2019 has been interesting here in Arizona. Big snow storms during the winter, a green yet chilly spring, and finally the warm up into the summer in Prescott. While we’ve seen a lot of water, this is still a desert state. And our summer season always means we’ve got to watch out for wild fires across the state.
The Prescott area seems to experience wild fires every year. Sometimes a mild fire season, sometimes more than we’d wish for. And when the fire fighting teams work to control these burns, residents of Prescott get to see the large slurry bombers heading out of our local airport. Love field, also known as KPRC, sees the large fire fighting planes launching on a regular basis each summer. And the season has started here already. Over the past weekend we’ve seen many tanker flights heading out near the Granite Dells.
Are you flying where you should be?
With fire crews working hard to manage the forest fires, Drone pilots need to be more vigilant than ever. Temporary flight restrictions go into effect quickly, and notifications don’t show up in your inbox. Drone pilots need to be aware of TFRs, and stay out of the way of public safety personnel. Only a few short years ago the efforts to battle a blaze in the Dewy / Mayer area was impacted by a drone pilot flying near the fire location and disrupting firefighters efforts.
If you’re operating a drone for recreational or commercial purposes, you need to stay up to date on the latest TFRs. Before your flights you should have a plan in hand, and verify that the airspace you’ll be flying in is clear. And for hobbyists, not only do you need to avoid areas with TFRs in place, you also need to operate outside of controlled airspace (per the latest updates from the FAA).
Want to know more? Check out our latest video on YouTube.