Just found a National Park worth flying into.

[Marko9219]

Saguaro National Park near Tucson AZ. Easy place to launch outside the park and fly into it, and thereby staying completely legal. I want to go back now and do some sunset video of the mighty Saguaro cactus in their natural environment under an amazing Sanoran desert sunset.

 

[TheWolfen]

Excellent suggestion!!! Since you are in AZ, might I suggest Sunset Crater outside of Flagstaff? Very easy to fly into from a forest road a short distance away from the base of the crater itself. PM me if you want directions!

 

[theDRONEranger]

I know there are some unknown exceptions to unmanned flight over NPS designations. Be careful please.
Even Yellowstone NP has a designated place for hobbyist. i.e., AMA designated airfield.

To:

 

[Marko9219]

I know there are some unknown exceptions to unmanned flight over NPS designations. Be careful please.
Even Yellowstone NP has a designated place for hobbyist. i.e., AMA designated airfield.

To:

What?!? Please cite some sources for that. I visit Yellowstone regularly and I have friends that are National Park rangers there and we've talked drones in Yellowstone extensively. I've never once heard or read of such a thing, and I seriously doubt it. However, though I know an awful lot about Yellowstone, I admit I don't know everything. Concerning overflights in Saguaro NP, the only thing I know and care about is that launching and landing from outside park boundaries keeps me legal as far as the Park Service rules go.

 

[theDRONEranger]

https://www.nps.gov/orgs/aviationprogram/upload/unmanned-aircraft-in-national-parks.pdf

I would like to fly my small unmanned aircraft in a park for recreation. Are there any options available? Check the park website to see if it is an allowed activity at the park. If not, check with the park superintendent to see if an area can be designated within the park, and/or a special use permit can be obtained. This question tells me it is possible!

Yellowstone had an area designated for AMA type flying. I do not know if it still exists.

tidbit
Here is something else I was unaware of: If a sUAS pilot flies in a NFZ area, RTH, replaces battery, takes off again in the NFZ, s/he has committed a minimum of 2 violations. FAA considers changing the battery to signify a completion of a flight.
OK, so I was bored and reviewing some published cases from violations prosecuted by the FAA.