I just want to fly my drone....

[JayJ03]

Starting to wonder why I even bought the thing when most places I want to fly will not allow it.

Allegiant says I cant take it on a plane when I ask directly. Even though there is no mention of it on their website and my batteries are under their 100wh limit.

Beaches in Florida say you are not allowed to take off or land from the beach.

Local state parks in Ohio will not allow you to take off and land from the park.

It starts to get boring after awhile just flying around on my property.

 

[timinator]

Where there is a will, there is a way. Sometimes you need to get creative to get what you want. So I can't take off and land in the park or on the beach. Well, ask yourself, what is nearby? How does that sidewalk or grass strip look right outside the park?

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

Allegiant says I cant take it on a plane when I ask directly. Even though there is no mention of it on their website and my batteries are under their 100wh limit.

Previous post like this from a few years ago . . .

No LiPO batteries allowed on Allegiant Airlines = No drones allowed

Just getting ready for my vacation to Florida and per Allegiant Airlines customer service (after being on hold 32 minutes) no drones permitted. When I asked for clarification, the customer service rep said LiPO batteries cannot be carried on or checked, therefore you cannot bring a drone, in my...

mavicpilots.com

For the life of me I can't see a no lopo policy in the Allengian site official policy (link below), and it makes no sense . . . this just reads like pretty much all airline policies (apart from the Emirates 'no drones in cabin' rule).

Restricted Articles | Allegiant Air

Before you travel, read the list of common hazardous and restricted articles, FAA and TSA regulations concerning the transport of such items on Allegiant flights.

www.allegiantair.com

As far as flight restrictions, who wants to take of and land on a beach ?
Too much grit.
Find a nice carpark and fly safely, avoiding people below, and you'll be fine.
Be discreet, be thoughtful of others who might not like drones, the noise or privacy factors etc.

City parks ?
Surely there are natural places / landscapes you can get to easily without entering restricted parks.

There are many cities (they are called local councils here) that ban drone flight around the country.
Most (none I've seen here in my state) do not have any 'no drones' signage, and I regularly fly test flights in my city . . . a favourite large park I go to and find a quiet place well away from the carpark, don't fly if others are there, usually go during the day mon - fri when there is usually no one around.
Never been bothered, but then I'm usually only there for half an hour or so.

 

[Reelman67]

Yes, there are a lot of restrictions but, what I did was look for large privately owned tracts of land, open fields primarily, and looked up the owners, contacted them and got their approval to fly from their properties. Granted, flying the same location gets boring but it still allows me a place to try out new accessories (strobe lights) and sport mode (increased speed). A couple of ranches gives me approximately 400-500 acres to fly over, and from the sound of it on this forum, that's more area than many get. I too, find it irritating that all the scenic areas are off limits i.e. state parks, national parks, etc. Much of the Washington State coastline is off limits.

 

[JayJ03]

As far as flight restrictions, who wants to take of and land on a beach ?
Too much grit.
Find a nice carpark and fly safely, avoiding people below, and you'll be fine.
Be discreet, be thoughtful of others who might not like drones, the noise or privacy factors etc.

I would just hand take off and land. Ill see if I can find a decent spot to take off but the parking lot we usually park in would be a pita to take off from and then walk to the beach to fly and then return to land. Most of the battery life would be walking to the beach.

To me it seems like trying to take off else where and then get to the beach would be more dangerous then taking off at a quiet place on the beach. I have more chance of losing signal before I get to the beach that way.

 

[Luna7]

I have traveled on Allegiant many times in the last 2 years with my drone to Florida. I put it in a carry-on and travel with 3 batteries. I have never had a problem. I always discharge my batteries but no one has ever questioned me at security about them. I carry a lot of camera gear and have had more visual inspections with camera equipment and had a lens waved over with a wand but never a peep with the drone.

 

[JayJ03]

I have traveled on Allegiant many times in the last 2 years with my drone to Florida. I put it in a carry-on and travel with 3 batteries. I have never had a problem. I always discharge my batteries but no one has ever questioned me at security about them. I carry a lot of camera gear and have had more visual inspections with camera equipment and had a lens waved over with a wand but never a peep with the drone.

Thats reassuring! Did you have to take it out of your bag when going through security?

 

[Lets Fly]

Starting to wonder why I even bought the thing when most places I want to fly will not allow it.

Allegiant says I cant take it on a plane when I ask directly. Even though there is no mention of it on their website and my batteries are under their 100wh limit.

Beaches in Florida say you are not allowed to take off or land from the beach.

Local state parks in Ohio will not allow you to take off and land from the park.

It starts to get boring after awhile just flying around on my property.

I fly from Florida beaches all the time. I also fly from across the street, and can easily fly the beach.

 

[JayJ03]

I fly from Florida beaches all the time. I also fly from across the street, and can easily fly the beach.

I messaged a few locals who can hopefully give me some good places to fly. I will be in the Ft Myers area.

 

[Luna7]

I have traveled on Allegiant many times in the last 2 years with my drone to Florida. I put it in a carry-on and travel with 3 batteries. I have never had a problem. I always discharge my batteries but no one has ever questioned me at security about them. I carry a lot of camera gear and have had more visual inspections with camera equipment and had a lens waved over with a wand but never a peep with the drone.

