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Contacting the Local Airport Tower - my experience so far
2948 9 2017-1-10
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OttoMaddox
lvl.1
Flight distance : 123278 ft
United States
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Hello all,

I received a Phantom 3 Standard for Christmas.  So I've had it for a couple weeks now.

Overall having fun.  Just flying around the neighborhood figuring out how to use it.

I registered with the FAA, put the label on the drone, and figured out I live within 5 miles of two airports.

Palo Alto (KPAO) and Moffett Field (KNUQ).

So on Christmas day I decide to go for the maiden flight.  I contact Moffett Field's tower by phone.  The person on the phone was friendly, asked for the address I would be flying from, how high, and how long.  I gave him that information.  Easy enough.

Then I asked him "Do I have to call you every time I fly this thing in front of my house?"  

His answer was "Only if you plan to fly above 150 feet."

"OK, so if I don't need to contact you if I keep it below 150 feet?" I asked.

"Well, you could just send us an email." and he proceed to give me an email address.

"Oh, that would be good.  So I just send you an email before I fly in front of my home?" I asked.

"If you want to." was the reply.

I said thanks for the information and proceeded to call the Palo Alto tower.  The person who answered was also friendly.  He asked me the same questions about where, how high, and how long.  Then he realized I lived closer to the Moffett Tower and told me not to worry about calling Palo Alto and to just let Moffett know.

I've called Moffett Field pretty much every day since getting my drone (weather permitting).  Each time the guy on the phone is friendly but does not seem to really care if I call him or not.  Now they don't even ask me any questions.  Most of the time the response is "Thanks for the call."  It's like I'm the only drone owner who bothers to do this.  The person on the phone will sometimes remind me about the email address but when I ask, again, if the email counts as contacting the tower the answers are all slightly different and non-comittal.

So I'm a little confused.  Are these FAA regulations legally binding?  I don't see the need to contact a tower that doesn't really seem to know what to do with my call.

I've even monitored the tower on my scanner.  They don't broadcast to the pilots anything about a drone flying in the vecinity.

What's the ramifications of not calling?  I know two other people who have drones and they have not registered with the FAA nor do they contact the any airports within 5 miles of their location.

I want to be legally compliant.  I don't want to waste my time or the tower's time.

Regards.
2017-1-10
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Hoomi
Second Officer
Flight distance : 231394 ft
United States
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If you're staying below 150', then it's likely not enough of an issue for them to worry about notifying pilots, as in your location, none of them should be that low. If you were going to be flying high enough and close enough to the airport that a plane could potentially be in the same airspace as your quad, they would let affected pilots know and/or put a restriction on your flight.

Is it legally binding? You're talking about Government Regulations here. Even if it seems the air traffic controllers aren't too worried about it, if the FAA decides to push it, you can be prosecuted for failing to follow the regulations. Regardless of how many other drone pilots may not be paying much attention to them, if you are cited for it, you won't find much relief from claiming that "everyone else is doing the same thing." Let's face it - if you go to traffic court for a speeding ticket, the judge isn't concerned with how many other people were also speeding. If you were speeding, you're going to get the penalty from the court.
2017-1-10
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Augustus Brian
Second Officer
Flight distance : 397592 ft
United States
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OttoMaddox:

My experience is similar:

I live within the 5 mile radius limit of a major Air Force base (actually within 2 miles). I contact the tower, via a special UAS hotline (set up by some airports for us--some even allow texted requests), before each flight. Always on tap is my name, flight plan(times up and down, max. height and location), and a phone number. When I land, I also call as a courtesy. Tower personnel are always friendly (I was once asked what kind of bird--when I said P4, he said he flew the P2 and the P3A). When TFRs are set (rarely in my area), I don't call and I don't fly. Outside of 5 miles, I don't call.

I been told this is overkill. However, I'm fine with the procedures. If local law enforcement intrudes (which does happen), I have verifiable information to give them to satisfy their curiosities. Most LE, if jumpy, settle down rather quickly when you spout FAA regulational language (max height, not flying over people, sports events, state parks, etc.).

Download UAV Forecast for you phone or tablet. It not only provides weather info, but includes maps displaying airports and TFRs. My area was sprinkled with TFRs during the Holiday season, now cleared.

In general, I would say that the information/procedures/awareness is extremely uneven throughout the states/regions/airports, but that the situation is improving and stabilizing.

AlecW: Except that California is a two-party consent state: Both parties to a recorded conversation must be informed that the recording is taking place, or it is deemed illegal.

Keep Smiling,

Augustus

2017-1-10
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OttoMaddox
lvl.1
Flight distance : 123278 ft
United States
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So according to what you all are saying I should be calling BOTH airports I live within 5 miles of?  Even the one that told me not to call them?

If the FAA doesn't make this easy most people are never going to do it.  That's the reality.

