Should I bring a drone?
- Thread starter BigL
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Unfortunately, drones are banned from all National Parks. And flying near the airport would also be illegal (without special permission). Probably best to just leave it at home and enjoy a relaxing vacation.
If you are renting a car it might be fun to fly in other areas. Filming in the Grand Canyon is illegal but it has been discussed on this forum before. There might be some grey areas that was mentioned if you knew the area well near the rim outside the park? Check the archives if you want to dwell into some more.
Oso
Premium Pilot
Here’s the related post:
Monument Valley
I was in Monument Valley earlier this month. I flew this from highway 163, about 4mi due north of the Indian reservation visitors center.
phantompilots.com
Double trouble ?.
But, you could take an Osmo Pocket with a long selfi stick and run real fast. Maybe add a kite? (Allowed with restrictions but not balloons). Interesting conversation when it hits the web. WTH
But, you could take an Osmo Pocket with a long selfi stick and run real fast. Maybe add a kite? (Allowed with restrictions but not balloons). Interesting conversation when it hits the web. WTH
Just for the record, it is not illegal to fly a drone within a National Park. They do not own, nor have regulatory control over the airspace.
That being said, they will certainly talk very badly to you if they catch you on the ground inside a National Park while controlling a drone, even if the drone happens to be outside the park. Arrest seems probable, and seizure of your equipment equally likely.
Of course, I haven't read the rules on that for a couple of years. Some of the parks might have specialized restrictions.
I think in most cases, you couldn't even get to the Grand Canyon with a drone while operating it from outside the park. That place is really, really big.
That being said, they will certainly talk very badly to you if they catch you on the ground inside a National Park while controlling a drone, even if the drone happens to be outside the park. Arrest seems probable, and seizure of your equipment equally likely.
Of course, I haven't read the rules on that for a couple of years. Some of the parks might have specialized restrictions.
I think in most cases, you couldn't even get to the Grand Canyon with a drone while operating it from outside the park. That place is really, really big.
I have long been considering taking a flight or two around the Liberty Memorial in Kansas City, but I haven't gathered the nerve yet. It is parked immediately north of the Federal Reserve Bank, and not more than 5 miles from the Kansas City downtown airport.
Given that the top of the Memorial is 217 feet up, I don't think could take the shots I would like to have.
Also, it is in kind of questionable legal status for a drone. It doesn't seem to be a National Park, although it is Congressionally mandated at The National World War I Museum and Memorial. It is administered by KC Parks & Recreation.
Possible drone pic from Wikpedia:
Yep. It looks like they stayed at the 200' ceiling. It might also have been taken from the roof of the Federal Reserve Bank.
| Data Change | 12/7/2017 |
| Latitude | 39.0750 |
| Longitude | -94.5917 |
| GlobaI ID | 534b6843-11ff-435b-9a58-0eebd1fbfd47 |
Given that the top of the Memorial is 217 feet up, I don't think could take the shots I would like to have.
Also, it is in kind of questionable legal status for a drone. It doesn't seem to be a National Park, although it is Congressionally mandated at The National World War I Museum and Memorial. It is administered by KC Parks & Recreation.
Possible drone pic from Wikpedia:
Yep. It looks like they stayed at the 200' ceiling. It might also have been taken from the roof of the Federal Reserve Bank.
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Well put. It is illegal to launch, fly or land a drone from within a National Park. The airspace is NOT under their control - they can't regulate what happens there, unless the FAA say otherwise. BUT... they do have control over what you do in the park. In a way, it's an important distinction but the end result is mostly the same. Someone could try the reverse of your example - launch, fly and land from outside a park but the drone could (maybe) enter the airspace above the park , within VLOS, etc.
Another BUT... I wouldn't want to be the one paying to fight the charges, seizure and fine that might come from a mis-informed member of the law enforcement community.
If caught by park rangers they could report you to the FAA for flying BVLOS.
