Drone Airport Notification

E

evapilotaz

En-Route
Joined
Feb 13, 2012
Messages
2,623
Location
Gilbert AZ. VFR All Year Baby
Display Name
Display name:
Drone airspace abuser
So I believe I did the right thing as a responsible Drone Operation.

I sent this letter to KCHD.

Hello Chandler Tower manager.

This letter is to inform you I will be flying my UAV “Drones” within 5 miles of KCHD Airport at the cross streets listed below.

Cross Streets Higley and Ocotillo in Gilbert, AZ

I will not be flying my Drone any higher than 400FT Agl.

My drone registration information is as follows.

CERTIFICATE HOLDER:
david "last Name.
UAS CERTIFICATE NUMBER:
FA3N*******
ISSUED:
02/08/2016
EXPIRES:
02/08/2019

I will be flying my drone at this location indefinitely

Thank you,

David
phone number.
 
Last edited:
One little tidbit that the FAA didn't really consider on these new requirements is how ATC will report these.

So you send that letter what are they going to do with it? They obviously can't put in NOTAMS for everyone that sends in a letter or calls about flying. It's probably unreasonable for them to tell you no... or maybe some airports will say 'whatever' while some tell you that it is 'strictly prohibited'.

Registration is only going to be used to hunt you down AFTER something happens.
 
Since you are operating within controlled airspace (i.e. class D in this case) you need to coordinate with ATC as well.
 
Thank you for the comments. I'm not asking for permission. I'm notifying them per
FAA Drone Guidelines.

•Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles
•Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times
•Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations
•Don't fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying
•Don't fly near people or stadiums
•Don't fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 lbs
•Don't be careless or reckless with your unmanned aircraft – you could be fined for endangering people or other aircraft
 
Dear Airport Manager NC26--
I intend to fly my drone from my property adjacent to the runway.
--Signed Airport Manager NC26.

Is that good enough?
 
The FAA considers it an aircraft. Get your handheld with a headset adapter, use your FAA assigned number and call up the tower and let them know your intentions.
 
I'm assuming that by sending them this letter you are complying with 'Don't fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying' piece? And by saying 'Indefiantly' you don't plan on contacting them each time but rather this once?

I don't think they'll have a clue of what to do with your letter and they could ignore it, could call you to tell you no (regardless if you didn't ask for permission), or any number of things... it's a crap shoot.

Let us know how this works out.
 
Okie I'm just covering my Butt if I get stopped by Law Enforcement. A couple weeks ago a Police SUV stopped by and watched me fly for 5 minutes and left. I saw him there and thinking crap I haven't registered yet.

I did my due diligence and sent that letter to the Airport controller Manager so when I get tossed in Jail I have a ground to stand on because one I am registered and two I notified the airport.

Several times a week I fly 1/2 mile from my house and at my house with my Quadcopters and airplanes. I think the tower would get tired of hearing from me.
 
Last edited:
yetti said:
The FAA considers it an aircraft. Get your handheld with a headset adapter, use your FAA assigned number and call up the tower and let them know your intentions.
Click to expand...

I just got a good laugh imagining how that would go down with the airport I fly out of since the tower is a training tower, and the newbie controllers have a tendency of getting easily overwhelmed with radio communication when you fly in from an unusual direction or ask for something out of the ordinary.

Caldwell Tower, Phantom Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is holding short of my yard, ready for take off, departing to the West... :lol:
 
evapilotaz said:
By posting this I'm hoping others Drone Pilots would chime.
Click to expand...

My son and I have a phantom 3 pro. There are 4 airports within a few miles of us. Two are uncontrolled, two are towered. This includes Robins Air Force Base. :eek:

Anyway, The phantom is registered with the FAA. It's almost impossible to fly near where I live and remain 5 miles away from all the airports. I have gone out with him on multiple occasions pretty close to the uncontrolled airports. We don't go over 400 ft, and we don't get near the pattern areas or approach paths of the planes. For a plane to have an issue with our drone, they'd have to be flying too low to comply with the rules.

One interesting thing we found. RAFB shows up as a restricted zone in red. We were flying in a parking lot near the base, and it eventually gets dark red. You literally can't fly the drone any closer than the dark red band regardless of the altitude.
 
So the interesting sub conversation is what can law enforcement officers do if you're flying an unregistered drone in say Bravo airspace... my contention is really nothing except report you to the FAA.

It's the FAA's responsibility to enforce their regulations and safety guidance, not local police, sheriff, ect. Now if you take a drone out and run it into someone's person or property there would be repercussions from a local/state level perspective but the charges aren't going to be 'flying an unregistered drone' or 'failing to notify ATC'.

Oh and I fly a drone around under some Charlie airspace, but keep it line of sight and under probably 200 ft. I also haven't registered it because my belief if I'm not in controlled airspace then it's moot.... also if a plane is 200 ft above my culdesac then we have some other issues.
 
The FAA considers it an aircraft. Class D goes down to the surface. You don't have any special exemption to be in their airspace without talking to the tower... just saying. Unfortunately I am not in class B to the surface otherwise that could be a fun radio transmission exchange
 
Maciej said:
I just got a good laugh imagining how that would go down with the airport I fly out of since the tower is a training tower, and the newbie controllers have a tendency of getting easily overwhelmed with radio communication when you fly in from an unusual direction or ask for something out of the ordinary.

