Knowing where you can and where you can’t fly your drone is probably the most confusing thing to understand as a new hobby drone pilot. However, here are some of the best places in my opinion.

Some of the best places where you can fly your drone as a hobby pilot in the United States include your local public parks, around your home in your residential area, and in some State Parks. That being said, you can’t always fly at these locations, there are other factors you must consider first.

Since there are so many factors that come into play when deciding where you can fly a drone, I’ve come up with the acronym “FLAP” to help you decide where you’ll be able to “FLAP” your drone’s wings.

Here’s a brief overview of the acronym “FLAP.”

F	FAA drone laws: Will this location make me break any?
L	LOCAL drone laws: Are there any in my area?
A	AIRSPACE restriction in my area?
P	PRIVATE PROPERTY: Can I take off/land here?

*A lot of the information that I used to help create this acronym comes from Griffin Hammonds YouTube video here. The video discusses if you’re allowed to fly a drone in NYC.

FAA Recreational Drone Laws: Will This Location Cause Me To Break Any?

The first thing you need to check is if you can fly your drone in your specific area while following the FAA’s, (Federal Aviation Administration) hobby drone rules safely.

Here’s a checklist of the most important laws that will affect where you choose to fly:

• Make sure you can maintain a line of sight of the drone. If this law sounds vague it’s because it is, and it was designed like that intentionally. It covers multiple different scenarios. For example, if it’s misty and might lose sight of your drone quickly, or if there are a lot of tall buildings around, then this law will make sure you don’t fly your drone out far enough for it to become a hazard.
• Keep your drone lower than 400 feet above ground level. This law is self-explanatory. If you fly at or over 400 feet you would be flying in controlled airspace. So keep this in mind when thinking about launching your drone from a tall building or tower.
• Don’t fly over vehicles or people. If you’re in an area with a lot of foot traffic or vehicles then it might not be a good area to fly your drone in.
• Not allowed to fly at night or in the dark. If you’re in an area where it’s dark or it’s if it’s night time, then avoid flying your drone. There’s one caveat to this. If there is enough light to keep your drone in sight at all times then you’re allowed to fly.
• Stay away from emergency services. If you’re in an area where emergency services are active, then think twice about flying your drone there.
• Don’t fly a drone under the influence.
• Stay out of the way of manned aircraft. If there is a lot of low flying aircraft in your area, then move to another location.

If you’ve checked all the boxes and you’re happy you won’t break any of the rules mentioned above, then move on to the second letter of the acronym.

Local Drone Laws: Are There Any Local Or County Level Drone Laws?

Now before I scare you off by making you feel overwhelmed, hang in there. This step is actually simple to check and it will only take a few minutes.

Here’s two of the most effective ways that you can check this:

• Check county or city website. The best way to find out if there are local drone laws in your area is to look for your city’s or county’s website, then search for “drone laws.” They won’t mention any areas that you are allowed to fly in, however, they should layout any areas that you should specifically stay away from. So if they don’t have any information on your area, then you should be fine.
• Ask other drone pilots in your area. Another way to check this is to find other drone hobbyists in your area. Since they’ve lived in your area for a long time they’ll be able to tell you exactly where you are and where you aren’t allowed to fly.

To get in touch with other hobby drone pilots look on Facebook for drone groups in your town’s name, or you could also ask on one of these popular online drone forums.

• phantompilots.com
• mavicpilots.com
• droneflyers.com

So there are no local drone laws that you could find? Great, you’re good to move on to the next step.

Airspace Restrictions: Are There Any In My Area?

There are a few things that could cause air restrictions in your area. The most common reasons are government buildings close by, or if you’re flying within a 5-mile radius of an airport.

The great news is you don’t have to guess. The FAA has partnered up with a ton of applications that can be downloaded on your mobile phone to provide realtime air space restrictions in your area.

Airmap.com is the app I use most often. It’s easy to use and it’s free. All you have to do is download their app, or go to the website, then type in your address. They’ll give you a full break down of all flight restrictions in your area as well as what kind of flight restrictions they are.

If you have a DJI then you should already have this information displayed inside the DJI GO4 or DJI Fly app, which is really neat. To find flight information on flight restrictions in your area simply open the Go4 or Fly app, then open the menu. Once in the menu, the map can be found under, “GEO Zones.” Once you open that you’ll get a map that pops up showing your area with all the different flight restrictions.

On these maps you’ll notice different airspace restrictions. Here’s a summary of what they mean.

• The blue circles show Class-B airspace, which is airspace that is controlled by airports. If you’re in Class-B airspace you could still fly there, you just need to ask for permission. As a hobbyist drone pilot, it’s actually really easy to apply for low altitude authorization, which basically means that you’ll be allowed to fly in that airspace below 400 feet. Here’s an article that will show you how to apply to fly in controlled airspace step-by-step as a hobbyist drone pilot.
• The red areas show restricted areas. These are areas that you won’t be able to fly under any circumstances unless it’s a temporary flight restriction. If it’s a TFR, (temporary flight restriction,) then you’ll have to try in that area at a later date.

So you’re happy there aren’t any flight restrictions in your area? Then move on to the final step.

Private Property: Can I Take Off Or Land Here?

This section is easy and you should be able to answer it fairly quickly. Can you take off or land on this private property?

The reason why you want to check this is because it’s illegal to take off or land on private property that does not belong to you, unless you have prior permission from the property owner or tenants. So if you don’t have permission yet, then make sure you contact the owners to get it.

That being said, the airspace that’s over the property belongs to the FAA and not the property owner. This is exactly why National Parks can stop you from taking off or landing on their parks, but they can’t do anything to you if you fly over their parks. So you’re free to fly over private property if you want to, just don’t become a nuisance to the owner!

Can I take off or land on National Parks, State Parks, and Public Parks? I’ll quickly answer this as best as possible.

• National Parks: There is a countrywide drone ban on national parks, so you’re not allowed to take off and land on them. However, you’re allowed to fly over them. Here’s an article for more information on flying your drone in a National Park.
• State Parks: This is touch and go. Some State Parks have no problem with drones, while others hate them. You’ll have to do some research to find out. Here’s an article that will show you how you can find out if you’re allowed to fly in the State Park you’re visiting.
• Public Parks: You’re almost always allowed to fly your drone in a Public Park, there are no laws that will stop you. However, as always, there are a few things to be on the lookout for. For example, is the public park near an airport, or close to a government building? In those cases, you might not be allowed to fly in a public park. If you want more information on this I wrote an in-depth article that covers things you need to know before flying a drone in a public park.

If you’re comfortable your location isn’t private property, or if you have prior permission, then you’re free to “FLAP” your wings and get that drone in the air.

Final Thoughts

The acronym FLAP will eliminate 99% of areas that you shouldn’t be flying in, however, there’s always that small chance that you’ll get it wrong. So always be prepared for that.

If you do get it wrong you’ll more than likely just get a slap on the wrist, especially if you honestly didn’t know. Just apologize and carry on with your life, we live and we learn! Once you’ve been flying in your area for a while you’ll start to get a feeling for where you should and where you shouldn’t be flying, but until then, make sure you use the acronym FLAP.