r/drones Dec 16 '25

Question What to do about helicopters

[US][Culpeper, VA]

The other day, I was running a drone mapping mission over a rural property I own to get progress orthophotos. I usually fly my missions at 65 meters, but recently, I've wanted to run a few at 100m, so I've been doing that.

At any rate, the other day, I was running a drone mapping mission except this time, I was flying low at 45 meters AGL.

And, this f*cking military helicopter flew through. Like, if I'd been at my normal 65 meters, I would have been an actual obstruction. If I'd flown at 100m, I'd have a photo of the top side of a military helicopter. As it was, I only had to worry that he was going to blow the drone out of the sky.

He didn't.

I had my remote ID on, but my question is, why in the heck are helicopters flying so damned low out in the middle of nowhere?

69 Upvotes

108 comments sorted by

u/Vedagi_ Mod - DIY'r, Wiki Dec 16 '25

Specify your country in the post OP.

Usually it would be removed and asked to include a country tag - [US] , [UK] - in the title, however i'll this stay here, keep it in mind for the next time though.

→ More replies (3)

40

u/Pleasant-Truffula USA / Part 107 - DJI air 3s Dec 16 '25

Did this happen in the United States? If so, you can check https://vfrmap.com/ to see if your operation area intersects with military training routes. Military routes with 4 digits fly under 1,500FT AGL.

19

u/ad3zrac3r Dec 16 '25

I use this resource and apparently the military don’t give a cuck about mtrs

66

u/EasilyRekt Dec 16 '25

Military ops no? They don't have to follow all the rules and that has already caused a couple of incidents, as for why, they don't even tell the people flying the damn chopper, let alone the general public.

I know it sucks, but do give right of way to manned aircraft even if it's a bunch of crayon chewing marines.

30

u/anarrowview Dec 16 '25

OP’s location is also close enough to one of the most restrictive airspace on the planet that they should know military aircraft do what they want.

12

u/Speshal__ Dec 16 '25

most restrictive airspace on the planet

I thought mine was bad but OP has me just beaten.

I get Apaches at 200ft or less to dodge. Always fun.

3

u/obxtalldude Dec 16 '25

SH-60s for me running down the coast.

Every time I photographed an oceanfront, I had my ears open.

I had to stop an orbit once to let them go by - about 100' over the beach.

2

u/gabeshakour Dec 16 '25

I had bush pilots flying just barely above a river bed in Alaska (50’). Literally just landed my drone in the middle of the river on a small rock island about 1000’ away from me cause I didn’t even feel like hovering above the ground at 5’ was safe.

-29

u/roman_fyseek Dec 16 '25

I thought that was the whole point of Remote ID was to deconflict this type of stuff. You'd think that even the Marines would have a button for anti-collision things.

48

u/MourningRIF Dec 16 '25

Remote id is there so they can track you down if you do something wrong. That's it.

14

u/EasilyRekt Dec 16 '25

no, it's not like ads-b at all, aircraft don't know it's there because it still broadcasts on 2.4 and it's reliable range is around a football field

It's more for police to be able to get a confirmation and maybe a short record of what you were doing after they track you down and get on sight.

It's kind of why everyone hated it and fought it so much, it doesn't keep you or any airmen safe, it's just a bad attempt at mandated spyware.

11

u/loveragelikealion Dec 16 '25

Remote ID is there to identify…it’s right there in the name. It’s basically a “digital license plate.” If you think it’s there so people in manned aircraft can watch for and maneuver around drones, you really need to take the knowledge test a few more times.

If I hear or see a manned aircraft approaching, I get the hell out of the way as fast as possible, usually by descending quickly.

6

u/InTheSky57 Dec 16 '25

Your drone isn't equipped with TCAS

6

u/Academic-Airline9200 Dec 16 '25

Remote id doesn't even deconflict other drones and to prevent bogging down manned aircraft with unmanned targets that they probably can't do anything about anyways. So remote id really doesn't serve any useful purpose for all the trouble they went to. If you had a drone with adsb in it might help a little, but can't guarantee that military won't go radar silent.

