Cool tool from the FAA

[ThunderChicken]

Went out to fly for the second time this year on Sunday and found out today my bird was bricked by the FAA. FAA UAS Data Exchange
If I had used this tool available I would have known why. All of these grids have an altitude maximum posted in it. The area I wanted to fly is in the upper left between I-65 and a pedestrian bridge to the right of it, There is a zero in the center of that portion of the grid. We headed West and stopped in a city park and tried again, this time success. I didn't know about this new offering from the FAA. This new program can get you almost instantaneous approval for some of your flights. Check it out. Had I know I might have been able to fly the area I wanted with out being totally bricked. The altitude limits are circled in black.

 

[PatR]

The FAA did not “brick” your system. LAANC does not work that way. You may have tried to fly in a location that was blocked by installation of a No Fly Zone by the aircraft manufacturer but that was applied either at the time of manufacturer or by a manufacturer that applies NFZ’s as they deem appropriate. In short, multirotor NFZ’s are applied through manufacturer generated software, not the FAA. To date, our FAA does not artificially or physically prevent our flight controllers or systems operating in any airspace. They do publish information about airspace for airspace users to consult for flight planning. The pilot then decides where to fly or not fly.

LAANC is essentially a system run by private businesses intending to take advantage of attempts to privatize our ATC and airspace. A very abbreviated purpose of LAANC is to provide a means to streamline user access (file for and obtain a waiver) to restricted airspace and relaying time critical information to impacted ATC facilities of drone operations in their area of authority. Our FAA has been extremely slow in reviewing and providing waivers and many have been denied the ability to conduct commercial activities because waivers were not provided in time for the activity.. In a manner of speaking LAANC shares similarities with full scale by filing a flight plan but does so on a much more limited basis.

There has been a lot of effort expended by the FAA in researching areas and altitudes of critical airspace and publishing that information in a reasonably easy to understand format. The effort is still a work in progress as it takes time to research the altitudes and the associated areas most used by manned aviation for each and every airport in the country and determine what airspace might be made available to controlled low level activities. SOme new info about LAANC can be found here: FAA Expands Drone Airspace Authorization Program

There's a lot more to know about LAANC and further review of the program is recommended. It can be a very good thing but at the same time it could become a bad thing if ATC privatization is ever approved. Should that happen LAANC would become a "fee for service" feature of our ATC system, forcing you to pay to play. The prospect of ATC privatization is the reason programs like LAANC are being created as they provide new revenue streams and profit centers to private businesses while transferring control of our national airspace system to large commercial carriers.

A link to all the airports and areas that are currently being served by LAANC can be found here: ArcGIS Web Application

And finally: Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM)

 

[ThunderChicken]

I live on one of the busiest approach patterns for Louisville airport. You can almost count the rivets as they pass over head. When I am home I can power up my motors and fly as high 40 feet with no problems. At the site where I was bricked I could not even spin the motors up. When I got home I flew the "H" around the yard with no problems. So there must have been some sort of suppression in place. I like bridges and enjoy the design and art like construction, and that's why I wanted to fly at that location.

 

[PatR]

Yuneec does install NFZ software in the flight control systems although it is vastly more limited and less invasive that what DJI employs.

Yuneec provides the ability to apply for an NFZ waiver at amateur and commercial levels. The amateur level retains some restrictions while the commercial waiver, obtained only if the applicant provides proof of federal certification, removes all restrictions. All waiver software is FC serial number specific, cannot to transferred to systems having a different serial number, must be re-installed after every firmware update, and must be removed before a system is transferred to another person.

 

[DoomMeister]

I live on one of the busiest approach patterns for Louisville airport. You can almost count the rivets as they pass over head. When I am home I can power up my motors and fly as high 40 feet with no problems. At the site where I was bricked I could not even spin the motors up. When I got home I flew the "H" around the yard with no problems. So there must have been some sort of suppression in place. I like bridges and enjoy the design and art like construction, and that's why I wanted to fly at that location.

That area you tried to fly in was a total no fly zone. Check it out on on this site ArcGIS Web Application

The numbers in the squares are the ceiling for UAS flight in that area. If it is 0 it is an FAA NoFlyZone not just a DJI NoFlyZone.

