What are the rules for flying a drone in a National Forest?

[@tommydurango]

We had drones on the Lightner Creek Fire in Durango. Three drone intrusions on the TFR, in addition to one attempted flight by a professional non 107 real estate pilot and one drone flight outside the TFR around 1000ft AGL above the aircraft flight path. We lost two loads of slurry and delayed several drops. ROGUE DRONE FLIGHTS IN FIRES SUCK. That being said, I am building a program for my County and am working with fire agencies to work together on and in fires. We'll be doing SAR, disasters, mitigation planning, pre-planning etc. etc. We can't dismiss how big an issue we have with drones on fires. We need to get the education outside of the drone community and into the general population. Thanks for all you do! Great show. Great info.

[@BrianMurdock-p6r]

Thanks for the conversation guys, the rules you were reading were about commercial filming not specifically drone usage (which may or may not be considered ccommercial). Also it is important to realize that not all National Forest Service lands are managed the same across the board. Some areas of NFS lands have speciaal designations (such as wilderness or natiional monument) which affects how drones are managed. For example drones are prohibited from launching and landing within a wilderness area.

[@kend6664]

I understand restrictions for flying near airports but banning them in all national parks and forests plus state parks because they disturb wild life and visitors is ridiculous. Tourist helicopters should be banned in those parks also. I live about a half mile from the Niagara gorge and have to put up with helicopters flying over my home from 9:00 am to 8:00 pm everyday.

[@bb1040]

A drone flying about 200 feet above the ground is not going to bother any wildlife......and any bird flying that high,is probably big enough to take off with the drone if the bird gets mad at it....

[@moeshu]

Nice, you should try to get some of their photo, wonder how it looks from the sky.

[@stainlesslobster]

I appreciate the undertones of freedom. And the fact that at the end of the day. It's about law not regulations or feelings. .. but facts. Nice job!!

[@Solvet862]

There is difference between courtesy and respect. Be courteous- you'll get respect. I think that there's a concern that there could be a hazardous material issue should a drone crash. I have a Karma and Phantom 4.0 Pro 2. Am continuously learning to fly smoothly and precisely.

[@Coyote_529]

I really appreciate your comments on law enforcement. You are 100% correct. There are a lot of dumb cops out there but most of us are just trying to do our best.

[@RobertKaucher]

I'm just wondering how often he gets pulled over...

[@TheBowserJournal]

I recently downloaded my Drone Field kit for both preparation for my part 107 test and afterwards. Great job on that quality document. Soon I want to start putting drone footage in my VLOG and sell on VideoBlocks.

[@dickfantastic7908]

Thanks for the field kit guys

[@GrimTactics6226]

AirMaps really helps out (:

[@TravelswithYoly]

I watched the entire video and still don't know if I can fly in a National Forest or not ? Listening to the dialog about what constitutes a fee area or not or how to deal with enforcement individuals still doesn't tell me (as a hobbiest) if I can fly in a National Forest or not ?

[@DroneU]

Please see 3:54 of video, and check out www.dronepilotfieldkit.com/

[@Nothingishereyo]

So the answer is yes. You can. Even for commercial purposes as long as you aren't using props and flying over people, etc. DO NOT FLY AROUND FIRES. And as always be mindful of any other air activities. Sometimes the forest service will use planes/helicopters to survey the land / search and rescue, etc.

[@DesertAdventuresinArizona]

Just found your channel. I was camping in Organ Pipe Cactus National Park and asked a Park Service employee if I could fly my Drone. She said “You can not fly drones inside any National Parks” I thanked her and keep my Drone packed up. I’m learning that if I take off and land outside the Park it’s ok?

[@LilBigfootOverlanding]

Great video, thanks😊👍 I'm taking a trip to Lake Powell and was wondering if there are any restrictions on drone flying on Native American land... but it sounds like you kinda covered that? Just keep clear of National Parks😅👍 So much to stress about with drones these days😪

[@fredmunson8952]

Very good information guys, thanks.

[@JSKCKNIT]

Holy smokes.... where's that atv bridge at in the into?

[@DroneU]

Los Cabos, Mexico

[@ThePa1nterhowto]

Great video guys,they are getting more informative and better to watch.

[@bobbiker46]

Good info, i live a mile from the Huron Manistee national forest in northern Michigan and wondered if i could legally fly there, and now i know. So i have a question, with a part 107 are you ever a hobby pilot again?

[@JamiesCryin1]

Question: Because you mentioned Lake Powell. But it's not a national park, at least on the Utah side, where most of it lies. However, it is a national recreation area. Do the same rules apply? Also, this is 4 years after you recorded this, I realize, but thi gs are always changing.

[@bakervy]

thanks for the vid, i found it quite helpful

[@paulmurray4106]

Publish the "Drone Pilot Field Kit" in Paperback Book Form and SELL IT on Amazon!!!! I would love to Buy One and Drone U should profit from putting all of the information in print for everyone else.

[@memtenn60]

Why is it you can ride a snow machine, ski, walk, hunt, fire a gun, ATV, fish and breath in a national park but you can't fly a drone? .

