Thanks for the heads up. Every superintendent is going to wonder why their phone is ringing off the hook this weekend. But this is good stuff to know. Appreciate your research on this.
Drones do no harm other than loud motorcycles, gas-guzzling RV's and tour buses, hunters, fishermen, etc. National Parks are for citizens who naturally want to do harmless photography, and a drone is just a camera with a different perspective. We must fight back against the ignorant, prejudiced drone haters who advocate banning drones because it is no skin off their backs.
If I'm out hiking in the beautiful wilderness of a National Park, the very last thing I want is a damn drone buzzing around overhead. They also disturb wildlife. Try leaving your tech at home for once. I guarantee you will enjoy nature far more.
@@alansach8437 Drone batteries last only about 20 minutes. What makes you such an entitled killjoy? Sure it is illegal to harass wildlife. But it is not a gun! I use low-noise propellers, and you really can’t hear the drone at 400 feet.
There's an over abundance of rules on flying drones. I have a mini 3 pro and really that is all you need. The worst that could happen is it could fall on someone. It is light and small. This country needs to lighten up on all the rules and regulations. I'm thinking about buying and training a falcon and just fitting it with a small camera. No regulations for that, just a bird flying around, are they going to ban birds?
Voyagers national Park in northern Minnesota allows private use of boat motors including large powerful ones for competitive fishing. However you can't fly a drone weighing 250 g because it might disturb the wildlife.. meanwhile a 1970s outboard at 150 decibels roars by leaving an oil slick behind.. some days there's 150 boats in the park or more buzzing around..
Both not flying at a NP or WA is really a dumb rule. That can be some of the best locations to get video. And my drone at 150' is quiet. A plane at a mile up sounds louder and is more disruptive.@@geezerpleasers_OG
No! No! No! It is illegal, and should be, to fly a drone inside a National Park! National Parks are for protecting and enjoying the resource. No one wants a drone buzzing around overhead when they are out enjoying nature. They also disturb wildlife. I have witnessed this first hand. They can also malfunction and crash in sensitive areas, where it may be harmful or dangerous to retrieve them in! God! Can't we have anyplace where we can escape technology anymore! The parks are about enjoying nature!
National Forest regulations vary. When I was up in New Hampshire this fall in the white Mountains National Forest,there were signs indicating that the drone could not takeoff or land within a quarter-mile of protected areas. These protected areas were mostly the paved roads and some lakes. So, if you were willing to hike off the roadways and find a clear area you could launch and fly your drone..
Or you can just launch from the edge of the parks border and fly over the park property and come back and land at the place you launched from off their property but on their border
I would assume the same thing buuuuut, not quite. While the concept you mention might be applied to other areas like local parks, this is different. Check www.nps.gov/articles/mitigating-the-impacts-of-aviation.htm and www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_91-36D.pdf. This is where what this video addresses how to fly legally. If you went up in a Cessna with a camera you would not be able to fly any lower that 2,000 ft AGL without NPS permission.
OK, So then where can a vacationer novice actually enjoy flying a drone and get great footage in the USA? Not only is DJI as a whole on the chopping block, but flying a drone (Even with a Part 107 certificate) is becoming severely and exponentially increased seemingly on a monthly basis.
For the first part of your inquiry, I would suggest using an app like autopylot to search for areas of interest. Here in Michigan I can fly legally over the vast majority of the state. I'm sure the opportunity for good footage would be accessible most anywhere you go, especially in the upper peninsula. But id also like to touch on this proposed "DJI ban" that has been rearing its head for years now. The chances of this current version of the bill passing into law is incredibly unlikely. 1) It only names DJI but is aimed at the chinese drone industry. If the threat from China is as real as they make it out to be, they would ban ALL chinese made drones, which the bill does not do. This is clearly aimed at artificially eliminating competition from the industry. The industry will fail or fall behind if innovation is not leading the free market. 2) DJI has something like 70% of the entire market world wide. Logistically and economically speaking, there is no alternative for the market to fall back on. Even the biggest US drone manufacturer quit making consumer drones to focus on business and enterprise work. 3) At this point any sort of accusation of data sharing and critical infrastructure compromising is purely SPECULATION. Despite all the noise around security concerns there has yet to be a SINGLE shred of evidence to support this notion. Absolutely nothing has been discovered to back up any of these claims since they have manifested. If they really want a nationwide ban it cannot be founded on speculation so until they actually back up any of their claims they have no legs to stand on. 4) Have you read into the bill at all? At one point they claim DJI drones can measure a persons body temperature and even detect human heart beats. Anyone who owns a DJI drone knows that's wildly outlandish. Like lawmakers in general from a top down perspective, they haven't the slightest clue what they are talking about. Putting the consumer drone market aside, there is a surging industry to provide drones to farmers, fire fighters and law enforcement. Firefighters would rather send a drone into burning buildings to search around instead of people risking their lives for example. Drones are literally being used to save lives in certain scenarios so there would need to be compelling evidence to initiate a ban and the burden of proof on this is currently insurmountable.