 

[ThunderChicken]

That area you tried to fly in was a total no fly zone. Check it out on on this site ArcGIS Web Application
The numbers in the squares are the ceiling for UAS flight in that area. If it is 0 it is an FAA NoFlyZone not just a DJI NoFlyZone.

That is exactly what I thought. Since my house is closer to dangerous air space than the area around the bridges. I am allowed to fly here at my house as long as I stay below tree top level. Actually I am allowed up to 200 ft here.

 

[PatR]

Louisville is one of the busiest air freight hubs in the country.

 

[ThunderChicken]

I see ten ups jets and three fed-x jets for every single passenger jet. What can brown do for me? Quiet would be nice.

 

[Dougcjohn]

Yuneec does install NFZ software in the flight control systems although it is vastly more limited and less invasive that what DJI employs.

Yuneec provides the ability to apply for an NFZ waiver at amateur and commercial levels. The amateur level retains some restrictions while the commercial waiver, obtained only if the applicant provides proof of federal certification, removes all restrictions. All waiver software is FC serial number specific, cannot to transferred to systems having a different serial number, must be re-installed after every firmware update, and must be removed before a system is transferred to another person.

Just for reference... DJI made some changes 12-18 months ago and offers instant NFZ unlock waivers within their DJIGo apps that allows all zones but the Restricted areas (ie; Washington DC) to be open fly zones.

You need to have an acct setup with DJI to reference your login. Total of 3 levels, 2 levels are easily performed, the 1st level is simply checking a software option to allow flight in warning zones, then when you enter zone a msg pops up on screen that you acknowledge. The 2nd level if on internet, you immediately get a 24 hour unlock waiver within Software NFZ section and with a few clicks to acknowledge the rules and that you’re requesting a unlock with associated responsibility. Note, requires internet access on controller software during flight. If you perform this request on your notebook prior to visiting fly site, you don’t need internet connection at the fly site, you can fill out up to 30 simultaneous requests for multiple sites with start dates and the computer method gives you 3 days unlock for each site requested. Computer method is handy if more than 3 day’s needed, you fill out multiple requests for same area with staged start dates. This new NFZ unlock feature provides all but restricted flight zones very easily & quickly performed.

If you qualify with special waivers you can request a unlock in restricted zone if waiver approved, and this requires you to enter information from waiver and your AC registration number. This combination of variables provides a unlock, I’m not certain to length of time.

Some of this is changing, the 2nd self unlocked method is changing where you receive an unlock license number when you request from web site, then later enter this license key into DJI Go app, otherwise same method.

 

[ThunderChicken]

Now for something even more puzzling, I went to the other side of the river between the same two bridges and flew from Indiana to Kentucky with no problem what so ever. If you look at the grid map on the Indiana side they do not have any restrictions listed. No information at all.

 

[DoomMeister]

Those grids were setup by the FAA. There is a ballpark in that area on the Kentucky side, as well as a major Interstate highway interchange. I suspect they have a lot to do with the NFZ in that area.

 

[ThunderChicken]

That must be it the Base Ball stadium and the semi pro soccer group plays there.

 

[DoomMeister]

Yes, at 200 to 400 feet AGL and a half mile away you could steal 15 minutes worth of game time video to put on YouTube.

Pro sports, cable tv, etc. would be put out of business. Shows who is in control of the government. I can see not flying near the Interstate exchange. What a mess if the bird had an accident.

 

[ThunderChicken]

From that distance it would look like very small ants running around. To get any decent footage it would have to be a high dollar rig with a really good camera with a telescopic zoom lens.
They did have one knuckle head here locally that flew his bird into Papa Johns stadium and crashed into the crowd. I think the FAA still has his hide hanging from the side of the stadium!
It was a Phantom 4 that crashed.

 

[redbird007]

That area you tried to fly in was a total no fly zone. Check it out on on this site ArcGIS Web Application

The numbers in the squares are the ceiling for UAS flight in that area. If it is 0 it is an FAA NoFlyZone not just a DJI NoFlyZone.

The maximum authorized altitude figures are for pilots flying under Part 107. They do not apply to recreational pilots. So if a grid square says the maximum altitude is 150 feet, if you are flying under Part 107, you need to get a waiver to fly higher than that. If you're flying recreationally, you do not need a waiver to fly higher; you just tell air traffic control the highest altitude you intend to fly at.

