Confusion over the different air space restrictions

This will be my 23rd year on the survey. I'm sort of the media guy for these trips. Photography is my passion and I drag my Nikon kit everywhere we go. This year I figured I'd bring the Solo for a fresh and new perspective.
The important thing is that the Solo is not officially part of the research. Any good footage would of course be added to our survey video reel which I happen to be the keeper of.

Would the FAA (FSOD) even listen to a request from a common citizen with his "toy" drone?

Here is another angle to try: Get a handheld aircraft VHF radio from Sporty's ($310) and tune to the nearest CTAF frequency in use where you plan to fly your Solo. Its what I do. (You need to use Skyvector on your tablet to see what the nearest airfield and CTAF frequency is) I picked up on this one day in flight training when I heard a commercial drone operator talking on the CTAF (122.7 and 122.8 mHz) for the airport I was shooting touch and goes at (KHPY). I talked to him and so did another manned pilot. He (drone-pilot) was over the ExxonMobil refinery in Baytown Texas...doing survey work. I was at 1000 feet about 3 miles away and he was at 300' max. All parties were feeling safe and ok with common use of class E airspace within the FAA proscribed rules.
Now I think you understand why the FAA has published the Part 107 rule regime to get the drone commanders trained to operate in the National Airspace system. You may operate your Solo up to 400 feet. Manned aircraft over populated areas can fly no lower then 1000 feet (VFR), or 500' if there is no built-up ground infrastructure such as houses or businesses that have people in them. Note that 100' of separation?
At the park you talked about, you could have easily been talking to any aircraft overflying by using the CTAF frequency (which also presupposes those pilots where tuned to the local CTAF as well....) ALSO....if said park was a designated wildlife sanctuary, then manned aircraft are usually restricted to no lower than 1000' AGL over that area.
 
Is there a reference somewhere that explains all this?
Try the attached/linked illustration...print and bring with you as reference material when you fly your Solo.
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Airspace Illustration.JPG
 
This will be my 23rd year on the survey. I'm sort of the media guy for these trips. Photography is my passion and I drag my Nikon kit everywhere we go. This year I figured I'd bring the Solo for a fresh and new perspective.
The important thing is that the Solo is not officially part of the research. Any good footage would of course be added to our survey video reel which I happen to be the keeper of.

Would the FAA (FSOD) even listen to a request from a common citizen with his "toy" drone?

yes.
 
Good luck oyster. Please be sure to post your videos. I live on the Chesapeake Bay myself and would love to see more of it.
 
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If you haven't already done so, this might be a good time to get a FAA Part 107 (UAV) certificate. All of us, commercial operator or not, need to wend our ways through airspace knowledge and the rest of 107. There isn't really that much you need to know compared to manned aircraft pilot requirements.
 
Good luck oyster. Please be sure to post your videos. I live on the Chesapeake Bay myself and would love to see more of it.
I am moving to Bethesda MD soon and looking at the flight plan map on Solo app is kinda depressing. Are there places in Chesapeake Bay that are free fly zones ? Thanks - Nick
 

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