Not sure of where you can fly

Microsprint · Jun 18, 2015

here is great App

https://www.mapbox.com/drone/no-fly/

rrmccabe · Jun 18, 2015

Wish it covered everything. All the government army Corps lakes and rivers that are off limits do not show up there.

DevRogue · Jun 18, 2015

interesting...didn't know about Army Corp lakes & rivers. that more w/ the levees, etc?

rrmccabe · Jun 18, 2015

Yea I live 1 1/2 miles from Saylorville Lake in Iowa. Recreation lake that is used for flood control. Just earth dam. No hydro power or anything. But the Des Moines River along with the Mississippi and Missouri on both sides of the state are used for flood control. They are maintained by the army corps of engineers. Because they fall under the federal government they got banned as no fly zones when they did the no flying on government land thing.

A ranger shared this with me as he forced me to land !

DattaGroover · Jun 18, 2015

rrmccabe said:
Yea I live 1 1/2 miles from Saylorville Lake in Iowa. Recreation lake that is used for flood control. Just earth dam. No hydro power or anything. But the Des Moines River along with the Mississippi and Missouri on both sides of the state are used for flood control. They are maintained by the army corps of engineers. Because they fall under the federal government they got banned as no fly zones when they did the no flying on government land thing.

A ranger shared this with me as he forced me to land !

Aren't National forests okay? I've heard they were from other drone pilots. I know for sure National Parks are not.

rrmccabe · Jun 19, 2015

You know I don't know for sure. But I have seen this.

"Use of an unmanned aerial system on national forest land does not require an authorization when the UAS is operated strictly for recreational or hobby use. The use of a UAS in wilderness is always prohibited use pursuant to the Wilderness Act of 1964 and Codeof Federal Regulations at 261.18(a).''

I think the wilderness act they talk about of 1964 will exclude many national forest.

DattaGroover · Jun 19, 2015

rrmccabe said:
You know I don't know for sure. But I have seen this.

"Use of an unmanned aerial system on national forest land does not require an authorization when the UAS is operated strictly for recreational or hobby use. The use of a UAS in wilderness is always prohibited use pursuant to the Wilderness Act of 1964 and Codeof Federal Regulations at 261.18(a).''

I think the wilderness act they talk about of 1964 will exclude many national forest.

Thanks for that.
Seems a bit convoluted to me. I think when I do fly in National Forests, I will have a copy of the first sentence of that paragraph in my pocket. Much the way I carry the FAA guidelines for Lithium batteries when I go through security at the airport.

1013D · Jun 19, 2015

This map only shows "Major" airports.....what about small "minor" airports? I know there is a small private strip not too far from me (not even sure if it has a tower).

rrmccabe · Jun 19, 2015

I have always been under the assumption you can fly near small airports but need good judgment of course. There is an airport near me that has jets takeoff and land. Smaller lear type jets but has a decent amount of traffic and a long strip. Its not even on the map !

DattaGroover · Jun 20, 2015

rrmccabe said:
I have always been under the assumption you can fly near small airports but need good judgment of course. There is an airport near me that has jets takeoff and land. Smaller lear type jets but has a decent amount of traffic and a long strip. Its not even on the map !

I also am wary, but it depends on the class of the airport, from what I understand. I was showing my drone to the president of the Oregon Pilots Association (big planes, not drones), and she asked to see it in action. We were right next to a runway. When I said "I can't, this is an airport," she said it's only an Echo class, there is nothing restricting you. At least I think that's what she said. In any case, she said it depends on the class of the airspace around the airport and of the airport itself. She also is involved with all kinds of state aviation legislation including Oregon State standards for drones (she says there is a HUGE push to have all drones over a certain weight registered).

Any airport with a tower would be one you'd have to be 5 miles from, from my simpleton understanding. But it also may include some airports that do not have towers.

rrmccabe · Jun 20, 2015

I don't think this airport has a tower. But its a decent size airport and as you can see from this Google Earth image there is some substantial size aircraft there.

DattaGroover · Jun 20, 2015

rrmccabe said:
I don't think this airport has a tower. But its a decent size airport and as you can see from this Google Earth image there is some substantial size aircraft there.

View attachment 85

Definitely substantial. I think part of the problem is that while all airports are classed, the FAA guidelines regarding drones are not clear when they refer to airports. AND there are different classes for airspace around airports.

I personally would rather be safe than sorry (with a $10K fine - or worse), so until they are more specific with the guidelines, I plan to stay far away from airports (and planes) unless I know they are okay.

rrmccabe · Jun 20, 2015

Just looked and I am 4 1/2 miles from it. Sounds close by the 5 mile standard but its really a long ways from me. Well about 4 1/2 miles. LOL.

I have never seen a plane fly over me coming from there but looking at the runways they are angled where I never probably would. Anyone on a glide path for that airport is nothing going to cross me.

Hoping they don't add it to the list of airports as my house just falling into the 5 mile limit would suck. I fly from home 90% of the time.

RyanG · Jul 6, 2015

Is this a suggestion of where not to fly. OR Is it ILLEGAL to fly in the red zones?

The reason I ask is because where i live almost the entire area is in RED and I would have to drive about 20 mins to even get outside that zone.

Ryan G

rrmccabe · Jul 6, 2015

Hate to send you to the other brands site but there is more info there.

I have not tested the Solo in red areas but I know locks you down/out based on GPS location.

marena · Jul 6, 2015

Here's another website that includes more data (airports, national parks, and advisory locations, etc.). You can select what you want to see on the right side.

https://www.airmap.io/

DattaGroover · Jul 7, 2015

marena said:
Here's another website that includes more data (airports, national parks, and advisory locations, etc.). You can select what you want to see on the right side.

https://www.airmap.io/

Thanks!

rrmccabe · Jul 7, 2015

rrmccabe said:
Hate to send you to the other brands site but there is more info there.

I have not tested the Solo in red areas but I know locks you down/out based on GPS location.

I must have forgot the link.

There is a short video here too.

http://flysafe.dji.com/no-fly

dmassphoto · Jul 9, 2015

rrmccabe said:
You know I don't know for sure. But I have seen this.

"Use of an unmanned aerial system on national forest land does not require an authorization when the UAS is operated strictly for recreational or hobby use. The use of a UAS in wilderness is always prohibited use pursuant to the Wilderness Act of 1964 and Codeof Federal Regulations at 261.18(a).''

I think the wilderness act they talk about of 1964 will exclude many national forest.

I'm starting to get sick of this "Everything's ok if it's for hobby use." I originally thought the FAA was created to keep people safe, but this has soured my opinion of them. Greedy SOBs.

kneel23 · Jul 9, 2015

RyanG said:
Is this a suggestion of where not to fly. OR Is it ILLEGAL to fly in the red zones?

The reason I ask is because where i live almost the entire area is in RED and I would have to drive about 20 mins to even get outside that zone.

Ryan G

I also live well within the 5-mile zone of a major international airport. My understanding is that these zones are off-limits no matter what, however, I see many people flying drones, launching model rockets, and R/C airplanes in parks that are within the 5-mile zone. Is under 400ft still OK in these areas? I assume no, but see people flying them all the time