In another thread, it is discussed, if flying at Venice Beach is allowed.


What about the area around the Santa Monica Pier (not the Beach, that's a red zone, Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area)? TRUST is, of course, available.
- B4UFLY says okay (with LAANC 50ft), so FAA says yes, BUT
- Pacific Park rules says no, but they refer to the FAA rules(Pacific Park Drone Policy):
''Please be advised...
Pacific Park has a No Drone policy as regulated by the Federal Aviation
Administration. Please see regulations below for further guidance.

Regulations Prohibiting Model Aircraft and Drones

WARNING: Operating any Model Aircraft or Drone on or around the Santa Monica Beach, including the Santa Monica Pier, is STRICTLY PROHIBITED BY FAA REGULATIONS


As defined by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) model aircraft and drones are deemed as aircraft and subject to FAA oversight and enforcement. According to Advisory Circular 91-57, Model Aircraft Operating Standards (June 9, 1981) operation of these types of aircraft is to be restricted over populated areas.

The Reform Act of 2012 Section 336 states that when these devices are flown within five miles of an airport the operator of the aircraft must provide the airport operator and the airport air traffic control tower prior notice to operation. The Santa Monica Pier is within the five mile perimeter of the Santa Monica Airport.
In addition, CFR 91.119 states operations are not to be conducted “closer than 500 feet to any person, vessel, vehicle, or structure.” Disregard for this will result in enforcement actions. Included in CFR 91.13 through 91.15 is the prohibition of any aircraft being operated recklessly or carelessly in populated areas.
Pacific Park thanks you for your compliance to these regulations''

• Paragraph  1, okay, but if I fly when there are quite no (people, e.g. early  morning), or I fly just AROUND the pier, everything should be fine
• Paragraph 2 is obsolete when having LAANC
• Paragraph  3 is not applicable anymore, since the 500ft rule is not applicable to  drone, there is just the 25ft rule for UAS within LA City Limits
  

What do you say guys? The say it is strictly prohibited by FAA rules, but FAA (when LAANC granted) allows me to fly there.


Thanks,
CB

obviously they are just trying to scare you into not flying there by misrepresentation, especially if you stand/launch/land outside their ao.

Hi,

Here in the USA, you have to decide before your flight if you’re going to fly under the recreational exemption or if you’re going to fly under Part 107.  Obviously if you don’t have an FAA issued "sUAS pilot certification-Part 107”, then you must fly under the Recreation rules.

The Recreational Flyer rules are in link below:

https://www.faa.gov/uas/recreational_flyers

Yeah, I know the FAA rules (in my case for recreational flying), but this doesn't answer my questions ^^

About the videos, they're beautiful, but definitely above allowed LAANC altitude of 50ft in the SMO CTR ;)

charliebravo_at Posted at 4-30 09:09
Yeah, I know the FAA rules (in my case for recreational flying), but this doesn't answer my questions ^^

About the videos, they're beautiful, but definitely above allowed LAANC altitude of 50ft in the SMO CTR ;)

The best thing to do is to contact the local authoriities and ask them.  Show them the FAA Recreational Flyer rules administered by the FAA and see what they say.  Ask them if it’s ok to fly there under the Recreational exemption authorized by congress and administered by the FAA.

Show them the law that says the Federal Government (FAA) has exclusive authority over air space. See what they say.  The local authorities definitely have control over the public land inside their jurisdiction. Some communities have local ordinances and laws such as "disturbing the peace"  that are intentionally overly broad, but they could theoretically give you a citation.   Best thing is to ask them.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/usco ... %20Government%20has,airspace%20of%20the%20United%20States.

DroneApe Posted at 4-30 10:26
The best thing to do is to contact the local authoriities and ask them.  Show them the FAA Recreational Flyer rules administered by the FAA and see what they say.  Ask them if it’s ok to fly there under the Recreational exemption authorized by congress and administered by the FAA.

Show them the law that says the Federal Government (FAA) has exclusive authority over air space. See what they say.

if they are like basically any other state or local entity across the usa, they believe they have shared rights to control the airspace when it's in their own best interest and their lawyers are telling them and even some of their state/local courts are backing them up.  as a result legislators are passing laws and rules and regulations and law enforcement will not hesitate to enforce them.  reminds of the gun laws.

The Saint Posted at 4-30 10:39
if they are like basically any other state or local entity across the usa, they believe they have shared rights to control the airspace when it's in their own best interest and their lawyers are telling them and even some of their state/local courts are backing them up.  as a result legislators are passing laws and rules and regulations and law enforcement will not hesitate to enforce them.  reminds of the gun laws.

Many years ago, I was stopped on a small lake while boating by the local police (Barney Fife).  He wrote me a ticket and was going to make me go to town and post bond.  I asked him what law I violated.  He told me I illegally anchored in a boating channel.  I asked him where the channel markers were at.  He looked around and saw there wasn’t any channel markers.  He tore up the ticket and drove his boat away.  True story.

DroneApe Posted at 4-30 11:05
Many years ago, I was stopped on a small lake while boating by the local police (Barney Fife).  He wrote me a ticket and was going to make me go to town and post bond.  I asked him what law I violated.  He told me I illegally anchored in a boating channel.  I asked him where the channel markers were at.  He looked around and saw there wasn’t any channel markers.  He tore up the ticket and drove his boat away.  True story.

oh yeah, i remember those days.  you could politely ask and the honest officer made the correct decision circa; i think that was back in the 80s.

Here’s another link with contact information.

https://www.nps.gov/samo/getinvo ... ing%2C%20landing%2C,National%20Recreation%20Area%20is%20prohibited.


The National Recreation Areas here in US that are administered by the US Forest Service are generally drone friendly. The National Recreation Areas that are administered by the National Park Service are generally drone unfriendly.  

The U.S. Forest Service was instructed by Congress to emphasize “”multiple use”…whereas the National Park Service was not given that same mandate.  

There are no Recreational rules that allow you to fly your drone in Santa Monica Pier. In that area, if you ever fly, you should never go above 50ft (according to FAA restrictions). The problem is that the FAA does not advise flying in that area for many reasons, including:

- That area is a National Park, and per this National Park rules, drones are prohibited
- Flying there overlaps another aircrafts missions. If you check an LAANC app, you will see that there is an aircraft mission blocking the hole day. That's probably LAPD's choppers that fly at very low altitude near the pier

Technically, local law enforcement agencies do not have power over the airspace. FAA is the only one that can control it. So, a no drone zone means that you cannot take off or land in that area, but flying on it would be ok as long as you do not break any FAA rules (very difficult not to in that area).

So, basically, all the drone footage you see from Santa Monica was probably illegal.