Similar to gliding…the first aircraft to catch a thermal dictates the direction you should turn to follow.
Just because a commercial pilot has filed a plan to fly in a particular location, doesn’t mean they have booked that piece of airspace out for a particular timescale to be used by themselves exclusively. I’ve flown in the same location on the same day as commercial flights, they don’t own the airspace and neither do I. But it’s an informative way to find out what’s around you at the time.
2 Likes
That’ll work at a meet up “I was first in the air, you lot can wait till my battery runs out.”
3 Likes
Yield to noone else with a drone its not necessary. Speak to them and ask them what height theyre flying and agree on seperation. Works for planes and works for us too.
2 Likes
That’s so crazy it might just work…
1 Like
Noob question on yellow - I want to fly on the edge of and could ingress into a yellow zone. That yellow zone is marked as ‘Airport’ but there is no airport there, just a common where an air ambulance lands about once a month (I live in the area).
Is this simply a matter of not flying if there is any sign of a helicopter in the area, or could I be breaking the law by taking the risk at all?
Yellow zones are ground hazards, marked on the map to make you aware of them, but legal to fly from or over. They are a variety of features that might cause issues to pilots that were not aware of them, and some are obvious (power lines, masts, busy roads, railways), some less overtly so (parks, sports grounds, or areas that might become crowded at times), and some that you really have to be told about (SSSIs, which may actually be designated for a geological or scientific reason that would not be affected by drone flying, but others may contain nesting birds or rare plants they don’t want you stepping on). A small airfield/private landing strip will be included because there will be traffic below 400’.
You are perfectly entitled to fly in a yellow area (in fact about half of my flying is done in them), provided of course as always that the conditions of the CAA Drone Code are met. You are entitled to TOAL in a yellow area as well, again so long as the Drone Code conditions of ascertaining permission from the landowner are met.
Where I live, it would be quite hard to find a place to fly that was not in or at least close to a yellow area, and I suspect that most urban pilots would tell you the same. Click on the area and a description of what the hazard is will come up, though there is often insufficient information for SSSIs. I would happily fly around a helicoptor on the ground, but not one with it’s engine running or even a pilot sitting in it, it could take off at any moment!
The places that you are not allowed to fly in and will mean your breaking the law if you do are the red and blue zones on the map, FRZ and NOTAMs. That said, Airport FRZ can be flown in with permission from the airport Air Traffic Control. I’ve not done this, but apparently you apply for permission online, it is usually granted, and then you phone ATC just before you take off to tell them your’re in the air, and again when you land so they know you’re out of the way.
Other red FRZ areas, such as military bases, prisons, and royal residences, are out of bounds pretty much totally, but some military firing ranges are fine to fly over when they are not being actively used; the MOD publish online timetables for them. Don’t go TOAL on them, though, unless you are fond of unexploded ordnance (‘lost his head and went to pieces’); there’s a reason for the ‘Keep Out’ signs and sentries!
NOTAMs will show the height boundaries and times they are in effect when you click on them. Some are not relevant to drones because they have a lower limit of 400’ or higher, so your ability to fly in them will vary according to the individual NOTAM. The abbreviations AGL & ASL mean Above Ground Level and Above Sea Level respectively. They are temporary by definition, and may be for all sorts of reasons; security operations, military training, laser displays, airshows, sports events/gigs, balloon festivals, &c.
Hope that reassures you, modularist, enjoy flying your drone but keep to the CAA’s Drone Code, be aware of yellow area hazards but fly there as long it’s safe and legal, and don’t fly unauthorised in FRZ or NOTAM areas. Happy landings!
1 Like
Not necessarily
With the proviso that one is flying within the CAA’s Drone Code. This states the pilot’s obligation to confirm permission and legality of the TOAL and flight.
Crikey, you’ll be telling me I need a license to drive my car next
There’s a number of blue zones that can be navigation warnings, doesn’t necessarily mean you can’t fly within them.
1 Like
I thought blue zones were areas where either some aerial activity is planned ( with dates) or warnings that the area may become a temporary FRZ ( with dates and timings of that restriction ) ?
Thank you for such a full answer. I have also discovered the Geeksvana channel, where there is advice on legal matters, and watched some informative stuff there.
You’ll be thankful for that when you have trouble sleeping. Watch about 10 minutes and you’ll be in La La Land.
1 Like
Yep, Sean does go on a bit. Graham ( with his bright shirts) however is very knowledgeable on the rules and regs. 
Have you ever seen him fly a drone though ?
3 Likes
1 Like