My first query is why? I have some footage from drone flights and have even been approved to fly between the airport and freeway. By phone. What are federal parks hiding??? As a rec pilot I don't know my destination down to. Small area. It is what I see when I get there
I have a few questions: 1) I heard if you launch outside the park boundaries, you can fly into it legally. Is this true? 2) Would joining AMA automatically provide insurance for my drone?
This would often be the case with State or City Parks, but in the case of both US and Canada National Parks the air space is off limits too, so you are not in the “clear”, even if taking off outside the park.
Fun, and only distantly related fact: It's even illegal to fly a kite in some national parks. You can't play a kite anywhere in Grand Canyon National Park, for example. My little grand niece is a potential desperado if she ever tries to fly her beloved Unicorn Kite in the wrong place.
This is mostly due to stressing out wildlife in the area, also the reason why dogs aren't allowed on most trails in the park. Kite looks like a hawk and freaks out small game
Then there's the FAA that is obviously restricting drone video on RUclips unless one pays the FAA shakedown for the two hour test just to post ones road trip or vacation video on RUclips or ones own website, being that if RUclips were to monetize the video, and the FAA sees it, then that could be a problem. I'm thinking this must be quite a profitable operation for the FAA!
@@johnrose5229It is a grey area, but the statement is technically correct. The national Park does not control the airspace above it. It only controls the ground, so the statement of launch and recover outside is correct…but then you bring in line of sight.
All NPS superintendents will tell you NO if you are simply a recreational pilot asking to simply take pretty pictures. I've been flying multirotors since before 2010 and have flown at many NPs before the universal ban was put into place. Now, they are constantly catching people with drones in the parks and every time that happens, they harden their resistance to our recreational flying. It's the yahoos who don't care about the rules and just go for it that are keeping these bans in place.
Why is the rabble, trying to enjoy their UAV, in the National Parks THAT THEY PAY FOR, be of any less importance than some scientific endeavor, etc..? This is absurd. I flew in Yellowstone, after stopping by a ranger station and asking permission. They said, “Sure, just don’t fly directly over the geysers.” That was it. A crowd gathered around me while I was flying, and clapped when I landed. (Flying a giant homebuilt hexcopter.) It was a great time. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it. (Kids were watching the ground station monitor.) Again, this is all absurd.
Why go through all these hoops fly it like u stole it. I have personally seen people flying ( taking off and landing) within the park! Rangers didn't care ! Just like the FAA they don't have enough people.
@@ugpfpv361 no they told the ranger they were going to fly it before hand and then did. They were native American decent and when I asked him if he knew about the rules that's when we told me he let them know. And that it was their land anyway. Lol. I feel like that applies to all of us humans though.
Thanks for the heads up. Every superintendent is going to wonder why their phone is ringing off the hook this weekend. But this is good stuff to know. Appreciate your research on this.
Drones do no harm other than loud motorcycles, gas-guzzling RV's and tour buses, hunters, fishermen, etc. National Parks are for citizens who naturally want to do harmless photography, and a drone is just a camera with a different perspective. We must fight back against the ignorant, prejudiced drone haters who advocate banning drones because it is no skin off their backs.
I agree that it seems like a bit of an overreach.
All this so they can preserve tourism?.... Won't be breaking any regs but imo.... Way too much bureaucratic BS!
If I'm out hiking in the beautiful wilderness of a National Park, the very last thing I want is a damn drone buzzing around overhead. They also disturb wildlife. Try leaving your tech at home for once. I guarantee you will enjoy nature far more.
@@alansach8437 Drone batteries last only about 20 minutes. What makes you such an entitled killjoy? Sure it is illegal to harass wildlife. But it is not a gun! I use low-noise propellers, and you really can’t hear the drone at 400 feet.
Agree except hunters and fishermen. That’s keeping ancient skills alive and people that don’t want poisonous food that our government approves.
There's an over abundance of rules on flying drones. I have a mini 3 pro and really that is all you need. The worst that could happen is it could fall on someone. It is light and small. This country needs to lighten up on all the rules and regulations. I'm thinking about buying and training a falcon and just fitting it with a small camera. No regulations for that, just a bird flying around, are they going to ban birds?