Caldwell Tower, Phantom Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is holding short of my yard, ready for take off, departing to the West... :lol:
Click to expand...

LOL I love it.
 
evapilotaz said:
LOL I love it.
Click to expand...

I'm actually dying to hear someone do this just to get their reaction, it would be pretty funny.

Caldwell Tower, Phantom Whiskey Tango Foxtrot is five miles north west of the field at four hundred feet, requesting permission to enter the delta for a video flight, have information Papa...

Phantom Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, please ident...

Caldwell Tower, unable...

Uhhhhh... Hold on... What kind of a plane are you?

Caldwell Tower, I'm a drone...

Uhhhhh... Uhhhhh...
Click to expand...

:lol:
 
Keep in mind your are not registering the drone. You are registering yourself as a drone pilot. I have 10 drones which is a mixer of Quadcopters and airplanes. I can use the same number on each.
 
Would you be willing to send me a copy of your approved commercial use request paperwork? I want to get in on this stuff with my Phantom 3, but have no clue what to send in even after reading through all the BS on the FAA websites.
 
yetti said:
The FAA considers it an aircraft. Get your handheld with a headset adapter, use your FAA assigned number and call up the tower and let them know your intentions.
Click to expand...
Not legal. You are not calling from an aircraft.

With acro boxes, the appropriate air traffic control facility is given a cell phone number to call if they need operations to be shut down.

But if all the regulations for UAS require is notification, then a notification is all you need to do.
 
JasonM said:
Would you be willing to send me a copy of your approved commercial use request paperwork? I want to get in on this stuff with my Phantom 3, but have no clue what to send in even after reading through all the BS on the FAA websites.
Click to expand...

I didn't request for commercial use permit for my drones. That's a whole entire different process. I'm a private user only.
 
evapilotaz said:
Thank you for the comments. I'm not asking for permission. I'm notifying them per
FAA Drone Guidelines.

•Fly below 400 feet and remain clear of surrounding obstacles
•Keep the aircraft within visual line of sight at all times
•Remain well clear of and do not interfere with manned aircraft operations
•Don't fly within 5 miles of an airport unless you contact the airport and control tower before flying
•Don't fly near people or stadiums
•Don't fly an aircraft that weighs more than 55 lbs
•Don't be careless or reckless with your unmanned aircraft – you could be fined for endangering people or other aircraft
Click to expand...

Yes, but you're also overlooking the fact that your UAV is an aircraft, per FAA definition. That still overlaps the regulations involving operations within controlled airspaces. I hear this argument from drone-pilots repeatedly. If something unfortunate happens, I don't think it will stand up as a defense.
 
evapilotaz said:
I didn't request for commercial use permit for my drones. That's a whole entire different process. I'm a private user only.
Click to expand...

I see.. I figured with the approvals going to mainly pilots, we may as well go after the commercial approval for these things and take advantage of it. If anyone has submitted such paperwork, I would really appreciate having someones homework to copy. :D
 
JasonM said:
I see.. I figured with the approvals going to mainly pilots, we may as well go after the commercial approval for these things and take advantage of it. If anyone has submitted such paperwork, I would really appreciate having someones homework to copy. :D
Click to expand...

The FAA is >scheduled< to implement a new Airman Certification for UAS Operators this year. If and when that happens, the 333 exemption you refer to will become obsolete overnight.
 
write-stuff said:
The FAA is >scheduled< to implement a new Airman Certification for UAS Operators this year. If and when that happens, the 333 exemption you refer to will become obsolete overnight.
Click to expand...

Yup, part 107. Operating rules and airman certification for small UAS.
 
write-stuff said:
The FAA is >scheduled< to implement a new Airman Certification for UAS Operators this year. If and when that happens, the 333 exemption you refer to will become obsolete overnight.
Click to expand...

Not heard that... will that be for drones over 55 lbs or are we going to have 10 year old running around with their licenses?
 
OkieAviator said:
Not heard that... will that be for drones over 55 lbs or are we going to have 10 year old running around with their licenses?
Click to expand...

For non-hobby use of UAS less than 55 lbs. And yes, there are age limitations.
 
JasonM said:
I see.. I figured with the approvals going to mainly pilots, we may as well go after the commercial approval for these things and take advantage of it. If anyone has submitted such paperwork, I would really appreciate having someones homework to copy. :D
Click to expand...

Yea now need to go commercial for me.
 
Talking with the Airport Ops people at APA, they're totally annoyed by this, as is the Tower. The Tower folks have been punting the calls to the Ops office.

If you look at a map of any major metro and realize FAA *includes* heliports in the "five mile rule", there's almost nowhere in most cities that isn't covered by the requirement.

And who you going to call for the helipad at the Urgent Care center to "notify" them if you live in the golf course community a mile up the road?

Stupidest **** ever.
 
Centennial tower puts a message on the ATIS that drones are flying near the airport.
 
Off Topic. There was a Hot Air Balloon Im thinking a 1000 ft over my house the other day. We get a lot of those in my Area. I would love to get on Frequency with the Guy and do some aerial photography of his Balloon. I think I would loose sight of my Drone at a 1000ft. I'm not equip with First Person View capabilities on my drone yet.

Yes Yes that would have busted the 400ft rule.
 
Last edited:
400 foot is a suggestion. Not a regulation. For that matter notifying the airport is a suggestion
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top