Airports, helipads, & heliports ohhh my!

[russ1971]

Hi All!
So, I got my very first drone (DJI pro) yesterday and I plan on taking it out this weekend for it's maiden voyage. I've done tons of reading regarding FAA rules and local ordinances.
My question is: does the FAA consider a helipad/heliport as an airport?
thanks

 

[Deleted member 62848]

Hi All!
So, I got my very first drone (DJI pro) yesterday and I plan on taking it out this weekend for it's maiden voyage. I've done tons of reading regarding FAA rules and local ordinances.
My question is: does the FAA consider a helipad/heliport as an airport?
thanks

Cool hooked now ,,um you not mention which pro p3p or p4p,,this what comes up with my p4...i certainly ain't the cleverest one to comment on this but I prsume heliports would be classed as airoport,they mostly take off from our local ones,,,the odd farmer might have one but would still have to land at some heliport--airport,,and welcome

 

[DoomMeister]

Hi All!
So, I got my very first drone (DJI pro) yesterday and I plan on taking it out this weekend for it's maiden voyage. I've done tons of reading regarding FAA rules and local ordinances.
My question is: does the FAA consider a helipad/heliport as an airport?
thanks

From your IP address it appears you are near Pasadena, CA in the US. With the new rules in place from the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 you can fly in any Class G airspace, but you must yield to all manned aircraft. Helicopters are very typically at or below 400 feet AGL when within 3 miles of a heliport so extra vigilance to situational awareness is in order.

I will add more to this post later to give you more complete information.

 

[BigAl07]

Hi All!
So, I got my very first drone (DJI pro) yesterday and I plan on taking it out this weekend for it's maiden voyage.

Welcome to the forum and the industry.

I've done tons of reading regarding FAA rules and local ordinances.

That's exactly how we learn and develop our knowledge about this fun and ever evolving hobby. Just keep in mind that no matter how "official" the advice sounds on a topic it's only OFFICIAL if it comes from the FAA.

My question is: does the FAA consider a helipad/heliport as an airport?
thanks

The short answer is YES!!

The official answer is YES and here's the FAA link to verify it:

Airport Categories – Airports

Explains how the FAA classifies airports and defines commercial service, cargo service, reliever, and general aviation.

www.faa.gov

An airport is defined in the law as any area of land or water used or intended for landing or takeoff of aircraft including appurtenant area used or intended for airport buildings, facilities, as well as rights of way together with the buildings and facilities. Special types of facilities such as seaplane bases and heliports are included in the airport categories listed below.

 

[msinger]

My question is: does the FAA consider a helipad/heliport as an airport?

When flying drones recreationally in the US, you don't need to worry about what is an isn't considered an airport. Here's what you need to do:

1) Follow these rules for recreational flyers. As @DoomMeister noted above, one of those rules states you should never fly near other aircraft.

2) Before flying in controlled airspace (Classes B, C, D, and E Surface), you need permission from the FAA. You can use Airmap to figure out if the area where you'd like to fly is in controlled airspace. And if needed, you can request authorization to fly in that controlled airspace via LAANC using an app like Airmap or Kittyhawk.

HOW TO: Request FAA authorization in Airmap

Using Airmap to Request FAA Authorization Before flying in controlled airspace (Classes B, C, D, and E Surface) in the US, you must get authorization from the FAA. Airmap is an approved LAANC UAS service supplier and has a feature built into their iOS/Android app that allows FAA authorization...

phantompilots.com

HOW TO: Request FAA authorization in Kittyhawk

Using Kittyhawk to Request FAA Authorization Before flying in controlled airspace (Classes B, C, D, and E Surface) in the US, you must get authorization from the FAA. Kittyhawk is an approved LAANC UAS service supplier and has a feature built into their iOS/Android app that allows FAA...

phantompilots.com

 

[Shoot4fun]

Sweet! Welcome to the forum, from the middle of the country! Happy fying! (That's all the advice I'll give)

Brad

 

[russ1971]

From your IP address it appears you are near Pasadena, CA in the US. With the new rules in place from the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 you can fly in any Class G airspace, but you must yield to all manned aircraft. Helicopters are very typically at or below 400 feet AGL when within 3 miles of a heliport so extra vigilance to situational awareness is in order.

I will add more to this post later to give you more complete information.

Pasadena: only for work I actually live about 0.2 miles from the Long Beach airport. And yes, I have no intention of flying in my backyard
The available maps are nice to find areas outside of airport halos



Thanks for the info.

 

[russ1971]

thanks everyone for the welcome.

Ok, just so that Im clear. The rule/procedure is to notify the proper authorities that you wish to fly in an airport air space (the 5mile halo around airports, including heliports/pads) and this can be done simply by using the airmap/LAANC apps. It is my understanding that the "OK to fly" authorization is usually done within moments of sending the request.


I think i'll just stay away from airports until i learn to fly this thing. Where I live, I may have to travel to Siberia or the Sahara desert to get some experience in

You guys have been informative. thanks

 

[Shoot4fun]

Siberia. Definitely. Sahara will dry yer skin out really really bad this time of year... ?

 

[DoomMeister]

@msinger did a good job of picking up where I left off and AirMap and Kittyhawk are both good apps for requesting clearance in controlled airspace via LAANC. The newest version of B4UFLY app (just revamped by Kittyhawk) will show where you can fly, but you cannot use it to request clearance in controlled airspace.

There is a lot of good information on the FAA website here Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). Don’t let it overwhelm you, feel free to ask questions if you don’t understand something. The new rules made flying in Class G airspace much simpler because you don’t have to contact every little grass strip airfield. With that said I would suggest you Google approach and departure procedures for untowered airports so you learn where aircraft are likely to be when utilizing one.

Have fun and fly safe!

 

[Russ43Phantom]

I would check in with the operators of the helipad. In my case, the local helipad is for emergency use by the owner ... a hospital. When talking to the people who manage flights to/from the hospital, they told me that ALL their pilots will fly to the helipad at over 500’s and then descend vertically to the pad. They felt as long as I was flying my drone well clear of the hospital’s property line all would be OK. For added safety, they requested that I provide them with my cell phone number so that they could call me if, at any time, the helicopter would be flying beneath the 500’ floor approaching the hospital.