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Filming Campgrounds, Cabins, and Lake Properties: Know Whose Sky It Is

Writer: Jonathan G. Browning
Jonathan G. Browning
Oct 7
4 min read

If you run a campground, rent cabins, or own an RV park, your best marketing asset is usually the setting: the water, the trees, the ridgeline at sunset. Aerial photos and video show that setting in a way ground photos cannot.

In this part of Tennessee, some of those properties sit next to public land. A state park. A Corps of Engineers lake. That is part of the appeal for guests. It also means the airspace and the ground you would launch from may come with rules beyond the FAA's.


Start with the FAA basics

Any commercial drone flight in the U.S. falls under the FAA's small drone rule, Part 107. Among other limits, 14 CFR Part 107 keeps a small drone at or below 400 feet above ground level unless it is within 400 feet of a structure, requires the pilot to keep it within visual line of sight, and sets weather minimums: at least 3 statute miles of visibility, and at least 500 feet below and 2,000 feet horizontally from clouds. At 48 Pegasus, flights are handled by licensed FAA Part 107 remote pilots.

Hospitality properties add another wrinkle: guests. Flying over people is governed by separate requirements in Part 107. The FAA's Operations Over People page explains the categories. For example, a Category 1 drone must weigh 0.55 pounds or less and contain no exposed rotating parts that would cause lacerations, and no pilot may operate in sustained flight over open-air assemblies unless the operation is compliant with Remote ID.

The simplest plan for a campground or cabin rental: shoot when guests are not there, or plan routes that stay clear of people.


Tennessee State Parks

If your property borders a state park, do not assume you can launch from the park or cross into it.

The Tennessee State Parks Rules & Guidelines page says drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles in Tennessee State Parks are subject to the same rules governing the use of aircraft and require written Park Manager approval before flight is allowed. It also says those wishing to film for commercial purposes will need permission from the Film Commission in addition to other applicable requirements.

The state's administrative rule goes further. Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0400-02-02-.33 says no person may launch, land, or operate a drone in any park area or natural area for any reason unless it is launched, landed, and operated entirely inside an authorized flight zone, or the person has prior written approval from the Commissioner in the form of a signed flight permit.

In plain terms: fly from your own property, keep the drone over your own property, and get written permission before anything touches the park.


Calm lake reflecting wooded green hills, with blue mountains in the distance

Corps of Engineers lakes

If a property borders a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lake, federal rules apply on Corps land and water. Under 36 CFR 327.4, the operation of aircraft on Corps project lands at locations other than those designated by the District Commander is prohibited, and no one may operate an aircraft on or above project waters or lands in a careless, negligent, or reckless manner. The same section says it does not let anyone deviate from FAA rules, including pilot certification and airspace requirements.

That rule covers drones. The Corps' Unmanned Aircraft Systems page on its Natural Resources Management Gateway states that operating aircraft, including drones, at Corps project locations other than those designated by the District Commander is prohibited, and that this includes hobby, recreational, and commercial use.

Designated locations are set district by district, so contact the Corps office for the specific lake before you plan a shoot that involves Corps land or water, and get any approval in writing.


A planning checklist for outdoor properties

  1. Map the boundary. Know exactly where your property ends and public land begins.

  2. Pick a launch point on your land. Not a public boat ramp or park lot.

  3. Check the airspace. Use an FAA-approved airspace tool before the day of the shoot.

  4. Ask before you need it. Written approvals from parks or lake managers take time.

  5. Plan around guests. Shoot during a changeover or off-season, or keep routes clear of people.

  6. Watch the light. Water and tree lines look best in early morning or late afternoon.


What to capture

For marketing, a short list goes a long way:

  • An establishing shot that shows the property in its setting, water and all.

  • The entrance and road access, so guests know what to expect.

  • Sites, cabins, or pads in relation to amenities like the bathhouse, dock, or trailhead.

  • A ground-level walk-through of a typical cabin or site.

  • Seasonal versions if you are open year-round.


Practical takeaways

  1. Part 107 limits apply to every commercial flight, including altitude, line of sight, and weather.

  2. Tennessee State Parks require written approval for drone flights, and commercial filming needs Film Commission permission.

  3. On Corps of Engineers lakes, aircraft, including drones, are limited to designated locations on project lands. Check with the Corps office for the lake.

  4. Fly from and over your own property whenever possible.

  5. Keep guests out of the flight path.

If you run a campground, cabin rental, or outdoor property and want to plan aerial and ground coverage the right way, contact 48 Pegasus, serving properties within 75 miles of Macon County, Tennessee, across Middle Tennessee and South Central Kentucky.


Sources

Photos: cover by Gabriele Merlino / Unsplash; inline by Susanne Alexander / Unsplash. Free to use under the Unsplash License.

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