Warning tantrum! Colorado sucks for drones!

[KevTN]

i have been in Colorado for almost week. We are here for my daughter softball tournament and no matter where I go I am told I am not alllowed to fly anywhere! I thought this place was suppose to be friendly and open. All the places Imhave tried have been in safe areas where I would not intrude on personal space or place the public in danger. Just yesterday my daughters team did a rafting trip I was about to launch only to be told no where in Golden are drones leagle and he could not tell me anywhere I could fly. Period! Just very frustrated as i have time now to go into the mtns and try to get footage. I have called 5-6 places away from Denver and Colorado Springs area to be shot down. Just sucks!

Sorry for my trantrum but I had to vent...

Thanks

Dear moderator if I have violated any rules or the perception thereof please feel free to delete this thread. In all honesty that was/is not my intention.

 

[Pixel Ranch Steve]

Hey, Kev - I live here and I feel your pain.

Cases in point:

- The community where I live in CO has had a ban on “model airplanes” in parks and open spaces for almost 40 years, and they decided to classify drones as “model airplanes”

- A group of us in South Denver are working with one parks & recreation district to see if we can get them to designate some “drone zones” where we can fly

- State parks are a toss-up, some seem to allow flying, others don’t

The thing that really irritates me is that most Colorado communities that are banning drones are doing it because of noise concerns. Hell, most of our drones can’t even be heard over 100 feet away, and are basically inaudible in most homes.

You should be able to fly in national forest and other public lands with no issues, and there’s a lot of that in CO.

Steve

 

[RaWine]

I sympathize, but I'm afraid it probably won't get better in the next few years, just more restricted. I could be wrong. Hopefully I am.

Best to fly as much as you can in the next few years, IMO.

This is also why I hope they make drones quieter and smaller when possible. Spark is probably small enough to still be flyable in most conditions, but quieter would make it better.

 

[KevTN]

Hey Steve,

Thanks..We are in Aurora and about to head to the ‘mtns’ to get away from heat. I will be on I 70 going west. Any suggestions? Thank you!

 

[RaWine]

I would like to see a compromise. For instance instead of bans in National or State parks, you could apply for a limited number of permits so even if you had to wait several weeks or months, you could still get a date to fly these places instead of outright bans.

 

[suprPHREAK]

Land of the free!

 

[KevTN]

We drove up to Breckenridge found a lake a I did a little flying clouds were dark though

 

[KevTN]

I will post video after we get home next week. The people in Breckinridge were actually pretty nice about the drone. It was refreshing.

 

[DameEdnaBrown]

People are petrified of drones for some reason.

 

[Fireman Sam]

Hi,
Here in the U.K. we are not far behind you! We are now getting towns banning Quads. The oft cited reasons are public safety &the cameras.I point out that here in the U.K. we are the most watched people in the world!( According to the CCTv federation we have more camera,s per head of population ) We went to a Castle in Scotland--Notice saying no Drones. I enquired why to be told the drone might hit the castle &dislodge parts of the castle!! Also told I must have licence-- not yet but...
The thought of a all plastic quad bringing down stones that have with stood seige,cannon fire ect for 800+ years -- !

 

[IanSR]

Hi,
Here in the U.K. we are not far behind you! We are now getting towns banning Quads. The oft cited reasons are public safety &the cameras.I point out that here in the U.K. we are the most watched people in the world!( According to the CCTv federation we have more camera,s per head of population ) We went to a Castle in Scotland--Notice saying no Drones. I enquired why to be told the drone might hit the castle &dislodge parts of the castle!! Also told I must have licence-- not yet but...
The thought of a all plastic quad bringing down stones that have with stood seige,cannon fire ect for 800+ years -- !

just take off from common land 50 meters from anything and stay at least 50 meters up and within half a k of you and then there is nothing legally they can do, nobody owns the the airspace above their house, it's a myth.

I live right on the edge of a housing estate with common land (where lots of dog walkers walk) opposite, I've done several flyovers over the estate and nobody is even aware, let alone objected, at 100 meters up you can't see or hear sparky unless it's getting dark, and I'd imagine by the time anybody does object and calls the cops, by the time they arrive I'll be long gone, they can't even be bothered to bust the drug dealer living down the road, so what hope they'll catch up with someone never in the same place twice.

The new laws coming in next month actually make it easier for us to fly, I've been asked for my license a few times,cI just flash my BMFA membership card and that tends to shut them up (since the first bit they read is the £25Mil public liability insurance).

It always makes me laugh when people complain we are invading their privacy, usually while they're stood under a cctv camera. I don't bother asking permission, I just have a simplified version of the drone code printed off ready for the NIMBY's and use a bit of common sense over where and when to fly (early mornings is best for these historic places since security hasn't gone on shift yet).