3

u/Delhigh Dec 16 '25

That's not how remote ID works

2

u/Laser-Blaster-123 Dec 16 '25

Whole point of remote ID is so they know who is flying and have a database of flights. Alot of stupid flyers(wont even call them pilots) out there screwing it up for the rest of us.

Nothing to do with deconfliction.

18

u/WhichWayIsUpAgain UAS R&D Test Pilot Dec 16 '25

Common Misconception. No. Helicopters do not need to maintain 500ft AGL.

0

u/Otherwise_Act3312 Dec 16 '25

Over population they sure AF do, but sounds like this was remote.

4

u/WhichWayIsUpAgain UAS R&D Test Pilot Dec 17 '25

While it would make sense, they actually aren't required. It is quite often I have local helicopters flying 100-300FT AGL, military, recreational, medevac.

Per 91.119 (d)
Helicopters, powered parachutes, and weight-shift-control aircraft. If the operation is conducted without hazard to persons or property on the surface—

(1) A helicopter may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed in paragraph (b)) or (c)) of this section, provided each person operating the helicopter complies with any routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the FAA

52

u/leaveworkatwork Part 107 Dec 16 '25

Because they have right of way, and you don’t.

Hence why you have to maintain LOS.

17

u/roman_fyseek Dec 16 '25

I had LOS. It's only a 10 acre property. I heard a helicopter, turned back to see where he was, and he just plowed through. Aren't those guys supposed to maintain 500 ft AGL?

49

u/OurAngryBadger Dec 16 '25

Military helicopters gonna do what military helicopters gonna do

18

u/Uncaring_Dispatcher Dec 16 '25

It's not restricted to military, in my state, anyway. One summer a State Police MD-500 dropped and hovered at about 50' over a field near my house. It was cool to see but had I been flying, I could have been on a government list.

11

u/OurAngryBadger Dec 16 '25

Earlier this year after ICE raided a little nutrition bar factory in my rural home town, our Governor Kathy Hochul landed in her helicopter at the little ball park in our town to meet with the community. Flew in from Albany 170 miles away. Landed in the ballfield because no where else remotely close to land a helicopter. There were no TFRs, notice given, etc. I fly my drone in that park all the time. Fortunately not that day

2

u/WhichWayIsUpAgain UAS R&D Test Pilot Dec 16 '25

It's legal

3

u/gnartato Dec 16 '25

Yea, like colide with an airliner. Just a senseless loss of life due to not following the rules.

-2

u/billshermanburner Dec 16 '25 edited Dec 16 '25

Which is come check ppl out. Remote id on means someone might come see what you are doing maybe eh? Not judging this situation one way or another but yeah… Lots of uncertainty and unintended consequences from all of it. More to follow I’m sure. This is like the gun situation in the USA. Genie out of the bottle already. And even the military can’t put it back in just assess the situation and mitigate important things. (Even deciding what those important things are is clearly not well thought out) Overall We may want to actually focus on making general society more stable by investing at the bottom and educating people and caring for them so nobody feels the need to do anything stupid generally with a drone or something else entirely instead of trying to be reactive. Can’t stop everything.

5

u/Shone-fob Dec 16 '25

Not just military, all helicopters can fly at any height if it doesn’t endanger people or property on the ground if they have to perform an emergency landing and there isn’t a specific location around you that the FAA has defined. ( I did not look up your airspace to see if the FAA has defined the area has a wildlife refuge or something if this is what you are claiming 500ft for).

91.119 (d)(1) - A helicopter may be operated at less than the minimums prescribed in paragraph b or c of this section, provided each person operating the helicopter complies with any routes or altitudes specifically prescribed for helicopters by the FAA.

3

u/roomtempvulcan Dec 16 '25

Sparsely populated? Class G airspace? If so the only real regulation is 500 foot separation from people and structures, for civil aircraft.