Considering the technology you'd think there would be an electronic way to handle all this.  Your app would just notify the FAA and the FAA would pass it to the closest airport.
2017-1-10
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Jetpilot
lvl.1
Flight distance : 70748 ft
United States
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OttoMaddox Posted at 2017-1-10 10:44
So according to what you all are saying I should be calling BOTH airports I live within 5 miles of?  Even the one that told me not to call them?

If the FAA doesn't make this easy most people are never going to do it.  That's the reality.

If you notify the closest airport and they tell you that you don't need to call the other, you are fine.  At 150 feet and below you are not going to endanger any aircraft unless you are off the end of a runway.  The calls to the tower are recorded so if anything ever happened, you would be covered.
2017-1-10
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sharkfoot
lvl.1
Flight distance : 511640 ft
United States
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If you have Part 107,  you can request an exemption from here: https://www.faa.gov/uas/request_waiver/
2017-1-10
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Vikassi
Flight distance : 17516 ft
United States
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Oddly enough, I am with-in 5 miles of 7 Heliports that come up on the FAA app.  Do I have to contact them all before I fly?  I didn't know Heliports were airports.  Do you guys also contact the heliports?
2017-1-11
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BenStein
Second Officer
Flight distance : 2066532 ft
United States
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Vikassi Posted at 2017-1-11 15:56
Oddly enough, I am with-in 5 miles of 7 Heliports that come up on the FAA app.  Do I have to contact them all before I fly?  I didn't know Heliports were airports.  Do you guys also contact the heliports?

I believe the regulation says only locations with a staffed tower. So generally no, there is no one to contact at most heliports.
2017-1-13
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drb1215
lvl.3

United States
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sharkfoot Posted at 2017-1-10 15:46
If you have Part 107,  you can request an exemption from here: https://www.faa.gov/uas/request_waiver/

Part 107 only applies if you are flying for work or business, and not to a hobbyist.
2017-1-18
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RicknCovington
lvl.3
Flight distance : 186322 ft
United States
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Vikassi Posted at 2017-1-11 15:56
Oddly enough, I am with-in 5 miles of 7 Heliports that come up on the FAA app.  Do I have to contact them all before I fly?  I didn't know Heliports were airports.  Do you guys also contact the heliports?

Actually, yes, you do have to call all of them.  I have called the FAA UAV Helpline and spoke to an individual about this and also spoken to some of the individuals that work on the committees  that are writing all the new regs and airspace classifications for UAVs in the near future, and currently you have to call ALL airports and heliports within 5 miles.  Basically, if it shows up in the B4UFLY app, then you need to call them.  Unfortunately, the app doesn't give you any phone numbers.  You can use an app or website like AirNav.com or SkyVector.com to look up the airport/heliport by name or ID, and somewhere in the information it will tell you if it has a control tower, and the name and phone number of the airport owner and manager, if they don't have a control tower, and the number for the control tower will be there too.
Make the call.  It's no big deal.  They understand that you are just "coordinating" with them, so they can let you know if there is any general aviation activity going on that you need to be aware of, and if there is, they can let the GA aircraft no that your in the area.  It's just coordination for everyones safety...And don't be surprised if some of the places you call, don't answer or have a working number anymore.  When I have called (mostly heliports) I have got non-working numbers, fax lines, just rings, etc.  Just document in a log that you attempted notification, and go fly.  You did what you were asked to do.
I am finding more of an issue with finding a legal place to fly, due to city, county, and state rules...but that's another topic...have fun.
2017-1-18
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Mark The Droner
Captain
Flight distance : 2917 ft
United States
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When one has a question regarding FAA, the first thing one should do is specify whether he is flying under Part 101 or Part 107.  Without that info, the question is often difficult or impossible to answer.

Under Part 101, while there is no doubt a drone pilot must contact any and all airports, the requirement to call a heliport is not clear.  There can be arguments for and against calling every heliport within five miles.  In PL 112-95 Section 336, which is what Part 101 stems from, the word "heliport" is nowhere to be found.  However, in Section 334.  the word heliport is used alongside the word airport.  The fact that the word heliport seems to have been specifically excluded from Section 336 indicates vagueness at best and is a clue that the notification of heliports is not a legal requirement.

https://www.congress.gov/112/plaws/publ95/PLAW-112publ95.pdf

Some will argue that heliport, by definition, is an airport, but if that was true. there would have been no need to include "heliport" in the public law.

Also, note that U.S. Congress expressly prohibited the FAA from promulgating any rules or regulations regarding model aircraft.  

Another clue is www.airmap,io and its interpretation.  Airmap's mission is to map the sky per FAA regulations.  Nonetheless, the ability to show heliport locations is simply an option which a hobbyist may choose to ignore.  

Having said that, it certainly doesn't hurt to contact a heliport if a pilot deems doing so will promote safety.   
2017-1-19
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