I just bought my phantom 3, and ive spent the last day searching google for answers but cant seem to find an answer that i've been trying to find. i live near an international airport, 4.5 miles away. my question is: can i fly in my back yard, at 6ft or lower? within my yard and below fence level? i have NO intentions of flying over my house or neighbors. from what i read, and think i understand, the anser is no, right? because i"m still near an airport? or am i wrong? from the faa site it meantions flying over neighbors, and search results say the same thing, but i have no intentions as a hobbiest of flying over the house or my neighbors house, only at or below my fence (6ft) and only in my brick fence.
Flying in your own backyard
- Thread starter revenger681
- Start date
Answer only applies to the US-- What Class is the airport? If it is Class B, and you are within the Class B controlled airspace, you need prior approval for any sUAS flight regardless of height. Other Classes and and within 5 miles, you just need to contact the airport and tower before flying. However, its often difficult to find a phone # for the tower. Which airport are you near?
Ah ok. So my gut instinct was right. It's class b restricted. Well then I will wait for a few weeks until I go up north. Maybe I can get 1 to 2 flights a month. The main airport near me is sky harbor, but there are 5 others listed as well. There's a rc park down the road as well, but I got a list of 11 airports around THAT area, seems like a pain when I wouldn't even be flying over trees.
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Sky harbor is the main issue, the others are, at most, Class D. As for the heliports, I would give them a call early once just to establish that you fly in the area and just call Haciendas before each flight. And notice that the surface portion of sky harbor Class B has a uniques bow tie shape (check the sectional VFRMAP - Digital Aeronautical Charts). If you aren't inside that, you can just call as with the other airport.
Thanks for all the advice! And for the link to the map. I still think it's weird I can't fly in my yard, oh well.
That's not quite correct (although the effect may be the same in some cases, and not just in Class B airspace).
Model aircraft (meeting the FAA's definition) operated under Section 336 (and in compliance with all requirements of that part) are required to notify airports within 5 miles prior to flight, but are not required to obtain permission from ATC.
The airport manager or control tower may object to the flight, however (regardless of type of airport or class of surrounding airspace). FAA has stated that if an airport objects to a flight and the aircraft is flown, FAA would deem the flight to have been unsafe...and that is illegal.
So...if you meet all the requirements to operate as "model aircraft", make the required notifications and noone objections, you can fly within the constraints of Section 336. This is true in all classes of airspace.
For commercial operations, the requirements are quite different.
Read the section here Airspace Restrictions about flying near airports. Recreational flyers are not allowed around Class B without air traffic permission and coordination.
From what I understand, it is not "around" Class B but "in" Class B airspace. So if you are in the 5 mile arc but under the Class B shelf then you are allowed to fly with proper notification. Base on what I see in the sectional, surface class B is near the airport, probably within 2-3 miles or the airport. Then is it starts at 2700/3000 and higher further out.
What reg, specifically, requires clearance or permission for a Section 336 flight (meeting all requirements of that Section) in Class B airspace?
As a Part 61 and Part 107 pilot, I understand Class B airspace and the requirements to enter it for manned or commercial UAV flights. However, Section 336, the "Special Rule for Model Aircraft" does not appear to require a clearance or permission to enter any class of controlled airspace. (Although, as noted above, FAA may bust you for flying in any airspace if an airport objects, as the flight will have been deemed unsafe.)
While I believe that such flight may be ill-advised, unsafe and possibly illegal for other reasons in some cases, I haven't found anything that requires permission or clearance for recreational flights, or anything that treats flight in Class B differently.
The OP's wish to fly below rooftop level seems perfectly safe to me in any class of airspace. At his location in a densely populated area, the minimum altitude for manned flights is 1000' AGL.
As a Part 61 and Part 107 pilot, I understand Class B airspace and the requirements to enter it for manned or commercial UAV flights. However, Section 336, the "Special Rule for Model Aircraft" does not appear to require a clearance or permission to enter any class of controlled airspace. (Although, as noted above, FAA may bust you for flying in any airspace if an airport objects, as the flight will have been deemed unsafe.)
While I believe that such flight may be ill-advised, unsafe and possibly illegal for other reasons in some cases, I haven't found anything that requires permission or clearance for recreational flights, or anything that treats flight in Class B differently.
The OP's wish to fly below rooftop level seems perfectly safe to me in any class of airspace. At his location in a densely populated area, the minimum altitude for manned flights is 1000' AGL.
While I agree with most of what you said I disagree here. While the OP clearly "intends" to fly below tree top level I would guess controlled flight is only a portion of the equation we now have to deal with in terms of R/C FLIGHT. Back before Gyro Stabilization and GPS control we could fly just about anywhere on the planet (we have R/C fields directly beside airports) and not be a real danger because when you take the pilot out of the equation the R/C aircraft didn't keep flying (usually). We now have to consider "Autonomous Flight" as a possible portion of the flight even more so when a new Remote Operator at the controls.
Now if the R/C pilot gets confused or loses control all together the aircraft will autonomously take over and attempt to fly to it's Home Point. What happens if the Home Point isn't accurate and the AC heads skyward? What happens if there is a Compass Error and the AC heads skyward? What happens of the OP gets disoriented and flies Up & away instead of down and closer?
Without physically being tethered to the ground I would never ever assume "flying below the tree tops" to be a safe bet in any of our newer RC aircraft.
True. That's a risk anywhere, and the only way I can think of to eliminate the possibility of unintended flight into controlled airspace would be to prohibit flight within one battery's range of any controlled airspace. It's all a matter of risk assessment/risk management - something the governemnt is sometimes not particularly reasonable about. Fortunately, the FAA generally affords quite a bit of discretionary authority to certificated PICs. But anyone with a thousand dollars and no training can own and fly a quadcopter. The vast majority do it reasonably and responsibly. But then there are also knuckleheads like Casey Niestat, who repeatedly violate the regs and safe practices, seemingly with impunity.
Safety issues aside, are you aware of any regulatory requirements for a Part 336 "model aircraft" flight to obtain permission (as opined by Richard R above) or a clearance from anyone?
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Thanks for the clarification on the Class B requirements. Kills a lot of flyable area up here in Seattle.
As far as I can tell, the "Airspace Restrictions" link cited by Richard R does not prohibit "model aircraft" operation in Class B airspace. There are notification requirements and other requirements for non-commercial sUAV operation to fit the Special Rule for Model Aircraft, but permission is not required. Authorization is required for commercial (Part 107) operations in any controlled airspace. It does seem strange that Part 107 operators are more restricted in this sense that recreational flyers, but that appears to be the case.
If there is someplace in the regs that actually requires permission or authorization (rather than just notification) for model aircraft operation in controlled airspace, somebody please cite the actual section in the regs.
If there is someplace in the regs that actually requires permission or authorization (rather than just notification) for model aircraft operation in controlled airspace, somebody please cite the actual section in the regs.
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