Yes , if it helps them take your $$$
Voyagers national Park in northern Minnesota allows private use of boat motors including large powerful ones for competitive fishing. However you can't fly a drone weighing 250 g because it might disturb the wildlife.. meanwhile a 1970s outboard at 150 decibels roars by leaving an oil slick behind.. some days there's 150 boats in the park or more buzzing around..
Thanks for the info. I do believe you can fly in a National Forest, within some boundaries like not near a road etc.
Also, you can't fly in Congressionally-designated Wilderness Areas, so check whether those exist within the National Forest you're interested in.
Both not flying at a NP or WA is really a dumb rule. That can be some of the best locations to get video. And my drone at 150' is quiet. A plane at a mile up sounds louder and is more disruptive.@@geezerpleasers_OG
No! No! No! It is illegal, and should be, to fly a drone inside a National Park! National Parks are for protecting and enjoying the resource. No one wants a drone buzzing around overhead when they are out enjoying nature. They also disturb wildlife. I have witnessed this first hand. They can also malfunction and crash in sensitive areas, where it may be harmful or dangerous to retrieve them in! God! Can't we have anyplace where we can escape technology anymore! The parks are about enjoying nature!
National Forest regulations vary. When I was up in New Hampshire this fall in the white Mountains National Forest,there were signs indicating that the drone could not takeoff or land within a quarter-mile of protected areas. These protected areas were mostly the paved roads and some lakes. So, if you were willing to hike off the roadways and find a clear area you could launch and fly your drone..
Or you can just launch from the edge of the parks border and fly over the park property and come back and land at the place you launched from off their property but on their border
Very true! It’s just that often times the places people want to fly aren’t accessible range-wise from outside of the property boundaries
I would assume the same thing buuuuut, not quite. While the concept you mention might be applied to other areas like local parks, this is different. Check www.nps.gov/articles/mitigating-the-impacts-of-aviation.htm and www.faa.gov/documentLibrary/media/Advisory_Circular/AC_91-36D.pdf. This is where what this video addresses how to fly legally. If you went up in a Cessna with a camera you would not be able to fly any lower that 2,000 ft AGL without NPS permission.
Are you sure about that? You may be operating off of NP Property but you’re still flying in the park.
I have title 107 license and plan on just launching from the parking lot or outside and not going inside the perimeter just in case.
@@itsthecarrs. I think is there if no TSR. its legal because FAA controls the skies.
In the PNW there is also a 25$ permit fee that is non refundable
OK, So then where can a vacationer novice actually enjoy flying a drone and get great footage in the USA? Not only is DJI as a whole on the chopping block, but flying a drone (Even with a Part 107 certificate) is becoming severely and exponentially increased seemingly on a monthly basis.
For the first part of your inquiry, I would suggest using an app like autopylot to search for areas of interest. Here in Michigan I can fly legally over the vast majority of the state. I'm sure the opportunity for good footage would be accessible most anywhere you go, especially in the upper peninsula.
But id also like to touch on this proposed "DJI ban" that has been rearing its head for years now. The chances of this current version of the bill passing into law is incredibly unlikely.
1) It only names DJI but is aimed at the chinese drone industry. If the threat from China is as real as they make it out to be, they would ban ALL chinese made drones, which the bill does not do. This is clearly aimed at artificially eliminating competition from the industry. The industry will fail or fall behind if innovation is not leading the free market.
2) DJI has something like 70% of the entire market world wide. Logistically and economically speaking, there is no alternative for the market to fall back on. Even the biggest US drone manufacturer quit making consumer drones to focus on business and enterprise work.
3) At this point any sort of accusation of data sharing and critical infrastructure compromising is purely SPECULATION. Despite all the noise around security concerns there has yet to be a SINGLE shred of evidence to support this notion. Absolutely nothing has been discovered to back up any of these claims since they have manifested. If they really want a nationwide ban it cannot be founded on speculation so until they actually back up any of their claims they have no legs to stand on.
4) Have you read into the bill at all? At one point they claim DJI drones can measure a persons body temperature and even detect human heart beats. Anyone who owns a DJI drone knows that's wildly outlandish. Like lawmakers in general from a top down perspective, they haven't the slightest clue what they are talking about.
Putting the consumer drone market aside, there is a surging industry to provide drones to farmers, fire fighters and law enforcement. Firefighters would rather send a drone into burning buildings to search around instead of people risking their lives for example. Drones are literally being used to save lives in certain scenarios so there would need to be compelling evidence to initiate a ban and the burden of proof on this is currently insurmountable.