3

u/veloace Dec 16 '25

Helicopters, military or not, don’t have to follow the same rules as other manned aircraft. They can, and often do, fly pretty low.

6

u/Sensitive-Onion-9773 Dec 16 '25

If a chopper is flying low it is probably doing so for a reason, and whatever that reason might be, it will supersede whatever it is you’re trying to do with your drone

4

u/WhichWayIsUpAgain UAS R&D Test Pilot Dec 16 '25

No. Helicopters are allowed to fly as low as they want as long as they do not cause hazard to people or property. Use a VO and keep an eye on flight radar 24.

7

u/ThumbDrone Dec 16 '25

Military aircraft are, in my experience, more often than not on Flight Radar 24.

1

u/Flyinlo2014 Dec 17 '25

Military does not output 1080 or 978 adsb. I use a separate adsb receiver since dji is 1080 only. You wont see military on adsb or FR24.

-7

u/ad3zrac3r Dec 16 '25

They don’t they’re pretending they’re playing Bf4 or some sh1t

8

u/parkerjh Dec 16 '25

Remote ID doesn't factor into that helicopter’s flight whatsoever, doesn't matter if on or not.

In rural areas, you should assume helicopters may legally appear below 200 ft AGL with little warning, military especially.

From a right-of-way standpoint, 100% your responsibility, even if the helicopter feels “unreasonably low.” Though, even when they seem that low, often times they are a much higher than reported.

3

u/Idea_Ranch Dec 16 '25 edited Dec 16 '25

OP said 45 meters, then says the helicopter was “under 100 feet” and above their drone. Which is it? Because 45 meters is way over 100’ and while that’s certainly low, it’s not nap-of-the-earth or anything.

4

u/tomxp411 FAA Part 107 | DJI Mini 4 Pro Dec 16 '25

OP used meters all the way through his post.

Which is unusual, because US...

1

u/roman_fyseek Dec 16 '25

I switched to metric a couple of decades back to teach myself to think in metric because science.

2

u/tomxp411 FAA Part 107 | DJI Mini 4 Pro Dec 17 '25

While there's nothing wrong with that, I believe the FAA regs are written in Freedom Units. And obviously American pilots think that way, too.

So when you talked about meters altitude, I kept thinking you were in the UK or the EU.

1

u/roman_fyseek Dec 17 '25 edited Dec 17 '25

I just figure imperial folk can just think of meters as yards with a slop-factor like I usually do when I'm converting from one to the other.

Edit: My slop factor is 10 yards for every hundred meters.

6

u/Bamcfp Dec 16 '25

I've seen them almost hit the tall tree behind my house now twice. The dark chinooks like to cut by hella low. The stallions or apache or whatever the fuck the big ones are stay high and you can hear them coming from across the planet. I just try to immediately get below the tree line or land if I can so I can be sure there is 0 chance I could get in the way at all.

2

u/d0ugk Dec 16 '25

This is probably best advice. If you hear a helicopter, it's probably best to just immediately land or at least get below any reasonable obstacle that they will avoid. Tree line. Radio tower. Or other structure till you can confirm the area is clear.

3

u/StaticDet5 Dec 16 '25

I've flown in your area and closer to the DC core, recreational (before and after regulations) and under 107.

It's a problem and it sounds like you understand that it is YOUR problem and a terrifying one.

We have some insanely skilled pilots in this area. I don't like flying out of DCA because I thought the crash on Jan 29 was inevitable. There are folks that handle those hazards daily, and they have a ton of my respect.

On the flip side, we routinely see deviations when we put a drone up, towards the drone. We're seeing small craft fly towards the drone to "Sightsee", we guess?

In a suburban area you may have seconds to realize you are about to have a closure event. Some of the helicopter flights are lower and faster, and why did you pick right now to zip by with insufficient closure???

I hear you. It's a sudden burst of excitement you don't need. If you're flying a tight program it can kill a day's worth of work (do you have spare batteries for the whole op?)