 

[DoomMeister]

You are correct that those altitude restrictions are for part 107 pilots, but those restrictions are for all UAS pilots. The chances for getting a waiver for anything above those ceilings is very unlikely.

Both 107 and 336(hobbyist) are required to give notice to airports of their intended flight area, time, and altitude. Unless explicitly told it is unsafe to fly at that location, you can proceed with your flight. You must do this a reasonable amount of time in advance of your intended flight so the airport manager or Control Tower Supervisor has time to respond to your request.

 

[redbird007]

You are correct that those altitude restrictions are for part 107 pilots, but those restrictions are for all UAS pilots. The chances for getting a waiver for anything above those ceilings is very unlikely.

Both 107 and 336(hobbyist) are required to give notice to airports of their intended flight area, time, and altitude. Unless explicitly told it is unsafe to fly at that location, you can proceed with your flight. You must do this a reasonable amount of time in advance of your intended flight so the airport manager or Control Tower Supervisor has time to respond to your request.

No, the restrictions are specifically for Part 107 pilots. The FAA is barred by law from applying those restrictions to recreational pilots.

 

[DoomMeister]

Those areas are controlled airspace and the FAA is the controlling body over that airspace. Believe what you wish, but those areas are there to protect manned flight.

That is like comparing a commercial pilot to a weekend pilot and saying the FAA has no jurisdiction over the latter.

 

[PatR]

Folks,

The airport area altitude surveys are applicable to everyone flying sUAS. They were specifically developed to assist implementation of the LAANC system, which serves several functions, a couple of which are listed below. The full U.S. LAANC trial tests will occur later this month.

• The new altitude grid references and altitudes assist all in establishing safe operational practices and provide situational awareness of the maximum safe altitudes we can fly when near an airport.
• They enable fast identification of operating zones that might be granted a near immediate waiver for commercial operators. Operators require waivers, recreational needs to notify. Both can be denied flight permissions as ATC decides.

If an area states zero altitude the permissible altitude for all UAS operators for that area is ZERO. You don't fly there without explicit ATC authorization. Those listed altitudes are not to protect us, they are there to protect manned aviation from us. Whether you have a flight controller that automatically restricts your operation or not is irrelevant as such flight restriction software is not federally mandated. It's your responsibility to know where and how high you can legally fly, and the areas around busy airports are tightly controlled and monitored.

Those of you that operate recreationally are not exempt from rules that regulate our National Airspace System. Nor are you exempted from learning those regulations, especially those that apply specifically to you. Nobody is responsible for teaching them to you, it is your responsibility to find them, read them, understand them, and comply with them. A few you need to be cognizant of is that the FAA controls ALL navigable airspace in the U.S.A. The FAA is the sole authority where airspace is concerned. The airspace designations on airspace charts is applicable to all pilots, and recreational flyers have been designated "pilots" by the FAA. All RC, unmanned aircraft fall under the classification of sUAS (small unmanned aerial systems), or drones. The FAA can levy a careless and reckless operation of an aircraft charge against anyone, commercial or recreational, flying sUAS in U.S. airspace. In ways, recreational flyers are much more open to such a charge as if they, in any way, breech the operating rules of a nationally recognized community based organization they are open to the charge. Such is spelled out in the regulations.

 

[redbird007]

Folks,

The airport area altitude surveys are applicable to everyone flying sUAS. They were specifically developed to assist implementation of the LAANC system, which severs several functions, a couple of which are listed below. The full U.S. LAANC trial tests will occur later this month

Flat-out incorrect. The restrictions apply only to Part 107 flights. From the facility map: "UAS operators requesting airspace authorization in accordance with 14 CFR 107.41 MUST apply at FAA.GOV/UAS." The FAA reauthorization legislation in 2012 specifically prohibited the FAA from enacting new rules governing recreational flights of drones. That was the basis for the D.C. appeals court's striking down the FAA rule requiring registration of recreational aircraft. Congress later enacted legislation that specifically authorized the FAA to require registration of all drone pilots.

If you don't believe me or the FAA's own documents, call your local air traffic control tower. My local tower has never questioned my altitudes, despite their often being higher than the rules for Part 107 flights.