Notifying Airports Within a Five Mile Range

[Hindenburg]

Airports
Recreational operators are required to give notice for flights within five miles of an airport to both the airport operator and air traffic control tower, if the airport has a tower. However, recreational operations are not permitted in Class B airspace around most major airports without specific air traffic permission and coordination.

Using the B4UFLY app, I get around five potential airports inside of the five mile limit. However, most of these are crop duster sites, hospital helipads, or private plane/ helicopter locations.
There is only one actual airport with a tower in this area, and it is out of the five mile range. Eight miles or so.

I have notified a few and most either send me a form of waiver, or tell me they have never been asked or notified.

What is the rule on notifying these smaller sites?

 

[maxheadspace]

Like you, in my home area I have a number of hospitals and such declared as airports on B4UFLY, and one large airport with a tower. I only notify the tower airport. When I'm traveling I've found the Hover app useful, as you can click on the shaded area on the map and it usually will give you the airport phone number to call.

 

[ROD PAINTER]

I don't trust B4UFLY because i have similar issue with heliports and I personally went to these locations and those no longer existed. I have one private airport four and one half miles from my home that is closed when its dark. I only fly at nighttime and have never bothered to contact them, no one evers answers phone and no way to leave message. B4UFLY needs to update its maps!

 

[BigAl07]

Airports
Recreational operators are required to give notice for flights within five miles of an airport to both the airport operator and air traffic control tower, if the airport has a tower. However, recreational operations are not permitted in Class B airspace around most major airports without specific air traffic permission and coordination.

Using the B4UFLY app, I get around five potential airports inside of the five mile limit. However, most of these are crop duster sites, hospital helipads, or private plane/ helicopter locations.
There is only one actual airport with a tower in this area, and it is out of the five mile range. Eight miles or so.

I have notified a few and most either send me a form of waiver, or tell me they have never been asked or notified.

What is the rule on notifying these smaller sites?

Rule is Notify if within 5 miles of the airport. It's up to you to make an effort to make notification in some form or fashion. It could be email, phone, or fax but it's your obligation to do such.

Once you make contact take the opportunity to open a dialog up with them and maybe you can work out some type of agreement for future flights (like just send us a text before you fly etc etc) but it's your obligation as a sUAS operator flying within the National Airspace System to follow the rules.

Hover, AirMap, and UAV Forecast are excellent apps for this type of process.