An altitude of 500 feet above the surface except over open water or sparsely populated areas. In that case, the aircraft may not be operated closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure. This one is pretty self-explanatory.
People Also Ask
The Federal Aviation Regulation (FAR) Part 91.119 indicates that, except when necessary for departure or landing, the minimum altitude over urban areas is 1,000 feet above ground level (AGL) and 500 feet AGL over rural areas.
How and when can drone pilots use LAANC ? Drone pilots planning to fly under 400 feet in controlled airspace around airports must receive an airspace authorization from the FAA before they fly. LAANC is available to pilots operating under the Small UAS Rule Part 107 or under the exception for Recreational Flyers.
If there is a group of people on the ramp watching airplanes, the FAA has considered that group to make the area “congested.” That triggers the clearance distances of 14 CFR 91.119(b).
There is no existing mechanism for the FAA to monitor if there are drone pilots, licensed or otherwise, who will fly above this altitude limit. That is well and fine until you get into a close encounter with a manned aircraft, for which you could be facing heavy penalties if the FAA can identify you as the drone pilot.
In general, you can only fly your drone in uncontrolled airspace below 400 feet above the ground ( AGL ). Commercial drone operators are required to get permission from the FAA before flying in controlled airspace.
As the federal authority over operations in all airspace and the regulating authority over operations, the FAA will ensure that the ETM cooperative vision aligns with agency goals and meets the requirements for safe and efficient operations.
Fly below 120m (400ft) Flying below the legal height limit of 120m (400ft) will reduce the risk of coming across other aircraft, which normally fly higher than this.
Remote ID also helps the FAA, law enforcement, and other federal agencies locate the control station when a drone appears to be flying in an unsafe manner or where it is not allowed to fly.
Ultimately, the 400-foot altitude limit was put in place for the sake of airspace safety. The airspace beyond 400 feet is large and the chances of running into another aircraft are astronomically low, but the potential consequence of a drone crashing into a manned aircraft can be disastrous.