Jim in Massachusetts
Member
Does anyone know if the NPS allows multi-rotors within the parks?
National Parks RC Aerial photography policies
- Thread starter Jim in Massachusetts
- Start date
Best to call them and ask, i have noticed that different parks have different rules and some are more picky than others and even the most picky places tend to appreciate it if you ask nicely telling then which area you want to fly and for how long. If they have protected bird species or reserves then you might as well just forget it.
DucktileMedia
Drone Enthusiast
As your answer will most definitely be no, I would just do it and play dumb. Of course they won't say yes to that question, they can't. I do know east bay parks have a no rc anything law. At the same time, ironically, I just did a demo for the ohv's park district to pitch a promo for the main website. We live in a world of dont ask don't tell.
kloner
Aerial DP
California has a blanket policy against any rc anything in any state park........ not sure about federal, but it's gotta be regional. I kinda fly in and around them but i fly from outside em so technicaly i'm not flying in the park. like the private pilot didn't fly in the park when he went over
DucktileMedia
Drone Enthusiast
Kroner you should write someone elses name and address on the "if found" tag on your helis and gliders.
Don't worry, they'll fine you wether you're dumb or smart. No you cannot fly quads in a national park. Not to say some places are so desolate that anyone would know. But would you want to hike in to some famous landmark and be greeted with the buzzing a quad?
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DucktileMedia
Drone Enthusiast
It's much less of a buzz kill then encountering a bear.
I have been officially written up by the parks so I am aware of the rules now. There was no sign and I had been flying here for years. But one power hungry ****head cop had It in for me. I asked how was I supposed to know? He said NOW YOU KNOW!
I have been officially written up by the parks so I am aware of the rules now. There was no sign and I had been flying here for years. But one power hungry ****head cop had It in for me. I asked how was I supposed to know? He said NOW YOU KNOW!
Here's a funny one from yesterday. We're filming some running footage on this deserted snow covered road and the producer decides he wants to use the bathrooms at the visitor center for the state park we were in. One of the young ad agency guys decides he's going to chat up the cute lil blond ranger. He starts bragging about shooting a Hyundai commercial and she ask him if he has a permit for filming in the state park, 500 bucks later he did.
ChrisViperM
Active Member
jforkner
Member
Meanwhile, back to the original question...AP in National Parks.
A quick Internet search revealed there appears to be no generic NPS policy on AP. There are, however, rules/policies about filming in National Parks that appear to be park-specific (http://www.nps.gov/search/index.htm?query=filming&sub1.x=0&sub1.y=0). For instance, in Yosemite, the following is prohibited regarding filming in the park:
Note it states "restricted," not "prohibited." My take is that each park has it's own rules/policies regarding flying in the park and you need to research the specific park you're interested in. Rules that could also apply (besides NPS) are FAA restrictions.
Keep in mind that sometimes it's better to ask forgiveness than permission.
Jack
A quick Internet search revealed there appears to be no generic NPS policy on AP. There are, however, rules/policies about filming in National Parks that appear to be park-specific (http://www.nps.gov/search/index.htm?query=filming&sub1.x=0&sub1.y=0). For instance, in Yosemite, the following is prohibited regarding filming in the park:
Prohibited activities
Activities having the potential to significantly impact, alter, or damage park resources are prohibited. The following are also prohibited:
Activities having the potential to significantly impact, alter, or damage park resources are prohibited. The following are also prohibited:
[*=1]Altering, damaging or removing vegetation or filming in wetlands
[*=1]Vehicle use off established roads and parking areas
[*=1]Use of insecticides--herbicides and pesticides
[*=1]Loud noises (60 decibels or higher) between 10:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m.
[*=1]Nudity
[*=1]Use of meadow areas except on trails or already disturbed areas as determined by the NPS
[*=1]Any artificial lighting or use of power equipment in wilderness (other wilderness restrictions apply)
[*=1]Night filming with artificial lighting
[*=1]Filming of wild animals in captivity (exception with park wildlife management operations)
[*=1]Aerial filming (highly restricted)
[*=1]Smoking in buildings, on boardwalks, or in vegetated areas
[*=1]Harassment of wildlife or introduction of wildlife captured elsewhere
[*=1]Pyrotechnics
[*=1]Commercial filming in wilderness areas
[*=1]Use of equipment that inhibits public views of popular scenic vistas
[*=1]Digging, scraping, chiseling, or defacing natural features for filming purposes.
Note it states "restricted," not "prohibited." My take is that each park has it's own rules/policies regarding flying in the park and you need to research the specific park you're interested in. Rules that could also apply (besides NPS) are FAA restrictions.
Keep in mind that sometimes it's better to ask forgiveness than permission.
Jack
yeah, rules are for "other" people.
jforkner
Member
Your recognition of the obvious is astute.
DucktileMedia
Drone Enthusiast
I saw that on channel 2 news last night. Drones are kinda loud and annoying. Now they need to ban loud people and their radios as well. I fly, but honestly I want peace and quiet. It was one thing when there were only 10 people in the world doing this but thanks to the Phantom and the whole cheap RTF industry, I can see why it NEEDS to be banned in some places.
chipwich
Member
I suppose that could be interpreted as covenient for the agency enforcing it, but I wonder if that was pointed mostly at full scale aircraft due to the noise and high profile accidents?
Do NOT play dumb when it comes to flying in Parks…..theres a good chance it won't work. Valley Forge National Park will fine you $250 and confiscate your machine. You can jump up and down and tell them you're only taking personal shots.
It won't matter. Your copter is history….gone. Make sure there's no RED camera strapped to your bird…….yikes! Best bet is to ask in person.
