Flying the Northern California coast

[retiredNH]

Making a trip to NoCal in a few weeks. I've not seen any recent comments or videos regarding flying in that area - last discussion I could find is several years old, and discussed some confusion regarding a coastal national monument designation and BLM management issues.

B4UFLY doesn't show many FAA restrictions outside the obvious, the areas administered by the NPS. State parks seem hit or miss?

Thoughts?

We plan to drive 1 and 101 from Oakland to Crescent City and back...

 

[AlanL]

Beautiful drive and one I have done more than once and will likely do it again.

CA 1 up to Point Arena is part of the Farallones National Marine Sanctuary and is a no fly zone for drones. According to the FAA Section map you can fly along the coast from just north of Point Arena up to Orick although CA 1 heads inland north of Westport. From Orick up to Crescent City falls under the Redwoods National Park umbrella and I don't see any areas where you can fly.

 

[retiredNH]

I find no evidence that Farallones National Marine Sanctuary extends inland. It's a Marine sanctuary, after all. What's the source of your information? Also B4UFLY doesn't show any restrictions due to the Sanctuary.

Orick to Crescent City? Yes, it's spotty. You've got to zoom in to find the legal spots...

 

[AlanL]

My primary source of information for the marine sanctuary is the FAA San Francisco Sectional Chart. For detailed information about the sanctuary and its boundaries see the Federal Register definitions. In short the boundary on the shoreline side is from the high water mark out to and beyond the islands. The flight restrictions are from the surface up to 1000'.

For the record the restrictions are the same as we get up along the Washington coastline from Neah Bay down to Ocean Shores. The Oregon coast isn't quite as restrictive although each of the 1800 islands along the length of the coast has its own 1000' flight ceiling.

B4UFly does not give a complete picture of where there are flight restrictions. It would be nice if it did.

 

[retiredNH]

My primary source of information for the marine sanctuary is the FAA San Francisco Sectional Chart. For detailed information about the sanctuary and its boundaries see the Federal Register definitions. In short the boundary on the shoreline side is from the high water mark out to and beyond the islands. The flight restrictions are from the surface up to 1000'.

So it does not include Highway 1 then...
The FR is pretty clear that it's the water that matters.
"The Sanctuary consists of an area of the
waters and the submerged lands thereunder
adjacent to the coast of California..."

 

[AlanL]

So it does not include Highway 1 then...
The FR is pretty clear that it's the water that matters.
"The Sanctuary consists of an area of the
waters and the submerged lands thereunder
adjacent to the coast of California..."

They also mention the high water mark on the shore as a boundary but you are correct in that you can launch from CA 1 as long as you don't venture out over the water south of Point Arena. Still leaves lots to see and some neat places to fly.