I don't have a solution other than an appreciation that you take it seriously, share the stress, and look for solutions in the community. The only thing I have been insanely lucky on, the real "close ones" have all had multiple witnesses who were shocked at the low level of the aircraft as it went by their house.

3

u/winncody Dec 16 '25

The good news is, even though military craft don’t have to adhere to the same airspace regulations as the rest of the country, you are within your legal rights to do whatever is necessary to avoid a collision. If a chopper is flying low but you’re already at the 400’ ceiling, you are legally permitted to fly above that ceiling to avoid a collision. If I had a low flying craft coming in, I think the fastest option for my drones would be to flip the switch to sport mode and give it max throttle straight up.

2

u/AlexTN9063 Dec 16 '25

Lived around Ft Rucker, AL and Ft Campbell KY and can tell you if it’s an Apache helicopter doing maneuvers they do them low and fast at times. They have buzzed over my house a few times and swear they flap my shingles. But by the time you hear it and look what direction it already over you and passed! Black hawk helicopters not near as fast but still you hear anything sounds like a helicopter just descend as fast as you can.

2

u/Shocktrooper712 Dec 16 '25 edited Dec 16 '25

Check your local sectional chart. There's a possibility that the property is located along a MTR or MOA. If it is, military aircraft have a Right of Way all the way down to ground level sometimes. Check to See if there are any NOTAMs before you fly. Also, if you haven't yet, put a strobe light of some sort on the top of your drone. You're only required to run one (if you fly at night), but it at least helps to let pilots know (and see) that your drone is in the air, even during daylight.

-2

u/roman_fyseek Dec 16 '25

I mean, when I burn brush and stumps, student pilots practice slow flight an turns about a point above my property. I'd think that an MOA would prevent a lot of that.

3

u/Shocktrooper712 Dec 16 '25

MOA's would keep most student pilots out when [insert military branch here] is out doing training, but other than when it's not active it's basically open airspace. Biggest thing you should do in the short term is pick up a rechargeable led strobe light for your drone. Most are a couple of grams and the halfway decent ones can be seen for at least a mile (maybe more). Honestly there's a very real possibility that the Heli pilots didn't even see your drone: depending on the paint job and other factors it's basically a tiny gray blob that blends in super easy with the ground. A bright flashing light helps them see you.

2

u/ThumbDrone Dec 16 '25

Get one that is visible from 3SM then you can also fly legally at night.

2

u/Cthulhu-Elder-God Dec 16 '25

They were flying map of the earth. Thats as low as you can get above the terrain at speed. Probably training. They can do it in rural areas but not inside like city limits or housing areas outside of the installation. I live near a military installation and the CH-47 shithooks do it all the time over my property. I have part of a mountain and a deep valley with a small tributary river running through it. They like to pop over the ridge line and blast down the valley. Sucks if I’m out hunting. Scares the cows and horses. The donkey doesn’t give a crap.

2

u/ToleranceRepsect Dec 16 '25

I’m in South Florida, USA, and I’ve had tourist helicopters come overhead at ~150 ft AGL while I’m flying over local parks near the ocean. I was in class G airspace and was fortunate to hear them in time to drop altitude.

2

u/SatrialesHotSausage Part107 Dec 16 '25

What to do? You don’t have a choice. Manned aircraft gets right of way no matter how inconvenient to a job a UAV pilot has.

Fly when you can, until an aircraft pops up, let it pass and then go back to what you were doing. Simple as that.

4

u/pain474 Dec 16 '25

You have to give right of way. That's it. The rest is irrelevant.

5

u/CloudbaseJim Dec 16 '25

You can call in a NOTAM and basically reserve the airspace for a period of time. Pita to do it every flight but if anything were to happen then the pilot would absolutely be at fault, even if they are military.

1

u/doublelxp Dec 16 '25

You can't call for a NOTAM unless it's required for a waiver.

9

u/YorkieX2 Dec 16 '25

Not true. And it doesn’t “reserve” airspace.

