Part 107 in Hawaii: Parks, Tours and Wind

Hawaii looks like the perfect place to fly, and that is the problem. Its best-known landscapes are often inside national parks, where drones are banned. Tour helicopters work the same scenic coastlines and valleys you want to film. And steady trade winds can push a small drone past its limits.

Can you fly in Hawaii's national parks?

Generally no. Hawaiʻi Volcanoes and Haleakalā are National Park Service units. Under National Park Service Policy Memorandum 14-05, park superintendents use 36 CFR 1.5 to prohibit launching, landing or operating drones on park lands and waters, with limited exceptions; see the NPS policy. A Part 107 certificate does not change that.

How do you deal with tour helicopters?

Under §107.37 you must give way to every manned aircraft. Tour helicopters fly low over the same coastlines and valleys drone pilots like. Keep the drone low, use a visual observer, and land when you hear rotors. The right-of-way post covers the rule.

What federal airspace matters most in Hawaii?

Honolulu sits under Class B airspace, and the other islands have Class C and D airports. Get authorization through LAANC where required, and check wind before coastal flights: trade winds often blow steadily through the day.

What this means for the exam

Hawaii-specific rules are not on the FAA knowledge test, which covers federal rules only. The federal topics here, airspace authorization, restricted areas, weather limits and performance, are.

Other states are compared in the state drone laws guide.