You do if you are flying under the understanding that it will be a "recreational flight" and not a "commercial" flight, even if you are a Part 107 Operator.
Flying at very low altitudes near airports
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You do if you are flying under the understanding that it will be a "recreational flight" and not a "commercial" flight, even if you are a Part 107 Operator.
Whose "understanding" are you referring to? As a Part 107 certified pilot you can designate any flight to be under Part 107 if you want to. Part 107 is not restricted to commercial operations - it is the umbrella FAA law for sUAS operations under which Part 101 is an exception that may be claimed for qualified recreational flights.
See my last post - "commercial" flight is not even mentioned in Part 107 and there is also no mention of Class G reporting as in FAR 101.41(e).
Note 107.1(b)(2)
(b) This part does not apply to the following:
(2) Any aircraft subject to the provisions of part 101 of this chapter
Here's what AC 107-2 says;
CHAPTER 4. PART 107 SUBPART A, GENERAL
4.1 Applicability. This chapter provides guidance regarding the applicability of part 107 to
civil small UA operations conducted within the NAS. However, part 107 does not apply
to the following:
1. Model aircraft that are operated in accordance with part 101 subpart E, Model
Aircraft), which applies to model aircraft meeting all of the following criteria:
• The aircraft is flown strictly for hobby or recreational use;
• The aircraft is operated in accordance with a community-based set of safety
guidelines and within the programming of a nationwide community-based
organization;
• The aircraft is limited to not more than 55 pounds unless otherwise certified
through a design, construction, inspection, flight test, and operational safety
program administered by a community-based organization;
• The aircraft is operated in a manner that does not interfere with and gives way to
any manned aircraft;
• When flown within 5 miles of an airport, the operator of the aircraft provides the
airport operator and the airport air traffic control (ATC) tower (when an air traffic
facility is located at the airport) with prior notice of the operation;
• The aircraft is capable of sustained flight in the atmosphere; and
• The aircraft is flown within Visual Line of Sight (VLOS) of the person operating
the aircraft.
2. Operations conducted outside the United States;
3. Amateur rockets;
4. Moored balloons;
5. Unmanned free balloons;
6. Kites;
7. Public aircraft operations; and
8. Air carrier operations.
"I fly my UAS for commercial, government or other non-hobby purposes." All 3 of mine are registered as non-model aircraft
Exactly!
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As a Part 107 Certificate holder I can "declare" any and every flight "Civil" which means I fly under Part 107 regulations only. The only stipulation is that the flight must continue and complete under whatever set of regulations/laws I take off under. Honestly every time I fly it's "Civil" because at any point I could take a picture/video for the purpose of selling it.
Thanks for the follow up! If that's the case, Part 107.41 waivers are no longer theory.
I live close to a airport and a military base. I had to call the air traffic control tower of conroe. They asked me for my FAA number and my name and telephone number. I told them I was planning on flying away from the airport at below 400 feet. And then back to my home position. They told me that I no longer needed to call them that it was okay to continue the same flight plan. So I no longer call. Just a tip when you do call you need to be professional and mention any experience. I have been flying Aviation model aircrafts since 2006. So that could help my situation I don't know.
So now the only problems I have are the Apache helicopters from the military doing their training they like to come straight to my drone in the sky and then of course I have to land it immediately and then they hover over my house but I am within my rights so I just wait for the no leave and then I but one drones back in the sky. I'm pretty close to be in within the military zone but I am not within the military zone but I could fly into the military zone so I'm guessing why that's why they harass me
In short talk to your air traffic control person and they'll probably work with you.
So now the only problems I have are the Apache helicopters from the military doing their training they like to come straight to my drone in the sky and then of course I have to land it immediately and then they hover over my house but I am within my rights so I just wait for the no leave and then I but one drones back in the sky. I'm pretty close to be in within the military zone but I am not within the military zone but I could fly into the military zone so I'm guessing why that's why they harass me
In short talk to your air traffic control person and they'll probably work with you.
One major point here that is being missed and something BigAl07 seemed to be eluding to is the importance of developing relationships in the communities you serve as a professional. While it may not be necessary to notify a Class G operator/FBO of your intended operations under 107, it's still a VERY good idea. Transparency is an excellent business practice and opens other doors that you may never have realized. Stopping-in and actually meeting airport managers face-to-face has been a practice of mine and they have always appreciated the effort. Taking one minute of your time to make a phone call should be something every true professional wants to do. If you're not thoroughly knowledgeable about a Class G airport that you're operating nearby, you might not have any idea that you're actually about to fly into a main approach lane, which significantly affects your maximum safe altitude. And I've heard time and time again from these airport managers how few calls they actually get, yet they see local drone footage on social media all of the time, going far above treetop levels. I hear that excuse consistently from hobbyist operators I've come across - "I don't need to call if I'm not flying above the treetops." The endless supply of bad information out here just never ceases to amaze me.
