Bring your picnic baskets, soccer balls and Frisbees when you visit Pima County parks β just donβt bring that new radio-controlled aircraft you got for Christmas.
Pima County parks officials sent out a reminder this week that such aircraft, or drones, are not permitted in county parks.
βItβs just to let everyone know we consider the little UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) or drones the same as planes,β said Kerry Baldwin, Pima County Natural Resources division manager.
While drone aircraft have experienced a renaissance in popularity in recent years, Pima Countyβs prohibition against unmanned flight in its parks is nothing new.
For many years, the county has banned the use of radio-controlled aircraft in parks.
The prohibition came out of a previous era of unmanned aircraft, when most were gas-powered scale models of manned airplanes.
Those planes tended to be louder than todayβs drones and generally lacked the slow flight and hover capabilities common in contemporary models.
More typical of todayβs radio-controlled aircraft are the multi-propeller, helicopter style drones.
While much quieter and capable of flying at slower speeds, these drone aircraft are still prohibited from county parks.
βThatβs part of the challenge,β Baldwin said, noting drone technology and regulations have changed rapidly.
In addition to local regulations, the Federal Aviation Administration recently decided to require recreational unmanned aircraft users to register their craft.
All users ages 13 and older must register drones with the FAA.
The registration is required for drones weighing between half-a-pound and 55 pounds. Larger aircraft require a different registration.
The federal registration costs $5. Information on how to register can be found at www.faa.gov/uas/registration
