City Flying?

[jled]

Can anyone help me understand what the technical issues are in regards to flying inside of an city? As far as I know, the big problems would be GPS signal and Wifi interference. I've done the mRo gps upgrade and have a decent understanding that gps will be more stable as I get higher off the ground & buildings are out of the way, but what else do I need to watch for? If I lose wifi signal, RTH should kick in and as long as I have a clear path, I should be ok. What do I need to know about magnetic interference?

Here is an example location (which is now an open but very small field).

Google Earth

I know there are significant legal and safety issues that I'll look into, but for now I'm concerned with the technical side.

 

[CanadianSolo]

AirMap.io

You probably cant fly there period. Fly in manual mode. to avoid GPS loss. Wifi i use Alpha panel antennas to cut through interference.

 

[Chuck]

Welcome, jled. You are correct with the concerns of wifi problems, gps signals, and obstacles. For magnetic interference, I use an app called K-Index Lite Monitor. It is an Android app. I am not familiar with the Apple version if there is one. It will give you a good indication of the magnetic conditions at any given time. There are many other factors to consider. Underground electrical transformers, rebar in concrete, and cell and microwave towers can wreck havoc with your signals. I flew from my front yard many times with no problem, until one time I took off in manual and lost wifi and controller signal at the same time. I was lucky to get my Solo back. I found out I have an underground transformer right at the end of my driveway. A small open field is a better choice for in the city, but a wide open large area outside the traps of the city would be much better suited to learning to fly. As long as you establish a home point before takeoff, and set your RTH altitude to clear obstacles in your flying area, you should be fine. I usually don't fly with the K-Index on my monitor above 5. I would rather play it safe. If there is a lot of magnetic interference in the area, your Solo will let you know when you power it up for takeoff. Be sure to keep it away from the obvious things like vehicles, and metal buildings and roofs. It is all pretty much common sense. Find a good app for magnetic conditions, as it is just another good tool to help become a better informed pilot. I wish you luck, and safe flying.

 

[dmyhill]

If this is in the US...

Remember, hobby flights are per the AMA community standards. Some will call this BS (and it is in some ways), but they are willing to be test cases.

With commercial flights, hopefully you know the regs already, since you need a license.

That said, the hardest thing will be the line of sight needed in such a congested space. And, even in a suburban area, I find it difficult to have adequate situational awareness due to limited sight lines. I can see my aircraft, but manned aircraft can sneak up on you.

 

[jled]

I appreciate the info. I can work within the rules to keep things faa-legal, but I'm more wondering about how well it will work.

AirMap.io

You probably cant fly there period. Fly in manual mode. to avoid GPS loss. Wifi i use Alpha panel antennas to cut through interference.

You are correct that there are a lot of airports/heliports/hospitals to notify, but I have gone through the trouble and got the okay nod in the past. I am interested in the manual suggestion, because if I'm really banking at least one GPS or wifi to ensure a safe landing, why would I want to take GPS out of the equation?

Welcome, jled. You are correct with the concerns of wifi problems, gps signals, and obstacles. For magnetic interference, I use an app called K-Index Lite Monitor. It is an Android app. I am not familiar with the Apple version if there is one. It will give you a good indication of the magnetic conditions at any given time. There are many other factors to consider. Underground electrical transformers, rebar in concrete, and cell and microwave towers can wreck havoc with your signals. I flew from my front yard many times with no problem, until one time I took off in manual and lost wifi and controller signal at the same time. I was lucky to get my Solo back. I found out I have an underground transformer right at the end of my driveway. A small open field is a better choice for in the city, but a wide open large area outside the traps of the city would be much better suited to learning to fly. As long as you establish a home point before takeoff, and set your RTH altitude to clear obstacles in your flying area, you should be fine. I usually don't fly with the K-Index on my monitor above 5. I would rather play it safe. If there is a lot of magnetic interference in the area, your Solo will let you know when you power it up for takeoff. Be sure to keep it away from the obvious things like vehicles, and metal buildings and roofs. It is all pretty much common sense. Find a good app for magnetic conditions, as it is just another good tool to help become a better informed pilot. I wish you luck, and safe flying.

When I say magnetic interference, I was thinking more of the rebar/unground transformer than solar issues. You did mention roofs, because that was another idea. It seems that it would be nice to launch off a rooftop patio ~ 20 stories up, but I'm guessing that would be a too-much-metal problem.

If this is in the US...

Remember, hobby flights are per the AMA community standards. Some will call this BS (and it is in some ways), but they are willing to be test cases.

With commercial flights, hopefully you know the regs already, since you need a license.

That said, the hardest thing will be the line of sight needed in such a congested space. And, even in a suburban area, I find it difficult to have adequate situational awareness due to limited sight lines. I can see my aircraft, but manned aircraft can sneak up on you.

Also, appreciated. I'm exploring the idea of the commercial option, and I'll read up on the AMA standards. In regards to line of site... Let's say I get up in the air ~ 300 feet or so to be clear of the building, and then I start an orbit shot. If during the orbit shot I lose wifi connection, does the solo stop & hover or continue along the orbit? Please understand that this is not what I want to do, I'm simply exploring what would/could happen.

 

[wsalopek]

Jled,

Besides maintaining line-of-sight for control, (which you could get around by flying a waypoint mission), I'd think you'd be just fine, aircraft-capability-wise, flying there. Of course others in the thread do have some good advice and things to think about.

--

Bill