Attitude is everything and maybe, just maybe some should change their attitudes about making important notifications. You will inherently gain respect from others working in aviation when you're willing to go the extra mile.
Attitude is everything and maybe, just maybe some should change their attitudes about making important notifications. You will inherently gain respect from others working in aviation when you're willing to go the extra mile.
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You are 100% exactly correct. Part 107 flights in Class G airspace do not require anyone's permission. And of course the only way to fly part 107 is with a FAA issued UAS license.
Wonder if I tell them, "I'm a recreational pilot and I will do an orbit around their tower a couple of times, and I don't care what they say?"
Anyone got federal bail money available to try it?
Tower this is Ghost Rider requesting a fly by ..
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Sorry if I should start a new string but this question is pretty closely related to what you've been discussing (which I appreciated reading):
Say you are a Part 107 pilot and want to fly in an air classification which has the Upside down wedding cake configuration (like Class B or C or Class E starting at 700 feet). Do you need to ask for authorization via the online system if you fly within the total radius of the classification but under the starting elevation of one of the outer rings? I think the answer is no but I'd be interested in any thoughts on this.
Say you are a Part 107 pilot and want to fly in an air classification which has the Upside down wedding cake configuration (like Class B or C or Class E starting at 700 feet). Do you need to ask for authorization via the online system if you fly within the total radius of the classification but under the starting elevation of one of the outer rings? I think the answer is no but I'd be interested in any thoughts on this.
The answer is definitely no - what's above you is not relevant, only the airspace that you are flying in.
Not True I can see the runway from my living room and I am less then half a mile from the runway, my P4P Pro Plus flies just fine.
It is true if the airport has a published instrument approach. That's my understanding.
DJI GEO System - Up-to-date Information On Where to Fly
I had an authorization for Class E (sfc) for about 6 weeks. When it expired,I resubmitted. The FAA disapproved it and told me to resubmit as a waiver. Same location, altitudes, etc. just longer duration. Still waiting for it to be processed. Just got the email that it was 'in the system' after almost 6 weeks!
I realize flying under 107 is different than recreational but Airmap app participates in digital notification and will tell you if an affected airport doesn't accept digital notification. Even for part 107 where you might be flying under authorization/waiver, can't hurt to submit a digital notice at time of flight through the app. Besides, the app will inform you of potential flight conflicts. I think it lacks altitude of approaching aircraft's though.
There is a lot of misinformation out there. The only way to be sure is to read and understand the regulTions straight from the FAA sources. Be careful...
I fly under part 107. I have been granted a Class D airspace waiver. They do exist... A requirement of that waiver is that I call the tower 15 to 30 minutes before I fly. My max altitude for the waiver is 100 ft agl. The tower asked if the notification was part of the waiver. It seemed they did not really want to bothered with the phone call. whenever I call they are professionaL but short. My point is, when you call the tower, have your info together and in front of you. You should be able to answer any question the tower asks you quickly and accurately. The tower is usually a busy place.
I fly under part 107. I have been granted a Class D airspace waiver. They do exist... A requirement of that waiver is that I call the tower 15 to 30 minutes before I fly. My max altitude for the waiver is 100 ft agl. The tower asked if the notification was part of the waiver. It seemed they did not really want to bothered with the phone call. whenever I call they are professionaL but short. My point is, when you call the tower, have your info together and in front of you. You should be able to answer any question the tower asks you quickly and accurately. The tower is usually a busy place.
For my authorization (I assume it will be similar when my waiver goes through), I had to call Columbus approach control 50 miles away. Had to track down the number for myself!
I don't know if that's true or not, but, if it is, it's goofy. Airplanes operate from uncontrolled airports every day and night, and many of them DON'T have any kind of instrument approach. Designing geo-fencing to be active only where an airport has a published approach leaves the rest vulnerable to whatever comes along.
I must say, as a licensed Part 91 instrument-rated pilot, the fog count in this discussion is amazing. People are confusing airspace classifications with airport designations, and other things. There's no such thing as a "Class G airport", and the same goes for the other airspace classifications. There may well be an airport under Class G airspace, and in fact, there are many such airports. But the designators refer to **airspace**, not airports.
The discussion seems fixated on operating drones at specified altitude limitations and distances from airports. But no one seems to ever take into consideration that every real aircraft operation begins at ground level and ends there. What that means is that just limiting your maximum altitude to 400' agl does nothing to address potential conflict situations where real airplanes are ascending and descending through the airspace between ground level and 400' agl.
And the FARs don't prohibit pilots from flying at low altitudes, as long as they comply with the non-congested area provisions of the regs. What that means is that you could encounter a real aircraft flying very low, far away from any airport, and be well beneath your arbitrary 400' agl drone limit. Examples are fire fighting aircraft, pipe line patrols, utility company power transmission line check operations, and medevac helicopters.
Think about it.
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Right - but the intent is presumably to afford more protection to IFR traffic than to VFR traffic.
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