I have the fly more bag for the Mavic2 pro and I do take it out of my larger bag and send it through in a bin at security as a separate item.

 

[Ms.UAV]

I'm with you jay
I think I started a similar thread years ago
Also another forum got me thinking to sell my mavic pro
It takes me longer to confirm my actions and fly
I actually bought a cheap drone to have some fun and just fly
Nothing about geo fence or fly zones, just fly
Does it go to infinity and beyond? nope
Does it do amazing videos? nope
It's just fun

 

[Reelman67]

Previous post like this from a few years ago . . .

No LiPO batteries allowed on Allegiant Airlines = No drones allowed

Just getting ready for my vacation to Florida and per Allegiant Airlines customer service (after being on hold 32 minutes) no drones permitted. When I asked for clarification, the customer service rep said LiPO batteries cannot be carried on or checked, therefore you cannot bring a drone, in my...

mavicpilots.com

For the life of me I can't see a no lopo policy in the Allengian site official policy (link below), and it makes no sense . . . this just reads like pretty much all airline policies (apart from the Emirates 'no drones in cabin' rule).

Restricted Articles | Allegiant Air

Before you travel, read the list of common hazardous and restricted articles, FAA and TSA regulations concerning the transport of such items on Allegiant flights.

www.allegiantair.com

As far as flight restrictions, who wants to take of and land on a beach ?
Too much grit.
Find a nice carpark and fly safely, avoiding people below, and you'll be fine.
Be discreet, be thoughtful of others who might not like drones, the noise or privacy factors etc.

City parks ?
Surely there are natural places / landscapes you can get to easily without entering restricted parks.

There are many cities (they are called local councils here) that ban drone flight around the country.
Most (none I've seen here in my state) do not have any 'no drones' signage, and I regularly fly test flights in my city . . . a favourite large park I go to and find a quiet place well away from the carpark, don't fly if others are there, usually go during the day mon - fri when there is usually no one around.
Never been bothered, but then I'm usually only there for half an hour or so.

I have taken off from a beach, and yes, there is grit and sand. What I find essential is 1.) a landing pad, helps protect the drone. 2.) landing gear, to raise the drone, allow more clearance, especially for the Mavic 2 Pro and it's camera, as it initializes. The important thing to consider is wind. If the sand is being blown about......no drone flying from the beach.

 

[Deleted member 103366]

The beach above the high water mark maybe owned by someone but you could ask who owns the intertidal land? The Crown here but in the States I think its ......

 

[usaken]

Just be thankful you dont live near San Francisco. We cant get anywhere near the beach because it is all NPS

 

[Reelman67]

Just be thankful you dont live near San Francisco. We cant get anywhere near the beach because it is all NPS

Ah yes...the National Park Service. Run by those with a particular world view. The peoples parks. Wonder if John Muir would have used a drone had they been available back then? Drones really are green. They leave no trace of their passing, emit no noxious vapors, flown responsibly, not to harass wildlife, only to capture the beauty of nature. I think most of us just want to record the scenic wonders of this planet, and for the most part, cannot. I, for one, think the NPS could take a softer stance on drones, on a case by case basis, by park. Perhaps a permit system, without onerous fees, could be considered?

 

[Ms.UAV]

Well I did it
Sold the mavic to a friend
My dad still has a P3A so I can still fly
Maybe I'll get a mavic mini that doesn't have all the restrictions

 

[timinator]

Well I did it
Sold the mavic to a friend
My dad still has a P3A so I can still fly
Maybe I'll get a mavic mini that doesn't have all the restrictions

+1 for the mini idea. I have a Phantom 4 Pro + and can only fly it in a few locations in my area. Got a Mini back in early April and now I fly several times a week! Granted, it ain't no p4 but still, I love it and probably log four times as many hours on the Mini as the P4.

 

[Juggler]

Watch a TV series called "Yes MInister and Yes Prime MInister". Sir Humphries states that you can get which ever answer your looking for as long as you phrase the question correctly and in the right way...
As previously stated get creative...
Its how good girls keep their virginity and bfs happy....they use the pop hole loop hole....creatively?

 

[1bad]

TSA checks bags not Allegiant. Could care less what their rules say. There rules say what TSA rules say since they can't see what's in it. I have not had a problem taking mine through with the rest of my crap.

 

[SW_Drone_Guy]

TSA checks bags not Allegiant.

TRUE! I've never had an airline employee stop me at the gate to inspect a bag. TSA security checkpoint does that. If TSA lets you through (as others have attested) you are golden. At least for the flight...
Ft Myers is a nice area, very scenic - especially Ft Myers Beach and Sanibel/Captiva.
One more point: the FAA rules all airspace in the US. You can be prohibited from launching, landing and standing in certain areas while flying your drone, but no state or city government can control airspace! Having said that, you do want to be a good neighbor and avoid problems. Standing or sitting in a parking area (and many are only a few steps from the beach) while flying the beach may be your best option. Personally, I'm not familiar with a law that says you can't fly from a beach. The beach may be in a no-fly zone for some reason, like it might be a national park or a bird sanctuary, but "no flying from beaches" doesn't sound right. Maybe some other drone fliers will be able to tell you more definitively.
Happy flying