Gadgets Drones Are Now Banned In Every National Park In America

The National Parks Service in the US just announced a sweeping ban on drones. The new policy prohibits “launching, landing, or operating unmanned aircraft on lands and waters administered by the National Park Service.” Why? Because they’re disruptive.

Disturbing the sheep!

Not all hope is lost for hobbyists who want a beautiful backdrop for their aerial drone-o-graphs, though. The Parks Service itself will also continue using drones “for administrative purposes such as search and rescue, fire operations and scientific study.” The new policy is described as a “temporary measure” pending a more permanent regulation which “can take considerable time” to get approved.
This, of course, falls into the larger effort of figuring out exactly how to make the best use of UAV technology without causing too many problems.

The FAA is currently writing rules for the use of commercial drones, which are currently illegal (unless you’re BP in Alaska). The process is expected to take several more years. So you may one day get to fly your quadcopter around El Capitan. Just not any day soon.

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