Flying Unmanned Aircrafts in National Parks
According to the National Parks Service (NPS), there are strict policies that regulate the flying of unmanned aircrafts, or drones, in national parks. To protect visitors, wildlife, and the uniqueness of national parks, flying drones in national parks is restricted in all but a few parks. Violating this policy could result in a misdemeanor with the maximum penalty of six months in jail and a $5,000 fine.
As a drone pilot, it’s your responsibility to verify the regulations of where you fly. In some cases, drone pilots can be granted special permission to fly in restricted areas.
Gaining Permission to Fly Your Drone in a National Parks
To fly your drone in most national parks, you must obtain a Special Use Permit. It’s best to check the park website to verify if you can fly your drone in a given park. Additionally, use the B4UFlY app to check airspace accessibility before taking flight.
For the most part, only service workers or documentaries are permitted to fly in land operated by the or the Bureau of Land Management. The NPS will permit pilots to fly in national parks when there’s a benefit to the NPS, such as fire safety surveying, search and rescue, or forecast marketing and promotion. However, permission must be explicitly granted by the NPS. Park superintendents can consider your use case to fly a drone in a national park and will provide formal permission if approved.
Why Are National Parks So Strict About Drone Flying
There are several primary reasons why the NPS and Bureau of Land Management prohibit pilots from flying drones in national parks. A few reasons include:
- Wildlife Safety: unmanned aircrafts could potentially frighten or harm animals, or could cause damage to wildlife.
- Visitor Safety: visitors could be harmed or frightened by unmanned aircrafts.
- Park Sacracy: parks are unique and sacred. Prohibiting drone photographers to take photos and videos preserves their safety and uniqueness.
FAA-Certified Drone Pilot Rules
While there are different rules of regulation for commercial pilots and recreational pilots, the same rules apply for commercial pilots in national parks. Regardless if you are an FAA-Certified drone pilot, you still must obtain explicit permission from the NPS in order to fly your drone in national parks.
What Are the Consequences if You Fly Your Drone in a National Park?
As stated by the National Parks Services, flying a drone or unmanned aircraft in a national park could result in a $5,000 fine and up to six months in jail. It’s also likely that your drone and equipment will be confiscated. Most parks have active park rangers on duty and will cite you if caught. National parks hold these strict policies to protect wildlife and nature. Prior to the Policy Memorandum 14-05 released in 2014, there were several instances in which drones damaged or disturbed wildlife.
It’s very important to abided by the National Parks’ rules and regulations as a member of the drone community. As a drone pilot, you set an example for other pilots and other drone pilots. Following the law as a pilot if your civic duty and the community depends on your willingness to respect nature and others around you.
