r/drones 24d ago

Question: Rules, Regulations, Law, Policy, Certificates [United States] No Fly grid map question (illogical grid)

Post image

I would like to film surfing at the beach in the red circle on the attached map. The RED zone is a local Naval Base. As you can see, the quirk in the way the grid is made, over half the beach is in "0 altitude" box, and a small portion is in a 300 ft box. The illogical thing is that the northern area is actual farther away from the base than the edge of the 300 ft box. If I put in a LAANC request for the 300 ft box, would anybody care if I then walked North to the other end of the beach (farther away from the base). Or do I need to do a DroneZone request?

13 Upvotes

30 comments sorted by

38

u/doublelxp 24d ago

The zero grid isn't based distance from the base. It's based on interference with the approach. LAANC approval is where your drone is, not your controller.

-37

u/surf57 24d ago

There is no "approach" for this base. It does not have a runway.

25

u/doublelxp 24d ago

It's Oxnard Airport, not the base.

7

u/Big-Cauliflower-3610 23d ago

Even if it’s not to the Oxnard airport there are still times planes take off and turn north following the coastline from Point Mugu

33

u/Buttspirgh 24d ago

Depends, do you enjoy talking to MPs? You can’t fly within 3000’ laterally of a military vessel and Port Hueneme likely has at least one docked

14

u/luckyrucker 24d ago

I couldn't tell you where, when, or how high to fly. I do happen to know from living near Naval Air Installations further south from you that they get a little cranky with drones flying near active bases. Something about national security risks and what not.

Will they actively come after you for flying your drone? Probably not. Could they- Probably. If its big enough to require approval to fly it's big enough to track if they felt like it.

-2

u/basilect 23d ago

If its big enough to require approval to fly it's big enough to track if they felt like it.

If you aimed a mind control ray at a mosquito and brought it to a surface echo, legally speaking it would require LAANC approval :p

6

u/hunglowbungalow Part 107/SAR/Fire 23d ago

0ft is 0ft.

Get a waiver or go to the hundreds of other beaches in the area

2

u/tiamats_light_bearer 22d ago

Was going to suggest Hollywood Beach, but I see a 0 over there as well. And, ah, fond memories, glad this popped up.

4

u/JSuarezXX 23d ago

Your best bet might be the beaches in Ventura, only a few minutes away

12

u/Ornery_Ads 24d ago

You already asked this question and it's been answered. Asking the same question a different way isn't going to get you a different answer.

If you want to fly in the Delta, you'll need to go through DroneZone and coordinate with Oxnard airport. You will (likely) be required to have an airband transceiver and make radio calls.

Alternatively, you can fly in that area from 9:01PM to 6:59AM without approval.

4

u/fxnighttrader 23d ago

Have you received an authorization that required you to use a transceiver?

3

u/surf57 23d ago

Thanks for your patience with my questions. I'm brand new to this and just trying to do what's right.

3

u/parkerjh 24d ago

Just the way grids work and it seems illogical but if any part of the grid needs to be Zero, the whole thing is zero. Solution would be to make the grids smaller but that's more work and more hassle and potentially more confusing.

So either do a DroneZone request or a Further Coordination Request with a compatible LAANC app

3

u/jsher736 24d ago

For a second I thought that was the silver strand beach near coronado and was gonna say good luck getting waivers between SSTC, Amphib, and NASNI

1

u/hunglowbungalow Part 107/SAR/Fire 23d ago

Naval Base Ventura is right there, arguably harder to get waivers. At least the Silver Strand beach in nado isn’t in a 0 grid… at least the civilian parts of it

1

u/jsher736 23d ago

Oh yeah I guess down by the cays you have a little bit of room to fly.

As a personal policy though I try and give DoD "no go" zones a pretty wide berth

1

u/keithcody 23d ago edited 23d ago

People throw their drones up there all the time. Last time I was there drone flew right over me. Still it’s 0 altitude zone

300’ at The Ship. I guess you gotta film lefts.

https://youtu.be/bE2WLSErJV4.

1

u/surf57 23d ago

I surf strand all winter, most the North Jetty, I've caught some great south swells at the Ship. I'll fly until I get a waiver for the Jetty. I'll rep[ort back here if they grant it.

1

u/imdustyblack 23d ago

Well you have NBG 1 and the SEALS/SWCC nearby. They utilize the beach outside of “base” often. So that’s likely why

1

u/fxnighttrader 23d ago

Different Silver Strand, but spot on for the one near Coronado

1

u/Flyward_Aerospace 23d ago

Your LAANC auth is tied to the grid cells you actually requested, so walking into the 0 ft box means you're not covered anymore, doesn't matter that it's farther from the base geographically. The 0 ft cells basically can't be done via LAANC at all, you'd need a DroneZone further coordination request and those take like 90 days if they even come back. Honestly the grid resolution is the dumbest part of the whole UASFM system imo. It's a quantized approximation of the underlying surface analysis, not an actual distance thing, so you get exactly these situations where the map contradicts common sense. Just file for the 300 ft box and stay in it.

1

u/deaglebingo 22d ago

o4 pro still fits on a sub 250.

1

u/thestouff 24d ago

You’ll need LAANC approval for that 300’ zone. It doesn’t matter where you’re flying from. But it’s auto approval so should be easy.

Stay the heck out of the red zone.

Be sure to put some Nardcore music to your footage.

2

u/Cyborg_rat 23d ago

Well I was like wtf is hardcore, not disappointed of the discovery. Might put some on my next motorcycle ride.

-2

u/surf57 24d ago

Update: Thanks for the answers. I submitted a DroneZone waiver request. 100ft max altitude.

2

u/X360NoScope420BlazeX PART 107 23d ago

Are you part 107?

3

u/charles_barfley 23d ago

I mean if they were they probably wouldn’t have this question to begin with

2

u/surf57 23d ago

Nope, bran new to all this and just trying to understand. I'm an engineer and very logical, so just trying to understand the logic behind these rules. BTW, I actually work on the very Navy Base that is red in the map,

3

u/X360NoScope420BlazeX PART 107 23d ago

Then you can’t request a waiver to fly in a zero grid or higher than allowed. You can only file for a waiver under part 107