Flying A Yunecc in Arches National Park!

Yes I did if he did have permission he would not have been flying the way he was he was only trying to impress some young girls that took off! Getting a girl in bed is in no way a reason for approval to fly in a NFZ
Your assumptions are unreal! Getting a girl in bed? I petty the person on trial if you're on the jury.
 
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I’m a wildlife professional. And the national parks in the US are some of the very best in the world - especially in Utah, California, Arizona, and New Mexico (and not forgetting Yellowstone). I’ve covered them in a couple of coffee-table books.

Yes, there should definitely be restrictions on drones in these special places for a number of reasons.

And, yes, permission for flying is usually just granted to film companies and researchers. And, yes, there are other exceptions. So, in a general sense, both sides of the argument can be viewed as (more or less) right.

And, yes, the perpetrator should have been reported. There’s enough stupidity as it is, especially of the type which negatively affects wildlife - but also brash behaviour that spoils a trip of a lifetime for some people.

Just to repeat, to all American forum members: You’re so fortunate having these great national parks. Okay, the number of visitors has increased over the past decades to a level that has unfortunate impacts. But there’s winter time and dawn where the numbers reduce. Arches National Park is special, together with the nearby Canyonlands.
 
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To the OP: you must be new here. You’re over the top handling of things are black and white assumptions is why this thread got heated very fast. You also don’t seem to know BigAl very well. He’s a mod BECAUSE he’s thoughtful, knowledgeable and more importantly, by the book. He does this for a living. He doesn’t risk his career by not knowing all the ins n outs of the trade. Your refusal to examine the facts that he presented and his personal experience doesn’t help you. This should be a place of learning.

I get why your experience in Arches steamed you. But a little knowledge and more measured response would have led to better outcome. And judging by his response he probably did NOT have authorization but you went in assuming the worst and made yourself crazy.

I speak from experience as he has had to talk me off a ledge more than once... and I was wrong.
 
I was on a Long Vacation on 09/08/2018 i was Leaving Arches National Park and see a Yuneec Drone in the air about midway in the Park! I did go up to this Guy And asked him to bring it down or get reported! He jut Blew me off (the Girls he was with Knew they Took OFF fast) he just gave me a Few Yeh Yeh's i showed the dashcam videos to the Rangers (took 30+ min to get to the Gate Arches is BIG) The are looking for this Guy now! I dont like to Snitch on people But Morons like this ruin it for all of us! I had to Fly outside all the Parks (I got nice footage of Devils Tower from a Legal area!) he said he had his FAA # , I have so much money in my Equpment now And to see someone breaking Every rule (flying over People, In a Restricted Area) Just Burns me up

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what happened to the video?
 
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Yes I did if he did have permission he would not have been flying the way he was he was only trying to impress some young girls that took off! Getting a girl in bed is in no way a reason for approval to fly in a NFZ
Baloney. If you knew half as much as you think you do, you'd be dangerous. You wanted to be a big shot. A wannabe authority. You did NOT "see it flying from a mile away". You are exaggerating, as is your nature from reading these posts. No one was "scared to go near their car" because of the drone. Most likely because of the way you were going off, they didn't know if you were going to start shooting. You're fortunate you didn't go up to the wrong guy and have him feel threatened by you and shoot you himself. He has a right to protect himself against any threat he feels he needs protection from [you].

Take your marbles and go home, you're drunk with assumed power.
 
I have understood that the people who become members on this site do so because they are among the ones who take this flying seriously. It always amazes me to see members who blow off other members for complying with the law. It seems reminiscent of grade school when kids would accuse each other of being squealers. We supposedly are all adults now. Why would any of us here do this? It is because of flyers like what was caught on camera that we are jumping through so many more hoops. Sorta like gun laws. more rules and laws won't stop the idiots from breaking them. After all, they are idiots.
 
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I was in a similar circumstance last year in Oregon but the offender was just taking off in the midst of well over a thousand people. I walked over and informed him that he was in violation and that he needed to ground the aircraft. He had to be told three times but then complied.
People who are reckless and have no regard for the rules make our industry more and more difficult every day.

Please do not be part of the problem.
 
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I was in a similar circumstance last year in Oregon but the offender was just taking off in the midst of well over a thousand people. I walked over and informed him that he was in violation and that he needed to ground the aircraft. He had to be told three times but then complied.
People who are reckless and have no regard for the rules make our industry more and more difficult every day.

Please do not be part of the problem.
What would you have done had the operator failed to comply?
 
The rules are no drone flying in NP’s without authorization. One exception called out above is if you had an authorization BEFORE 2014 it is still valid. As we all pay taxes, I feel there should be designated days each week when drone flying is acceptable. Until then NO DRONE FLYING in NP’s ... that’s perfectly clear. We don’t make rules at will. We should organize to change them.
 
Then you have people like this who see nothing wrong with what they're doing and post it on YouTube:


Mod Removed video, Please start another thread if you want to post this and let this stay on topic
 
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My understanding talking to a park ranger, is not to startle the wildlife! There have been reports that drone operators trying to get that perfect picture have spooked animals which could endanger the animal as well at park visitors who may come in contact with a startled scared animal!
 
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I don't really understand the ban on flying in National Parks. He wanted a view of the scenery just like anywhere else. As long as he wasn't buzzing other tourists and bothering them, no big deal.
Also, I'm not the Park Police. If it's not my circus then they aren't my clowns and I'm not going out of my way to say anything to them.
I think We all have a right to film the Scenery Safely. The laws are not fair. They want to make money from the Citizens with Fines. And We are not the Park Police. Let them earn their paychecks. The laws need changed.
 
I think We all have a right to film the Scenery Safely.
They have now banned all cameras in National Parks? When did this happen?

Truth is, you _can_ feel free to take all the photos of the great scenery that you like, You can take hundreds, thousands or even millions. So you don't really have a point.

Oh, you don't just want to take photos... you want hundreds of people to send up weed wackers around people's heads just so you can get a slightly different vantage point without having to work on a hike. You want to let people hundreds of people buzz all kinds of toy drones around everyone else just so a few of the _millions_ can have something to show 5 of their friends.

Here is the simply truths.... the parks have a _purpose_ and the NPS have the duty to protect that purpose. The parks are for _everyone_ to enjoy their natural beauty. Feel free to put that ipad down for a moment and look around. If you want to snap some photos with your hand held camera... more power to you. The NPS is $12 billion in maintenance backlog. We all should not need to pay more so rangers can track down idiots with drones. The parks can be enjoyed just fine without them. Odd enough as that is.
 
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Actually, I believe Arches is not a national park, it is a park on a Native American reservation. The national park rules don’t apply but that is not to say there may be other local restrictions that do apply. Now a days it is best to leave enforcement to law agencies, never know what kind of crazies you’ll come across.
 

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