WHY?

[BobaFut]

The majority of the national parks and reserves. You simply not allowed, for no good reason. I can understander not flying over wilderness, as to not upset the animals, but why am I not allowed to fly in an amazing locations such as the one in the picture: Valley of fire, in NV? You can park motorhomes there, you can put a tent, but drones... oh no.

If you're from Israel I have some bad news for you re: flying over national parks and reserves....

 

[HOG2K]

I think we all know that if we were allowed to fly our drones in parks, there would be those who would disobey restrictions on flying around nesting eagles to get a picture of the babies. This is just one example of why drone operators would not be trusted, we can not follow simple rules. A few bad apples...

 

[moldorf]

I do not have any problem with drones being restricted in federal and state parks as well as designated wildlife refuges. Dogs aren't allowed in a lot of wildlife refuges, and it's really easy to imagine the reason why dogs are a banned nuisanc3. Drones can be a nuisance too

yeah, there are some large parks where flying a drone would not likely be a problem if it's a responsible pilot. Unfortunately, some pilots are not responsible and not considerate of others.

Occasionally I will see videos posted where drones are buzzing at high speed around neighborhoods and houses at low elevations and I don't consider that responsible or considerate at all. I saw a video posted here where a pilot was flying his drone directly over hikers on a path heading toward a waterfall and it sure looked like the drone was just a few feet over the hikers' heads; several looked up directly at the drone and they sure didn't seem happy

the restrictions in parks and refuges are because of that kind of behavior

 

[lookout]

As an American I agree about the parks. Seems the park service is anti drone. I could see not wanting a lot of noise, but once you get up to 400 feet there's not much noise. As I've said previously, I'm against almost all drone restrictions except around airports.

Other than it is hard to fly in the middle of a dense forest to get out and above.

 

[shb]

Other than it is hard to fly in the middle of a dense forest to get out and above.

Yea, I've had trouble getting out, and even more trouble landing. I found, you have to turn obstacle avoidance off, to move in tight spaces.

 

[Aerophile]

I'm on a photographic trip to the USA, with my Mini 3 Pro. Again and again, I see many place where you can't fly drone. Why is this country so non drone friendly?

Here's why:

Drone crashes into famed hot spring at Yellowstone National Park​

A crashed drone could destroy Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring​

That's why. It's pretty simple, unfortunately.

It boils down to this: Too many idiots. Expect more airspace closures.

 

[shb]

Here's why:

Drone crashes into famed hot spring at Yellowstone National Park​

A crashed drone could destroy Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring​

That's why. It's pretty simple, unfortunately.

It boils down to this: Too many idiots. Expect more airspace closures.

Yea, and pretty soon, a Mavic Mini, will knock down the Empire State Building!

 

[Parkerjh]

I fly 40 - 50 flights every week, year round for about 10 years in various cities across the country. I've had issues maybe 10 times total, an infinitesimalIy small amount of flights and have no idea why someone would feel it's a problem to fly in the US and not bring their drone.

 

[Aus1]

National and state conservation parks are the same here in MOST Australian states.
But we have 2 states out of 8 (and a relatively easy state / territory permit system) that allows drones, when flown to CASA rules and not annoy people or wildlife.
The rest, pretty much forget it.

I can understand how hard it would be to allow drones under some conditions etc, but it obviously takes up so much time and pretty much require some sort of dept personnel to oversee it, it's too hard in the tough budget / low personnel environment they operate on . . . so in general there is a blanket ban.

Even RePL (part 107 equivalent) holders find it too hard to apply in most states, unless it's some big production with loads of time / $ / person to apply etc.

Some of our state parks have made efforts over the years to get anything man made, introduced, out of 'their' parks, seemingly early settlement history or recreational activity not in line with this natural environmental policy is on limited time for public use.

We have parks with such remote locations here in SA (South Australia), desert regions that would be awesome to cross and film by drone, still there is no special permissions granted even though there are virtually no others around 99% of the time.
Such a shame as SA, Tasmania, Victoria, NSW / ACT have some similarly fantastic National Parks areas that are no drone.

As someone from South Australia too, I agree that the restrictions in most of the National Parks (Recreation Parks) are ridiculous. I did inquire about a permit to fly in one of these areas and the details I received were that drone flights were only permitted for research or commercial purposes. A one day permit would cost around $285 - if permission was granted. I have flown my drone just outside of the arbitrary boundary of the Flinders Ranges National Park and filmed the same landscape as in the National Park, and if I had drifted as few metres to the right I would have suddenly been breaking the law! The only people I saw the whole day was when I drove about 30km to the nearest pub. I have done tourist trips up in Kakadu (National Park) in helicopter, aircraft and swamp boat, with all the people in control of the equipment frightening all sorts of wildlife - and that is not a "problem" - yet drones "may frighten the wildlife"!

 

[Madmyke]

No ggod reason ?

Personnaly I can understand the restriction. Natural zone are often visited by tourist on same place.
Now imagine no restriction at all, means some place would have 100 pilot drone per day for the spot. Take off, flying, come back etc.

For your personnal point of view, ok I understand frustration the spot is great. But you are not alone.

How is it possible to ensure it will not become an air spot where everybody will do anything in such a place ? Especally in peak tourist season. Difficult to find a system that will control "good willing" of growing done owners, moreover a parat of them just do not respect basic rules. I do not have the answer neither.

So maybe the simple way is actually to restrict,

 

[Ty Pilot]

Here's why:

Drone crashes into famed hot spring at Yellowstone National Park​

A crashed drone could destroy Yellowstone’s Grand Prismatic Spring​

That's why. It's pretty simple, unfortunately.

