I am an avid landscape photography and am looking at purchasing a Phantom or Mavic for the photography opportunities. As many of you know NPS had basically shut down the use of drones everywhere. I was hoping to get people experience with the use of drones in or around national parks. I haven't purchased a drone yet but at this point it's pretty discouraging to hear the overall ban that happened in 2014 with no real push for a resolution like they had initially talked about.
Experience flying in National Parks
- Thread starter XSV21
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Remember, that the 'ban' is on taking off and landing on NPS managed land. If you can get your shots by taking off and landing outside of their boundaries, you're good to go. Of course, if you have trouble and land insid, you're back in trouble
Does anyone have any experiences (or know of a close "friend") inside parks with drones? I'm not looking to go into Yosemite Valley and fly up El Cap. But maybe around some structures that I have hiked to or what not further back
I've been thinking about sending a nice snail-mail letter to Micheal Hinkley (??) who is the interim N.P.S. director and ask about maybe allowing some park naturalist or ranger with some drone experience to allow for maybe 3-4 days per year at certain parks for a "Okay to Fly Drone Day." They have 10 free admission days, but something for drone photographers/cinematographers led and monitored by a ranger who could oversee a small group of fliers is within reason on low-attendance days like Tuesday or Wednesday for maybe the best seasons for the given park.
As it is, I can't see why a drone cannot be flown in Death Valley in some desolate spot devoid of even wildlife during some seasons, or even Joshua Tree. Lassen N.P. has Cinder Cone which is also desolate and rarely visited. The entire N.P.S. ban, sans someone with a costly permit, is absurd, imho. Some families with a van full of kids makes more noise and a bigger mess. I've cleaned up streams that were littered with crap people leave around them to take a scenic shot with a still camera where I didn't want someone's old clothing, bags, cans and bottles in the photo.
Maybe same letter to the AMA as well as they have more political clout. Actually, a "N.P.S. Drone Day" could require a flier to show their AMA card which would give the N.P.S. a $2.5 million insurance policy too since the AMA grants that on joining for $75.
As it is, I can't see why a drone cannot be flown in Death Valley in some desolate spot devoid of even wildlife during some seasons, or even Joshua Tree. Lassen N.P. has Cinder Cone which is also desolate and rarely visited. The entire N.P.S. ban, sans someone with a costly permit, is absurd, imho. Some families with a van full of kids makes more noise and a bigger mess. I've cleaned up streams that were littered with crap people leave around them to take a scenic shot with a still camera where I didn't want someone's old clothing, bags, cans and bottles in the photo.
Maybe same letter to the AMA as well as they have more political clout. Actually, a "N.P.S. Drone Day" could require a flier to show their AMA card which would give the N.P.S. a $2.5 million insurance policy too since the AMA grants that on joining for $75.
Has NPS defined what they consider "launching or landing" with a literal interpretation couldnt you just launch it standing up and make sure the flight never lands on anything within the park? It's getting very picky. But it's something
I have nothing against the AMA per se, but if AMA is involved, they will insist that ONLY AMA members can participate. From what I've heard here and elsewhere, AMA views non-members as not entitled to fly.
Agree, the AMA has tried to push the idea that in order to be following their guidelines and to comply with the FAA directive referring to a national CBO, you have to be a member. No way the FAA is going to require membership in a private organization. And it would probably go against the congressional mandate to not regulate hobby flying.
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I've said repeatedly how nice it would be if the NPS would designate areas where would be permissible to fly, rather than say an entire park is a NFZ. As said above, Death Valley has a lot of wide open space. Surely all of it need not be NFZ.
Especially when the fighter jets pass through death valley at 500ft. or less. LOL
Two days ago my wife and I climbed to the top of the main highest sand dune in Great Sand Dunes National Park, which took us a solid hour uphill. Near the top, I heard a giant mosquito noise, and saw a drone about thirty feet above. I was surprised as I had thought they were illegal in National Parks. Lo and behold, they are. The tech geek oriented readership here may not be aware, or appreciate, the traditions within Parks which mandates no use of power machines (only recently have exceptions even been made for helicopters during construction and maintenance, although rescue use is exempt). Normal upkeep is done pushing nonmotorized wheelbarrows, etc. The point is to maintain as much as possible the pristine ambiance both for humans and wildlife.
Park tradition is to allow recreational use by foot; no mountain bikes on trails, no dogs beyond parking areas and vehicles. Drone fans fail to acknowledge that others rights come first in many of these situations; your indulgence of a hobby, or photographic profession, infringes on the quality of experience for all who are hiking within a supposedly natural area. There are many other regulations and restrictions regarding firearms, glass containers, etc.
Perhaps you advocates will get your way soon anyway, as the wholesale deconstruction of a hundred years of preservation is rapidly moving ahead. Of course, then there will be little left of interest to photograph other than strip mines, drilling towers, and amusement rides. The end of our national experiment will be undone by rampant self-interest and selfish indulgences.
Park tradition is to allow recreational use by foot; no mountain bikes on trails, no dogs beyond parking areas and vehicles. Drone fans fail to acknowledge that others rights come first in many of these situations; your indulgence of a hobby, or photographic profession, infringes on the quality of experience for all who are hiking within a supposedly natural area. There are many other regulations and restrictions regarding firearms, glass containers, etc.
Perhaps you advocates will get your way soon anyway, as the wholesale deconstruction of a hundred years of preservation is rapidly moving ahead. Of course, then there will be little left of interest to photograph other than strip mines, drilling towers, and amusement rides. The end of our national experiment will be undone by rampant self-interest and selfish indulgences.
Welcome to Phantom Pilots.
I admit I concur with your thoughts 110% in 99% of the cases. The only time I make exception is for Emergency/Search & Rescue operations. Even during those times we have to jump through such silly hoops and hurdles just to try and save a life. On the flip side new procedures should make it much easier and quicker to get out to save lives in the NPS.
Dronenaught: Great Sand Dunes National Park recently jumped through a bunch of hoops to get special permission to use a drone to test map a small section of the Park. Among other conclusions, the drone took much less time at much less expense and much less intrusion upon Park resources and visitors to map the same area as a helicopter or foot patrol would have done previously. I would much rather see and hear a little quadcopter on official business in a National Park, than a full-size helicopter and its whop whop whop hovering over me.
