Credit: Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Under little-known federal regulations passed in 1963, moored balloons and kites cannot be flown within five miles of an airport or more than 500 feet off the ground.
FAR 101 is the regulation you need to know to maintain balloon compliance. SkyVector is a great online source for understanding sectionals (flight paths) for your airport code near you.
Comments
Can kites read the CFRs or do they defer to a lawyer vulture...?
The federal FAA regulations only come into play if the kite weighs more than 5 pounds, not including the rope or cable (Title 14 § 101.1).
§ 101.1 Applicability.
(a) This part prescribes rules governing the operation in the United States, of the following:
[...]
(2) Except as provided for in §101.7, any kite that weighs more than 5 pounds and is intended to be flown at the end of a rope or cable.
§ 101.7 Hazardous operations.
(a) No person may operate any moored balloon, kite, amateur rocket, or unmanned free balloon in a manner that creates a hazard to other persons, or their property.
(b) No person operating any moored balloon, kite, amateur rocket, or unmanned free balloon may allow an object to be dropped therefrom, if such action creates a hazard to other persons or their property.
Most kites don't weigh more than 5 pounds, however LA County Code still applies to this individual.
The sign says "LA COUNTY CODE .... .. ". Has nothing to do with FAR 101. Then again, LA County does seem to enforce FAA rules about dangerous armature/commercial aircraft operations in and around rich people's homes that are listed for sale. Of course flying a kite on the approach or take off path has always been wrong and if a pilot saw your someone's kite, the cops were called and they told you not to do it again. And no I didn't do it.