UAV - Unpiloted Aerial Vehicle
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 0; Flight Crew Total 6500; Flight Crew Type 1
Situational Awareness
Airspace Violation All Types
General None Reported / Taken
Human Factors
Purchased a DJI Inspire 1 UAV. My previous experience with Radio Control systems was with cars in 1985. Eager to test fly the UAV; I flew it at my parents' home; not realizing that FTY was actually less than five miles from their home. During the flight the highest I flew the UAV was about 76 feet for less than one minute. Other than that; total flight time was 15 minutes at an altitude ranging from .5 to 13 feet. At no time did I fly higher than tree level or enter Class B Airspace. At no time did the flight interfere with private or commercial air traffic. At no time was there a traffic conflict.[In the future I will] conduct an airport recon and distance check prior to UAV flight.
An ATP rated pilot purchased a small UAV and inadvertently flew it within five miles of an airport but never at an altitude above 76 feet and; thus; did not consider the operation to have been a hazard to manned aircraft.