Date: 202103
Local time of day: 1201-1800
Location: ZOA.ARTCC, CA
Flight conditions: VMC
Weather elements / visibility: 10
Light: Dusk
Aircraft: Autel Robotics Evo II
Operator: Commercial Operator (UAS)
Operating under: Part 107
Flight plan: None
Mission: Photo Shoot / Video
Flight phase: Hovering (UAS)
Airspace: Class G ZOA
Reporter organization: Commercial Operator (UAS)
Reporter function: Remote PIC (UAS)
Reporter qualification: Flight Crew Commercial; Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Remote Pilot (UAS); Flight Crew Rotorcraft
Human factors: Situational Awareness; Confusion; Training / Qualification
Anomaly: Airspace Violation All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural FAR; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Unauthorized Flight Operations (UAS)
Detector: Person Other Person
Result: Flight Crew Exited Penetrated Airspace; General Police / Security Involved
Contributing factors: Airspace Structure; Chart Or Publication; Human Factors; Software and Automation
Primary problem: Ambiguous

Narrative: I am reporting this in the interest of flight safety and for the furtherance of drone operations in the NAS (National Airspace System). For experience in the hours to clarify I went to flight school and earned a PPL (Private Pilot License) and have roughly X00 hours flight in helicopters combined with instrument and commercial type training; along with XX hours of fixed wing flight experience. 10 hours in drones however that is measured in flight logs stored within the aircraft flight logs and is subject to some error like all things are. The issue was that I was hired to film [an event] that was not permitted (something I did not know). The other issue was that the area I was operating in [an area] on the San Francisco sectional chart as no flight below 1;000 ft. AGL. I was aware of this area and knew approximately where it was but at the time believed it to be much farther north. The issue with drone operations vs. commercial manned aircraft operations is that the infrastructure is built around manned flight and to precisely pinpoint a physical address on a sectional is quite cumbersome. For the most part a sectional is helpful for areas in general but you could literally find yourself operating inside a hole within several boundaries. This is where applications such as Airmap; B4uFly; and UASidekick can be a huge help in checking and re-checking an area. I do understand the responsibility falls onto the PIC in this case and that I should have been more diligent and this is a lesson learned. But I cannot imagine that professional operators would be pulling out plotters for every address they fly at to pinpoint the coordinates. My concern lies with the applications accuracy not that the developers do not try but 4 of the top applications did not alert me to an airspace issue; this along with my presumed thought that the restriction was much farther north let me to believe I had the all clear. As drone operators the only official source we have is one that is geared towards manned flight and as usage continues to grow my fear is that a more serious incursion is inevitable. Helicopters operators have a chart that is most helpful to them when operating at low level; and this is very helpful as I have used these to navigate Los Angeles and San Francisco class B. Drones are an emerging business and as a responsible operator I am always concerned about flight safety. But usage is only increasing; something as simple as doing a roof inspection of a residential home reduces risk increases productivity and improves the accuracy and level of service. Drones may be small but they are making a huge impact.As drone operators the only official source we have is one that is geared towards manned flight and as usage continues to grow my fear is that a more serious incursion is inevitable. Helicopters operators have a chart that is most helpful to them when operating at low level; and this is very helpful as I have used these to navigate Los Angeles and San Francisco class B. Drones are an emerging business and as a responsible operator I am always concerned about flight safety. But usage is only increasing; something as simple as doing a roof inspection of a residential home reduces risk increases productivity and improves the accuracy and level of service. Drones may be small but they are making a huge impact.




Synopsis: Part 107 pilot was flying in an area they believed to be available for UAS operations. After further review the pilot learned they were in fact in airspace not available to UAS operations which was not noted by any of the UAS apps.