Part 101E

pmshop · Dec 7, 2018

Days before yesterday, I was maticulously planning with AirMap that flight over the President's funeral train and noticed all the places I had to call.

But once I got to the location yesterday, none of the helipads showed up (didn't have numbers anyway) and noticed AirMap had changed from "Fly for Fun Section 336" to "Fly for Fun Part 101E"

Frickin' awesome!

Checked the Bellagio Fountians and I only have to call McCarran Intl. - I no longer have to call all those helipads!!!

Glumone · Dec 7, 2018

This has to due with the new FAA bill passed back a few months ago. Airmap sent out a new app build based on what these new regulations about a week ago.

Nope 2.0 · Dec 7, 2018

nice one less thing I have to worry about when planning flights

Glumone · Dec 10, 2018

you are still responsible to keep out of the way of any helicopters. Right of way is to the helicopters not the drone. So still your responsibility. don't count on the app for everything it's there to provide assistance not end all be all.

pmshop · Dec 10, 2018

No one said anything about no longer a responsibility to avoid helicopters.
As a sUAV pilot, we are you yeild to ALL aircraft.
We just no longer have to report to heliports and other places as well.
And yes, AirMap can be counted on because it is the leader in the industry.

Glumone · Dec 10, 2018

just wanted to clarify that some of the people who read these think what is said here is gospel. Wanted to make sure that people understand ultimate responsibility lies with us the Part 107A certified pilots. As far as Air map I use it all the time as my starting point for all my flights but in some cases other verification / research needs to be done.

pmshop · Dec 10, 2018

I agree with other research needs to be done but I have found it to be an over protective AirMap app.
Case in point, I was stopped by a restricted area Saturday night across the street from a county courthouse trying to video Christmas lights - a jail that has not been used since the 70's

Northwood Mediaworks · Dec 10, 2018

pmshop said:
I agree with other research needs to be done but I have found it to be an over protective AirMap app.
Case in point, I was stopped by a restricted area Saturday night across the street from a county courthouse trying to video Christmas lights - a jail that has not been used since the 70's

In one of the areas I visit in Canada, one or two defunct hospitals still show active helipads.... it took 11 months for the closest one to finally disappear.

James Lummel · Dec 12, 2018

Airmap may have jumped the gun here...

Yes, the law was changed!

But the regulations haven't, yet!

We are still operating off of the 336 regulations for recreational purposes as per the notice posted at the top of the UAS page at the FAA website:

"On October 5, 2018, the President signed the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (PDF). The Act establishes new conditions for recreational use of drones and immediately repeals the Special Rule for Model Aircraft. The agency is evaluating the impacts of this change in the law and how implementation will proceed. In the interim, please continue to follow all current policies and guidance with respect to recreational use of drones. "

Since the new law gives the FAA (very) wide latitude when it comes to regulating UAS, there are no guarantees that the resulting regulations will actually follow the letter of the law. Meaning the FAA issued regulations may not actually correspond to Airmap's interpretation. And given that the FAA is the one that can throw you in jail and/or cost you tons of cash thru fines, I'd go with what the FAA's telling UAS operators!

Right now there is potential liability in following the new law and ignoring the current regulations that are in force, so be careful.

I'm not a lawyer, so this isn't legal advice, just a friendly reminder from a fellow flyer...

pmshop · Dec 12, 2018

"and immediately repeals the Special Rule for Model Aircraft. "

Which is Section 336

James Lummel · Dec 12, 2018

pmshop said:
"and immediately repeals the Special Rule for Model Aircraft. "

Which is Section 336

"... please continue to follow all current policies and guidance with respect to recreational use of drones. "

Which is Section 336

So while 336 HAS been repealed, the FAA is directing us to continue to use the existing rules (which were created under 336) until they can post new regulations. Soonest we expect to see them would be February, and that's being aggressively optimistic!!

So, among other things, not contacting airports becomes a gray area, since it's required by the regulations currently in force, even though the law no longer requires it - a law that lacks a regulatory or enforcement structure as of yet...

And given the broad power to make regulatory changes to the law given to the FAA BY the law, quite simply the regulations that the FAA will eventually publish may be substantially different than what Airmap is assuming.

Airmap may have jumped the gun by leading pilots to believe they can ignore existing regulations and because the new regulations may be significantly different than how Airmap are currently interpreting them. I believe this is a mistake on Airmap's part as they are over-compensating for DJI dumping them as the data provider for their geo-locking, a major contract Airmap now needs to scramble to make up for.

As I said previously, I'm not a lawyer and this is simply opinion and not legal advice.