Hi there, it's Ernest from Trip Astute. If
you're watching this video, then you're probably a drone pilot looking to fly
your drone in Los Angeles. In this video, I'll share the two locations where you
can safely practice flying your drone in the area. (light chiming music) Los Angeles is one of the most
frustrating places if you happen to own a drone. The high number of airports and
city restrictions make it nearly impossible to fly your drone without
risk of a citation. You can't even fly it at a park or beach due to city
ordinances.

There are even filming restrictions in
LA that require you to have someone monitor your flight to ensure that
you're flying safely if you want to use your drone to officially capture video. I
actually got my drone in June 2017. It's a DJI Spark, so it's a pretty small
and friendly drone. However, as I researched places to fly, I was actually surprised
at the number of restrictions that drone operators face in LA. All I wanted to do
was practice flying it and my drone end up gathering dust since I couldn't find
a place to fly it.

That is, until I found two places in LA where you can actually
practice flying your drone. The first place is the Apollo 11 Aircraft Airstrip
in Lake Balboa. This is actually an RC aircraft field, and ironically it's near
one of LA's smaller airports in Van Nuys. While the RC plane community isn't
always fond of quad copters or drones, they do have an area dedicated on the
south side of the field where you can practice flying your drone. You'll see a
lot of professional and hobby drone pilots there, and everyone seems pretty
friendly. The helicopter field is open to the public. It does not require you to
get a membership to the club. Though, if you use it a lot, it probably wouldn't
hurt to support the San Fernando Valley Flyers since they maintain the area. You
will want to be careful not to fly your drone on the airfield side, as there are
a lot of model aircrafts flying in the area. If you're flying your drone, I would
stick to flying southwards from the helicopter pads area. You'll get some
good shots of the park and the 101 and 405 freeway.

Also, if the
club is having a special event, the quadcopter field is often closed off. So,
I recommend checking the website for any upcoming events. To get here, all you have
to do is head over to Woodley Park and enter the driveway marked with the
Apollo 11 RC Airstrip sign off of Woodley Avenue.
From there, just drive down the path and park your car in the lot.
The airfield has plenty of parking spaces and a public restroom. The second
location where you can safely practice flying your drone is Lot H of the Rose
Bowl. While you should never fly into or along a stadium, this area near the Rose
Bowl seems to be a safe zone for drone operators.

I've been here many times and
it's a great place to learn the basics of flying your quadcopter. The only catch
is that you shouldn't use the field when there are a lot of people around or when
there's an actual event at the Rose Bowl. This is usually not an issue during the
week, but can be a problem during the weekends. I have tried to use the field in
the past, only to find that there's a huge kids soccer match in the lot. And
those are my top recommendations for beginner drone pilots in Los Angeles.
I've included the address for both locations in the video description. Of
course, there are places throughout LA County where you can safely operate your
drone. However, it always helps to get some practice flight time under your
belt when you're starting out and learning all the controls and features.
Just a reminder: always operate your drone safely and within the FAA rules.
This means maintaining line-of-sight of your drone, not flying over 400 feet, and
not flying over people.

If you're like me, then you're probably feeling a bit
paranoid when flying your drone. So hopefully these places will help build
your confidence since you'll be able to master the basic controls. If you do get
more serious about drones, I do recommend getting your FAA part 107
license. You don't need it as a hobbyist, but if you want to do any commercial
work, then it's definitely required. I just got mine after taking the Drone
Pilot Ground School course taught by UAV Coach. Taking a prep course isn't
required to pass, but the course not only helped me to get a 95 percent on the
test, but I actually felt like I learned the concepts
being taught.

Things like understanding airspace classifications, weather, reading
sectional charts, and even best practices for flying unmanned aircrafts. Plus, the
instructor Alan is very responsive to questions. If you're interested, Alan at
UAV Coach has provided our channel with a discount code. Just used TRIPASTUTE50 to receive $50 off the prep course. Do you have any favorite places in LA to
fly a drone? If so, please share them below in the comments section. Also, let
us know if you have any questions. If you enjoyed this video or found it useful,
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travel safe and travel smart.