AZ State Parks & Trails Regs - Am I Wrong?

[STKNRUD]

AZ State Parks & Trails has a prohibition of drones within the state parks with the exception of commercial photography access by permission, etc (mine flight would not be 107). I wrote to the manager of the department and included a link to the FAA Press Release - "FAA Statement–Federal vs. Local Drone Authority". I told him that the State Parks & Recs blanket prohibition was in contravention to the Federal laws issued by the FAA which is the singular regulator authority governing all activities within the National Airspace. I also gave him more info on Congress's FAA Reauthorization Act which gave the FAA sole authority over regulations concerning UAV flight rules, UAV registration and pilot certification. Bottomline...he wrote back and said he had his staff investigating and I should follow the Park regulations. I made one last stab and suggested that, at a minimum, he should suspend enforcement until he has completed his staff's investigation and that I intended to safety exercise the privileges afforded me by the FAA within the National Airspace and would contest any citation issued. AM I WRONG? Let me add that I would not fly my drone within a sate park where there was considerable visitor traffic or within a limited geo area surrounding a monument, etc. However, AZ has thousand of acres that are "Stare Parks & Trails" in remote areas. I wanted to take the moderately difficult rocky trail to the site where 21 Hot Shots lost their lives in a wild fire. The entire 12 mile rocky hike (1,500' ascent) is included in the designated memorial state park. I can assure you, there are very few people making this 4-hour hike.

 

[Gecko10]

I have found, over the years, that trying to reason with entrenched bureaucrats is mostly a waste of time, breath and energy.

Maybe it's time we put this sort of thing in terms of Violation of Civil Rights. That could possibly get their attention.

 

[AMann]

Before pushing airspace jurisdiction and civil rights violation issues on them, where are you planning on launching and landing from and who has jurisdiction of land use in that area? It’s the same issue for National Parks - they can mandate no launches and landings in the park, so you have to launch and fly into it from outside their boundary if the airspace above them is not a NFZ.

If you have a good project in mind to film, like possibly the one you mentioned, why not offer to give them footage for their memorial interpretive use? Comming off claiming jurisdiction issues closed doors rather quickly instead. Ive been given permission to hike and do photography in closed areas before in exchange for giving my photos for a museum display just by asking a park manager, it was easy.

Keep in mind the context and purpose of why you want to fly over the Yarnell Hill memorial site though, its good that they don’t allow drones to be flown for fun over the Arizona Memorial, so maybe it was seen as the same thing in your case?

 

[STKNRUD]

I don’t want to dialog about “nice way” to do it. Lots of threads on the “right approach” and to explain why, what and how I initially approached it would just go beyond the purpose of the post...”Am I wrong? I just wanted to verify I was correct in the rules interpretation. Regarding TO and Ldg locations, that was an excellent point I had forgotten. In this instance, I would have to do both within the park area inorder to be anywhere near LOS of subject. I thought the Feds had closed the loophole of flying within boundaries of nat’l park even if took off outside?!!

 

[AMann]

Ok, yes, you were wrong. Take offs and landing places are jurisdictions of the land management, not the FAA. Why ask? Please fly with dignity, flying around a memorial site for fun and Youtube likes are a terrible idea.

 

[STKNRUD]

Google it and see what it is and how inaccessible it is. Maybe you didn’t read it was a 7- mile rocky hike with a 1,500’ ascent. Only about 10 parking places at the trail head. Five people I have talked to said no one was on the trail or at the site when they went there at separate times. Try to be a little less judgement when you don’t know enough to be objective. Why did I ask? Because I had forgotten that the TO & Ldg within the park would make it illegal

 

[AMann]

A lot of people know what the Yarnell Hill site looks like, it was covered ad nauseum in my last Red Card training class. Anyways, hope it works out for you- try my suggestions if you really want to do your project there. Cheers.