Knowing where to fly your drone safely and legally can be surprisingly difficult.
Sure, you’ve just bought your first (or fifth) drone, and maybe you’ve gotten your TRUST certificate or Part 107 certification, but after a few hours of flying in your backyard, you’re looking for a new place nearby to practice your flying. Or maybe you’re traveling to a new city. So what do you do?
Sure, you start with a Google search: “Where can I fly a drone near me?” Then check out B4UFly for uncontrolled airspace. But even then, you still need to check state and local regulations.
Did you know that you can’t fly over national parks in the United States? Most airspace apps will make the airspace look clear, but you might run into trouble with park rangers!
Some states, such as Missouri, allow drone flights in state parks, while others, such as Hawaii, prohibit drone flights.
Most other states have strict restrictions on drone flights within state parks, but allow them under certain conditions or require advance notice.
The problem is that all this information is not centralized, is not always accurate, and most importantly, does not receive feedback from the pilots.
Enter FPV Trails. FPVTrails is a free database of specific flyable locations created by real pilots. Anyone can add, rate, review and discuss places to fly.
User-generated data is overlaid with airspace information such as the FAA UAS Facilities Map and FRIA to show you where it is not only enjoyable to fly, but also safe and legal to fly.
However, since data can change quickly (especially if there are temporary flight restrictions), we recommend cross-referencing the site with the FAA’s official B4UFly service provider.
FPV Trails has added many unique map layers including national and state parks, stadiums, international airports, and is in the process of compiling university UAS programs and city and state laws related to drone flights.
They also offer weather layers, and are constantly adding new locations, including over 250 in the US alone. These locations are available for free download in JSON format.
FPV Trails aims to be a free and open platform, with the potential to eventually add premium services to cover hosting costs.