Apparently not national parks unless you want to do a lot of paperwork
My first query is why?
I have some footage from drone flights and have even been approved to fly between the airport and freeway. By phone. What are federal parks hiding??? As a rec pilot I don't know my destination down to. Small area. It is what I see when I get there
I have a few questions: 1) I heard if you launch outside the park boundaries, you can fly into it legally. Is this true? 2) Would joining AMA automatically provide insurance for my drone?
This would often be the case with State or City Parks, but in the case of both US and Canada National Parks the air space is off limits too, so you are not in the “clear”, even if taking off outside the park.
Fun, and only distantly related fact: It's even illegal to fly a kite in some national parks. You can't play a kite anywhere in Grand Canyon National Park, for example. My little grand niece is a potential desperado if she ever tries to fly her beloved Unicorn Kite in the wrong place.
This is mostly due to stressing out wildlife in the area, also the reason why dogs aren't allowed on most trails in the park. Kite looks like a hawk and freaks out small game
Has anyone gone through with this process for Yosemite before?
Then there's the FAA that is obviously restricting drone video on RUclips unless one pays the FAA shakedown for the two hour test just to post ones road trip or vacation video on RUclips or ones own website, being that if RUclips were to monetize the video, and the FAA sees it, then that could be a problem. I'm thinking this must be quite a profitable operation for the FAA!
Or you take off and land out side the perimeter of the park.
No not how that works
@@johnrose5229It is a grey area, but the statement is technically correct. The national Park does not control the airspace above it. It only controls the ground, so the statement of launch and recover outside is correct…but then you bring in line of sight.
No drones over grand canyon?
Technically, not without a permit!
@@DroneLaunchAcademy Odd me thinks. There's helo & light plane tours over gc...
Can't fly a drone but can rock through a national park with an ear blasting motorcycle. Stupid arbitrary rules meant to control and gatekeep.
Bad laws like always. Land of the free may ass.
I go with first, Plan A
All NPS superintendents will tell you NO if you are simply a recreational pilot asking to simply take pretty pictures. I've been flying multirotors since before 2010 and have flown at many NPs before the universal ban was put into place. Now, they are constantly catching people with drones in the parks and every time that happens, they harden their resistance to our recreational flying. It's the yahoos who don't care about the rules and just go for it that are keeping these bans in place.
During soviet russian times the communists found it easiest to punish all citizens for the transgressions of the few.
During soviet russian times the communists found it easiest to punish all citizens for the transgressions of the few.
Why is the rabble, trying to enjoy their UAV, in the National Parks THAT THEY PAY FOR, be of any less importance than some scientific endeavor, etc..? This is absurd. I flew in Yellowstone, after stopping by a ranger station and asking permission. They said, “Sure, just don’t fly directly over the geysers.” That was it. A crowd gathered around me while I was flying, and clapped when I landed. (Flying a giant homebuilt hexcopter.) It was a great time. Everyone seemed to really enjoy it. (Kids were watching the ground station monitor.) Again, this is all absurd.
Glad to know they let you fly! How recent was this? Yeah we’re not saying it’s a great system. Just reporting 🫡
I’d also like to know how long ago was that.
@@DroneLaunchAcademy approx 2012?
@@AmrMohamed-xb9pz approx 2012?
I think you just explained why people fly their drone illegally in parks.
ha, i know. Just giving you the info thats out there!
@@DroneLaunchAcademy it is sometimes a bit ridiculous, my rule is, when they allow kite-surfers on the beach you can also fly your drone.
I just tie some fishing line to one of legs and then it isnt a drone anymore, its a kite.
🤣
Just not worth it. Plenty of other places to fly.
I do love the amount of EV bicycles in National parks now. Like we forgot to peddle. Yet you know EV drones are the DEVIL 🤣 home of the free
Thanks for the irrelevant comment.
@@omullis Hurting feelings A 🤣
Why go through all these hoops fly it like u stole it. I have personally seen people flying ( taking off and landing) within the park! Rangers didn't care ! Just like the FAA they don't have enough people.
I've also seen park rangers that do care and threaten to take a drone.
@ugpfpv361 not in New Jersey
yeah, I've seen it too, they told the park rangers they were going to use it and did. nothing happened, this was in 2023.
@@n3d.studio yeah guess you can claim ignorance, but there's also the chance of getting kick out if they want.
@@ugpfpv361 no they told the ranger they were going to fly it before hand and then did. They were native American decent and when I asked him if he knew about the rules that's when we told me he let them know. And that it was their land anyway. Lol. I feel like that applies to all of us humans though.