State park rules

[Ray&Paula]

Both the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and the National Park Service have information on the use and levels of restrictions where Michigan’s State Parks are concerned.

If you are confronted by a Park Ranger your best recourse is to abide by their demands or face being ejected from the park and cited for trespassing. It's a losing battle (usually) even if you're right.

I'm sure you're right in regards to being a losing battle. I certainly wouldn't want to argue with a park ranger......... not worth it. Having documentation stating that it's legal to fly in a Michigan State parks would simply back me up to a point that I wasn't trying to break any laws. Thanks again, Ray

 

[RunningWithScissors]

Im fairly new to the Drone community,was wondering what are the rules for state camp grounds on flying drones? Im at a state park in the Adirondacks in ny and the girl at the registration desk only said she thought in her training they said it was a privacy issue and wasn't allowed,

Sorry I wasn't aware of this older post until just now. I live and fly in NYS and had researched that same subject. The rules and regs for flying in NYS parks can be found on the NYS Parks website, but a link to those rules/regs is attached below...

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAGegQIBhAB&usg=AOvVaw3tKOZRHmpXMN0EcKSKjX4P

The bad news is that drone/model airplane flying is a prohibited activity in NYS parks (see para "j" bottom of pg 9) including, but not limited to, the Adirondack and Catskill state parks. The NYS DEC oversees enforcement of those rules and regulations. Are you likely to get caught flying in the Adirondacks? That depends on several things, like how close you are to population centers, or protected wildlife santuaries, or your proximity to a DEC ranger station. There have been a few tickets issued for drone flying in the Adirondacks. One such incident involved some idiot who actually landed his drone in close proximity to a ranger outpost and it was observed by a DEC ranger. The fines typically run around $300+. Had he not landed near a ranger station, no one probably would have known. With a park the size of Vermont and covering 6 million acres, much of it heavily forested and isolated, I would say the odds of you getting caught are not on the high side, but it's your call. On a positive note, the DEC does provide a permit option for flying in NYS parks. Naturally, there are some conditons attached to the permit, but it's doable. I plan to apply for a permit to fly Letchworth State park in the fall.

 

[O6-Hammerhead]

I find it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission sometimes.

Could not disagree more. This is why we have so many unreasonable regulations. Reckless operators like you who think the rules don’t apply to them.

Flying your drone is not ‘life or death’ for goodness sake. Find an authorized place to fly and have fun. Don’t ruin things for people who fly for a living just because you think you are somehow so special that the rules don’t apply to you.

By the way..... you didn’t ask, but I “forgive” you for your irresponsible post —— and you have “permission” to think about the possible impact your ignorant statement may have on new pilots asking reasonable and intelligent questions because they WANT TO LEARN HOW TO DO THINGS RIGHT!

 

[WV. Rootman]

Could not disagree more. This is why we have so many unreasonable regulations. Reckless operators like you who think the rules don’t apply to them.

Flying your drone is not ‘life or death’ for goodness sake. Find an authorized place to fly and have fun. Don’t ruin things for people who fly for a living just because you think you are somehow so special that the rules don’t apply to you.

By the way..... you didn’t ask, but I “forgive” you for your irresponsible post —— and you have “permission” to think about the possible impact your ignorant statement may have on new pilots asking reasonable and intelligent questions because they WANT TO LEARN HOW TO DO THINGS RIGHT!

I totally understand your point. It is always best to know the right way to do things. Unfortunately the bureaucracy has conditioned people to do things differently. Also people in authority abuse their position.

Bureaucracy is so bad in Croatia, it is best to fly on the sly, which is what most people do. I tried to register myself at my friends home while on stay there. I wasted a day and a half and I put my friends in such a burden to the state. My return visits, I just stayed at their home without registering. No problem.

I use to metal detect a lot. I talked to a store clerk in Maryland, where he was a retired federal park ranger. He told me stories where they would work the night shift and metal detect the grounds of the national parks and all the great things they would find. (I don’t know and don’t want to know who he is. That was so long ago he is probably dead by now.) I have a buddy with the state. He said, he could get me into some sites that are off limits to metal detecting. I declined. Does a cop give another cop a speeding ticket? I do know the answer to that. NO!

Try to do things by the rules to get permission to fly in a no fly zone, It takes for ever!. Many times the person isn’t flying any higher then the trees to film a house. He is essence being punished because the next guy is unlicensed and just does what he wants, without any consequences.Some people won’t talk about what they do on the sly, because of the repercussion from this forum. One point is flying beyond sight. It is so obvious, even from those in authority. Why even make a drone that can fly so far beyond a person’sight? It’s kind of saying do it. Do range extenders say anything?

People learn to circumvent the system. I do by taking off out side of a State park. I have gotten some great videos of Pa’s state parks.

We have plenty of rules. Hypocrisy and bureaucracy speak loudly. It’s a shame.

 

[Joker2415]

@ wv Rootman...
These last couple of posts do remind me of the same type of discussions in the metal detecting forums.

It's best to follow the rules! If not? The consequences may not be cheap! Some will "weigh it out" in every hobby or even in our daily lives. That's not always a horrible, irresponsible thing either. I broke the speed limit yesterday!! On a back road, no one around! No one saw me that "cared", so it didn't happen?! But since I admitted it in a public forum? It did happen and I just posted for everyone That "cares" to see and to hone in on as an example of the whole community, that hate car drivers!! Type of thing.....

It isn't just friends that read some of these posts.