Who Owns/Controls the Airspace Below 500 feet AGL?

Articles from UAS VISION

Before airplanes and drones existed, people owned everything above and below their land—according to the law, their rights extended “to the heavens and down to hell.” But modern aviation changed this definition in a big way. In the early 20th century Congress

declared the air a public highway, which limited land rights so that people were not trespassing every time they flew. 

    That public highway has generally been considered 500 feet and above. But airspace from the ground up to 500 feet is a gray area—no one’s ever had to fully settle who owns this airspace. Ask someone at the FAA and they’ll tell you that the agency controls (but does not own) airspace down to the ground. Yet it’s clear that landowners have some claim to the air. “Everyone agrees that the owner of land also owns the airspace above the land,” Banner says.  

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2016 Return Of District I Sponsored Events

From 2004 until 2013 I was able to allocate funds from the yearly amount budgeted for district expenses to sponsor over 25 sanctioned events. They included Huckfests, Giant Scale, Electric, IMAC, Fun-Flys, Warbird, 3D, and Float fly events at different hosting clubs throughout New England. 

    In 2014 and 2015 I had to stop sponsorship. Travel costs

for attending events, numerous meetings with clubs, public agencies, and testifying at legislative hearings depleted district funds. These additional travel expenses were necessary to address issues that threatened R/C flying and the use of public flying sites. 

                                                                                Read more

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