PSA: No drones in wilderness (or up hood)

[Water]

Somehow I think this message would probably hit the offending member and future offenders if it was on instagram or outdoorproject's facebook wall.. but anyways

 

PSA: it's not legal to launch or land your drone in the wilderness. You can fly it in wilderness as long as it takes off and lands outside of wilderness, same as someone with a helicopter, you can fly over a wilderness..but not land in it.

i don't fucking care if you're going to get cool aerial footage of you and your crew jerking each other off at the summit, save it for the selfie stick. If I see/hear that piece of shit I'll try to take it down.

 

What's the rules here on posting someone's picture out on the mountain? seems like every forum these days has their panties in a bunch about being nice. Here's one without the face, ice tooling it up on the slope we were walking face out on with whippets. I've got another with face if it's allowed, I'll post that.

[ScaredSilly]

When one is in a public area there is no expectation of privacy. So post the mug shot. (That said, this is a private forum so the site owners can have their own rules).

 

Also if you are sure of who the person was associated with send them and/or the organization a polite note as well. I have had good success doing that on various issues.

 

With all crap floppy about on his back in addition to two tools he probably should have been belayed.

[Water]

what's wrong with this site, can't post more than a few sentences..

mug shot later. trying to post the CFR to make it clear to anyone reading. I've had someone tell me 'that's just national parks'.

[Major Major]

Nice PSA. Honestly, i'm not sure how well known this regulation is. It's worth letting people know. I wouldn't be too happy about drones following me up Pearly Gates or any part of the mountain.

[caverpilot]

Sadly, it looks like one can fly UAVs in the National Forest, but NOT, like you said, taking off or landing in Wilderness Areas. So, technically you could launch at the top of Palmer, have the drone follow you to the summit, as long as it didn't land (or get taken down before you got back to Palmer. (Yeah, right). The short answer is no, you can't fly drones on and off the summit or anywhere high on the mountain. Fuck yards. Here's the USFS page on it: USFS UAS Please note, where it says "don't fly over wilderness areas," that's a recommendation, just like for regular 'ole airplanes, it just isn't a regulation.

[KirkW]

 

No, you can't launch a drone from the top of the Palmer legally. Or from anywhere within the wilderness boundary. Of course that doesn't stop OPB, or anyone they decide to hire, from using them wherever and whenever they want. (See their Ice Caves episode from a while back or more recently their "expedition" through Hyperbole Canyon)

 

If they don't have to follow the rules and instead get to make a pile of money through "donations" off the footage they get flying drones, helicopters and small aircraft in wilderness areas all over the state then I guess it's to be expected that everyone else would feel entitled to fly them wherever they want as well.

 

Before you think about "taking out" a drone you might want to look at the laws and punishments that would apply to such an act. Drones are considered aircraft and shooting one down would be considered the same as shooting at any other aircraft, manned or not, according to the incorrigible bureaucrat I spoke with at the FAA regional office they have in Portland a few months ago. As much as I agree with your sentiment Water I'd hate to lose a ski partner because he was doing a stint in federal prison for blasting someone's toy out of the sky.

 

The gentleman I spoke with this morning at Tline as I was snapping this picture made it clear that they do not tolerate ANY use of drones within their permit area and that they would push to prosecute the operator to the fullest extent the law allows if they catch you. If you saw him operating that piece of shit within Tlines boundaries I'd suggest reporting him to them and let their lawyers go after him.

 

If he only used it in the wilderness then I wouldn't expect a response from the Feds. The FAA will be happy to take your complaint but they won't do a damn thing about it based on my past experience. They seem to have the same level of concern about drones in wilderness as the FS does about snow machines...

[caverpilot]

Ahhh, good to know, thanks for the correction, Kirk! So you would have to be (theoretically) be somewhere NOT in Timberline (or, presumably, Meadows) that is NOT wilderness to launch. I'm splitting hairs here, I'm a pilot and I hate the effing things!

 

And your comment on getting in trouble for taking one out is *only* if you get *caught*. *(wink wink, nudge nudge) (and I'm joking, I'm not doing anything to get put in jail! (no more))

 

 

[caverpilot]

One more thing of note, licensed, commercial operators that have a waiver are excluded from some of the FAA rules - I "suppose" OPB and so forth hired such an operator to provide aerial coverage, although, again, the Sandy Glacier Ice Caves are in designated wilderness soo.... (I'm not familiar with your reference, just guessing)

 

And I totally agree about the USFS lack of response concerning snow-machines in Wilderness - on Helens, on Adams, and in my backyard here at Hoodoo Pass /Great Burn in Western Montana.

[KirkW]

One more thing of note, licensed, commercial operators that have a waiver are excluded from some of the FAA rules - I "suppose" OPB and so forth hired such an operator to provide aerial coverage, although, again, the Sandy Glacier Ice Caves are in designated wilderness soo.... (I'm not familiar with your reference, just guessing)

 

Yes, waivers are available but the production company Uncage the Soul productions that works for Oregon Field Guide didn't apply for the waivers nor is anyone shown operating them in their promotional videos licensed to operate one according to information on file with the FAA as of two months ago or so. Totally illegal but no one gives a shit. I'd encourage you to contact the FAA and the FS and let them know what you think. If you like talking to a brick wall

 

To be clear, I'm not insinuating that the dork in Water's photo is associated with OPB or anyone else. I assume he's probably just a motivated amateur that doesn't know or doesn't care about the rules. And why would he when there are examples all around us of people using drones illegally and no one saying a thing?

 

 

[astrov]

[deleted]

Edited April 8, 2016 by astrov