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Great Places to Fly in CA South Bay Area?

crm_1

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Pretty new to the hobby, been to Baylands Park plenty of times, wondering if there are any recommended places to fly in the extended San Jose, CA area?
 
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Welcome to our forum, crm_1!
SFO and SJC rule out a lot of area unless you have a 107 cert. I recommend AirMap to check what's legal and what's not.

Contrary to public opinion, much of San Francisco is legal, except on Giants home game days. You can't take off or land in GG Park, the Presidio or any SF city parks. But that leaves a lot of the city flyable. I've flown there many times. My son (who lives in San Mateo) and I would like to do some flying in South Bay. Maybe you can hook up with us the next time I'm out there.

'til then, happy flying!
 
So where can you fly in SF then, off the peers towards the Bay ? It seems to be allowed according to U.S. Air Space Map | Know Before You Fly but then they don't show SF City Parks as being forbidden so who knows !
Hi, Webvan,
Yes, you can fly off MOST of the piers in the SF waterfront. Download AirMap, and you'll see which ones are legal. AirmMap may or may not show all SF city parks as NFZs (I haven't checked lately), but they ARE all NFZs. The attached video we shot 1.5 years ago was all shot legally--You can't take off or land from Pioneer Park/Coit Tower, but you CAN take off and land from a residential street on Telegraph Hill and fly over Coit Tower, as we did.

 
Thanks, wonderful video. Reminds me of much I love that town and need to get back there again one of these days ;-)
Back to drone flying, it's sort of amazing that you can fly drones in urban areas in the US outside of airport areas. In France it's completely forbidden to fly over any kind of urban area/village/town. You can however fly above a private property provided you have the ownner's agreement.
 
Welcome to our forum, crm_1!
SFO and SJC rule out a lot of area unless you have a 107 cert. I recommend AirMap to check what's legal and what's not.

Contrary to public opinion, much of San Francisco is legal, except on Giants home game days. You can't take off or land in GG Park, the Presidio or any SF city parks. But that leaves a lot of the city flyable. I've flown there many times. My son (who lives in San Mateo) and I would like to do some flying in South Bay. Maybe you can hook up with us the next time I'm out there.

'til then, happy flying!
Golden Gate Park doesnt have any restrictions with part 107 on airmaps. Is this not ok to fly because its a federal park? can i take off from outside the park and fly over then?

I was literally flying at the polo fields on monday...
 
what about the special SF filming fee? Does that not apply to recreational flights?
No. the SF filming fee does not apply to rec flights. I think you'll find that SF is a relatively drone-friendly town. Just don't fly in city parks or by the Ferry Bldg, or do something stoopid.
 
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No. the SF filming fee does not apply to rec flights. I think you'll find that SF is a relatively drone-friendly town. Just don't fly in city parks or by the Ferry Bldg, or do something stoopid.

So if I used anything for stock footage it wouldn't be rec at that point..?
 
So if I used anything for stock footage it wouldn't be rec at that point..?
I suppose not. $an Fran$i$co is a very photogenic locale, and they know it. If you try to make a buck filming, the $ity will want a $hare. Besides the fee$ and red tape, you'll probably be referred to the California Franchi$e Tax Board which will expect a tax return from you at the end of the year. My advice: keep your life simple.

We shot that video just for fun and without a part 107 license. We were later approached by a couple of producers, but nothing came of it. I now have my 107. I'll be back in SF this weekend, and will do some more just- for-fun videos. If later someone contacts us, then maybe....

On the other hand, if your intent is to do a commercial video, be a good citizen and do it legally.
 
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Exactly... So what I'm saying is that if I did a rec flight and used it for my reel to show off, and someone offered to buy it then what. I guess I would have to do the process in reverse? It is an interesting conundrum.
 
Hi, Webvan,
Yes, you can fly off MOST of the piers in the SF waterfront. Download AirMap, and you'll see which ones are legal. AirmMap may or may not show all SF city parks as NFZs (I haven't checked lately), but they ARE all NFZs. The attached video we shot 1.5 years ago was all shot legally--You can't take off or land from Pioneer Park/Coit Tower, but you CAN take off and land from a residential street on Telegraph Hill and fly over Coit Tower, as we did.

Beautiful! Is it legal to fly over the bay bridge like that? If so I'd like to do it. I've flown from Treasure Island and I'd definatly reccomend it for getting beautiful footage of SF and the bay. Have you flown from Yerba Buena? I would think you would have a better view of where you're flying up there.
 
No, you can't legally fly OVER the Bay Bridge, but you can fly near it or under it, though you risk RF interference. It's legal to fly from Yerba Buena, but you can't park there. You'd have to park at the Marina and hike to somewhere on the hill where you can see the Bay. We shoot the south side of the Bay Bridge from Port of Oakland, and the north side from Treasure Island. Never flown from YB.

BTW, Yerba Buena is being groomed for residential lots for zillionaires' homes. On the flat part (Treasure Island) they're planning LOW-INCOME HOUSING! Can you imagine low-income housing with this million-dollar view? Go freakin' figure. SF Waterfront and Financial District in early morming.jpg
 
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Looking for a good place in San Diego, any recommendation?
 
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