It boils down to this: Too many idiots. Expect more airspace closures.

Well said!

I've long been posting about the history of drones and how it only took about three years of their (consumer drones) existence, before it was proven beyond a shadow of a doubt, that a disproportionate amount of folks with no common sense had joined the ranks of a hobby that had operated safe, and without federal regulation, for over 70 years.

The fact is, people that ask the question "why can't we fly there" have no interest in the actual reasons unfortunately.

 

[eEridani]

All one has to do is visit a US National Park and watch the tourists for a few minutes: it quickly becomes clear people do the most stupid, childish, and idiotic things to get selfies. If these same people had drones, the parks would be trash heaps even worse than they are today.

People putting kids next to moose, bears, buffalo for a photo op? Seriously? Yes, watched a gal run up a hill to get within ten feet of a bull moose to get a selfie. Another wanting her kid to go stand next to a buffalo. The park servive has even more experience than I do, I trust the rules are there for good reason. Also - someone commented a hundred visitors a day: no, it is like average 13,000 visitors a day, 4.8M a year. On good summer days, more than 25,000 isn't uncommon.

 

[AMann]

There are over 440-million acres of public BLM and USFS lands here in the US, about 75% of which are open for flying drones.

 

[MAvic_South_Oz]

I have flown my drone just outside of the arbitrary boundary of the Flinders Ranges National Park and filmed the same landscape as in the National Park, and if I had drifted as few metres to the right I would have suddenly been breaking the law!

FYI, you can take off and land outside a park boundary, and fly over any part of a NP or CP, or other such . . . bearing in mind if spotted and flying BVLOS, then a ranger could record the event and car rego etc, and report you for flying outside CASA rules.
If they know about them !

I have done tourist trips up in Kakadu (National Park) in helicopter, aircraft and swamp boat, with all the people in control of the equipment frightening all sorts of wildlife - and that is not a "problem" - yet drones "may frighten the wildlife"!

Kakadu is special to the NT authorities for some reason.
It's just so darn huge in land area :/
As you say, not problems for 4WDs, helicopters, small sightseeing aircraft flying low, but drones, oh no, can't have it.

NT is fairly easy to get a free permit to fly a drone in most of the national / state parks for X number of days, weeks, month or whatever.

It'd be good to see uniform rules for drones in parks across Australia, I'm just worried they'd ALL have a blanket ban then, rather than more lenient rules as per QLD and WA !

 

[dirkclod]

I'm on a photographic trip to the USA, with my Mini 3 Pro. Again and again, I see many place where you can't fly drone. Why is this country so non drone friendly?

I don’t think we are none drone freindly. I thing this has been covered so much it’s a shame. There are plenty of places to fly
depending on where you are at. Sure some don’t care for drones but visit where you can fly. . Do your research. Just because you can’t fly where you want don’t make us none drone friendly Country. We have regulations like everywhere but to start a thread like yours is silly.
Just my opinion.

 

[rexster1505]

You can thank a lot of the restrictions on National Parks and other Federal lands due to this idiot that crashed a drone at the White House in 2015. In a typical federal knee jerk reaction, that's when the restrictions began

Drone That Crashed at White House Was Quadcopter

It's sold in stores.

time.com

 

[shb]

You can thank a lot of the restrictions on National Parks and other Federal lands due to this idiot that crashed a drone at the White House in 2015. In a typical federal knee jerk reaction, that's when the restrictions began

Drone That Crashed at White House Was Quadcopter

It's sold in stores.

time.com

I don't think he was an idiot. When he heard a drone had crashed at the White House, he called and said it might of been his. The secret service said he was cooperative. Maybe there weren't any drone laws then. As far as a lockdown at the White House goes, they don't do any work there anyway. We'd be better off if the federal government was permanently locked down.

 

[shb]

No ggod reason ?

Personnaly I can understand the restriction. Natural zone are often visited by tourist on same place.
Now imagine no restriction at all, means some place would have 100 pilot drone per day for the spot. Take off, flying, come back etc.

For your personnal point of view, ok I understand frustration the spot is great. But you are not alone.

How is it possible to ensure it will not become an air spot where everybody will do anything in such a place ? Especally in peak tourist season. Difficult to find a system that will control "good willing" of growing done owners, moreover a parat of them just do not respect basic rules. I do not have the answer neither.

So maybe the simple way is actually to restrict,

I doubt they would have 100 drones.

 

[dirkclod]

Haven’t had my M2P in awhile but should have anothe one hopefully this weekend.

 

[Aus1]

No ggod reason ?

Personnaly I can understand the restriction. Natural zone are often visited by tourist on same place.
Now imagine no restriction at all, means some place would have 100 pilot drone per day for the spot. Take off, flying, come back etc.

For your personnal point of view, ok I understand frustration the spot is great. But you are not alone.

How is it possible to ensure it will not become an air spot where everybody will do anything in such a place ? Especally in peak tourist season. Difficult to find a system that will control "good willing" of growing done owners, moreover a parat of them just do not respect basic rules. I do not have the answer neither.

So maybe the simple way is actually to restrict,

The location I was referring to is about 500km north of Adelaide and there is room at the only pub to sleep about 6 people - otherwise you bring your own tent if you want to stay a couple of nights. There is no way that 'hundreds of tourists' are going to flock there with their drones. My feeling is that there could be a simple and free 'letter of authority' provided to someone who wants to travel into the desert regions of Australia, and take some aerial photos in the large open spaces. I the 2 days I was out there taking photos and drone photos I would have had 3 cars travel by. (If you want to see where the place of 'Blinman' is in South Australia, I suggest you hop onto Google Maps and search it out.