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National Parks?

chrisdamron

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Does anyone know if there are any specific regulations with flying in National/State Parks? I live near Palo Duro Canyon and would love to get some footage of the scenery. Also do you think being in the Canyon will impact the GPS system?
 
Yes there are. For State Parks, check your states government website. My state has very clear rules regarding R/C vehicles which drones are a part of. Check the National Parks website for their rules and regulations, but in general, National Parks do not allow the use of "drones".

This is a very "volatile/controversial" topic. So don't be surprised at the responses you receive as well as all kinds of references....
 
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It varies state to state and park to park. The majority are NFZ , but its best to check with the Park Ranger service.
 
My understanding here in California is that you may not launch your drone on park property. If you launch outside and fly in, you're within the rules. Good luck finding a battery for the job :p
 
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I live on the Tn/Ga border. The rule we follow is you cannot take off or land in national parks. However, you can fly near and sometimes through the parks. We have stuck to this and it has worked for us.


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National Parks do not allow flyin, launching, or landing on National Park land: Aviation: Unmanned Aerial Systems | U.S. National Park Service

State Parks as mentioned are under state regulations and they vary from state to state, possibly even park to park.

The good news is National Forests are not locked down: Unmanned Aircraft Systems | US Forest Service

A quick quote from the above page: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)(link is external) has regulatory authority over all airspace, including recreational use of airspace by model aircraft (See FAA Advisory Circular 91-57) (link is external). The U.S. Forest Service does not have the authority to establish any additional regulations regarding where UAS can or can’t be flown.
 
National Parks do not allow flyin, launching, or landing on National Park land: Aviation: Unmanned Aerial Systems | U.S. National Park Service

State Parks as mentioned are under state regulations and they vary from state to state, possibly even park to park.

The good news is National Forests are not locked down: Unmanned Aircraft Systems | US Forest Service

A quick quote from the above page: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)(link is external) has regulatory authority over all airspace, including recreational use of airspace by model aircraft (See FAA Advisory Circular 91-57) (link is external). The U.S. Forest Service does not have the authority to establish any additional regulations regarding where UAS can or can’t be flown.

I am curious how the NPS would enforce their rules/regs on a flying platform - if that platform neither takes off or lands on their grounds. It's my understanding that the FAA has exclusive rights over things that fly in the national airspace. If that is the case, wouldn't it be the FAA who would have to issue a NFZ over the parks? And wouldn't it be the FAA that would have to conduct the investigation and enforcement of their rules, vs. the NPS?

ETA: I visited the NPS link you provided above, and found this (emphasis added by me):

On June 19, 2014, National Park Service Director Jonathon B. Jarvis signed Policy Memorandum 14–05, Unmanned Aircraft – Interim Policy. Its purpose was “to ensure that the use of unmanned aircraft is addressed in a consistent manner by the NPS before a significant level of such use occurs within the National Park System.” Each superintendent was directed “to use the authority under 36 CFR 1.5 to close units of the National Park System to launching, landing, or operating unmanned aircraft…” This policy is still in place and the public may not use unmanned aircraft in the national parks.
I read the "operating of unmanned aircraft" as controlling it - i.e. standing on NPS lands with the R/C and operating the MP. Of course, if you're operating it from just outside the NPS lands, then, as I read it, you're in compliance with 36 CFR 1.5.
 
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