This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2015, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
An estimated 1.6 million drones were sold nationwide in 2015 — so the Salt Lake City International Airport is reminding new drone owners that they are required to notify it before flying a drone nearby.
The Federal Aviation Administration recently required owners of drones to register with that agency, and adopted rules requiring them to alert airports before operating a drone within a 3- to 5-mile radius of an air traffic control tower.
The FAA Salt Lake City Air Traffic Control Tower does not allow drones to fly within a 3-mile radius from it.
Airports without a control tower — such as the South Valley Regional Airport in West Jordan and the Tooele Airport — allow drones within a 5-mile radius, but only after prior notification to the airport.
Hobbyists planning to operate a drone within the restricted area must notify the airport 24 hours before flying the drone — and should be prepared to provide the time, location and duration of the drone flight.
If the proposed flight is deemed not to present a hazard, the airport will log the notification and allow the flight. To notify the Salt Lake City International Airport, Tooele Airport or South Valley Regional Airport, call 801-556-4082 or email Dave.Teggins@slcgov.com.
More information and maps of restricted areas of operation around airports is available at www.slcairport.com">http://www.slcairport.com.
Lee Davidson