I was trying to figure is it legal to fly drone in  city of chicago and chicago parks mostly at the lake shore parks.

I’ve flown around Chicago a bunch. Some parks frown upon it. Some don’t. Just don’t fly in over populated areas. This video is from a Park right outside of millennium park. I tried flying it in Millennium Park and it was fine until I was running out of battery and a Park ranger was walking by when I needed to land. He told me to take it to Grant Park.

The rules in Chicago are vague and not understood well.  As rockmsu has stated, try to chill, don't fly over people, and try to blend in and not be obvious.  Do NOT fly in Maggie Daley park or Millenium park.  Lake shore parks may be your best bet.

Drones are often difficult to see once they are in the air.

For example, I walked by a gentleman at the park the other day, if I had been a casual passerby, I would not have known he was flying a drone...it certainly looked like he could have had his phone hooked up to a game controller and was playing a game on his phone; but I know a DJI contoller when I see one.  Even when he told me where the drone was (a Mavic Pro), I couldn't find it in the sky.  After I walked for a bit and about 5 mins later I saw it.

I think if you can get it high enough where it can't be heard, and people would have a hard time seeing it (the Spark is very small!), you will fare better.  Most of the time the attention is on the take off and landing.

Cheers...
Todd in Chicago

http://statedronelaw.com/state/illinois/
Chicago
◦Drones may only be flown for hobby or recreational uses.
◦Illegal to fly a drone directly over an individual or private property without consent.
◦Cannot interfere with manned aircraft or fly within 5 miles of an airport, cannot fly at night, cannot fly over any open air assembly unit, school, school yard, hospital, place of worship, prison or police station, without the property owner’s consent.
◦cannot fly within 500 feet of any water intake facility or any electric generating facility, substation or control center, or within 100 feet of any electric transmission facility, or within 25 feet of any electric distribution facility or of any overhead wire, cable, conveyor or similar equipment for the transmission of sounds or signal, or of heat, light or power, or data, upon or along any public way within the city, without the facility or equipment owner’s consent, and subject to any restrictions that the facility or equipment owner may place on such operation.
◦Illegal to weaponize a drone.
Reference: Chicago Office of the City Clerk
Posted: April 27, 2017

I think they are also banned from operating between the hours of 8 p.m. to 8 a.m.

As I am new to Drone pilot and I see in B4U app it shows some restrictions, not airports but hospital, news company or private Helicopters is that okay, if they are in within 5miles radius?

My friend lives in Chicago and he said not once did he encounter any difficulty flying his Spark and the only contention he faced was the wind factor. Good luck.

Bing Err Posted at 2018-4-2 17:56
http://statedronelaw.com/state/illinois/
Chicago
◦Drones may only be flown for hobby or recreational uses.

What's interesting about these "laws" is that the state cannot say "illegal to fly a drone over private property without consent".  Only the FAA governs our nations airspace...property owners do not own the air above their property.

Agree with what HDdeuce said.  Additionally there is something about "taking off or land an aircraft on park property"....does that include drones?  Who's to say....

Todd in Chicago

They call it the windy city for a reason... Be careful and follow the rules! Be very careful not to hurt anyone or make them mad.

Hddeuce Posted at 2018-4-3 05:46
What's interesting about these "laws" is that the state cannot say "illegal to fly a drone over private property without consent".  Only the FAA governs our nations airspace...property owners do not own the air above their property.

I know right! People have no airspace rights over their homes. Do you see people outside their house trying to shoot down commercial airliners???

This is the Chicago ordinance:
https://chicagorealtor.com/wp-co ... itute-Ordinance.pdf

There's a Facebook group that meets in Chicago. Went down to the city to fly with them at Northerly Island.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/ ... y&ref=notif

Here's a video from the last get together in January:

daev2018 Posted at 2018-4-3 16:07
This is the Chicago ordinance:
https://chicagorealtor.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/SO2015-5419-Drone-Substitute-Ordinance.pdf

Nice video, thanks for sharing. Take care and fly safely.

Thanks for the information. I am planning to take my birds to Chicago in May. Grant Park looks like a good place to fly.

daev2018 Posted at 2018-4-3 16:07
This is the Chicago ordinance:
https://chicagorealtor.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/SO2015-5419-Drone-Substitute-Ordinance.pdf

That deserves Two upvotes; One for the great footage and One for using Rush.  Sorry, but I've only got one upvote button here...