 

[Koala Tails]

I have heard that I’m lucky, Australia has a lot better rules about flying drones than many other countries. The laws are; No flying within 5 km from the perimeter of a tower controlled airport, unless the drone is less than 100 grams. In National parks by written permission only. There are few strict no fly zones, like the entire Sydney Harbour. Plus away from people, buildings, animals. Line of sight only.
I thought if I had a sub 100 gram quad I could legally ignore a few of theses rules & get video/photos around the harbour, sadly it is only an exemption from the Airport rule, & the Sydney harbour zone extends a long way inland via the Parramatta River.
I may have to get a small quad anyway, when the proposed new airport is built, My home could be just inside its zone, & the reserve where I practice flying as well.

 

[Fireman Sam]

I have heard that I’m lucky, Australia has a lot better rules about flying drones than many other countries. The laws are; No flying within 5 km from the perimeter of a tower controlled airport, unless the drone is less than 100 grams. In National parks by written permission only. There are few strict no fly zones, like the entire Sydney Harbour. Plus away from people, buildings, animals. Line of sight only.
I thought if I had a sub 100 gram quad I could legally ignore a few of theses rules & get video/photos around the harbour, sadly it is only an exemption from the Airport rule, & the Sydney harbour zone extends a long way inland via the Parramatta River.
I may have to get a small quad anyway, when the proposed new airport is built, My home could be just inside its zone, & the reserve where I practice flying as well.

Hi Ian, while I carry my B.M.F.A. insurance cert I have never thought of "flashing the plastic ". ...

 

[Fireman Sam]

Slightly adrift--with new laws/rules on Quads coming into effect next year in the U.K. I am surprised over the lack of reaction--or have I missed somthing ( Been in Scotland on holiday &flying -- Quads..... )

 

[IanSR]

I'm hoping the lack of reaction is 1) Joe public really doesn't care as much as certain people think (I have had one person object, most are more curious than anything, especially with the planes) and 2) BALPA idiots have had a sudden realisation that shouting apocalypse every time a drone is mentioned hasn't done them any favours, especially as while the number of collisions has increased, the number of injuries hasn't and remains a big fat zero, while the death rate from mid-air collisions of manned aviation continues to increase year on year.

For those that don't know, the updated laws coming into effect next month in the UK simplify, and relax the regulations for recreational model fliers, and I hear being a BMFA member exempts us from some of the more draconian ones too (possibly even the registration, but unconfirmed on that).

They are going from no flying within 5km of an airport, no flying over private priority without landowners permission and no flying over crowds of more than 1000 people, to no flying within 1km of an airport and remain 50 meters from private individuals or property (which I had confirmed in writing by the CAA means 50 meters in any direction, including above), not flying over crowds remains unchanged along with ceiling limit of 400 foot and line of sight up to 500m which is no different to the laws that were in effect when I first started flying models 35 years ago.

 

[Fireman Sam]

I'm hoping the lack of reaction is 1) Joe public really doesn't care as much as certain people think (I have had one person object, most are more curious than anything, especially with the planes) and 2) BALPA idiots have had a sudden realisation that shouting apocalypse every time a drone is mentioned hasn't done them any favours, especially as while the number of collisions has increased, the number of injuries hasn't and remains a big fat zero, while the death rate from mid-air collisions of manned aviation continues to increase year on year.

For those that don't know, the updated laws coming into effect next month in the UK simplify, and relax the regulations for recreational model fliers, and I hear being a BMFA member exempts us from some of the more draconian ones too (possibly even the registration, but unconfirmed on that).

They are going from no flying within 5km of an airport, no flying over private priority without landowners permission and no flying over crowds of more than 1000 people, to no flying within 1km of an airport and remain 50 meters from private individuals or property (which I had confirmed in writing by the CAA means 50 meters in any direction, including above), not flying over crowds remains unchanged along with ceiling limit of 400 foot and line of sight up to 500m which is no different to the laws that were in effect when I first started flying models 35 years ago.

Could be a lot of fun "in the wilds"(Scotland/Wales) finding the land owner&as for flying along a river....

 

[Hddeuce03]

When I was in Aurora in March, I went to Lookout Mountain and flew without any issues. BTW Lookout Mountain is in Golden so the person that told you that is incorrect.

 

[RM Craig]

My son-in-law put together some great shots near Vail and Leadville.

 

[KevTN]

When I was in Aurora in March, I went to Lookout Mountain and flew without any issues. BTW Lookout Mountain is in Golden so the person that told you that is incorrect.

Good to know...I saw the exit sign for Lookout. I live in the shadow of Lookout MTN TN from the famous MLK speech. If we get anytime for relaxing may head that way. The tourney is starting bracket play and I have a feeling I am out of 'free time' lol

 

[Fireman Sam]

Great ! -- pity he could not video a train on the tracks....