Can anyone help please? I’m looking to get shots of a field for a friend. I have a GVC and fly a Mavic 2 Pro, which is plenty good enough for the task. However, I’m unsure if I’m allowed to take off and fly in this particular area because of its proximity to London Luton Airport.
Looking at Drone Assist and SkyDemon, although it’s on the runway approach and inside the CTR, it’s outside the FRZ, and when I’ve asked for permission from other Control Towers across the country in similar situations (such as Birmingham for example) they’ve told me that permission wasn’t required. Unfortunately, in this case I’ve been unable to call Luton directly to get a similarly quick response (or just advice even), instead being directed to their NATS Non-Standard Flight request form online.
We’ve not been able to plan a date and time to visit as it’s been dependent on too many variables and unknowns, but went on spec and last minute last week in the hope that we could get something. However, when we arrived, I wasn’t comfortable flying with the low flying aircraft approaching the runway (although they would have been higher than 400ft) so we had to abandon - obviously the most sensible decision, but a frustrating one.
The location is 51.8602629,-0.4671781…can anyone advise please?
If you are outside the FRZ, you do not need permission from the Airport.
If you are within their CTR, best practice is to give ATC a call to tell them what you will be doing. Particularly if there are aircraft on approach, who may see your UAV and log an airprox.
For Luton, the published phone number is 01582-395029 (NATS Ltd - ATC Watch Manager)
Of course, if you feel the flight cannot be safely made, then no-go.
Thanks - so that says the same thing, and in theory I should be able to fly, right?
So how come the CTR states that vertical limits are in effect between surface and 3500ft?
I know I should know this, given I have a GVC, but I think this has always been somewhat of a grey area.
Exactly, and that’s why we abandoned the flight.
However, I couldn’t even inform ATC as I was referred back to the Non-Standard Flight Request, when I was only trying to tell them for their information and my piece of mind.
See CAP722 clauses 2.4.1 and 2.4.4 - it is clear that controlled airspace classes A-E are not relevant to flights in the Open category and no permission is required to fly in VLOS below 120m.
For flights in the Specific category, under a GVC-based Operational Authorisation, what you can and can’t do should be set out in your ops manual (sections 3.5, 4.2 and 4.3 in the standard template from CAP722A) and the CAA’s OA. It should state that permission will not be sought for flights in the CTR areas.
Although I don’t have a section 3.5, as expected section 4.4 states:
“Flights must not be conducted within the Flight Restriction Zone (FRZ) (See Note 1) of a protected aerodrome, or within any Restricted, Prohibited or Danger Area, unless the appropriate clearance or permission to enter has been obtained.”
So I guess this confirms that I should get permission first?
But I’m still curious (and apologies for continuing this), if I was just flying the Mavic 2 Pro on a A2 CofC, would I then need to approach them? Do you have an OA for CofC? And if not, does that mean I’m effectively limited by my aim to fly safer?
I’m not an expert, but I believe the CTR area is “Controlled” Airspace, not Restricted, so no permission would be required.
There is definitely no requirement to approach the airport if flying in a CTR in Open A2. The A2 CofC is more flexible than the GVC OA in that there is no ops manual to follow. But the standard GVC OA is better for clearances to uninvolved people e.g. you can fly overhead, which the A2 CofC does not allow. The real advantage of the GVC route comes when you want to seek even smaller clearances, or more unusual stuff like flying above 120m.