Question….A drone service contractor asked me to fly a mission over an extremely busy grocery store parking lot. The parking lot was full of cars and people going in and out of the store walking to their car. I do not think that was safe or following FAA regulations. Am I correct?
Flying over people
- Thread starter Hd3
- Start date
You are correct.
There can be some exceptions if the drone meets certain requirements (weight limit, shielded props, ect.) I've yet to see any commonly available and useful drones meet these requirements.
You can sometimes pull it off if you catch an area like that closed and have some help keeping people out of the area.
There can be some exceptions if the drone meets certain requirements (weight limit, shielded props, ect.) I've yet to see any commonly available and useful drones meet these requirements.
You can sometimes pull it off if you catch an area like that closed and have some help keeping people out of the area.
Actually if you are a licensed operator you should know this already.....and that too is required for that mission.
If it was Drone Base/Zeitview, they have a large number of missions asking for pilots to "break" some rules on various mission types.
Maybe try and do your flights before it opens. Lighting may be a factor depending on when they open.
Unfortunately, most pilots flying for Zeitview disregard OOP and fly the mission anyway.
Maybe try and do your flights before it opens. Lighting may be a factor depending on when they open.
Unfortunately, most pilots flying for Zeitview disregard OOP and fly the mission anyway.
MapMaker53
Well-Known Member
If it is just to shoot promotional video footage for the store, you could probably get away with filming from the edge of the property in 4K and then use post-production editing tricks to zoom in and make it appear you are flying over the parking lot in front of the store. But if it involves mapping over such an active area for future construction work, you won't be able to legally do it during business hours.
Yes it's common place for companies to disregard the rules or ask you to. Some of it is ignorance, some is apathy. At the end of the day if anything comes of it you are the one getting fined and sued if you get caught or something goes wrong, and some of them know you are going to get hit far harder than they are.
Either way, fair or not, it's on you to remind them. My employer has been cool about it, but I've had to lay down a hard no on many jobs. If there is a way I can make it work, I will, but my clean license ultimately holds much more value potential than my job if it came to that.
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Vic Moss
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It will soon be much easier to get OOP/OOMV waivers. The OOP waiver approval policy at the FAA's Waiver Office is in it's final approval stage. I expect final word soon.
You'll still need a smaller drone or possibly a parachute, but we'll start seeing many more 107.39/107.145 Waivers being granted soon.
You'll still need a smaller drone or possibly a parachute, but we'll start seeing many more 107.39/107.145 Waivers being granted soon.
