In 2019 Chatham Park added signage to the future Mosaic shopping area which has a red line through a drone. The sign doesn’t quite make sense- it reads “Unauthorized drove surveillance of private property.” What does that mean?
NC Statute § 15A-300.1 (b) (1) b states “no person, entity, or State agency shall use an unmanned aircraft system to … conduct surveillance of private real property without the consent of the owner, easement holder, or lessee of the property.”
Surveillance? NCDOT defines that for us here: “It is illegal to use an unmanned aircraft system to take or distribute images of a person or their home without their consent (N.C. G.S. 15A-300.1 and N.C. G.S. 14-401.25).”
There’s nothing new here – all North Carolina drone operators know that you’re not supposed to take identifying pictures of people without their consent…
As for the air, you can fly a drone almost anywhere in North Carolina. According to nearby police you can take pictures of almost any building as well as long as you’re not selling or distributing the images.
If you’re thinking of flying around 15/501, there’s a nice launching area behind the Bojangles parking lot.
Remember to stay on top of all laws and not violate them while flying and enjoy the public airspace.