New NOVA pilot here too. I found a spot (with the support of the community here) located at Fountainhead Regional Park.
Shepherdstown! Now you're getting out in my neck of the woods. I'd like to check out the area if you find yourself headed out there again.I posted this reply to another thread.
On Northern Virginia area flying you can head west of Leesburg 15-30 minutes to Shepherdstown (The Rumsey Monument), Hamilton and Waterford. Waterford has the Quaker Cemetery and the Union Cemetery. The cemeteries are interesting spots but you should take great care not to disturb anyone visiting nor allow your drone to hit a headstone (be respectful).
The Rumsey monument location is next to the river and a train trestle.
In all cases the B4UFly app indicated no flight restrictions in those locations at the time.
Shepherdstown! Now you're getting out in my neck of the woods. I'd like to check out the area if you find yourself headed out there again.
As I've been looking for a suitable place for a Mavic Pilot Meet-Up I've been doing some measuring of good looking places and have been bummed out by my findings.
Unfortunately Fountainhead is inside DC's 30 mile bubble.
That new expansion really sucks! It's great that you've got the community support there, but the feds may not be as accommodating. It really is getting VERY hard to find nice places to fly around here.
I'm out in Bristow.
As for the bubble, it actually got a bit smaller for UAS use.
"Effective February 10, 2016 at 12:01AM, UAS operations will be permitted to operate in the outer ring of the SFRA, which is 15 to 30 miles from Washington DC. Manassas Regional Airport (HEF), which operates a Class D airspace, resides within this outer ring. Information regarding new operating procedures can be found through the revised NOTAM (Notice to Airmen)."
New NOVA pilot here too. I found a spot (with the support of the community here) located at Fountainhead Regional Park. I'm out of Alexandria so it was about 30 minutes, but not a bad drive and it's a free park.
If you're interested, I may be stopping back at the park this Saturday.
I am curious though, have you flown yet in Baltimore? Any legal issues? It's a little far for me but I'd like to check it out sometime.
Be careful at Fountainhead, remote control aircrafts are prohibited in Fairfax County parks. If you cross into Prince William County you shouldn't have any trouble flying at the parks there. The only PWC park I have had an issue at was Occoquan Regional. One of the park employees told me they didn't allow drones in the park. I had reviewed the parks rules and regulations prior to flying there which did not mention anything about remote control aircrafts or drones. After telling that to the employee and offering to review the rules and regulations with him on my phone he just drove away without saying anything else. I also learned you can't fly in a majority of the State Parks and Wildlife Refuge's around here. The last bit of advice I have that someone told me was although it is prohibited to take off or land in these areas, they don't control the airspace above their parks. As long as you aren't flying over any groups of people you should be fine flying over a park.
Springfield, VA over here, definitely looking for people to fly with as I have no idea what I am doing. Just purchased it yesterday and haven't even flown it yet, but I am headed to Phuket, Thailand and Bali, Indonesia tomorrow. Hope I do not lose this thing....
I come back on the 30th of May and would be down to meet up.
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