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Deer Valley, Utah.

Any suggestions on where to fly in Deer Valley, Utah?
I live in Park City & used to work at Deer Valley during the 2008 recession (5 years). Recreational drone use is not allowed over DV property. Nor Park City Mountain ski resort. If you're a part 107, you can probably take off outside of DV property then use FAA airspace. Doubt you'll have good line of sight. Be respectful.
 
I'm not a rabid "fly anywhere" person, I do respect the Utah laws about flying over private property, but those laws are hardly ever if never enforced, according to LEOs I've spoken with who specialize in drones. A property can't just declare itself a no-fly zone.

If the entire property is fenced with no trespassing signs, then you can make an argument based on the never enforced laws that people can't fly over this property. Is the ski resort fenced and posted?

Also, is Deer Valley really private property? Aren't ski resorts usually on a lease with the Forest Service?

Having said that, here's the FAA view of this airspace: no restriction except the dark brown wilderness areas, and be aware when flying in or near the blue paths of other aircraft.

1689268696246.png

Finally, there's no distinction between recreational and commercial (part 107) flights, if the airspace allows a flight, you can fly it.

Obviously this all assumes taking off from some neutral (probably USFS) property. Or somewhere in town.

This is funny, here's their "no-fly zones" and it says "these are not legally binding" in the caption

 
Park City local here. Deer Valley is 100% private property. Lots of ski resorts lease Federal lands, but not Deer Valley. DV has a no-drone policy. But I think you could take off outside of their boundary, and fly over as long as you have visual line of sight of your drone. DV staff may disagree. Law enforcement officers may need to be involved if you really want to push it.
 
Park City local here. Deer Valley is 100% private property. Lots of ski resorts lease Federal lands, but not Deer Valley. DV has a no-drone policy. But I think you could take off outside of their boundary, and fly over as long as you have visual line of sight of your drone. DV staff may disagree. Law enforcement officers may need to be involved if you really want to push it.

I'm sure DV staff would disagree with me.

This is the classic "fed vs. state laws/rules."

Based on the never enforced Utah laws, if DV is fenced or sufficiently posted as private property, then there's a state law that says you shouldn't cross that line with your drone. I wrote a long article about it here last year, might be time for some updates Avoid the Law (Officers, that is!) … You Need to Know These Utah Drone Laws Now | GotDrone.com

Now let's consider the FAA/fed position. They have court cases and advice to local and state jurisdictions that the FAA airspace is to be regulated solely by the FAA. Somehow everyone is fine with this will all other aircraft, but not drones.

A plane flew over your house. Do you call the cops? Does Deer Valley? It's an aircraft in the air above their property.

A drone is an aircraft just like a plane, and has all the same rights, effectively, as a plane, subject to restrictions like the 400 foot rule and such.

Now you can make the argument that drones are invasive in a way that planes aren't and that depends on the pilot. But if you really boil down the toothlessness of Utah state law, and the insistence of the FAA being the only agency that regulates the airspace, you're left with banning people from taking off or landing from specific places.
 
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