I am a drone enthusiast and cinematographer and I have 10 videos on my youtube channel from Chicago. Look for my name on Youtube, Dharmit Patel
Do take a look at it.

Flying drone in Chicago is legal, you just need to abide by the rules. Also, have a video on that "What you should do before you fly your drone" for USA


Under Section 336:
Fly for hobby or recreation ONLY
Register your model aircraft
Follow community-based safety guidelines and fly within the programming of a nationwide community-based organization
Fly a model aircraft under 55 lbs. unless certified by a community-based organization
Fly within visual line-of-sight
Never fly near other aircraft
Notify the airport and air traffic control tower prior to flying within 5 miles of an airport
Never fly near emergency response efforts

Under Part 107:
Fly for recreational OR commercial use
Register your drone
Get a Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA
Fly a drone under 55 lbs.
Fly within visual-line-of-sight*
Don't fly near other aircraft or over people*
Don't fly in controlled airspace near airports without FAA permission*
Fly only during daylight or civil twilight, at or below 400 feet*
* These rules are subject to waiver.

Chicago Specific Rules are as follows,
Do not fly within 5 miles of the airport,
Over School, churches, Park and Private Property.
Close to the electric generating facility.
Between hours of 8 PM - 8 AM

Thanks
Dharmit

davidmartingraf Posted at 4-2 18:04
My friend lives in Chicago and he said not once did he encounter any difficulty flying his Spark and the only contention he faced was the wind factor. Good luck.

Yes, but Chicago's nickname, "The windy city" has to do with politicians, not weather.

Tentoes Posted at 11-29 15:13
Yes, but Chicago's nickname, "The windy city" has to do with politicians, not weather.

Really, I thought it was the lake wind effect and advisories blowing in from Lake Michigan, etc?

davidmartingraf Posted at 11-30 13:47
Really, I thought it was the lake wind effect and advisories blowing in from Lake Michigan, etc?

It's pretty windy in Chicago, but the nickname came about when both the Republicans and Democrats had their national conventions in Chicago at the same time.

We are in 2019.  Does anyone know if the same rules from 2018 apply for Chicago?  My kids want to buy me a drone for my birthday but I cannot get a clear answer as to whether I can fly a drone or not.  I'm surrounded by hospitals with helicopters and Ohare is not far.  Where do people go and is it ok to fly downtown by Millenium Park?  I asked a cop recently while visiting the Bean and he said drone filming is not allowed.  I seem to get mixed answers.  I would hate my kids spending money on something that I won't be able to use.  I would appreciate any help.   

Hddeuce Posted at 2018-4-3 05:46
What's interesting about these "laws" is that the state cannot say "illegal to fly a drone over private property without consent".  Only the FAA governs our nations airspace...property owners do not own the air above their property.

Not so fast...
Drone U: “Important Legal Releases When Shooting a Drone Project” YouTube
Listen at 00:07:45. Drone U covers whether property owners have rights to some of their airspace. They claim that they do according to the following case.

United States v. Causby, 328 U.S. 256

A law in Newton, MA in part attempted to make flying over private property between 0-400 ft. altitude illegal without permission. The law was overturned, but the following was not addressed, says JRupprechtlaw.com:
“Problems With This Ruling/Issues Not Addressed:
• United States v. Causby is a U.S. Supreme Court case which raises the idea of a person owning airspace from the ground up to the “immediate reaches of the enveloping atmosphere.” What if the City of Newton were to create drone laws that applied to Causby airspace over their property or require permission to operate in Causby airspace over private property?”

Joemar7 Posted at 1-29 09:56
We are in 2019.  Does anyone know if the same rules from 2018 apply for Chicago?  My kids want to buy me a drone for my birthday but I cannot get a clear answer as to whether I can fly a drone or not.  I'm surrounded by hospitals with helicopters and Ohare is not far.  Where do people go and is it ok to fly downtown by Millenium Park?  I asked a cop recently while visiting the Bean and he said drone filming is not allowed.  I seem to get mixed answers.  I would hate my kids spending money on something that I won't be able to use.  I would appreciate any help.

For federal law, check out jrupprechtlaw.com and there are great videos covering legal use of drones by Drone U, Tony Northrup sdp.io/drones, and 51 Drones.