Figuring out the place you’ll be able to safely and legally fly your drone is surprisingly tough.
Positive, to procure your first (or fifth) drone, obtained your TRUST certificates, or possibly even your Half 107 certificates, however after flying in your yard for hours, you’re keen to search out new places close to you to observe flying. Or possibly you’re touring to a brand new metropolis. So what do you do?
After all, you begin with a Google search: “The place can I fly my drone close to me?” Then, you examine B4UFly for uncontrolled airspace. However even then, you continue to need to examine state and native rules.
Do you know that within the US, you’ll be able to’t fly in a Nationwide Park? The airspace will look clear on most airspace apps, however you might nonetheless get in hassle with a park ranger!
Some states, reminiscent of Missouri, permit drone flights of their state parks, whereas others, like Hawaii, ban them.
Most different states have vital restrictions on drone flights in state parks, however they permit them underneath sure circumstances or require an utility upfront.
The issue is all this data shouldn’t be centralized, not all the time correct, and, most significantly, not topic to suggestions from pilots.
Enter FPV Trails. FPVTrails is a free database of particular places the place you’ll be able to fly, generated by precise pilots. Anybody can add, charge, overview, and talk about locations to fly.
The user-generated knowledge is overlaid with airspace data reminiscent of FAA UAS facility maps and FRIAs to show spots that aren’t simply pleasant to fly — however are additionally protected and authorized to fly in.
Nonetheless, simply you should definitely cross-reference websites with the FAA’s official B4UFly service suppliers, as knowledge can shortly change (particularly if there’s a Momentary Flight Restriction in place).
FPV Trails has added many distinctive map layers, together with nationwide and state parks, stadiums, and worldwide airports, and is within the technique of aggregating college UAS applications and metropolis and state legal guidelines relating to drone flight.
In addition they supply climate layers and are always including new places, together with over 250 within the US alone. These places are freely downloadable in JSON format.
FPV Trails intends to be a free and open platform and should ultimately add premium providers to cowl internet hosting prices.
