A remote pilot plans a land survey in a rural area overlapping a Military Operations Area (MOA) depicted on the sectional chart. No active NOTAM for the MOA is currently shown. What is the correct approach?

Why →Military Operations Areas (MOAs) are airspace where the military conducts training including aerobatics, air combat maneuvering, and high-speed low-altitude flight. Civil aircraft, including sUAS, may operate within MOAs, but doing so during active periods carries serious collision risk. Pilots should contact the controlling ARTCC to verify whether the MOA is active before operating within it.

The trap →MOAs are not Prohibited Areas. They don't automatically exclude civil aircraft. However, 'technically permitted' and 'safe' are very different things. No active NOTAM does not mean inactive; MOA activity schedules are published in the Chart Supplement. Drones are not exempt from the collision risk simply because they are small.

Field note →The Chart Supplement lists the MOA schedule and the phone number for the controlling agency (typically an ARTCC). Call before operating in an active MOA. If the MOA is hot with fighter jets doing low-altitude maneuvering, consider rescheduling.