Now…I know you are here to learn if you can fly a drone in Myrtle Beach. On the list of questions people ask when headed to Myrtle Beach, “Can I fly a drone?” is somewhere around the middle, but more and more people are buying these cool new toys, and want to know if it’s legal.
Myrtle Beach is always a fun place to spend the day with loved ones, and it has some fantastic views that would look amazing in drone footage! You can fly there, though.
Myrtle Beach is a great place to vacation. It’s a city that offers plenty of attractions, from the oceanfront to the amusement parks, and it’s all within easy reach of your condo rental.
Myrtle Beach is especially popular with families. The area has several amusement parks and other attractions that are designed specifically for children. One of the most popular is Family Kingdom Amusement Park, which has rides like the Sky Coaster, Hurricane, and Tilt-A-Whirl.
The city also has many hotels, motels,s, and condos that can accommodate large groups of people traveling together. If you’re looking for a place where you can stay with friends or family members during your vacation in Myrtle Beach, we have plenty of options available right here on TripAdvisor®
According to city spokesperson Mark Kruea, the city of Myrtle Beach does not have any laws or ordinances that forbid or restrict the use of drones inside city bounds. This indicates that the city abides by federal drone laws and restrictions. A fly around a beach may encounter difficulties due to FAA drone regulations, though.
When Flying at the Beach, You Must Obey the Following Rules
Drone enthusiasts are free to fly their drones at the beach without breaking any Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) regulations. You must still abide by the standard drone laws and regulations when operating a drone, though. You should pay attention to these laws and regulations since breaking them could make your flight illegal and cause you problems while you’re in the air.
Some of those statutes are listed below:
Law 1: Keep a Clear Line of Sight
It is highly alluring to fly your drone out to sea or along the coast when you are flying it at the beach.
- There is a limit to how far you may travel, particularly when engaging in some drone fishing.
- The FAA forbids drone pilots from disengaging from their aircraft.
- They must be able to view the drone.
- The pilot or another person acting as an observer must maintain the visual line of sight.
- Therefore, even if you have a drone like the DJI brand of drones, which can fly miles from its controller without disconnecting, you are still breaking FAA rules and regulations if you can’t see it, and you risk receiving a fine.
- Unfortunately, you also cannot monitor a drone using its FPV (First Person View) camera.
- Checking the weather is something else you should do. You would have completed this before visiting the beach, I’m confident.
Law 02: Remain Below the Maximum Permitted Altitude
- Pilots must fly their drones between 400 feet by FAA drone laws and regulations.
- This is done to prevent accidents between different manned aircraft and drones.
- Every country has a distinct maximum height for drone flight, so while visiting, make sure to verify first.
Law 3: prohibits flying above people
The most crucial guideline to follow when using a drone at the beach is this one. You must exercise extreme caution since beaches are crowded with people from the pier to pier. Why?
- You are not permitted to fly your drone directly over people, according to an FAA regulation.
- This regulation applies to flying over a single individual or a group of individuals who are not a part of the flight, regardless of the number of persons you pass over.
- Even though it could appear attractive from a certain angle, drone flight over people is not encouraged.
- You probably won’t be able to fly your drone until you move away from people since popular beaches typically have a lot of people with families spending the day at the beach.
Law #4: Adhere To Community-Based Regulations
All enthusiasts need to be aware of the following levels of laws and regulations:
- National Law: The FAA has developed several laws that all aviators in the nation must abide by.
- State Law: The State laws are the many laws that each State has put together to govern drones in that State.
- City Laws: To regulate the usage of drones in a city, a state’s various cities have created city laws.
If you want to fly safely and legally, you must abide by every one of these laws. This is another reason why it’s crucial to investigate the place you want to fly into.
You may always search online for the information you require, or you can contact your local government to confirm that you are adhering to the law.
You must abide by the standard guidelines established by the FAA, the nation’s aviation regulatory body, if you conduct research and discover that the area you want to operate in lacks any specific regulations addressing drones.
Law No. 5: Avoid Airports
- You should be aware as a pilot that the FAA strongly forbids flying anywhere within 5 miles of an airport.
- Some airports are particularly close to well-known beaches, thus flying a drone there is immediately prohibited.
- By submitting a request through the LAANC (Low Altitude Authorization and Notification Capability) system, a hobbyist drone pilot can obtain permission to fly close to an airport.
- To make sure you are not breaking any laws while attempting to fly a drone on a beach, it is crucial to research the region where you will be using it.
3 Tips For Flying at Myrtle Beach
You may have flown drones in a variety of locations throughout the years, but I can assure you that flying at the beach is a whole different experience.
It is challenging to fly to the beach because there are more regulations to take into account.
For flying along the beach, consider these suggestions:
Tip #1: Avoid flying too high or too low.
Maintaining the proper flight height is crucial when flying at the beach.
Your drone might crash down in the sea if you opt to fly it too low, turning it into a submarine.
You shouldn’t be flying too high because it is forbidden to do so above 400 feet.
This is also because wind speeds increase as you ascend, which could disrupt your flight and cause you to crash. Additionally, this is worse near ocean waters.
Tip #2: Fly above the sand and land far from it
Finding a secure location to launch and land from is another piece of advice. On the sand, you shouldn’t take off or land.
A drone needs its propellers to spin rapidly to force air onto the ground, which will lift the drone into the air and cause it to take flight.
Sand could, however, be blown around and could fly up and strike the drone’s propellers while it is taking off or landing.
The propellers might become loose as a result of this, and they might even sustain damage. You might also crash your drone when attempting to take off or land as a result of it.
Additionally, a few sand grains can decide to settle into the drone’s gimbal or exposed regions.
Tip #3: Infrared and vision sensing systems may be impacted
According to DJI, the surface that the Vision System and Infrared Sensing System are being flown over has an impact on both systems’ performance.
And because of this, drones using this technology frequently have trouble flying over bodies of water and almost transparent surfaces.
This is another reason why there is always discussion on whether or not VPS should be turned on or off when flying over water.
According to my experience, you should turn it off if you plan to fly fewer than 30 feet above the ocean because it will probably impact the drone’s flight path and cause you to crash.
However, if you are flying higher than that, you shouldn’t experience any troubles; if you do, simply fly higher or return the drone and switch off your VPS.
Conclusion
It is cool to ‘drone’ around in Myrtle Beach. Still, you’ll want to keep in mind the aviation rules and regulations the FAA has established for unmanned aerial vehicles. The FAA recently released a set of guidelines for flying drones withing 150 feet of spectator areas and crowded locations.
If you want to see some exciting drone shots of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, this post is ideal. You can find recommendations on the best places to get the most amazing aerial views in town.
