Hi there, I have a Mavic Pro and I really (want to) love it! The problem is that I kind of have buyers remorse and I've barely used it because I feel like its illegal to fly everywhere.  (SF Bay Area). I was able to use it in Arizona when I was there for a visit, but thats about it. I just want to be able to enjoy my Mavic Pro without feeling like I have to plan a vacation first.

Does anyone know of places in the San Francisco Bay Area (or in San Francisco) that I can fly it? I'm not trying to go 2000 feet up or anything, but looking at the "safe to fly" maps/apps the whole of the Bay Area is illegal it seems, and I don't want to drive 3-4 hours just to play around with my drone.

They really need to put the maps up in the stores before you buy the drones and let you know you're not actually going to be able to use it anywhere, but then I guess they wouldn't be able to get the 15% restocking fee on all the returns for this exact reason.


anyways sorry to be a bummer, and I appreaciate any info you can share.

thanks

I think most major metropolitan cities are off limits unless you get a permit. I know a lot of downtown locations have tons of helipads which will prompt a notice of no fly zone. Plus the flying over people is a no no. There might be some areas just outside the Bay Area where you can fly and take some shots of the Bay. Try downloading the UAV Forecast app to see if helps pinpoint some flying locations.

Also the B4u fly app is a good resource.

Hi. We do apologize for the inconvenience. This is not the experience we want you to have at DJI. let me help you with this issue. I will be posting the official link where you will be able to check the areas where you can fly your DJI Mavic Pro. This link also contains a tab where you can ask DJI to disable the NFZ function of your DJI Mavic Pro.

https://www.dji.com/flysafe?site=brandsite&from=nav

As a new pilot who went thru a similar disillusioned reaction, initially, I want to chime in with an "it's not as bad as it seems" response.

For starters, I've noticed that on these forums, many posters misuse/overuse the term "NFZ", to include areas DJI apps notify as "warning" and "enhanced warning" zones. But these are places you can still fly, when you follow the guidelines, and don't require an unlock in the DJI app to take off.

There's also sometimes confusion about taking off or flying over public school grounds. Naturally, don't fly near schools while in session, but unless posted otherwise, empty school athletic fields that responsible citizens have used for decades to fly kites, launch model rockets, etc. are probably nearby you, and fine for getting airborne.

Municipal green belts can also work for getting good views of surrounding areas, testing gear, and practicing piloting. It may or may not be legal to takeoff and land from them, depending on local codes, but if not, a nearby parking lot, friend's yard, or athletic field may work for that.

You've probably read lots of threads debating flights over private homes and yards. At least as far as USA goes, my interpretation is this is legal unless prohibited by local laws, which I don't believe is the case in very many cities and towns. As far as nuisance factor, even at just 150-200' AGL a Mavic Pro (esp. Platinum) is barely noticeable except to us pilots maintaining VLOS, to everyone else it blends into background road and air traffic white noise. Unless you're spending extended time hovering below 100' near someone's yard, it's doubtful anyone who does happen to notice it the AC is going to feel spied on.

As one example of flying over private homes, this weekend I safely flew my MPP over a few homes in a north Seattle residential neighborhood, in order to take fun dronies of an outdoor deck BBQ and let friends experience the FPV goggles. The homeowner mowing and weed whacking down the street was making more racket than my MPP at 75' AGL.

Restrictions in AirMap and B4UFly seemed especially daunting, until I noticed my novice user mistake of viewing far too large of a flight radius. Once I zoomed into the couple thousand foot radius I'd be flying, the restrictions weren't so daunting, mostly heliports to notify.

As notifying those airports/towers/heliports, I can only share from my handful of notification calls to several heliports within 5 miles of my neighborhood. The two helicopter owners/pilots I reached were friendly, thankful I called, and both explained that they don't fly below 500' in my suburban (Seattle/Bellevue) area except takeoff and landing, so advised no need to call them if I'm just flying under 400' AGL in my neighborhood, several miles from them. I left a message for another heliport, and received no call back. This seems to jive with what others report on this forum. My sense is that in suburban settings, at least, we're unlikely to see choppers under 400' from heliports beyond 2 miles away.  Still, I keep my eyes and ears open and lower my altitude closer to tree tops if there is any nearby chopper traffic (they're so loud, it usually turns out they're still miles away, and not even approaching).

Another tip is to look for a local Facebook group for UAV pilots in your area, to learn where others are safely piloting.

Lastly, I'll say that as the novelty of viewing rooftops, roads, parking lots, and treetops wears off, the constraint seems now less about having *any* places to fly, and more having *interesting* places to fly.

KeithLa Posted at 2018-6-25 11:00
As a new pilot who went thru a similar disillusioned reaction, initially, I want to chime in with an "it's not as bad as it seems" response.

For starters, I've noticed that on these forums, many posters misuse/overuse the term "NFZ", to include areas DJI apps notify as "warning" and "enhanced warning" zones. But these are places you can still fly, when you follow the guidelines, and don't require an unlock in the DJI app to take off.

Well said.

thanks for all the info everyone!! hoping to get out there this weekend

I was recently on vacation in SF and had my Mavic Air with me, and i know what you mean, there doesnt seem to be many places to fly.

I did do a flight from the Ferry building (I took off from the benches at the back of the building). Im not sure if i was "Allowed", but once the drone was up in the air I got straight over the water so that the noise shouldnt have bothered anyone. From there I got some good images of the building and the SF skyline.

I also done a flight from Sausalito. There were some police officers in the area so i asked them before taking off, and they didnt have a problem in the slightest.

Since getting back I have also seen some amazing pics of Lombard street on Instagram, but it seemed a bit busy to fly when i was there.