DmitryGlinka
Active Member
Hi ChrisIf you are talking about National and Provincial Parks, the rules are pretty clear - no drones allowed. Even though you could legally launch your drone outside the park and fly over it, most entrances to National and Provincial Parks are a distance off from the scenic spots you would want to fly to and likely BVLOS which would make the flight illegal anyway.
If you are talking about city parks and are flying a mini drone you should be ok as long as you are respectful of others and not doing stupid things and the park doesn't restrict drones. If flying a larger drone >250g you obviously need your pilot's licence and must be 30m away from anyone to launch.
Chris
In the US there is no requirement for a pilots license if flying a drone strictly for recreational purposes. That said, all pilots must complete the Trust test and all drones over 249g must be registered.
In the US there are some state parks that have areas which are not classed as wilderness areas. If the area is woodland and not wilderness then drones may be permitted. Because the prohibition applies to wilderness areas in most cases. As always it is best to check each parks website as there will be published rules that explain there rule on drones. So states may permit, but not many.
As everybody else has stated, the park rangers do not control the airspace above the park. The airspace is controlled in the US by the FAA. These rules are clear, that VLOS must be maintained and you must not fly in a maner that is not dangerous and not harasses people or wildlife. There is also a rule regarding flying over people and groups of people.
Don't trust what you read on the internet except from official sources. Here is an example from UAVCOACH , best places to fly a drone in Miami: The 5 Best Places to Fly a Drone in Miami (2022) | UAV Coach
3rd on the list is Pier Park in SIB. Well, I have no idea how this can be a great place to fly when the SIB website clearly states that operating a drone is strictly prohibited from all city parks and the beach, and any other public area in the city. So, unless you own some land in SIB there is little chance that you can operate a drone in SIB without being in breach of these ordinances.
So, always check the city ordinances, the park rules and the federal laws regarding drones or unmanned aircraft.