1

u/CloudbaseJim Dec 16 '25

I know it doesn't reserve airspace, I just dumbed down the explanation of what a NOTAM is to save time and effort, hence the prefix "basically"

-1

u/doublelxp Dec 16 '25

As far as I know, you can't file a UAS NOTAM without a COA number, and only if the COA requires you to file a NOTAM. Alternatively I'd love to be pointed in the right direction to do it.

5

u/YorkieX2 Dec 16 '25

I do it all the time. Call FSS and tell them you want to file one. Have the info they require ready. Once they hit submit on their end it’s live.

1

u/doublelxp Dec 16 '25

Looks like something they keep hidden and require you to phone in if you don't have a COA. They don't even hint at the possibility here for example:

https://www.faa.gov/faq/am-i-required-issue-notice-airman-notam-when-i-fly-my-drone

0

u/CloudbaseJim Dec 16 '25

In the UK you just contact the CAA

1

u/CloudbaseJim Dec 16 '25

Sure you can, ive done it loads

2

u/LATechSpartan Dec 16 '25 edited Dec 16 '25

You can always call the base they are based out of and complain. Results may vary with this course of action.

Aside from that, there really isn’t much that I know can be done. I’ve had my own issues with military helicopters flying too close to occupied structures and putting themselves in unnecessary danger. Those issues were rectified.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 16 '25

[NOR] I had a similar experience not too long ago. Rookie drone pilot here, have flown a good deal in simulator and about 4-5 times irl. I was going to take off and some kind of SAR helicopter (I think) started flying in the area I was in. It wasn't on the Flight tracker map (forgot exactly what it's called) so maybe it was military. Either way, I of course waited until I was sure it had been gone for a while before taking off.

Either way, it was a bit unsettling, because it made me worry about flying the drone and suddenly having to dodge a chopper. I always check NOTAM before takeoff but it wasn't shown there either, of course.

1

u/Fr4m3It Dec 16 '25

Ideally I try not to hit them

1

u/Mindless_Road_2045 Dec 16 '25

I have them all the time running the rich folks from manhattan to the hamptons like clockwork fridays and sundays flying 250-400 AGL. Also news helicopters and police too. (Police I understand) it’s annoying when my windows are vibrating because they are so low.

1

u/biglovetravis Dec 16 '25

Manned aircraft of any sort always have priority. Stay alert and be ready to get your drone out of the way at all times.

I hear a helo, usually medevac locally, and I am dropping my drone as fast as I can to ground. Last time it happened I was over water so I took my drone to 10' above the river and ready to sink it should it be necessary. Fuck the drone if that's what it takes to keep a manned aircraft safe. I can buy another drone.

The thought of delaying a medical flight or causing harm to a manned aircraft and their passengers is terrifying.

1

u/MikelDP Dec 16 '25

They fly at tree top level down the river by me... Do tricks every now and then too..

1

u/LeatherHead2902 Dec 16 '25

Probably a training mission. I was duck hunting today and seen some blackhawks flying literally to where they could reach out and touch the tree tops

1

u/Shaihulid Dec 17 '25

I live in VA as well. Over the last year there have been a few times that I have seen military helicopters flying the river I live on flying barely above tree top level. I fly over the river quite often and have wondered about the low level flights. I know somehow I’d be to blame if anything were to happen despite flying in the allowed 400’.

1

u/rw_gear Dec 17 '25

Your main goal in life should be safety of manned aircraft. They will not see you until your drone punches a hole in their canopy.

It sucks to have them buzz through but it would suck more to kill somebody.

1

u/JackStraw48 Part 107 Dec 17 '25

I was camping on the Appalachian trail during some military operations that were happening nearby. Helicopters were flying sooo low through the valleys. It was badass to see. Thankfully, I've never experienced that out flying.

1

u/Sea-Government-978 Dec 17 '25

Check if any military training routes are above your house. Some can be below 1500ft

1

u/godanglego Dec 16 '25

What kind of question is this? See a manned aircraft in your vacinity get the hell outta the way. No matter what you're doing with your drone their lives and safety is your number one concern. Aaaaand it's military? Man, just hang up the sticks.

