Hello Everybody,
I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and thank you all in advance.
So I just bought my P3P two weeks ago, and have flown it on five separate occasions since.
Today, the fifth time, we drove up to Joseph D. Grant County Park, a county park near San Jose, CA, US.
I had previously flown here twice before with no problems.
However, today we were forced to leave by a park ranger, who stated that drones are illegal in all Santa Clara County parks.
However, I researched it before and after I'd ever set foot on the park with my drone, and cannot find anywhere that states this rule.
I did know that drones are illegal in all California State parks, but I was not aware they were banned from Santa Clara County parks.
Luckily, the park ranger was nice enough to allow us to leave with a warning ( I saw him creeping up on us from a distance, so I had already landed my P3P by the time he got to us, which might have calmed him down some).
He did quite arrogantly tell us though that my FAA registration number was not properly affixed to my aircraft. However, I have said number written with permanent marker on one of the supplied extra DJI stickers directly on top of the aircraft where it is most visible ( and in accordance with the FAA's regulation as stated here):
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Frequently Asked Questions/Help
He then demanded my FAA certificate of registration, which I always make sure to carry.
I'm not sure whether what the park ranger told me was true, however, because he insinuated other things that I know are not true, such as:
1) You should not fly your aircraft anywhere near 400 feet above you.
2) You should not fly your drone farther than 400 feet from you.
Sorry for the long back-story. Basically, I just have two questions for you all:
1) How do I verify if it really is illegal to fly drones in all santa clara county parks, when its not publicly posted anywhere (that I can find)? Should I call their offices? Who should I ask? I don't think the receptionist who answers the phone will know anything about drone regulations. Who should I ask to speak to? And if it turns out to be legal, should I somehow get it in writing to show to park rangers in the future?
2) Should I affix my FAA registration number in a different manner? I believe I am interpreting the law correctly, but I haven't been flying drones very long at all.
Thanks for all of your help and for putting up with my probably stupid questions.
P.S. I got "caught" the third time because it was close to closing time and the park ranger was making his rounds. If I'd only come in the mid-morning, as I did before, I could have flown another day.
I'd like to take this opportunity to introduce myself and thank you all in advance.
So I just bought my P3P two weeks ago, and have flown it on five separate occasions since.
Today, the fifth time, we drove up to Joseph D. Grant County Park, a county park near San Jose, CA, US.
I had previously flown here twice before with no problems.
However, today we were forced to leave by a park ranger, who stated that drones are illegal in all Santa Clara County parks.
However, I researched it before and after I'd ever set foot on the park with my drone, and cannot find anywhere that states this rule.
I did know that drones are illegal in all California State parks, but I was not aware they were banned from Santa Clara County parks.
Luckily, the park ranger was nice enough to allow us to leave with a warning ( I saw him creeping up on us from a distance, so I had already landed my P3P by the time he got to us, which might have calmed him down some).
He did quite arrogantly tell us though that my FAA registration number was not properly affixed to my aircraft. However, I have said number written with permanent marker on one of the supplied extra DJI stickers directly on top of the aircraft where it is most visible ( and in accordance with the FAA's regulation as stated here):
Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) Frequently Asked Questions/Help
He then demanded my FAA certificate of registration, which I always make sure to carry.
I'm not sure whether what the park ranger told me was true, however, because he insinuated other things that I know are not true, such as:
1) You should not fly your aircraft anywhere near 400 feet above you.
2) You should not fly your drone farther than 400 feet from you.
Sorry for the long back-story. Basically, I just have two questions for you all:
1) How do I verify if it really is illegal to fly drones in all santa clara county parks, when its not publicly posted anywhere (that I can find)? Should I call their offices? Who should I ask? I don't think the receptionist who answers the phone will know anything about drone regulations. Who should I ask to speak to? And if it turns out to be legal, should I somehow get it in writing to show to park rangers in the future?
2) Should I affix my FAA registration number in a different manner? I believe I am interpreting the law correctly, but I haven't been flying drones very long at all.
Thanks for all of your help and for putting up with my probably stupid questions.
P.S. I got "caught" the third time because it was close to closing time and the park ranger was making his rounds. If I'd only come in the mid-morning, as I did before, I could have flown another day.