Restricted or Special Use Airspace

[TontoFAC]

Restricted Areas​

Restricted areas are where operations are hazardous to you and your drone flying in the vicinity. Restricted areas denote the existence of unusual hazards that are often not immediately visible (for example, artillery firing, aerial gunnery, or guided missiles).

Not in any controlled airspace, is fling a sUAS in a restricted area prohibited?

 

[WV. Rootman]

Yes, and unless your drone has been hacked, it can't be done without approval.

 

[TontoFAC]

Yes, and unless your drone has been hacked, it can't be done without approval.

What do you mean by a hacked drone? Area is not in any of the classes of controlled airspace so why would it be prohibited?

 

[captainmilehigh]

Your last sentence stated 'flying in restricted airspace'. Can you clarify the area you are flying in? It may make it easier to determine your situation.

 

[TontoFAC]

Your last sentence stated 'flying in restricted airspace'. Can you clarify the area you are flying in? It may make it easier to determine your situation.

Area R-2915A located in NW Florida Panhandle Lat: 30.65160 Long: -86.89163. It is an area north of Eglin AFB reservation located between US 90 and I-10 east of Milton and west of Harold

. I'm considering purchasing 30 acres and I wanted to check it out.

 

[captainmilehigh]

Unfortunately, that is restricted airspace........surface to unlimited......and is continuous.

 

[TontoFAC]

Thank you for your reply. I do not disagree with your response however, while trying to understand this is what I find on the FAA web site:

Restricted or Special Use Airspace​

Restricted or "special use" airspace is for certain areas where drones and other aircraft are not permitted to fly without special permission, or where limitations must be imposed for any number of reasons. Drone pilots should be familiar with:

Prohibited areas​

Airspace where aircraft flight, including drones, is prohibited. The dimensions of each prohibited area are defined in both area and altitude.

Restricted Areas​

Restricted areas are where operations are hazardous to you and your drone flying in the vicinity. Restricted areas denote the existence of unusual hazards that are often not immediately visible (for example, artillery firing, aerial gunnery, or guided missiles).

The definition for restricted area seems to allow for flights with a caveat that there are hazards. There are numerous private airfields within this Restricted area and my conversation with a pilot indicted that they must remain below 500AGL until they are out of the area.

 

[captainmilehigh]

Dealing with the FAA has its challenges. Have been a commercial pilot for over 40 years, and it never gets easier.

I'd recommend you contact the FAA FSDO (Flight Standards District Office) that covers that particular airspace. It is located in Vestavia Hills, Alabama, near Birmingham. They cover the NW Florida area also.

(205) 876-1300 or faa.gov FSDO Alabama.

Direct e-mail is [email protected]


They will be able to give you answers to your questions that directly affect your flight areas, as well as any military contacts for any military operations in that area. Speaking directly with a FAA rep. that is familiar with the airspace is much more reliable that the endless information on FAA's website.

I've found over the years that if they know you are in the area, and what your intentions are, (altitude, duration of flight, etc.), they are generally satisfied. Good Luck.

Blue Skies and Calm Winds

 

[captainmilehigh]

@TontoFAC , I'd also like to recommend that you download the "Aloft" app (formerly KittyHawk). It's what I use to fly in some areas requiring approval for drone flight. It is 100% drone based, and is linked to the FAA site for instant flight approvals.

 

[Cavepig7]

I was an air traffic controller right next door at OLF Choctaw. You cannot fly in that or any Restricted airspace. Period.

 

[TontoFAC]

@TontoFAC , I'd also like to recommend that you download the "Aloft" app (formerly KittyHawk). It's what I use to fly in some areas requiring approval for drone flight. It is 100% drone based, and is linked to the FAA site for instant flight approvals.

I do have Aloft and use it regularly for LANNC. It has this area in Yellow not like the the red areas that are prohibited. FAA's Viualize it web site indicates it is Class G. That is what adds to the confusion. Some SUA's list effective times, does that mean one can fly outside those times.

 

[TontoFAC]

I was an air traffic controller right next door at OLF Choctaw. You cannot fly in that or any Restricted airspace. Period.

Choctaw is Class D. Aircraft fly through R-2915A all the time, there are private airstrips within this SUA.

 

[TontoFAC]

Yes, and unless your drone has been hacked, it can't be done without approval.

What is a hacked drone? If you mean the DJI Fly Safe software I have never installed it so I do not have to get DJI's permission to fly. FAA has not mandated this geofencing software.

 

[WV. Rootman]

You can hack the software so there is no limitations to where you can fly. It is up to you to obey the rules.

 

[captainmilehigh]

What is a hacked drone? If you mean the DJI Fly Safe software I have never installed it so I do not have to get DJI's permission to fly. FAA has not mandated this geofencing software.