Now, all these idiots are flying DJI's all over the place and pissing people and Parks off, especially. Some moron just crashed his machine into the Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone.
Made national news. Others flew machines in the way of forest fighting airplanes trying to dump retardants on the fires out west. Im afraid that with so many people flying in stupid mode, the whole multi-rotor RC thing is about to crash and burn for good.
It won't matter. Your copter is history….gone. Make sure there's no RED camera strapped to your bird…….yikes! Best bet is to ask in person.
Now, all these idiots are flying DJI's all over the place and pissing people and Parks off, especially. Some moron just crashed his machine into the Prismatic Spring in Yellowstone.
Made national news. Others flew machines in the way of forest fighting airplanes trying to dump retardants on the fires out west. Im afraid that with so many people flying in stupid mode, the whole multi-rotor RC thing is about to crash and burn for good.
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Av8Chuck
Member
Just because a bureaucrat makes a rule doesn't make it legal. Any government agency has a process they must follow to create laws that are not arbitrary and capricious. The FAA has lost EVERY court case and a judge has stated that the cease and desist orders are not legal, all because they did not follow the NPRM process. The same holds true for the park service.
About two years ago I was shooting some test footage when a Park Ranger told me that I was not allowed to shoot in that area, when I asked him why he got defensive, handcuffed me and told me he was going to confiscate my camera equipment. I insisted that he call the local police to which he replied he had the authority to arrest me but I continued to insist. He called into whoever he calls into and they told him to release me and give me my equipment back.
I'm not suggesting that everyone test the resolve of Park Rangers based on an anecdotal story, however for every law there is a "number" and for any law enforcement officer to write you a situation or arrest you they have to write that number on the citation, if there is no number there is no law. That Park Ranger talked on his radio for ten minutes and they could not come up with that number. They threatened to cite me for trespassing, unsafe this and that, disturbing the peace, any catch all they could come up with but they could not arrest me for shooting video [and I was on the ground]. They most certainly can not confiscate your equipment. They might claim they can and if you let them they'll certainly take it but you can stop them by just saying no, if in doubt ask for another law enforcement agency to be involved. They won't want to do it but they have to respect your rights.
This kind of anarchy is what happens when government officials take it upon themselves to randomly create laws are not enforceable, but who is really the anarchist?
About two years ago I was shooting some test footage when a Park Ranger told me that I was not allowed to shoot in that area, when I asked him why he got defensive, handcuffed me and told me he was going to confiscate my camera equipment. I insisted that he call the local police to which he replied he had the authority to arrest me but I continued to insist. He called into whoever he calls into and they told him to release me and give me my equipment back.
I'm not suggesting that everyone test the resolve of Park Rangers based on an anecdotal story, however for every law there is a "number" and for any law enforcement officer to write you a situation or arrest you they have to write that number on the citation, if there is no number there is no law. That Park Ranger talked on his radio for ten minutes and they could not come up with that number. They threatened to cite me for trespassing, unsafe this and that, disturbing the peace, any catch all they could come up with but they could not arrest me for shooting video [and I was on the ground]. They most certainly can not confiscate your equipment. They might claim they can and if you let them they'll certainly take it but you can stop them by just saying no, if in doubt ask for another law enforcement agency to be involved. They won't want to do it but they have to respect your rights.
This kind of anarchy is what happens when government officials take it upon themselves to randomly create laws are not enforceable, but who is really the anarchist?
kloner
Aerial DP
We have gotten drone filming permits to fly in nat parks except they had a list of things we couldn't do. i forget what office it was but it didn't make since, usda or something like that. this particular place had nesting perigrine falcons on a cliff we had to stay back from and they didn't want us chassing wildlife
It really is getting out of hand with all these so called "cops" but the public is empowering them with there actions. I'm on the fence between how i feel about it all.... as a part manufacturer obviously i want em all to go to hell but as a human, i don't want to go see 32 phantoms filming what i just spent time and money to go check out to get away from my job
It really is getting out of hand with all these so called "cops" but the public is empowering them with there actions. I'm on the fence between how i feel about it all.... as a part manufacturer obviously i want em all to go to hell but as a human, i don't want to go see 32 phantoms filming what i just spent time and money to go check out to get away from my job
Av8Chuck
Member
Unfortunately that has little to do with MR's and everything to do with the fact that we live right next door (In LA) to 12 million of our closest friends, so you need a permit to take a crap.
I totally understand the issues of privacy and safety, the trouble I'm having with it is that we now live in a society where EVERYONE KNOWS how to do EVERYTHING, but very few have actually DONE ANYTHING. Most of the people complaining about all of this, the vocal ones driving most of the regulations have probably never seen a MR in person, much less flown one, their perception or World view is shaped entirely from YouTube videos and the media. Most have never owned or operated a small business so they have little to no comprehension of the unintended consequences of the rules they want to propagate on everything.
Its pretty scary when you get to a ripe old age and suddenly our society turns into something that I could not have imagined a decade ago. I don't want to sound like chicken little but what can we do to change this before its too late?
I totally understand the issues of privacy and safety, the trouble I'm having with it is that we now live in a society where EVERYONE KNOWS how to do EVERYTHING, but very few have actually DONE ANYTHING. Most of the people complaining about all of this, the vocal ones driving most of the regulations have probably never seen a MR in person, much less flown one, their perception or World view is shaped entirely from YouTube videos and the media. Most have never owned or operated a small business so they have little to no comprehension of the unintended consequences of the rules they want to propagate on everything.
Its pretty scary when you get to a ripe old age and suddenly our society turns into something that I could not have imagined a decade ago. I don't want to sound like chicken little but what can we do to change this before its too late?