[@punchdrunkatheist]

Fire zones. Drone pilots that don't care about ethics create all sorts of havoc for firefighters in forests. They delay responses, waste resources, etc. Those few bad apples ruined it for the rest of us.

[@bb1040]

Everybody by now should know ,you stay away from fire zones, do not in any way interfere with firefighting crews, including aircraft. If you are near a fire, put the drone away, and get out of there.....

[@bb1040]

memtenn60 asked "Why is it you can ride a snow machine, ski, walk, hunt, fire a gun, ATV, fish and breath in a national park but you can't fly a drone? ." he wasn't talking about when there is a fire......all of those activities he mentioned , except breathing, disturb the land, but flying a drone in in the air and does not affect the land or disturb the dirt at all , drone flying is the one activity that will not bother their forest at all.....now certain parts of a national park, where there are a lot of people, I can understand the restrictions, but in National Forests, I can see no reason to ban drones.....other than around fire zones of course, those are totally off limits.........fly safe and have fun............

[@moeshu]

I think because it is directly above your head, and your head is too sensitive, that if something fell on it, it is more harmful than getting flowed by anyone of those things, except for gun, a person that is shot with a gun, not sure why someone would bring it to a national park, but has a high chance of death.

[@CoraYeakel]

RIGHT?!?!?!?!

[@jimkey920]

At first I thought the Waterfall was just a small one until I saw what looked like frogs swimming became people. It is a beauiful place! Anna would have liked to land the Drone. Wiseley she didn't Learning should not be practiced near water bodies.

[@HARRRYVID]

In theory the only people who can control flight are the FAA. In practice a test case would be expensive.

[@thomasdosborneii]

I don't fully understand that National Park thing. You can't "take off" in a National Park, but you can "fly into it". Okay, so take Yosemite National Park (where I would like to film). It is HUGE. You might drive for an hour after you paid your entrance fee at one of the gates to get to the main features (waterfalls, etc.) in Yosemite Valley. Your drone's battery wouldn't hold enough power to get you in from outside the park to a feature that you actually would like to photograph. What is available from outside the park to inside the park for the duration of your drone's battery capacity is just forests of trees and a paved road, whoop-te-do, you have that exact same landscape outside the park for miles and miles and miles, so what privilege is it, then, to fly "into" the park? Maybe I am missing something here.

[@GruntProof]

kudos on the respect discussion!

[@richardg6949]

It might help if you happen to have a friend who happens to be in law enforcement

[@10MinutestoRouletteFortune]

That memo was purely for "commercial" work.........no mention of hobbyists from what I can see in challenging that memo and the person that wrote it.

[@Afterburner]

It's because the UAV community is never consulted or listened to by the powers that be.

[@dennisodson4572]

What is this drone pilot skill kit you speak of. I'm new to this hobby just bought my first drone.

[@DroneU]

www.dronepilotfieldkit.com/

[@scubasmith]

@@DroneU Link does not work

[@fromthemountains590]

So I've just gotten into drones and I've watched a few of your videos. If you flyover national parks, state parks, etc. while operating from private land as you mentioned in this video, can you still be charge with disturbing the wildlife?

[@Afterburner]

Best to avoid tempting fate. Avoid state parks, national parks and wildlife/wilderness areas - Trust me, the government has made it absolutely clear they do not like or want any of the RC and UAV community anywhere near their parks and lands except for BLM and National Forest lands where it is safe to go. The park services have never talked to the RC/UAV community and made their policies in a vacuum, refusing to hear any but their own voices on the topic.

[@berniecrist336]

as a hobby flier can i use the field kit as a guide for misinformed people or do i even bother, Just using my drone for family fun vids..

[@rolandoperez8054]

So Now almost to the end, you change subject. What's the moral of that last bit of statement?

[@aprilr1064]

speaking about police officers, that is exactly why not just anyone should be allowed to be an officer. Only men and women with the up most integrity should be officers. That's just my opinion though.

[@charleshenderson3447]

You can't. . Unless you're flying ass an FAA 107 employee with the proper permits for the specific location you're flying over. I was talking about National Parks. I better shut up and listen...

[@charleshenderson3447]

I'm black and almost 52. Most cops are going to react to the way you will treat them initially. Dude, I got out of a speeding ticket by telling the truth after making a cop laugh. I passed him on the freeway doing 105 in the rain.

[@AlexCausey]

I was hoping that some of the the FPV racing pilots would think about doing some recon. There are a couple of channels here on KZbin Like Sylvanic Bigfoot and the Trail to Bigfoot in Florida that have some video of the creature. The swamp prevents them going through the alligator infested water to get closer camera shots. With some of these tiny drones could the FPV racers fly through the trees and get right up on the creature to get more definition and would it be legal if the videos were posted on KZbin? They finally have a PHD that has stated this thing exists. Search the Channels and see for your self..!

[@snowhawk8367]

The problem with this whole Video. National Park is no Fly. National Forest is Possible to fly with restriction. Cannot Fly in a Congressional designated Wilderness area, cannot fly around Wild and Scenic River, cannot fly at any Developed Sites with buildings that people frequent AKA ( trail heads, campgrounds, visitor centers). Then comes the really tricky part.... You cannot Harass wildlife... who is the one that determines if you (are) or (are not) doing this? The Officer writing the ticket? The park Ranger who just had a bad day with his wife? There does not seem to be much info on this part.

