Naperville opens part of park for drone use

Recreational drone flying is now available in a designated area at Naperville's Brush Hill Park.

Earlier this year, the park district modified its park use ordinance to designate an area in the park at 203 N. Whispering Hills Road for drone use and has added signs, boundary markers and a concrete pad to the site.

The drone area is in a 300-by-175-foot section on the west side of the park, with the rest of the site still available for sports practices and general use.

Drone operators must be registered with the FAA and adhere to all of the FAA's rules, which are available at https://www.faa.gov/uas/. Some of the rules include:

• 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 people;

• Review and be familiar with the park district's Ordinance 641, Section 2.01 regarding aviation/drones, which can be found at www.napervilleparks.org/parkpolice.