to do a real estate shoot near a local AFB. After checking airspace I found that the house is about 500 feet within the Class D airspace or 4.88 miles from the field. Eventually, automated authorization would allow me to fly up to 400 feet in this space, but not yet.

I called the airport manager and told them that I wanted to fly a real estate operation 4.88 miles east of the field for about an hour and asked if that would be okay or if I needed an FAA waiver. She said that should be fine, just to give them a call when it's a little closer to the shoot date and stay below 400 feet.

Now, originally when I was describing the site I described it as 500 feet within the airspace, which she misunderstood to mean 500 feet from the field, and told me an FAA authorization would be required, but I corrected her (or explained more accurately) that it was almost 5 miles from the field. So when you're describing where you're shooting I recommend describing not how close to the edge of the airspace you are, but how far and in which direction from the field you are. So, "I'll be flying 4.88 miles east of the field" would have been a little clearer.

Anyhow, sharing is caring! Safe flying!

Thanks for the info and good job!

 

[barefootbeachcombing]

....
PS: The Caveat here is that ATC facilities have been "instructed" to not give verbal approvals because the FAA wants to force us to "use the system" as intended. At the moment a few facilities will still give verbal if you talk nicely and know the correct lingo.

This is the part that I was remembering. They aren't supposed to be giving verbal approvals.

 

[barefootbeachcombing]

Yeah, I'm really suffering from a sort of "estimated information" overload with this one. For example, on AirMap if I put in "Fly for Fun" the circle restricts leaving the property available for drone work without any authorization. When I select FAA Part 107 the airspace expands slightly to include the property in question. I'm a bit of a rule follower, so the ambiguity is a little nerve-racking.

Awesome information and advice!

There's no real ambiguity. "Fly For Fun" has a different set of rules than Part 107. So if you are flying a Part 107 job, then authorization is needed within the controlled airspace.

 

[dkeberhardt]

Correct me if I'm wrong but the rules don't specify statute miles or nautical miles and that makes a big difference when you are near the boundary of a Class D airspace. I've always assumed nautical miles since I am also a licensed airplane pilot but most drone flyers are ground pounders and deal with statute miles. Just thought I'd throw in a little more mud into the pond.

 

[flockshot]

If you have ATC authorization, you are cleared to fly. No need to nit pick this one.

 

[MtManDavey]

STILL waiting for Class D authorization to do commercial photography! No LAANC at this airport and, almost 4 months since my request through the Drone Zone, the FAA is taking more than its sweet time. Gotta love FAA Action (or non-action) dolls.