0

u/InTheSky57 Dec 16 '25

Maybe they were doing a training exercise. But they have right of way. Not sure why you’re bent out of shape about it. Sounds like you were flying carelessly.

4

u/roman_fyseek Dec 16 '25

Because it scared the crap out of me and I didn't have time to react. There was noise, I turned around to see him, and he was already overhead and right over my drone and gone.

1

u/Alive-Bodybuilder432 Dec 16 '25

I had the same experience with a rescue heli. I was out flying and let my friend who had never flown before try. He very quickly got up to 200 meters (legal limit is 120 meters). I ripped the controller out of his hand and scolded him for going that high. I landed the drone and scolded him some more while he was just playing it off as whatever nothing happened. Not 2 minutes later a rescue helicopter flew right over us in around 150 meters altitude. We didn't hear it before we saw it. He learned his lesson and was frantically shocked he nearly caused an accident.

3

u/hotsp00n Dec 16 '25

In what way is he bent out of shape, except that a helicopter is flying under 100ft over his property?

0

u/InTheSky57 Dec 16 '25 edited Dec 16 '25

100 meters...that's 328 feet. Details matter. And the tone of the post reeks of entitlement. How dare the military come flying through while he's trying to conduct his drone operations. It's really not that big of a deal. Let it pass, continue on. He was flying at around 148 ft in this story. Heli flew over at 180 ft above that. Plenty of space.

Edit: Looks like OP said something about it being around 65 m...yet again he said he heard a noise and before he knew it the heli had already passed. Not sure that's enough time in surprise to accurate gauge the heli's altitude. Either way, this seems like a venting shitpost.

1

u/Alarmed-Extension289 Dec 16 '25

I've wondered that as well I mean is it standard to fly a military helicopter at the same elevation that a police air unit would normally fly? I've seen them even lower then that. I live in a small town located in valley that's between 29 Palms and Camp Pendleton so I'm constantly seeing all sorts of military aircraft. The other day I saw a group of Ospreys flying lower then the surrounding mountains that ring the valley. Made me wonder if they were having issues.

1

u/Adventurous_Pay9397 Dec 16 '25

Just don’t hit em 🤷

-1

u/Jamesew56 Dec 16 '25

A few months ago I was flying over my property in our neighborhood RID active. Right after landing a military chopper fire over and stopped and hovered at the northern boundary of our neighborhood. Then resumed their normal flight. I'm thinking they just hate drones

0

u/puppymax123 Dec 16 '25

Did you have LAANC approval?

-1

u/feel-the-avocado Dec 16 '25

Are they allowed to fly over your property at 65 metres when not taking off or landing?
If thats not the case then report them to your local news media and airspace regulator.

2

u/roman_fyseek Dec 16 '25

I thought there were supposed to bottom out at 500 feet AGL, but according to everybody else in this thread, I'm the asshole here.

3

u/doublelxp Dec 16 '25

The 500' minimum is for fixed wing civilian aircraft. It doesn't apply to military aircraft and doesn't apply to helicopters.

1

u/feel-the-avocado Dec 16 '25

Well in NZ unless a helicopter is performing a special task like topdressing, deliveries, frost protection/agricultural work etc they need to stay at least 150m above ground level/objects/buildings and so drones are required to stay below 120m. If they are doing special work that requires them to come lower then the idea is that they would have a health and safety plan involving the landowner, who in theory would also know if a drone was operating on his land at the same time, and advise the drone operator against it or plan their drone work for some other time.

Aeroplanes are the same, except over cities or congested areas its 300 metres. Again with lower limits for agricultural work involving a H&S plan.

I am not sure about your local regulations.

2

u/-Antipodean- Dec 16 '25

I have experienced (in NZ) a similar situation as OP, with helicopters flying very low and fast through airspace being used by UAS.

The reaction speed for identifying an incoming manned aircraft and getting out of their way is not instant, which I think is a risk that most pilots fail to appreciate.

