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mdurbanek

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2018
Messages
118
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Location
Ojai, California
Website
www.architecturalshots.com
This thread might generate some controversy, I don't know. But this information should be out there. I'll try to be brief.

I live in the Ojai Valley of California, the center of the recent 280,000 ft. wildfire and subsequent floods in Montecito. I am a long-time professional photographer and recent drone owner and have not received my certification in the mail yet. So, the TFR for the fire only affected my training, not my living.

When the TFR was issued, it listed a beginning date of 12-5-17 and an ending date of 2-11-18. As the fire spread, the TFR area was extended constantly westward. Eventually, the TFR stretched about 60 miles east to west and about 30 miles north to south.

It's understood that emergency operations (water drops, utility installations in rough terrain, etc.) would extend past the time that the majority of firefighting operations were completed. However, after the torrential rains we had (January 8-9) the TFR on the APOA site disappeared. Likewise, B4UFLY and UAS Sidekick removed restrictions from most of the area. However Airmap and Skyward still indicate the TFR is active for most of the area.

I wanted to do some training flights to further my education in the newly opened territory. However the local airport manager never answers his phone nor returns phone calls. Ironically, Airmap says that his facility "Accepts Digital Notice". And upon filing a flight plan I am told to contact the Airport manager who never answers his phone, or the ATC which doesn't publish a number with which to do so.

So - I called the airport manager, left a message, filed a UOA on 1800wxbrief, and flew two days this week (recreationally). We'll see what happens.

Accepting that this technology has totally overwhelmed the available systems to manage it, I'm mostly concerned with the discrepancies among the available apps and information regarding hazard TFRs.

The worst part is that the overwhelming use I have will be under 100 feet.
 
This thread might generate some controversy, I don't know. But this information should be out there. I'll try to be brief.

I live in the Ojai Valley of California, the center of the recent 280,000 ft. wildfire and subsequent floods in Montecito. I am a long-time professional photographer and recent drone owner and have not received my certification in the mail yet. So, the TFR for the fire only affected my training, not my living.

When the TFR was issued, it listed a beginning date of 12-5-17 and an ending date of 2-11-18. As the fire spread, the TFR area was extended constantly westward. Eventually, the TFR stretched about 60 miles east to west and about 30 miles north to south.

It's understood that emergency operations (water drops, utility installations in rough terrain, etc.) would extend past the time that the majority of firefighting operations were completed. However, after the torrential rains we had (January 8-9) the TFR on the APOA site disappeared. Likewise, B4UFLY and UAS Sidekick removed restrictions from most of the area. However Airmap and Skyward still indicate the TFR is active for most of the area.

I wanted to do some training flights to further my education in the newly opened territory. However the local airport manager never answers his phone nor returns phone calls. Ironically, Airmap says that his facility "Accepts Digital Notice". And upon filing a flight plan I am told to contact the Airport manager who never answers his phone, or the ATC which doesn't publish a number with which to do so.

So - I called the airport manager, left a message, filed a UOA on 1800wxbrief, and flew two days this week (recreationally). We'll see what happens.

Accepting that this technology has totally overwhelmed the available systems to manage it, I'm mostly concerned with the discrepancies among the available apps and information regarding hazard TFRs.

The worst part is that the overwhelming use I have will be under 100 feet.

I have left voice mails for airport managers, hospital heliport operations managers, and governor's residence heliport managers. I make a note in my flight log with names, numbers, dates, and times that I called and left messages. In the message, I follow a script I have written for myself, which is detailed in my flight operations plan document, that basically states who I am, my 107 license info, my callback number, where I will be, what I will be doing, what time I will start, what time I will end, that I understand I may be contacted during my flight to get out of the air and will do so immediately, etc. etc.

I figure that would show enough due diligence on my part if something happened or if someone complained.
 

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