[@isaacstone7899]

Some people spy on wild animals, some people lost drone in forest, and some people crash it in the trees.

[@Afterburner]

Best bet is to avoid national parks... period.

[@billmay8116]

Basic gov policy on the law and the constitutions that people are not told about: The gov today operates on the claim that everyone is a citizen via the 14th amendment. That doesn't mean much to most people but what it means is the gov acts as sovereign over subjects with minimal no rights. This has been the policy since the 1950's. This specifically means no right to justice, such as a requirement to apply morality or common sense to the enforcement of the law. The gov only needs to be able to prove the law is needful. To convict, all the gov has to do is prove you intentionally did an act. There is no need to prove you knew the act was illegal. Proving mens rea [ evil intent ] was a common law protection that is no longer recognized since the 14th does not incorporate that principal / protection. In some cases it is written into a statute but you have to know about it to take advantage of it. "Needful Rule mandate." Here is an important right that is totally ignored because it is not part of the bill of rights. If you are subjected to, or even potentially subjected to, a law or rule, as a citizen of the fed gov, you have a right to contact the agency that made the law / rule and ask to them to resent their proof the law / rule is 'needful' and not merely oppressive - or cease enforcement. Proof is a showing of a compelling need on behalf of the gov to impose the law or rule. Showing that the safety of the gov or the public is at stake, for instance, presents evidence of needfulness. This is a constitutional right set forth in Art. 4,3,2 that pre-exists the 14th amendment. So, if drone operators wanted to, they could challenge the ban on drones in 'all areas' of national parks and likely win. If congress, or the park service operating under its permission cannot, or will not, prove a total ban is necessary, you can go to court and get an injunction against the ban. This right is not limited to just federal actors but city, county and state as well. For those that unknowingly break the rule and are cited, a good defense appears to be, "I deny the law / rule, as imposed, meets the 'needful rule' standard mandated in Art. 4,3,2". Due process then requires the plaintiff [ the gov via the prosecution ] to prove you wrong. I hope this is helpful to anyone wanting to make America better.

[@punchdrunkatheist]

Which is weird because the 14th also mentions that citizens are allowed full freedom under the law and it can only be abridged with due process.

[@billmay8116]

The 14th is generally misunderstood. As the courts have stated, it was created for the negro to give them a form of citizenship, but one of very few rights. It was then extenced to grant this new form of citizenship to any non-white that congress wanted to extend it to. While it is imposed on whites, it took a declaration of war by our occupied gov to accomplish it because such action is absolutely forbidden. However, under the claim we are all 14th citizens, the fed constitution grants us the right to challenge any law or rule as being only oppressive and not actually 'needful' The 14th does not even incorporate any of the fed bill of rights, or the rights of any state constitution. Since the 14th citizenship arises under Art 4, the gov is clearly forbidden to impose any law or rule it cannot prove are needful. To make this work, however, people need to be aware of it and take the states and fed gov to task when a law or rule clearly appears to only be oppressive in nature.

[@punchdrunkatheist]

That's interesting. I agree completely, too. We're too complacent overall and it makes for easy pickings toward removing rights and freedoms.

[@lavery0365]

After sunset, DRONES ARE STEALTH FIGHTERS!

[@tybrady64]

I thought I read somewhere that you cannot fly in "Wilderness Areas" of National Forests.

[@tybrady64]

I just looked it up. You cannot take off or land within Wilderness Area boundaries because the drone is considered to be mechanized equipment, and any type of mechanized equipment is not allowed in Wilderness Areas, with the exception of wheelchairs.

[@punchdrunkatheist]

Then why can I drive my car into my local wilderness area and why are there ATV trails in it?

[@Afterburner]

Just wait. They'll make up a rule to prevent any overflights from outside the borders... It's what bureaucrats do... more rules, no talking to the UAV community.

[@chrisguertner1437]

Airplanes are allowed on wilderness air strips. That's where I got my Boy Scout liquid tender from to start the camp fire.

[@mytubedude532]

Having that big book is just plain silly...if you wanted to provide a real service you should come out with a very simple deck of cards or flash cards...with rules, laws on them...trying to reference a 675 page book is just nonsense. If you had a flash card you could just pull out stating the law..that would be helpful. DRONE U - EDUCATE FOLKS!

[@TheShutterfire]

Pat B. try PDFs

[@mytubedude532]

try looking through a 675 page PDF book while a cop is standing there...

[@aprilr1064]

why would it matter if a drone was in flight by a fire? They aren't causing the fires....

[@michaelhesterberg702]

Because out of control fires in forests or wild growing brush require airplanes and helicopters to fly over and dump water and chemicals onto the fire to control it's spreading! A drone overflying the area becomes a danger to the low altitude, faster flying aircraft whose pilots aren't watching out for two-pound, foot-long obstacles but rather are watching out for each other. A plane striking a drone and having its windshield broken by it, for example, can easily crash because of it!