Real-Time Fire Tracking: Documenting the Sedona Woods Fire

by | Aug 18, 2025 |

The Post Content

When the smoke from the Woods fire rose over the horizon, it hit close to home—I could see it right from my driveway. After watching an air tanker make a dramatic red fire retardant drop, I grabbed my phone camera and a tripod and headed out to document it.

To stay completely aware of the heavy aerial firefighting traffic, I used Flightradar24 to track the planes operating in the immediate area. While having high-end drone shots of the scene would have been incredible, flying a UAS anywhere near an active wildfire zone is absolutely off the table due to safety and strict airspace restrictions. Tracking the transponders allowed me to anticipate the incoming aircraft safely from the ground.

I walked up to the highest point in my neighborhood to get a clear vantage point. A spotting plane was circling overhead, coordinating the runs. As I waited, a massive C-130 circled the area once and lined up for its target. Despite working with a less-than-ideal tripod pan head, I managed to capture a solid, steady shot of the heavy tanker making a precise retardant drop over the flames. In professional video production, sometimes the best gear is simply being in the right place at the right time with the right instincts.

Sedona Wilderness Areas

Sedona Wilderness Areas

by | Sep 24, 2018 | , ,


  AirMap – Now showing No-Fly Zones in Wilderness Areas

I have recently been in contact with AirMap discussing wilderness areas. I shared my concern that they were not showing wilderness areas as No-Fly Zones in the Sedona area. Several days later, I go to AirMap and now see Wilderness areas on the map. Thank you AirMap for listening to Sedona UAS and for helping to make Sedona a safer place to fly. 

 

Wilderness areas on the VFR Sectional Charts, highlighted in pink. 

Here is what you need to know about wilderness areas and how they pertain to UAS flights. The following excerpt is from the Wilderness.net web site. 

General Wilderness Prohibitions

Motorized equipment and
equipment used for mechanical transport is generally prohibited on all federal
lands designated as wilderness. This includes the use of motor vehicles,
motorboats, motorized equipment, bicycles, hang gliders, wagons, carts, portage
wheels, and the landing of aircraft including helicopters, unless provided for
in specific legislation.

In a few areas some exceptions allowing the use
of motorized equipment or mechanical transport are described in the special
regulations in effect for a specific area. Contact the Forest Service office or visit the websites listed for more specific information. 

These general prohibitions have been implemented
for all national forest wildernesses in order to implement the provisions of
the Wilderness Act of 1964. The Wilderness Act requires management of
human-caused impacts and protection of the area’s wilderness character to
insure that it is “unimpaired for the future use and enjoyment as
wilderness.” Use of the equipment listed as prohibited in wilderness is
inconsistent with the provision in the Wilderness Act which mandates
opportunities for solitude or primitive recreation and that wilderness is a
place that is in contrast with areas where people and their works are dominant.

 

https://www.wilderness.net/NWPS/wildView?WID=402&tab=Area%20Management
Testing DJI Low-Noise Propellers

Testing DJI Low-Noise Propellers

by | Sep 18, 2018 | , ,

This is my test of the Phantom 4 pro series Low Noise Propellers
(model # 9455S). It took me several tries over two days to get the test done in
a way that was as fair as possible. I enjoyed learning exactly what was going
on audio wise with these propellers.

Airspace Around Sedona

Airspace Around Sedona

by | Jan 8, 2018 | , , ,

Air Space around Sedona. What is it and how does it affect where we can fly a drones?

 

The above image is a Visual Flight Rules (VFR) Sectional Chart for the Sedona area. Within the area inside the magenta section there are 3 different types of airspace:

 

Class D – Inside the dashed blue lines surrounding Prescott and Flagstaff airports, you have Class D airspace.

 

Class E –  airspace from 700 feet Above Ground Level (AGL) all the way up to 17,999 feet AGL.

 

Class G – Outside the magenta area, Class G airspace is from the surface to 1,200 feet AGL. Inside the magenta area, Class G airspace is form the surface to 700 feet AGL.

 

Permission is required from Air Traffic Control  to operate in Class B, C, D, or E airspace.
You can request airspace authorization through an online web portal available at www.faa.gov/uas/request_waiver. 

 

Drones may operate no higher that 400 feet AGL.