I’m struggling with a creative vacuum at the moment both with my photography and drone flying. One thing I would like to do is take some aerial footage of farm strips for a project I have in mind but I’m having trouble finding the necessary info.
I know about FRZs around major airports but there are not usually any restrictions showing around small farm type airfields. It also seems quite hard to locate contact info for most of them.
Farm strips can be a closed shop due to various factors. Neighbours (may be issues with noise etc), planning (ie. operating on 28 day rule), security (many rotax engines have been stolen over recent years), based pilots (models/drones don’t always mix well with full size) and they pay a lot to keep their aircraft there.
You really need to get a foot in the door and take it slow while gaining everyone’s trust. Become a regular, help out and get to know how the pilots and aircraft operate.
I have been based at a farm strip for over 20 years and have two vintage aircraft. I have always flown model aircraft and helicopters on the strip but this comes second to the full-size aircraft. Recently I’ve purchased a Mini 4 Pro to play around on the farm, I brief the other pilots what I will be doing and already understand what they will be doing but still I’m taking it slow so everyone in comfortable and things are kept safe.
Yes that’s correct my concern was more to ensure that they were not expecting any traffic.
That looks like a useful book but something of an overkill for my purposes.
That’s interesting and useful information to be forewarned with so thank you, as mentioned before though my main concern was safety. As Chris mentions permission isn’t a requirement but safety most certainly is a consideration, I don’t want to be “that guy”…
In essence I was wondering if there was a resource such as the AIP which might give the contact details for such air strips, at least that way they would be aware and I would know that I wasn’t likely to be a menace to some poor chap coming in to land!
Farm strips may be in the guides and may not, there is no requirement for them to publish their details. I class airspace there is no requirement to talk to anyone though we now have safety com 135.480 to announce movement at uncontrolled strips. I fly vintage aircraft so I may or may not have a radio and could fly without telling anyone what I am doing, as there is no requirement to do this.
Many farm strips will be some distance from public land as they tend to be positioned to keep a low profile so you would really need to fly off the farm to have the best access.
I’m not sure you understand air law which is worrying. A drone will need to give way to other airspace users regardless of height flying. Any full size air craft can operate at any height (even 10’) as long as they stay 500’ away from person, vehicle, vessel, structure but can break the 500’ rule when taking off and landing. Around a farm strip drones would need to avoid and it would be very difficult for a full size aircraft pilot to do this. At the end of the day life’s could be at risk!