Beginning October 1 the Naperville Park District will allow recreational drone-flying in a designated area at Brush Hill Park, 203 N. Whispering Hills Road in Naperville.
With the growing popularity of drones, residents have been asking the Park District for space to fly them recreationally. Earlier this year, the District modified its Park Use Ordinance 641 to allow designating an area for this purpose.
“We chose a 300-by-175-foot section on the west side of Brush Hill Park, which will be clearly marked,” said director of parks, Kevin Finnegan. “The remaining section of the park will continue to be available for sports practices and general use. A 50-foot safety buffer will be included in the drone flying area.”
Drone operators must be registered with the FAA and adhere to all of the FAA’s rules which are available at www.faa.gov/uas. Some of the rules include the following:
• Fly for hobby or recreation only; racing or competitions are not allowed;
• Operate a model aircraft weighing less than 55 pounds;
• Fly drones only within the designated area and within a visual line-of-sight;
• Never fly near other aircraft or over humans;
• Review and be familiar with the Park District’s Ordinance 641, Section 2.01 regarding Aviation/Drones, which can be found at: www.naper
villeparks.org/parkpolice.
—Naperville Park District
