FAA Shuts Down Air-Space in N. California

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We have a million acres burning in Northern California, with very smoky skies and low visibility for the last week. The FAA has shut down the air space over the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, for the next two months, until the end of October! The populated cities are not on fire, but large forested areas to the South, East, and North are burning. I disagree with this huge shutdown of airspace for many reasons. I have been watching the skies, and there are no firefighting aircraft over the cities, such as San Jose, California, yet all of SJ airspace is shut down, the skies are very quiet. The skies are becoming less smoky a week after the fires started, and visibility is getting better. Additionally, why did the FAA shut down airspace for two months? How about shutting it down in two week increments? Then if fire conditions improve, we can fly sooner than in two months. I haven't flown in the last week, but as the skies clear I wanted to get back to work with the P4PV2. I would never fly near a wildfire, but Silicon Valley, where I want to map at 250' AGL is at closest 20 miles away from the forest fires, and over large mountain ranges. The closed air space looks like a venn diagram with several 100 mile diameter intersecting blue circles, see below[ DJI - The World Leader in Camera Drones/Quadcopters for Aerial Photography ] . I wish the fire fighters well, but we all have a job to do.

FAA temp shut down.png
 
You might disagree with it but if the FAA shut it down don’t fly there.
As far as wishing the firefighters well I do also but their safety
and getting the fires out supersedes your need to fly.?‍♂️
 
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What you fail to realize is that if the fires are "contained" and no longer a threat the agencies will most likely lift the TFR much sooner rather than letting it run full-term. It's a lot easier to lift a TFR early than it is to get one extended because the fire isn't under control.

Just so you know, the TFR affects a lot more than just our small UAS and our slight discomfort is minuscule compared to the amount of deadly danger we pose to Fire Suppression teams.

If your home was about to burn to the ground and Air Suppression was grounded because John boy wanted to fly his toy drone to capture the view how would you feel? How would you feel if your UAS caused Loss-of-Life to someone in the air or on the ground.

Also your gripe is most likely with DJI and how their GeoZones are large circles instead of the actual size and outline of the TFR.

As a group we seriously need to step back and look at the BIG PICTURE . . .
 
you got to think about the planes dropping water and and helicopters dropping water you never know when they're going to be in that airspace and if you're flying your drone and take down on those airplanes & helicopters dropping water
 
Quick question: what's the best mobile app to have to check for TFRs like this real time?

I might be down in Southeast California in a couple of weeks (not on this map, but more east over on the 395) and will like to check for each flight.

I ask mostly because I had to completely rebuild my device and am not sure which app is best to re-load (I know that some of them have been depreciated) and because my device has so little storage, I don't want to add them all back.

Thanks, Chris
 
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Quick question: what's the best mobile app to have to check for TFRs like this real time?

I might be down in Southeast California in a couple of weeks (not on this map, but more east over on the 395) and will like to check for each flight.

I ask mostly because I had to completely rebuild my device and am not sure which app is best to re-load (I know that some of them have been depreciated) and because my device has so little storage, I don't want to add them all back.

Thanks, Chris
The most reliable source is: Federal Aviation Administration - Graphic TFR's
Best to check before you depart. All TFRs are planned, coordinated and issued in advance (the only exception to the rule might be fire services). I know its popular now to place all your trust in apps, but this kind of thing needs to be straight from the source.
 
Thanks, but it will still be good to have some kind of app for remote use.

I can check before I leave Washington State, but it will be a few days before getting down into the hots spots in California and those can change daily, which means I will not only want to check once I get down there, but each time I fly (away from my desktop at home for a long period).

Chris
 
Until there is a dedicated and "approved" app from the FAA you need to use the website listed above. You can set up a link/shortcut if that helps.

Most of the LAANC apps, IIRC, show accurate TFR information but I'm going directly to the source for something as important as the TFR.
 

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