The MBS Airspace – Part 3

This is an image of the MBS Airspace as pilots see it. The little 32 in the box means that the ceiling of the airspace is at 3200 feet above sea level and the blue dashed line around the airport represents that five mile radius we have been discussing. Flying a Drone in the MBS Airspace without ATC Approval is a violation of Federal Law.

Restrictive? Yep!

That sounds so restrictive and over-reaching, doesn’t it? Why does the FAA need to be all up in my business if I am just out in my backyard having fun? Is it really all necessary? Let’s get some perspective. To do so, we need to think about what’s coming.

In the very near future, there are going to be hundreds of drones zipping back and forth through the skies. These drones will be delivering goodies from Taco-Bell, Subway, Amazon and more. Massive real-life tests are already underway down in a little town in Arkansas called, Bentonville. Those tests are being conducted by a little company called, “Wal-Mart.”

Zipline, a US based drone delivery service operating in Rwanda and other African nations, has recently completed over 800,000 drone deliveries of blood and medications to remote villages. Drone delivery is not a matter of if it is coming, but when it is coming. With this in mind, let’s consider the FAA perspective again.

The FAA is Pro-Drone!

The FAA is boldly pro-drone! They not only want to see this happen, they are working very hard to make it happen. At the top of their list, as always, is absolute safety for all operations. Hence… we have some rules to follow. This is why it feels like there are constrictions on my freedom to fly. It’s all in the name of safety, and in the name of future proofing the entire system.

If we are serious about flying a drone, why not do it the right way? Get your recreational license or your Part 107 license. With those in hand, it demonstrates that we understand the larger aviation community and want to be a part of it. Being a part of this community is an honor and a privilege. Getting your license literally means you are a FAA Licensed Pilot! Bet you’ll talk about that at the club! That’s pretty cool!

If you have a drone, let me help you get your recreational license… it’s FREE! I’ll show you how next week.