Flying in fog... is that allowed?

Getting Started Topics Drone Regulations
1

In the US, would flying in fog, specifically straight up through the fog to a max height of 400’ and then straight back down be considered a violation of VLOS rules for a recreational flyer?

2

Sure would be a violation. First and foremost, you’ll break your line of sight. Aside from the fact that the fog cover is essentially a 0’ cloud ceiling, so you wouldn’t be able to take off anyways.

3

Jaden said:
Sure would be a violation. First and foremost, you’ll break your line of sight. Aside from the fact that the fog cover is essentially a 0’ cloud ceiling, so you wouldn’t be able to take off anyways.

Thanks.

4

100% a violation of at least 2 rules. VLOS and flight through clouds or fog. Please refer to the TRUST training.

5

Lee said:
100% a violation of at least 2 rules. VLOS and flight through clouds or fog. Please refer to the TRUST training.

Thanks.

6

Lee said:
100% a violation of at least 2 rules. VLOS and flight through clouds or fog. Please refer to the TRUST training.

Lots of times, you can fly in patchy fog if there is a break just keep that in mind. VLOS is true but use judgment of the situation you’re in :slight_smile: Any fog or cloud pics I take, it’s always in patchy fog amazingly enough.

7

@River
• Minimum visibility, as observed from the location of the CS, may not be less than 3 statute miles (sm); and • Minimum distance from clouds being no less than 500 feet below a cloud and no less than 2000 feet horizontally from the cloud. These are in place to provide time for manned aircraft to react to unmanned aircraft and vice versa. The fog would need to be VERY patchy to have 3 sm visibility and 2000 feet horizontally to the fog. While they use the term cloud, I would treat fog as a cloud. That’s just how I interpret it.

8

@Lee
Spotty fog and plausible VLOS = might be ok

9

You need a minimum of 3 miles visibility to fly a drone (nothing to do with VLOS, but also that too, haha!). (This is in the TRUST training and 107.51)

10

Archer said:
You need a minimum of 3 miles visibility to fly a drone (nothing to do with VLOS, but also that too, haha!). (This is in the TRUST training and 107.51)

Thanks

11

Marlow said:

Archer said:
You need a minimum of 3 miles visibility to fly a drone (nothing to do with VLOS, but also that too, haha!). (This is in the TRUST training and 107.51)

Thanks

Of course! Happy flying!

12

@Archer
Same. Here’s to clear skies.

13

I’ll touch on the hazardous part of the flight. Forget the 400 ft ceiling and VLOS and TRUST. All that has been covered. Fog and clouds are water particles. Getting water into your prop motors is hazardous to your drone. Will it crash the first time? Probably not. But do you want to risk it?

14

@Teo
Thank you.

15

If you can see it through the fog it isn’t a violation of vlos, however it would absolutely be a violation of visibility minimums and cloud clearance, which is much worse than violating vlos.

16

Pierce said:
If you can see it through the fog it isn’t a violation of vlos, however it would absolutely be a violation of visibility minimums and cloud clearance, which is much worse than violating vlos.

Thank you.

17

Could short out the drone from the moisture condensation too.

18

Isle said:
Could short out the drone from the moisture condensation too.

Thanks

19

Marlow said:

Isle said:
Could short out the drone from the moisture condensation too.

Thanks

I can testify to seeing fog mess with a drones sensor and actually confused the drone and made it ascend unless he put into a forced landing.

20

Just put a 50k lumen strobe on that sucker and if the fog is too thick for that you are in a Stephen King movie.