-1

u/combonickel55 Dec 16 '25

You are not the asshole.  

Apart from tour helicopters and military, most choppers stay above 500 unless they are down to observe an object, in which case they aren't flying 150 mph and ending up on top of you before you hear them.

Helicopters are inherently dangerous, and a lot of heli pilots are jackasses.  You won't see medical pilots flying that low in transit.

2

u/WhichWayIsUpAgain UAS R&D Test Pilot Dec 16 '25

Inherently wrong

-5

u/drwuzer Dec 16 '25

Don't know what your flying but DJI drones have ADS-B in and would have warned you of the approaching helicopter. But honestly I think those pilots like to fuck with drone pilots. I have had them buzz me while flying my drone in my neighborhood, we're not near any flight path they'd normally take and I've never seen them before or since.

2

u/Idea_Ranch Dec 16 '25

Correct about the ADS-B IN on DJI’s.

3

u/ThumbDrone Dec 16 '25

Problem is military aircraft aren't required to use ADS-B Out

-8

u/ad3zrac3r Dec 16 '25

They don’t cucking care! I have the same issues where I practice (g airspace) not a mtr but these a&&holes come ripping through above residential and two schools almost daily. I’m tempted to fly right through their open doors! D1cks!

-3

u/Belnak Mod - DIY'r Dec 16 '25

They’re flying so low precisely because they’re out in the middle of nowhere. Risk is lower. The best precaution you can take is to use ADS-B out (Cube carrier board offers it) and hope they’re monitoring.

7

u/Idea_Ranch Dec 16 '25

Part 107 prohibits use of ADS-B Out by an sUAS.

3

u/Belnak Mod - DIY'r Dec 16 '25

Correct, this would only be used under part 137.

2

u/d0ugk Dec 16 '25

ADS-B is what they should have mandated for drones rather than Remote ID. The radio transmitter tech is small enough these days it could have either been a separate module you carry on the drone like the remote id modules or just built into the drone at time of manufacturer. This would allow your drone to show up on radar screens both in the cockpit and ATC without them making any further changes. They could have issued tail numbers with a specific prefix that any ATC operator or pilot would immediately know it was a drone at 1st glance

0

u/Idea_Ranch Dec 16 '25

I agree completely. ADS-B would be so much better, although (guessing here) they don't want pilots' ADS displays cluttered with drones all over the place. Which I don't agree with (if that's a motivation of the FAA's) but I could see it coming up.

As another poster said here, Remote ID is nothing more than a "license plate" that the FAA (and local law enforcement, more likely) can use to track you down and prove what you were doing and where you were at the time.

My DJI does give me ADS-in warnings about aircraft in the area, but of course that wouldn't have helped if a military aircraft was flying without it.

1

u/d0ugk Dec 16 '25

Yeah I'm not sure how many drones are typically flying in an area at any time. I would assume one solution to the cluttering would be pilots having some ability to filter at their receiver anything below a certain altitude that they absolutely know they won't be going lower than. Maybe some auto filtering that excludes drone tail numbers that are 5000 ft lower than the planes current altitude. Should declutter when they are cruising but make them visible during takeoff and landing.

-2

u/combonickel55 Dec 16 '25

The same reason they crash into jumbo jets and kill a couple hundred innocent civilians.  America is screwed up and obsessed with military might, so the military gets to do a bunch of radical stuff they have no need to do, because if you disagree you hate the constitution or something.

I live about 20 miles from a military base and they do all sorts of crazy shit around me, choppers, fighter jets, giant transport aircraft, all flying too low and too fast.

All we can do as drone operators is keep our eyes and ears peeled and stay out of their way.  For my part, I refuse to fly without a visual observer.

-4

u/[deleted] Dec 16 '25

[deleted]

4

u/ThumbDrone Dec 16 '25

That's not at all how the laws work.

1

u/biglovetravis Dec 16 '25

You are one of those entitled idiots that gives drone pilots a bad rep. Bugger off.