A few notes for drone pilots planning to conduct operations at the International Rally.
The York Expo Center sits in Class E Airspace, specifically E2 or Surface Class E Airspace. This means that airspace is restricted starting at ground level. LAANC approval is required before conducting any flight operations.
Pennsylvania law requires a drone operator to hold a current FAA Part 107 certificate for any commercial flights while hobbyists are required to have passed the FAAs TRUST test. Additionally, all applicable requirements of those certifications must be adhered to when operating your drone. That means maintaining visual line of sight at all times, staying below 400’ AGL, and not operating after drinking alcohol (“8hrs bottle to throttle”) to name a few.
Operations over human beings (14 CFR 107.39) and Operations over moving vehicles (107.145) are prohibited without first obtaining a waiver from the FAA.
Operations at night (107.29) require the use of anti-collision lighting visible for 3 statute miles and flashing at an appropriate rate to avoid a collision. Think Monday’s Airstreams Aglow!
Please remember to be courteous and considerate of others while piloting your drones. Some people may not want you operating over their property (trucks, RVs, etc). Crashes do occur and no one wants their property damaged by someone else.
Have fun, follow the rules, and get some great shots!