Unmanned Aircraft in the National Parks (U.S. National Park Service)
Information about unmanned aircraft (or drone) use in national parks.
www.nps.gov
I would speculate that no one would ever be caught out at the Grand Canyon perimeter flying their drone inside. My recollection is that the perimeter is many miles wide, everywhere there is a National Park. 17 miles, in fact, to Grand Canyon Village, one of the most popular destinations.
Now, you might try forging through the badlands of the adjacent Indian reservations. I don't doubt, however, that you would be more likely to get arrested for tresspass than for illegal droning.
Do they still scalp folks? I looked around at the terrain on Google Earth. That land outside the National Park is positively desolate and unnavigable. No wonder our kindly government gave away all those square miles away to the Indians under their watchful care.
I'll bet, however, that the drone footage will be incomparable.
Now, you might try forging through the badlands of the adjacent Indian reservations. I don't doubt, however, that you would be more likely to get arrested for tresspass than for illegal droning.
Do they still scalp folks? I looked around at the terrain on Google Earth. That land outside the National Park is positively desolate and unnavigable. No wonder our kindly government gave away all those square miles away to the Indians under their watchful care.
I'll bet, however, that the drone footage will be incomparable.
Take your drone to Havasu Falls Trail! Looks like a prize winner for drone flights. Lots of water falls, and it's not inside the National Park.
Oops. Nope. Very Bad Idea. Not permitted there, either. In the very worst of ways, too!
$1000.00 fine just for carrying one onto the reservation! You needn't even turn on the switch or attempt to fly.
Oops. Nope. Very Bad Idea. Not permitted there, either. In the very worst of ways, too!
$1000.00 fine just for carrying one onto the reservation! You needn't even turn on the switch or attempt to fly.
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In related news:
news.azpm.org
County explores using drone to carry vote tallies from tribal land
The drone might be used get vote tallies out of remote Havasupai land, deep within the Grand Canyon.
news.azpm.org
If you made a nice donation to the tribe, I bet they would let you fly. My uncle was just good friends with the Indians in the Yellowstone area and he hunted and fished with them. Would they let him fly a drone also? Lol.In related news:
County explores using drone to carry vote tallies from tribal land
The drone might be used get vote tallies out of remote Havasupai land, deep within the Grand Canyon.
They sound kinda anti-social on their website. You had better have a paid for reservation before you set foot on their property. Otherwise, you hike back out from where ever they catch you. I think you are ok if you keep on the public roads.
Not only that, if you are hiking the 8 miles to your pre-paid reserved visit to Havasu Falls and decide that you can't make it, they are going to charge you $550 to transport you back out.
Despite the fact that there are no roads in, and everyone must hike that 8 miles to visit, there are a surprising number of vehicles parked in Havasu village.
I may have enjoyed that video more than my visit to the canyon itself.
I think the National Park service should keep their policy of forbidding drones, but they should make it much easier to get a permit for filming our national treasures, along with the provision that any film produced belongs to the public domain, and that certain rules would be followed. Obviously, we don't want the Grand Prismatic pool of Yellowstone filled up with dead phantoms, either.
I believe this might have been an example of a legally produced drone film.
I think the National Park service should keep their policy of forbidding drones, but they should make it much easier to get a permit for filming our national treasures, along with the provision that any film produced belongs to the public domain, and that certain rules would be followed. Obviously, we don't want the Grand Prismatic pool of Yellowstone filled up with dead phantoms, either.
I believe this might have been an example of a legally produced drone film.
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I would bring it to use in surrounding areas, but you do have to keep in mind that there is at least one Heliport, that I know of, possibly more and a lot of helicopter traffic in around the Canyon itself...I was there a few years ago and went on the Helicopter Excursion...it is breathtaking...I thought that I had seen some of the most spectacular landscape in the world when the Pilot said...get your cameras ready for this as we came over the rim...I did get some great photos using a good DSLR camera, no video....
The sad reality is, flying a drone is going to get increasingly harder not only in the USA but in other parts of the world where there are currently few or no restrictions. This is because of their rapid proliferation and the fact that it takes only a few irresponsible flyers to soil it for the majority of responsible flyers.
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