- Join
- Jan 4, 2019
- Messages
- 58
- Age
- 62
Some of the the new FAA rules confuse me, and I want to ask you (collective you) how you understand/interpret them. Specifically:
1) How *low* do these FAA rules apply? I mean, seriously, if I want to fly my Tello/Spark in front of my house, do I *really* have to call the local airport (closer than 5 miles away from me) to ask if I can fly even if I fully intend to fly *below* 10 feet?! I mean, in theory could I be fine or even imprisoned for flying a drone a couple of feet off the ground?
2) How far can we now fly? Specifically, I have a Spark whose theoretical max distance is about a mile. Now, in reality, I lose visual sight of it way before, I am 55, I wear corrective glasses, and my Spark si both small and white. There is no way I can see it without binoculars (which the FAA rules do not allow under their definition of "line of sight") after about HALF a mile. Does that really and literally mean that irrespective of the capabilities of the drone and how it is flow (with RC and under GPS/GLONASS) I now cannot legally fly it further than my (crappy) eyes allow me to see?! And what about those who have a Phantom who, if I remember correctly, can fly as far as 4 miles, even with a spotter they could not see it unaided at 4 miles away. Does that mean that the FAA basically has restricted all drones flight to remain under one mile (or even less, depending on your eyes)? That just sounds silly, no?
3) What do you do when there are 2 or even 3 airports around (a common thing in Florida)? The FAA rules say to call the ATC and the airport operator. Does that mean that I need to make SIX telephone calls and that ANY ONE of the six I call can veto my flying? I noticed that after hours some airports refer to the "big" ATC of larger airports even when they are further away than 5 miles. So in that case, could I just call the main, big, ATC, ask them for clearance and not deal with the many, shall way say, "DILLIGAF-like" small airport peppering the map of Florida?
4) Then, most airports in FL are small and have no ATC. When they have an ATC, they are typically too lazy to pick up the phone (or even to make their current tel# public - many airports have old, disconnected tel# listed in various apps and online!). So what do you do. Do you just have to call and if they don't specifically forbid you you can fly, or is it the other way around: unless everybody cleared you to fly, you are grounded? Say I call six numbers, 1 says "yes", one says "no" - what do I do? What if nobody answers?
5) Finally, I tried to register my drone at the FAA website, I was told that I could get an email confirmation email in 48 hours. It never came. Then I emailed the FAA. Never got a reply. What would you do? Are we supposed to run after them and spend hours trying to get them to implement their own rules according to their own regulations?
Thanks in advance for any pointers!
1) How *low* do these FAA rules apply? I mean, seriously, if I want to fly my Tello/Spark in front of my house, do I *really* have to call the local airport (closer than 5 miles away from me) to ask if I can fly even if I fully intend to fly *below* 10 feet?! I mean, in theory could I be fine or even imprisoned for flying a drone a couple of feet off the ground?
2) How far can we now fly? Specifically, I have a Spark whose theoretical max distance is about a mile. Now, in reality, I lose visual sight of it way before, I am 55, I wear corrective glasses, and my Spark si both small and white. There is no way I can see it without binoculars (which the FAA rules do not allow under their definition of "line of sight") after about HALF a mile. Does that really and literally mean that irrespective of the capabilities of the drone and how it is flow (with RC and under GPS/GLONASS) I now cannot legally fly it further than my (crappy) eyes allow me to see?! And what about those who have a Phantom who, if I remember correctly, can fly as far as 4 miles, even with a spotter they could not see it unaided at 4 miles away. Does that mean that the FAA basically has restricted all drones flight to remain under one mile (or even less, depending on your eyes)? That just sounds silly, no?
3) What do you do when there are 2 or even 3 airports around (a common thing in Florida)? The FAA rules say to call the ATC and the airport operator. Does that mean that I need to make SIX telephone calls and that ANY ONE of the six I call can veto my flying? I noticed that after hours some airports refer to the "big" ATC of larger airports even when they are further away than 5 miles. So in that case, could I just call the main, big, ATC, ask them for clearance and not deal with the many, shall way say, "DILLIGAF-like" small airport peppering the map of Florida?
4) Then, most airports in FL are small and have no ATC. When they have an ATC, they are typically too lazy to pick up the phone (or even to make their current tel# public - many airports have old, disconnected tel# listed in various apps and online!). So what do you do. Do you just have to call and if they don't specifically forbid you you can fly, or is it the other way around: unless everybody cleared you to fly, you are grounded? Say I call six numbers, 1 says "yes", one says "no" - what do I do? What if nobody answers?
5) Finally, I tried to register my drone at the FAA website, I was told that I could get an email confirmation email in 48 hours. It never came. Then I emailed the FAA. Never got a reply. What would you do? Are we supposed to run after them and spend hours trying to get them to implement their own rules according to their own regulations?
Thanks in advance for any pointers!