My drones also are on very, very old software that have no geofencing limits. They will fly anywhere I spin up the props. As stated by others, it is up to the PIC to obey the rules.

 

[captainmilehigh]

I do have Aloft and use it regularly for LANNC. It has this area in Yellow not like the the red areas that are prohibited. FAA's Viualize it web site indicates it is Class G. That is what adds to the confusion. Some SUA's list effective times, does that mean one can fly outside those times.

I'd contact the FSDO for that area as mentioned earlier for up to date information. They are the source. They will have more information about time of flight, flight duration, and altitude limits.

 

[TontoFAC]

I'd contact the FSDO for that area as mentioned earlier for up to date information. They are the source. They will have more information about time of flight, flight duration, and altitude limits.

I have emailed the FSDO and also the contact email on the FAA sUAS web site. Crickets so far from either.

 

[TontoFAC]

I am going to throw another question out there. Is all Special Use Airspace off limits to drone flying during the effective times as described. Example SUA A-292 has effective times Sunrise to 0100 Monday-Friday, Sunrise to Sunset on Saturday. That would leave only Sundays for Rec pilots to fly. The impact is that all of Escambia and Santa Rosa county's and parts of Alabama are a no fly zones during the listed times. Eglin reservation is a different animal with Hurlburt gunships and Eglin weapons testing. Tyndall AFB and Fort Rucker have their own SUA's. Leaving a small sliver of land in Walton county to fly if this restriction is true.

 

[DoomMeister]

P-xxxx: all flight prohibited within the area and altitudes listed in the sectional chart.

R-xxxx: all flight restricted within the area, altitudes, and times listed in the sectional charts. Contact information is given for getting clearance to pass through the area. GA can contact the control agency by radio, others must use phone number listed for control agency in the chart supplement.

A-xxxx: an alert area where extra vigilance must be exercised. Area, altitudes, and times are listed in the sectional charts. Clearance is not required, but these areas usually have a lot of low level jet and helicopter traffic.

Personal opinion alert!!!

Airspace and chart reading is an area that needs to be incorporated into training for recreational fliers that ply their craft outside of flying fields. There are so many people that need to be more aware of what can be expected in the airspace over their heads. Integration into the NAS must also include education of those utilizing the airspace.

@TontoFAC you can access the appropriate sectional chart using SkyVector.com. Scroll and zoom the map to your area using the World VFR setting, then select the New Orleans sectional. You can then scroll the map to access the left edge of the New Orleans sectional to find the listings for any P, R, and A airspace areas.

There was a statement you made in an earlier post about the area you are interested in being Class G airspace. That is only true when it is outside of the active times for the restricted airspace.

Another thing to watch for and they are found via NOTAM or in Aloft, B4UFLY, AirMap, etc. are NSUFR areas which are National Security UAS Flight Restricted areas. You will find them around military bases, federal prisons, nuclear power plants, etc. The NSUFR areas are No Fly Zones for UAS, but not necessarily for General Aviation.

 

[TontoFAC]

P-xxxx: all flight prohibited within the area and altitudes listed in the sectional chart.

R-xxxx: all flight restricted within the area, altitudes, and times listed in the sectional charts. Contact information is given for getting clearance to pass through the area. GA can contact the control agency by radio, others must use phone number listed for control agency in the chart supplement.

A-xxxx: an alert area where extra vigilance must be exercised. Area, altitudes, and times are listed in the sectional charts. Clearance is not required, but these areas usually have a lot of low level jet and helicopter traffic.

Personal opinion alert!!!

Airspace and chart reading is an area that needs to be incorporated into training for recreational fliers that ply their craft outside of flying fields. There are so many people that need to be more aware of what can be expected in the airspace over their heads. Integration into the NAS must also include education of those utilizing the airspace.

@TontoFAC you can access the appropriate sectional chart using SkyVector.com. Scroll and zoom the map to your area using the World VFR setting, then select the New Orleans sectional. You can then scroll the map to access the left edge of the New Orleans sectional to find the listings for any P, R, and A airspace areas.

There was a statement you made in an earlier post about the area you are interested in being Class G airspace. That is only true when it is outside of the active times for the restricted airspace.

Another thing to watch for and they are found via NOTAM or in Aloft, B4UFLY, AirMap, etc. are NSUFR areas which are National Security UAS Flight Restricted areas. You will find them around military bases, federal prisons, nuclear power plants, etc. The NSUFR areas are No Fly Zones for UAS, but not necessarily for General Aviation.

Thank you, this is the best description I have I seen thus far. I opened Skyvector and saw something I had never heard of before, DROTOMS. I did not realize the FAA was putting out NOTOMS specific to drones. Learning sectional maps is my goal, thus my questions.